Red-backed Shrike Nesting near London. — Owing to the spread of new buildings, and the cutting down of trees and hedges round London, small birds are very scarce in certain directions. It is, therefore, curious to find so shy a bird as the Butcher-bird making its nest within four miles of Charing Cross. During the last week of May, 1877, I found a Butcher- bird's nest, containing three eggs, in a tall hedge in a field at Kilburn. — Hugh Harting (27, Carlton Hill, N.W.)
Montagu's Blenny (Blennius galerita, Linn.) in Ireland. — As this little fish is, I believe, not generally known to be found on the shores of Ireland, I may mention that I have captured it in two localities, viz., first (when in company with my friend Mr. William Andrews), in rock pools at the entrance of Dingle Harbour, Kerry, in August, 1868 ; and soon after- wards, in 1869, I met with it again on the coast and islands of Connemara, where it was often to be seen in the same rock-pools with Echinus lividus. It is very similar to small specimens of the Shanny, Blennius pholis, but is, of course, easily known by the frontal crest. Specimens from both localities are to be seen in the Museum of Science and Art, Dublin. — A.G. More (Museum of Science and Art, Dublin).
PROCEEDINGS OF SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES.
Linnean Society of London.
June 20, 1878. — Professor Allman, F.R.S., President, in the chair.
William Cattell, Esq., Surgeon 10th Royal Hussars, Rawal, Pindee, India, was elected a Fellow of the Society.
The Vice-Presidents nominated were George Busk, Esq., W. Carruthers, Esq., Lieut.-Col. Grant, and Dr. J. Gwyn Jeffreys.
Dr. J. Gwyn Jeffreys exhibited specimens of Virgularia lately dredged by himself and the Rev. A. M. Norman in the Osterfjord, Norway, at a depth of ten fathoms. These appear to be a species new to science, and will be described as such hereafter by Dr. Danielssen.
Dr. J. Gwyn Jeffreys then read a "Notice of some Shells dredged by Captain St. John, R.N., in Korea Strait." This dealt with but a part of the collection obtained. Of fourteen species enumerated, six, viz., Anomia ephippium, Pecten similis, Lepton sulcatulum, Axinus flexitosum, Panopea plicata, and Turbo sanguineus are noticed for the first time as living in the North Pacific as well as in the Atlantic ; Nucinella ovalis and Kellia pumila, which had been regarded as extinct, the former not only specifically but
generically so, are now recorded as recent. The other six species, viz.,
