THE NATURALISTS’ JOURNAL. 
I 18 
had several of them brought to me alive, having been taken at 
night with the common sparrows. It can only be quite recently 
they have become more numerous and breeding freely, nesting 
in the stacks and farm buildings. I am very much inclined to 
think that there is inter-breeding, but at present I have not been 
able to meet with any satisfactory examples of mule birds. 
January 8th : A black-headed gull, Lams ridibundus, and a 
common gull, Larus ca?ius, were brought in this morning. 
January ioth: A great crested grebe, Podicipes cristatus, was 
killed near here yesterday. This is a rare bird in this locality. 
Also a beautiful snow bunting, Plectrophenax nivalis ; it appears 
that the bird is more frequently met with than it was a few years 
ago.— Rambler, January 1.1th. 
STRAVITHIE, FIFESHIRE. 
Duringthelast fortnightin December we had very mild and warm 
weather, and as an instance of this the rooks began to build their 
nests, and a robin’s nest with six eggs was found near Annan on 
New Year’s Day. During the same week a swallow, PLirundo 
mstica, was observed flying about St. Andrews. 
Since New Year we have had quite a change of weather, put¬ 
ting, I have no doubt, a stop to all thoughts of nest-building. 
The frost has been unusually severe—the thermometer standing 
at several degrees below zero—causing several of the water-pipes 
to freeze. 
I am glad to say that Kingfishers have become more abundant 
this year; several have of late been seen frequenting the Leven 
and Orr waters in the west of Fife. But alas ! I am afraid they 
are doomed as several persons with guns have been pursuing 
them of late. Would it not be better to observe them in their 
natural element than witness their annihilation from off the face 
of the earth ?—Wm. Berwick, January ioth. 
EDITORIAL NOTES. 
Death has been busy among the ranks of our naturalists 
lately. Two able botanists of the old school—Professor Bentley 
and Dr. Spruce—have ended their labours. Both were workers 
of an elder generation, the last named perhaps being best re¬ 
membered in connection with his explorations in South America. 
Mr. John Plant, also, a former curator of the Manchester 
Museum, has joined the great majority, while a zoologist of a 
promising and somewhat newer order has been lost in Professor 
Marshall. 
We are glad to learn that Yarmouth naturalists have again 
