Page:The Zoologist, 4th series, vol 4 (1900).djvu/417

Rh shire, and the birds in which it is most marked are the Cuckoo and the Whitethroat, the latter appearing at first to have an entirely different song. After these two the change is most marked in the Chaffinch, Hedge-Sparrow, Wren, and Blackbird; while in the Willow-Wren (the only other Warbler I have listened to in the west of Donegal) I could notice no change whatever. Comparing these two counties with the district round Loch Lomond, there is again a difference, and the Whitethroat is once more the most marked, appearing to have a song between the other two. I should be glad if others would give their experience.—[[Author:Henry Eliot Howard| (Clarelands, Stourport).

Rana temporaria in the Scilly Islands.—Previous to my taking a trip to the Scillies last month, I made some enquiries respecting their fauna, and was informed that no batrachians were recorded from these islands. I was fortunate, however, whilst on St. Mary's, in taking an example of the Common Frog (R. temporaria), which, although in itself no rarity (being a very ordinary female of the reddish variety), was certainly an interesting capture for locality's sake. It was taken on some boggy land (lying east of the town of St. Mary's), known locally as "the moors." The islanders seem well acquainted with Frogs, but say they are rare. A boatman told me he remembered years ago seeing them spawning in a pond on Bryher Island. I visited this place, but without success. Whether their "Frogs" also includes Toads, I could not discover, but probably the same confusion exists between the two animals here as in other parts of the country. Newts appear to be quite unknown, as are also Snakes and Lizards. It is probable that by carefully working suitable districts other batrachians may turn up, but unfortunately my time was too limited to do this.— (102, Kingston Road, Wimbledon, S.W.).

[Borlase, in his 'Observations on the Ancient and Present State of the Islands of Scilly,' published in 1756, states:—"There is no Adder, or venomous creature of any kind to be found in these islands."—]