Welsh Journals

Specimens of the ejecta type (b) collected in October, 1956' were sent to Mr. D. F. Owen, of the Edward Grey Institute o Field Ornithology at Oxford, who very kindly confirmed that they were composed of frog eggs. Mr. Owen also drew attention to the fact that the contents of the oviducts swell up when in contact with the air-this would possibly account for the larger size of the type (a) ejecta. Evidently eggs may be found inside the female frogs at any time during late autumn and winter as Mr. Owen pointed out that they are formed when food is plentiful before hibernation. The writer would like to express his thanks to Mr. D. F. Owen, for confirming the identity of the ejecta and for his helpful remarks on this subject, also to Mr. E. Taylor of the Hope Department of Entomology at Oxford, who very kindly sent me the interesting reference and quotations. REFERENCE The British Amphibians and Reptiles" by Malcolm Smith, 1951. Collins New Naturalist Series. London. Rhydychen," Aber Magwr, Nr. Aberystwyth, Cardiganshire. March 25th, 1957. BIRDS AND THE MILD WINTER. After a mild December and January I suppose most people expected a spell of severe weather in February as we have had for the last several years. But February proved mild also. The effect on resident and migrant birds was unmistakable. Small species, especially Longtailed Tits, were particularly abundant at the beginning of spring. At Eglwysfach, Cards., and Pennal, Mer., they were building in the latter half of February. The young in the nest at Pennal flew on 30 April (reports Mrs. L. Trench). At Aberystwyth, Cards., a Wren was building on the exceptionally early date of 9 February (J. Corfield). Mrs. E. H. Chater saw a Wheatear at Aberystwyth on 3 March, only a day after the first on Skokholm (P. Davies). The Cardiganshire Branch of the W.W.F.S. reported a Swallow over the Dovey Estuary on 9 March, and an- other was seen at Llanbedr, Mer., by C. Balch on the 17th. The first Chiffchaff reported was by Mrs. Chater on 11th March at Aberystwyth. Though a few other Swallows were seen before the end of March, e.g. in Carms. on 26th (G. R. Tucker), this early migration was not kept up. In fact, for Swallows and many other species, a rather cold April and the usual cold first week of May meant that the main body of visitors was actually later than usual. But Swifts returned punctually to their nesting-site at Eglwysfach, Cards., on 2 May (R. S. Thomas). W.M.C.