RURAL NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS. 
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RURAL NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS. 
ROYSTON, CAMBS. 
March 18th : Rooks very busy building. Bees working well; and early 
swarming may be expected. Queen wasps moving about. 
March 27th : Missel thrush and song thrush nesting. Butterflies and moths 
appear in numbers. Blackthorn in blossom. Chaffinches beginning to build. 
Tiiis is early. 
April 1st: The common white butterfly has appeared early and in consider¬ 
able numbers. 
April 5th : A brood of young hedge sparrows hatched this morning. 
April 8th : It is with deep regret I have to record the death of Mr. W. 
Norman, who for many years cairied on the business of taxidermist and 
naturalist in this town and who often assisted me in my notes, he was a keen 
observer and a good field naturalist, he also possessed a great deal of general 
information on zoological matters, and I am sure I am expressing the senti¬ 
ment of very many, that we have lost a really useful and painstaking man. 
Rooks retaining the feathers on the base of the bill until the spring are not 
uncommon, my late friend Mr. Norman showed me one only a very few days 
ago- 
April 10th : Most beautiful, day 70° in the shade, sparrows very busy build¬ 
ing. Nightingales singing. Swallows arrived. 
April 13th : Rooks hatching. A lark’s nest with clutch of eggs found to 
day. I have no record of such an early nest.— Rambler. 
RECORDS AND OBSERVATIONS. 
REPTILIA. 
Ringed Snake and White Viper near Taunton. —On April 6tli, I captured 
a very fine specimen of ringed snake ( Tropidonotus natrix ) in a coppice at 
Fivehead. Length of body, over four feet, girth nearly four inches. The 
ringed snake is very plentiful about here, but this is the finest specimen I have 
seen. Near the same spot I captured a specimen of the white viper ( Pelias 
beras), I believe this to be uncommon, I have not seen a specimen of it before 
in this locality; it was of a very light hue, almost white ; the rhomboidal 
markings very distinct and clearly defined. It was basking in the sun, stretched 
full length on the dry grass ; it glided under the dry leaves as soon as it saw 
me, but came out again subsequently, and I had a good opportunity of making 
its closer acquaintance. It seemed about two feet long, but I did not capture 
it.—Rev. A. C. Denman, m.p.n.s., Fivehead, Taunton, Somerset. 
INSECTS. 
Butterflies at Fivehead Somerset. —In the woods in the locality of Fivehead 
I saw on the wing March 28th G' rhamni V. to and V. urticce , and on April 
ioth P. Adonis L.TElgeria, H. hyperanthus and E. Cardamines. —Rev. A. C. 
Denman. 
Nyssia Zonaria at Wallas. —On Good Friday I took my annual trip to New 
Brighton. We have been having some grand weather so I thought zonaria 
would be out. After seeing to the inner man at New Brighton I started off 
for the sand hills and arrivedabout 11 a.m. For twohours I had poor success, but 
patience and perseverance at last, was in my favour, and I took as many males 
as I cared for; females being the chief object of my visit I took a few, and 
