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MISCELLANEOUS NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS. 
Tawny Pipit in Norfolk. — This species was first recorded as 
British from a specimen killed at Shoreham in August, 1858, since 
which time it has been met with some thirteen or fourteen times 
always in autumn, and with one doubtful exception (said to have 
been killed at Bridlington) — always in the South of England. It is 
quite possible that others may have been overlooked. The bird 
now exhibited was taken in a clap-net on the 7th October, 1897, near 
the Battery on the North Denes, Yarmouth, and proved to be a ? 
by dissection. It breeds in France and Holland, most suitable 
districts on the European Continent from the Baltic to the Mediter- 
ranean, and in North Africa. The addition of the above two birds 
brings the number of fully recognised Norfolk species up to 308, 
in addition to which there are 8 others, which for various reasons 
are considered doubtful — of these 308 species, 108 breed regularly 
in this county, — 6 others nest here occasionally, 11 are suspected 
to have bred here, and there are 14 others which formerly nested in 
Norfolk but have now ceased to do so, leaving 169 species occurring 
here which are not known to breed in Norfolk, and 8 others the 
claims of which to be reckoned as “Norfolk Birds” are not considered 
to be fully established. — Thomas Southwell. 
Leucociiroa oandidissima. — The abundance of this shell in the 
Riviera is very remarkable. At Mentone and Bordighera it is the 
most abundant of all shells. They may be seen at a long distance 
forming white bands at the foot of sloping banks, and suggesting 
the idea of bits of chalk which had rolled down. This resemblance 
might be protective, but the abundance of the shell seems to indicate 
something repulsive in the flavour, rather than such a degree of 
stupidity on the part of the Thrush family as would prevent their 
distinguishing them from stones. One would be inclined to think, 
however, that their numbers are rather due to the paucity of birds 
than to any other cause. The point is a curious one, and worth 
more closely working out than I was able to do. — John Lowe, M.D. 
Psyche bombycella. — A curious instance of mimicry is shown 
by the larva of this insect. It resembles a very minute ‘ caddis ’ 
and is of a slate blue colour. Some years ago I found it in 
Switzerland, on the spikes of Nardus stricta, to the summit of 
which it climbs, and lixing itself by one end moves about in a 
manner closely resembling the anthers of the plant agitated by 
the wind. The similarity to these is so great that it was with 
