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The barometer, with the exception of one drop accompanying the thunderstorm alluded to above, was uniformly high and steady, and there were no strong winds. Many reports speak of the excellent hay harvest, which was secured in good condition. The corn, too, improved greatly. Oats were out as Waltham in the last week of the month, and barley near Nottingham on the 23rd.

Of direct solar heat, measured by a thermometer with blackened bulb, in a vacuum, we had at Spondon, 158° on the 20th, and 153° on the 21st, 144.8° at Cheltenham on the 20th, 144° at Leicester on the 20th, 138.2° at Loughhro’ on the 20th, and 133° at Buxton, also on the 20th. Thick night mists with heavy dew are reported from Rotherham, during the middle part of the month, "owing, doubtless, to the drought of nearly five weeks."

Where are the Butterflies?-May I ask our Entomological friends what has become of the "Diurnal Lepidoptera" this year? I have scarcely seen a butterfly here, not even a white one. Were they destroyed by the wet May, and has their absence been noted in other counties?—Umbrella Net, Leicester, August 18th.

Cristella Mucedo.—On the 15th of August, for the first time this year. I found the rare and beautiful Polyzoa, Cristella mucedo, near Birmingham. On that day I found only three specimens, although searching for over two hours; but on the 22nd I found them in great abundance, and full of their elegant statoblasts or winter eggs. I am preparing a reduced copy of Professor Allman's drawing of this object, from his admirable Monograph on the Fresh-water Polyzoa, which I hope to send out to my correspondents, together with the living objects if they should survive long enough.—Thomas Bolton, 17, Ann Street, Birmingham, August 24th, 1878.

Snipe Breeding.—As instances of the snipe breeding in this district are, T suppose, rare, it may interest some of your readers to know that about a month or five weeks ago I saw in this neighbourhood a nest of the full snipe with four eggs in it. My friend who pointed it out to me was fortunate enough to see the bird on her nest, this I did not do. She has since hatched out her young safely. Soon after seeing the nest I flushed a snipe on some hill ground, about a mile from the first-named locality. Whether this was the male bird feeding, or whether it betokened another breeding couple of course I cannot say.—Wm. Elliot, Cardington Vicarage, Church Stretton, Aug. 9th, 1878.

The Cuckoo, &c.—The double note of the cuckoo is not uncommon, but the same cuckoo does not change from the single to the double note. The bird which says cuck-cuck-oo never says cuck-oo. There was a cuckoo with a double call which came here regularly for several years, and from the first day of its arrival to the day of its departure it always used the double call. In this neighbourhood there is now a great scarcity of cuckoos, and this has been the case for several years. It seems desirable to record the alterations in the number of animals, birds, &c., from year to year. There is a great increase in the number of moles, rats, wood pigeons, toads, frogs, and field mice, and a great falling-off in the number of landrails, cuckoos, dragon flies, wasps, and grass-hoppers. An epidemic has killed many field mice and fowls in this neighbourhood.—E. J. Lowe, Nottingham.