tit, White Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, Sky Lark, Hedge Accentor, Redbreast, Garden Warbler, Willow Warbler, Chiff Chaff, Wren, Goldcrest, Spotted Flycatcher, Swallow, Martin, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Hawfinch, (?) Bullfinch, Sparrow, Starling, Missel Thrush, Fieldfare, Redwing, Thrush, Blackbird, Nuthatch, Great Shrike, Woodpecker, Jack Daw, Rook, Seagulls, Wood Pigeon, Cuckoo, Yellow Bunting, Creeper.

Sparrows. I have twice been informed by residents in Leusden, a village near Ashburton, in Devonshire, that no sparrow has been seen there within the memory of man. Can anyone account for this curious fact?

During this spring I have had in my garden, in Torquay, rows of yellow Crocuses quite untouched by the sparrows.

Furzebank, Torquay.

66

THERESA MUSGRAVE.

The Primrose. - The Whitehall Review of April 19th has two articles, one on 'Primrose Day" and one on "Primroses," in the first of which we are assured that "the Primrose is a purely British species, not found in any other part of Europe," and in the second that it is found "nowhere outside the British Isles, unless it be in some parts of Scandinavia, while our only grounds for presuming its existence there, is the fact that Linnæus christened it Primula vulgaris." This statement is emphasised and repeated, so it is perhaps as well to say that it is absolutely devoid of accuracy. It meets my eye on my return from a railway journey through Germany, Switzerland, and Italy, where the Primrose adorned the banks and woods as freely as it does at home; and at Como on "Primrose Day' we gathered a bunch large enough to supply any number of enthusiastic Leaguers.' The second of the articles referred to is throughout an excellent example of the combination of nonsense and misstatement which does duty for "science in papers of a certain class.

66

G. S. R.

Keswick Notes. - The Rev. H. D. Rawnsley writes from Crosthwaite Vicarage, Keswick, "The first Cuckoo was heard here in the Keswick Valley, on April 2nd. The first Chiff Chaff was seen on April 10th. The first Swallow on April 20th. The corncrake came to us on the first of May. I find that it marvellously sharpens the school children's eyes to look for the coming of the birds, if a sixpenny bit is promised for the first authenticated sight of one of these winged lake visitors. But I also find that old eyes are better than young ones; in each case my little school friends were a day late in first sight of the birds. May I again plead that the May Queen Festivals may have associated with them, as here at Keswick, a public proclamation in proper form of Her Majesty's good will and pleasure towards those who kindly entreat horses, dogs, wild birds, and tame pets, during the coming season. I can send you a copy of our own proclamation, which after duly being read in the ears of all the people in the Keswick Market-place, will be posted on the walls, and in the schoolrooms, and in all the cottages. Every little thing that helps in the direction of kindly care for animals I feel must interest the Selborne Society. This is my excuse for writing."

The Note of the Cuckoo.-A. M. H. writes from Bath:-"Having been much interested in the letters upon the note of the cuckoo which have appeared lately in NATURE NOTES, on hearing it for the first time this year, on April 25th, I took particular care to observe the interval. It was a clear, distinct, perfect fifth, A to D, repeated eight or nine times, then ending with a major third, F sharp to D. Once I heard the bird singing the major third, conclude with a distinct perfect fourth, G to D. Another cuckoo at the same time was singing major thirds. I must mention that the pitch by which I took note of the interval was higher than concert pitch, being philharmonic."

While dealing with this subject we may note that Miss Eva Milman, writing from Martin's Heron, Bracknell, Herts, records the appearance of the cuckoo on April 16th. And A. H. writes as follows::- "The cuckoo was first heard in Bramdean, Hampshire, on Tuesday, April 15th, and swallows were first seen the next day. I adopt a plan which I recommend to all who are lovers of birds. I not only feed them through the winter and spring, but I keep a pan of fresh water filled for them. Also I put tufts of cotton wool or wadding near at hand, which in the nesting season soon disappear."

Destruction of Birds of Prey in the Hebrides.-Surely the last paragraph of the article under the above heading in the April number must be a mistake.

I have most of the dealers' catalogues; they vary little in price, and

offer eggs of the golden eagle at 25s., and osprey at 4s. The statement going abroad that 12 is given for single eggs of those birds is likely to produce a whole army of half-starved villagers, and so help the destruction our Society tries to prevent. If the owners of shootings could be induced to follow the example of the Duke of Sutherland, and order their keepers not to disturb the breeding places of the larger Raptorial birds, is the true remedy. Perhaps some of our members can bring influence to bear to that end.

THOMAS SIMPSON.

[Dr. Clark's statement was obviously intended to apply only to guaranteed British examples of the eggs in question, which-as every collector knows-have a far higher value than specimens obtained from abroad, which are readily pro curable from a dealer. The high prices mentioned by Dr. Clark have long been well known to ornithologists. Mr. Robert Gray, in his "Birds of the West of Scotland" (1871) drew attention to a fact communicated by Mr. John Batson to the Times about a year ago-namely, that printed lists are actually in circulation among keepers and shepherds [in Sutherlandshire], offering large prices for the eggs of birds of prey. Nothing but the strongest censure can be meted out to such collectors as would bribe a man in humble circumstances to procure eggs of the golden or white-tailed eagles, kite, or osprey, at the price of ten pounds for each specimen" (p. 10).--EDS.]

Miss Mitford's " Spicer."-Mrs. Haweis writes from Queen's House, Cheyne Walk, S. W., as follows:- -"I am so much interested by the identification of Miss Mitford's Spicer (the Saponaria officinalis) that I write to say how grateful I should be if any correspondent of NATURE NOTES would send me a batch of roots that I may experiment with. I shall not shrink before so pretty a 'pest,' and, if any charitable stranger will so afflict me, I will gladly bear any expense he is put to."

Animal and Plant Names.-We have received lists and communications from the following contributors :-N. S. W.; E. F. P.; R. W.; G. S. D.; E. C. D.; G. C. G.; A. J. H.; T. R. A.; B. E. H.; E. H. Of these we hope to make use in an early number.

OFFICIAL NOTICES, &c.

THE Annual General Meeting of the Society is an event of such importance that we have placed an account of it as the first article for this month. Several matters arising from it will be dealt with in the next number of NATURE NOTES.

THE question of printing the names of new members of the Selborne Society in each number of the Magazine has been raised by several correspondents; but the number of new members is so large, and the space at our disposal so very inadequate to the demands upon it, that we are quite unable to do so at present. At the next meeting of Council the advisability of printing in pamphlet form a fresh list of all the members will be considered. This would, of course, obviate the necessity of printing the names in the Magazine.

WE have received several numbers of the Selborne Magazine, and some valuable suggestions, from Mr. Albert Keene, of Hammersmith, who has done much good work for the Society there. The Magazines have been distributed, and the suggestions shall be carefully borne in mind. We are also indebted for Magazines to Miss S. P. Dawes, of Ditchling Hassocks, who is most helpful in sending cuttings, &c.

SEVERAL members express their readiness to give Is. or more yearly to the Magazine fund. Those intending to do so will please remember that we do not want the money to be sent now, only the names of those upon whom we might depend in case the idea of enlargement were to be carried into practice. It is particularly requested that subscriptions, and letters bearing on the general business of the Society, should not be forwarded to the Editors. Editorial communications should be addressed to the Rev. PERCY MYLES, I, Argyle Road, Ealing, W.

WILLIAM WESLEY & SON,

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Just Published: Parts 1 & 2, 4to, 6 coloured plates, 5s. each part, post free. NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS, by H. Nehrling. To be completed in 12 parts, containing 36 coloured plates, after Water-colour Drawings by Robert Ridgway, A. Goering, and Gustav Muetzel. 1889.

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CONTENTS:-The House Sparrow, by an Ornithologist,-J. H. Gurney, jun. The House Sparrow, by a Friend of the Farmers,-Colonel C. Russell. The House Sparrow in Yarrell's British Birds. The Sparrow in our Bill of Fare. The English Sparrow in America, by Dr. Elliott Coues. A Ruffian in Feathers, by Olive Thorne Miller.

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By GEORGE BOWDLER BUCKTON, F. R.S., Corr. Memb. Acad. Nat. Hist. of Philadelphia, Memb. de la Soc. Ent. de France. Illustrated by more than 400 Coloured

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No coloured monograph of the British Cicada exists, and it is even believed that no adequately illustrated monograph exists of European species. Partly to meet this want, it is proposed to publish eight quarterly parts, each containing on an average ten litho-chromo plates and letterpress, illustrating the forms, metamorphoses, general anatomy, and the chief details connected with the life-history of this family of insects. The work will contain also short diagnoses of all the British species, about 230 in number, most of which have come under the author's notice, each species being illustrated by one or more coloured drawings. Some account will be given of the curious myths and tales told by ancient Greek and Latin poets, and descriptions will be appended relating to the curious sound-organs possessed by some species, and other subjects connected with the economy of this interesting but difficult group of Rhynchotous insects. Mr. Buckton's name is well known to entomologists, and this book represents the labour and observation of many years.

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