RURAL NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS. 
15 I 
H. Waters—while the retiring Editor will continue to take an active interest 
in its welfare. He may therefore take this opportunity of thanking each and 
every one of the many readers of the Naturalists' Journal who has contributed 
towards its success, and at the same time he trusts that they will continue to 
extend to it increased support in the future. Several improvements and even 
enlargements are contemplated while the price will always remain the same. 
All communications should from this date be addressed to the Naturalists' 
Journal Office, 21, Prospect Row, Cambridge. Mr. Swann’s address in 
future will be 12, Forest Grove, Colville Street, Nottingham. 
We are very pleased to welcome the re-appearance of Science Gossip. The 
new series commenced last month under the editorship of Messrs. John F. 
Carrington and Edward Step—names probably well known to many of our 
readers, all of whom will no doubt join us in wishing an old favourite the suc¬ 
cess which it formerly gained. So far as we can judge its Editors are deter¬ 
mined to keep it up to the old standard of excellence. 
The British Naturalist , also, has been revived and is now edited by 
Messrs. Joseph Smith, m.r.i.a., and Linnaeus Greening, its new location being 
Warrington. 
“The Mentone Cave Men” (ante, p. 125).—Mr. G. H. Bryan writes: 
“ Since this paper was in type, the red caves of Mentone have again produced 
remains of great interest in the shape of two more prehistoric skeletons— 
whether palaeolithic or neolithic is uncertain. As in the former cases, the 
question will probably arise as to the proprietorship of the remains.In 
the present instance Messrs. Arthur Evans and Diury Fortnum were present 
at the excavations, and the quarryman, who is fully alive to the fact of his 
having a valuable find, is taking great care as to the preservation of the 
remains. The skeleton of the man is as large as in former cases, measuring 
some six feet two inches.” 
How to observe sun-spots.—A correspondent remarks : “ As there have 
been some remarkably fine spots on the sun lately, one being so large as to 
be visible to the naked eye in foggy weather, it may interest many readers to 
know that sun-spots can readily be seen, almost at any time that the sun is 
shining brightly, by projecting an image of the sun’s disc on a sheet of white 
paper with the aid of any ordinary telescope or field glass—a powerful tele¬ 
scope is quite unnecessary. All that is required is to point the telescope to¬ 
wards the sun and to place the sheet of paper about a foot or eighteen inches 
in front of the glass (the exact distance does not matter), then by careful focus¬ 
sing the sun’s image will be thrown on the paper and any spots of average 
size will be well shown without that risk of injuring the eyesight which occurs 
when the sun is viewed directly; even the faculce or bright flecks of flame on 
the sun are readily observed in this way. This simple plan will enable anyone 
to observe the present spots, even should atmospheric conditions preclude 
their being seen with the naked eye.” 
RURAL NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS. 
STRA.VITHIE, FIFESHIRE. 
Since writing last to your valuable journal, we have experienced quite a 
change of weather. High winds and rains seem to be the order daily ; thus 
somewhat delaying farm operations. However, in this locality, lea is 
nearly all ploughed, also turnip land, and if dry weather continues beans will 
be sown next week. The lambing season has now begun, thus keeping flock- 
masters busily engaged. I lost a fine young ewe the other day through a colt 
—for sheer mischief—catching it by the neck and shaking it like a dog, thus 
