It appears from the information contributed by the late Mr. A. G. More to Venables' Guide to the Isle of Wight' (p. 431), that the Quail is occasionally obtained there in late autumn and winter. A single instance only is known of its having nested in the island.-ED.]

Abnormal Nesting of the Goldcrest in Ireland.-The Golden-crested Wren (Regulus cristatus), strange to say, in this part of the country builds commonly against the sides of ivy-covered trees. The nest is not suspended under a branch of fir, as I have found it in England, and the nests here are badly and loosely put together.-A. T. MITCHELL (Drogheda, Co. Louth).

BATRACHIA.

Food of Toad.-A nephew of mine at Emsworth, near Portsmouth, writes me that he lately saw a Toad swallow a mouse. He watched the mouse, which was not quite full-grown, for some little time running about in a dazed condition, about a yard from the Toad, when suddenly, to his surprise, it appeared to be drawn into its mouth. The hind legs and tail of the mouse were visible for some little time after the rest of the body had disappeared, the tail continuing to twitch for fully three minutes after the legs had been absorbed. I send you these particulars, as I never previously heard of a Toad attacking an animal of that size, and am curious to know whether the occurrence is unusual.— R. H. RAMSBOTHAM (Moukmoor, Shrewsbury).

[The observations of naturalists in regard to the food of the Common Toad, Bufo vulgaris, show that it is in a great measure insectivorous, living chiefly upon flies, spiders, and beetles, but habitually taking earthworms also, which are generally seized by the middle and gradually stuffed into the mouth by the aid of the fore feet. This much we have ourselves observed, but it is new to us to learn that a Toad will not only attempt to seize and swallow a mouse, but will succeed in doing so. The mouse, we imagine, must have been a small one, and under the influence of a fascination which to some extent paralysed its movements, in the same way that a rabbit is affected when pursued by a Stoat. We should not have supposed it possible for a Toad to hold so large a prey, nor to digest it if swallowed; but a friend who has kept Toads alive for the purpose of observing their actions, assures us that he has fed large ones with young mice. We can therefore no longer doubt.-ED.]

CRUSTACEA.

Weight of Lobsters.-In August last three Lobsters were taken in Herring-nets in Loch Seaforth, and brought to Stornoway, which weighed. respectively 7 lbs. 5 oz., 8 lbs. 9 oz., and 9 lbs. 8 oz. The largest was minus a claw, which made a difference in its weight of perhaps 2 lbs. All

three were remarkably tender, and good eating.-H. HOLMES (Aline Lodge, Stornoway, N.B.)

MOLLUSCA.

Hibernation of Limax flavus.-The little yellowish coloured Slug known to conchologists as Limax flavus is in the habit of hibernating in small colonies. I am told by a gardening friend that he found no less than twenty-four of them congregated together in a hole in a clod of earth. This is a most unusual number, so far as my experience goes.-ROBERT SERVICE (Maxwelltown, Dumfries).

INSECTS.

Insect Migration.-I have read with much interest the paper on migrating butterflies and dragonflies. There are several points in it which appear of great interest; thus some of the authorities quoted by you mention having seen swarms of butterflies sipping at damp places, and on this point I can certainly confirm them. In a dark African forest-path, and also in Madagascar woods, one of the most familiar sights is a great assemblage of bright blue and white butterflies, taking long, deep draughts of moisture from the unpleasant looking mud in a hollow of the road. Still, this is just what one would expect, for I found that, at any rate in the drier hours of the day, the best place for butterfly-hunting is always in the vicinity of a stream, which is only natural, for every creature is thirsty in Africa at such a time. With regard to their actual migration in large flocks, I have never seen such a phenomenon myself; all that I can say on the subject is that the sight of butterflies flying past by twos and threes is common when one is on a steamer near the shore. I am surprised at such an explanation as that given for these migrations, because I have always understood that the life of a butterfly is a short one, and how these insects should have time to migrate seems to me curious. You will, of course, know that there are certain species of Argynnis confined to the mountain-tops (above 10,000 ft.) of Kilimanjaro, Kenia, Ruwenzori, and possibly Milanje. I think that their occurrence and distribution would be worth your investigation, for these forms occur only on these isolated and distant summits, and not, if I am rightly informed, in the lower country between the hills. This would imply that they were capable of flying 600 miles, but, of course, the chance of any particular flight reaching a mountain at that distance is rather small. (The proportion of chances, I think, would be 360 to one.) If I understand your theory rightly, these migrations resemble the manner in which the over-populated countries of Asia sent forth irregular swarms of Goths, Huns, and others; and without some such explanation it is difficult to understand the distribution of butterflies in islands, and on such isolated

mountain summits as those mentioned above, which are really climatic islands. Dragonflies have a nearly regular patrol system along favourable stretches of path or the shore of a pond, &c. Any one can verify by observation that each has his own little district, and vigorously objects to any one poaching on his preserves; at least, I certainly believe this: hence it is, perhaps, more surprising that they should have a migration of the same kind.-G. F. SCOTT ELLIOT (Newton, Dumfries).

Insect Migration.-With reference to the article "Migration of Butterflies," by the Editor, in the current number of 'The Zoologist' (p. 335), I have for many years been aware of the fact that there is, at irregular intervals, a very considerable immigration of insects across the North Sea to the east coast of England. These are chiefly butterflies, moths, and dragonflies, the latter Libellula quadripunctata. The great movement of Plusia gamma recorded by Herr Gätke in 1882, in August, across Heligoland, coincides with the appearance of immense numbers of the same insect on the coast districts of Lincolnshire and Yorkshire; this immigration was recorded by me in The Field' of Sept. 16th of that year. Few naturalists are aware with what apparent ease butterflies and moths cross an immense extent of water. I have seen from the cliffs of Heligoland the common Cabbage Butterfly drifting in from the east, some to alight, but the majority passing north and south of the island, and going west like so many flakes of snow. When in the middle of the North Sea I have also seen them pursuing the same course, and crossing close before the bows of the vessel without attempting to alight. During the autumn of 1894, about twenty-four examples of that lovely insect, Sphinx convolvuli, were taken in the Spurn district, and many more seen; these were probably immigrants. Many years since I recollect considerable numbers were washed up dead between Kilnsea and the Spurn. The amazing numbers of Vanessa urtica which have appeared during the present autumn, especially in east-coast districts, may perhaps be accounted for by a great migration across the North Sea; but of this further proof is needed. I have seen them this year, in September, by hundreds, over the flowers in small gardens in a town near the coast, where in former years single examples would scarcely have appeared.-JOHN CORDEAUX (Great Cotes, Lincolnshire).

Insect Migration. For some years past I have carried on a series of observations at and near the Spurn Point on the Holderness coast, which leaves no doubt in my mind, and that of other observers with me, that there are erratic immigrations of some insects, at irregular intervals, from time to time. This opinion has been more than ever strongly forced upon me this month and last (Aug. and Sept.) by the sudden appearance on the Holderness coast of several insects in such numbers as almost to preclude

the probability of their being bred in the immediate neighbourhood. I refer more particularly to the Convolvulus Hawk-moth (Sphinx convolvuli), which visited all the honeysuckle then in flower upon various porches and summerhouses in the neighbourhood, and these flowers evidently were the only ones which they visited. They came with some regularity at dusk; this was, I think, what may be called their first flight. They would suddenly appear as winged phantoms, dart to the flower, poise on vibrating wings, their long proboscis thrust into the tube of the flower as they drauk its nectar. During the succeeding three weeks from the time when they were first observed very many were seen, and I find from my notes that two dozen fell victims to the net. The point of interest is, Are these insects bred in the district in which they are taken, or are they immigrants? The food-plant is common in the neighbourhood, but, though carefully sought for year after year, neither the larvæ nor the pupæ have ever been taken. To the question whether the moth ever migrates or not, I think I may reply in the affirmative. Some years ago Mr. Philip Loten, of Easington, recorded the fact that one autumn many of these moths were picked up dead on the high-water mark between the Spurn and Easington; numbers were seen in this way and noted. There can be no doubt that these were immigrants which had dropped into the sea on failing to cross it. This year has been everywhere notable for the Admiral Butterfly, but the numbers on the Spurn Point were remarkable, and must, I feel sure, have been added to by migratory flights of considerable dimensions. I have myself seen butterflies crossing the North Sea, during a voyage from Sweden to Hull some few years ago, when passing over the Dogger Bank. The species then noticed was the Red Admiral in some numbers, where they would be probably about 300 miles from the nearest land and were heading west. Many small birds were passing the steamer at the same time, and in some instances were trying to catch the insects en route. It seems to me that there can be no doubt that if small Noctuæ like Plusia gamma, and butterflies can cross the North Sea, the powerfulflying Sphinx moths have (in fine weather) no difficulty in crossing the ocean in a few hours' time.-H. BENDELACK HEWETSON (11, Hanover Square, Leeds).

Insect Migration.-With reference to your interesting article on the migration of butterflies, I append extracts from my note-book in Ceylon. The butterfly is that figured by you on page 337, Catophaga galena, and very similar to our common Cabbage Butterfly::- In the month of November, at Colombo, a strong north wind blows daily along the sea-coast, at which season clouds of white butterflies appear flying in a continual stream, extending far inland for days and weeks. They are all flying from the south and in the eye of the wind, and the stronger the wind blows the more rapid is their flight. I never witnessed this fact without the greatest

astonishment. The Locust, with its strong body and powerful wings, cannot make head against the wind, but drifts with it; yet that a butterfly with a body so slight as scarcely to gain a fulcrum for the wings to bear on, and with wings offering so broad a surface to the breeze that one would expect to see it drift like a snowflake, should possess the faculty of propulsion against a strong wind, gives us a clue to an aerostatic principle with which we are not yet acquainted. It is to be noticed that the action of the wings of these butterflies is not horizontal, like the Admiral or the Tortoiseshell, nor is their flight even and continuous, but they are propelled in jerks, with the wings vertically closed and opened alternately, so as to offer the sharpest edge to the resistance of the wind. Thus the butterfly does not appear to propel itself, but to be driven forward by the action of the wind eddying round against the under surface of the wing presented to it; but how this is done it is not easy to demonstrate. As there is no land south of Ceylon, it seems evident that these butterflies deposit their eggs in the southern forests of this island, previous to their starting on their migration; otherwise the annual flights could not be kept up. I notice, however, that Mr. Mann gives the months of March and April as the season of migration witnessed by him; but while he gives the direction of their flight from N.E. to S.W., he does not state the direction of the wind. The S.W. monsoon usually commences in April, while the N.E. monsoon commences in October. I assume that these are the same flights returning after a circuit of the island, and flying against the southerly wind in the same manner as those seen by me in November were flying against the north wind. I cannot identify Navanghena, the place from whence Mr. Mann writes, and therefore do not speak confidently.-E. L. MITFORD (Pikdan House, Morpeth).

Insect Migration.-The Clouded Yellow Butterfly (Colias edusa) is one of the most interesting of British species, from its habit of appearing in the more northern parts of Britain at irregular intervals—a peculiarity which it shares in common with various other Lepidoptera. No satisfactory reason for this erratic behaviour has yet been advanced, nor knowledge gained of how or in what stage of its existence the insect passes the time between each appearance. In Scotland the first recorded capture of C. edusa was made in Arran in 1848, by Mr., afterwards Professor Sir, Wyville Thomson. Four years later one was captured near Largs, in Ayrshire, on Sept. 12th, by the late Mr. Birchall. The next, or third, Scottish specimen was secured at Kirkmahoe on Aug. 17th, 1857, by Mr. W. G. Gibson; and in the same year a few more were taken about Glencaple and neighbourhood. In 1859 some were seen near Newbie, and in 1862 Mr. Lennon and other local collectors took it in large numbers in this district. From 1862 till 1877 no one appears to have seen this butterfly on this side of the Border, but in the latter year it suddenly burst