THE NATURALISTS’ JOURNAL. 
himself. On the disused canal banks here I have succeeded in 
obtaining quite a quantity of dead shells for several years in 
succession, and it is only this last year or so that I have ferreted 
out the living animal. Both the type and the var. lutescens 
occur here. Several vars. of Hortensis and nemoralis are to be 
found at the Wren’s Nest, and in the Castle grounds the var. 
Studeria of the latter mentioned. Round the pools in the 
vicinity Succinea putris occurs. The following slugs are also 
present : Avion a:er (largest specimens I have ever seen, from 
under an old tree trunk), Avion hortensis , Lininx agrestis, L. 
gagate l L. carinatus , L. fiavus , and L. maximus. In conclusion, 
is Mr. Bath quite sure that the specimens of A acicula were 
found at the Wren’s Nest ? I have searched assiduously, but 
have never come across the ghost of a dead shell, nor am I at 
all convinced that it occurs within the district. I apprehend 
that Z. fulvus is meant and not Z purus (as in the text) when 
mention is made of it being placed in another genus. 
H. Durrant. 
Notes and Observations from Royston. 
Last season two distinct clutches of five eggs each were found 
in one nest of the Whitethroat (Sylvia cinered). These eggs 
were evidently laid by two birds, one only being seen on the nest, 
and the eggs were to a certain extent incubated. I blew them 
carefully and from the appearance of the embryos I believe the 
eggs of each clutch were laid on the same days and incubation 
not commenced until all were laid. This is the first instance of 
the kind I have met with, but it is not an uncommon occurence 
for two birds to lay claim to the same nest, and spoil all the 
eggs. Thirteen quail were recently shot, in one day, about 
four miles from this town. I believe it to be the greatest 
number ever killed in one day in this locality. I can answer 
for the correctness of this statement as they were shot by some 
friends of mine and on land I have been over for nearly fifty 
years. The Hooded or Royston Crows have arrived, I saw 
one to-day (October 18th), and I have noticed for years that the 
18th is the day on which they make their appearance in this 
locality. These birds were at one time very common here, but 
for the past few years they appear to have abandoned their 
visits to this neighbourhood ; I expect it is owing to the im¬ 
proved agriculture. The clouded yellow butterfly (C. edusa) has 
been very common here this year; I have no recollection of 
having met with any specimens for more than forty years, and 
then I caught one about a mile from this town. It is true that 
this has been a great season for butterflies and moths, but bad 
for bees and wasps. Recently some very large fossil remains of 
extinct elks, oxen and other animals have been found in the 
cement workings on the southern border of Cambridgeshire, 
and they are now in the Museum of the Royal College of 
Surgeons. Rambler. 
