86 
THE NATURALISTS’ JOURNAL. 
as given to me this morning; it is about the size of a robin’s 
egg and beautifully coloured, it has a greenish-brown ground, 
with dark brown spots. 
Nov. ioth : We have a most unusual number of larks in our 
fields, and larger flocks of sparrows I never saw. It is very curi¬ 
ous the way in which the sparrows leave the gardens and streets 
at this season, and collect in large flocks to feed in the stubbles, 
giving the farmers a good turn in picking up large quantities of 
small seeds and insects for the corn they destroyed before and 
during the harvest. The tenth of November is a curious time to 
finish harvest, nevertheless, barley in very fair condition and 
quality was carried here to-day.— Rambler. Nov. \\th, 1893. 
FIFESHIRE. 
In this district the season has been a remarkably early one, 
harvesting operations having been finished about a month ago. 
Last year we commenced to cut the corn on Sept. 15th., this 
year we finished on the 15th—exactly one month earlier. The 
potato lifting is now well advanced, the crop is very good as a 
rule, the later varieties being sound and large, but most of the 
earlier ones are badly diseased. Most of the farmers in Fife, 
have secured a good second crop of hay, being fully as bulky as 
the first, and secured in excellent condition. Roses are still in 
full bloom, and other buds'coming forward. Strawberries were 
gathered at Markinch last week. 
Nearly, if not all of our summer migrants have left us, the 
swallows being last seen here, on the 25th of Sept. The Martin, 
or window-swallow, being rather numerous this year ; the sand- 
martin rare. Owing to the dry summer, rabbits have increased 
enormously; hares are fairly numerous; partridges scarce, per¬ 
haps owing to the large number of magpies now in this quarter, 
I have counted as many as nineteen together, however two, 
three, and five are the numbers usually met with. Grouse are 
found in fair numbers, being confined to the Lomonds and Fents- 
moor, although I have shot stray birds in moorish land. 
Oct. 5th : Noticed flocks of wild geese, the first time for this 
season ; from Oct. to Jan., they may be seen in large flocks flying 
south in the morning, and back north in the evening. Sometimes 
they rest in our fields, when they do a good deal of damage to 
the young wheat. They are also very fond of potatoes. I have 
kept a pair of them—pink footed geese ( Anser Brachyrhynchus)— 
since March this year, in confinement, and they are now very 
tame.-— William Berwick, Stravithie, October gth. 
CORRESPONDENCE. 
(The Editor is not responsible for the opinions expressed by Correspo?idents.J 
LATE NESTING OF THE RINGDOVE. 
On October 20th, I found at Radley, near Oxford, a wood- 
pigeon’s nest, built in a limetree, in which were two healthy young 
