142 
COKRESPONDENCE 
where there is a line open space. We walked cautiously along a path, 
next the line, and came across several pairs of coots feeding on the 
top of the water, croaking to each other, and often diving with a flip 
which was most amusing to watch. They appeared quite unconcerned 
at our presence ; not so several pairs of the common wild duck and two 
or three pairs of teal, which rose, and after wheeling round, settled at 
the far side of the pond, hiding among the rushes. On reaching the 
other end we caught sight of a pair of a different kind, which rose from 
amongst the reeds, hut soon settled again ; the drake was brown, with 
a broad white band on each side and a rather fan-shaped tail, with a 
blackish head; the duck, brown and white, but not so distinctly 
marked. On returning a few days later I saw them again, almost in 
the same place, so perhaps they were preparing to build. It was sug¬ 
gested to me that they might he Shovellers, which species has at times 
been caught in a decoy at Ashby, about fourteen miles distant “ as the 
crow fliesand the description in “Morris’s British Birds” tallies 
with their appearance, as far as one could judge from a limited view at 
a little distance. Later in the summer I hope to have an opportunity 
of finding out whether any of these ducks remained to breed ; they 
were quite indifferent to the noise of the trains, and the pond is other¬ 
wise very quiet, bounded on the opposite side by a bank and running 
stream.—A. E. J. 
Notks from Wokino.—O wing to the continued cold weather, but few' 
insects have been observed during the past month. On April 18th I 
heard the Cuckoo {Cuciilus canorus). Night-jar [Caprimulgus Europaus), 
and a, native informed me he heard the Nightingale [Philomela luscinia); 
but the knowledge of Natural History, or the power of observing 
[except their neighbour’s business) possessed by the natives about here is 
very small, for everyone whose attention I have called to the strange 
note of the Night-jar will persist in asserting that “ it ain’t the Night¬ 
jar, never heerd o’ that thing—it’s Frogs!” April 23rd commenced 
with bright sun, and very warm— Anthophora acervorum dashing about 
in a most frantic manner. About noon, the sky overcast, and wind 
bitterly cold. From 6 to 7 p.m. we had a very heavy fall of snow, 
which did not clear off the ground until 11 a.m. next morning; at 
3 p.m. a heavy hail storm for 10 minutes, some of the stones measuring 
|-inch diameter; this gradually changed to rain, and at 7 p.m. was ac¬ 
companied with some sharp peals of thunder. April 26th.—I noticed 
a sand-bank facing south-east, from which the “ face ” had fallen 
away, so exposing to view numerous burrow's of some species of 
Andrena, but on digging I found a dead Bee, nearly fully developed, at 
the bottom of each burrow: no doubt the very warm weather we had 
in February brought the Bees on, and the hard frost which followed 
killed the whole colony. April 30th.—I took a beautifully marked 
variety of the March Crosswing [Anisopterijx cescidaria), an insect 
generally taken at the end of February. At 12.30 p.m. my wife called 
my attention to a Pond-skater [Hydrometra, lacustris) skimming about 
in a fountain basin in our garden, and as we had only filled it with 
water the previous day we concluded that this insect had flown from 
the Basingstoke Canal, which lies some 300 yards to our north-west, 
the wind blowing from that direction. I have never known this 
insect take such a long or high flight, having to pass over two roads 
with houses. Its sight too must be wonderfully keen to have seen the 
water in the basin which is but 4ft. 6in. in diameter. The elytra and 
wings of this insect are very interesting, and the peculiar arrangement 
of the veins or wing bones is well worth careful study. May 4th to 5th. 
-We had 5 degrees of frost.—F riod. Enock. 
