92 NOTES —ORIGINAL AND SELECTED.
have been made to a considerable extent both at home and abroad, the conclu-
sions arrived at are :—First, that upon heavy soil egg production should be the
main object; second, that upon medium soils, whilst better table poultry can
undoubtedly be produced, still eggs should be kept largely in view; third, that
it is upon the more porous and kindlier soils that we may fairly expect to secure
the finest qualities of table poultry."
Mr. Brown adds, with regard to the influence of the soil
on the colour of the legs of poultry:—
"A friend who lived for several years upon the lowlands in East Essex, where
the soil is very heavy, was a breeder of a yellow legged and fleshed variety, and
his birds were remarkable for the brightness of their legs. He removed to
another county where the soil was lighter, and the result was that the birds
became distinctly paler in colour of leg."
Mr. Brown wishes that "a geological map could be prepared
for every district, showing the class of poultry which may be
reared within that area.''
MOLLUSCA.
Marine Mollusca at Walton-on-Naze.—Petricola
pholadiformis, Lam., occurs both alive and dead in the London
Clay, between tide-marks, to the South of Walton-on-Naze.
Dead shells were collected last summer by Mr. C. W. Vincent.
Judging from the size of those I obtained in May this year, the
species must have been established at Walton for several years.
Pholas candida, its usual companion, also occurs plentifully in the
same locality. [For other Essex localities for Petricola see Essex
Naturalist xii., 168.] Accra bullata, Mull, (recorded for Walton
in British Conchology, IV., 431), was abundant in the "back-
water" near the Old Mill at Whitsuntide this year.1—J. E.
Cooper, Highgate, 18th June, 1903. [Mr. Cooper has kindly
presented specimens of Walton Petricola and Accra to the Club's
Museum. Ed.]
INSECTS.
A Raid by Ants.—On the 30th June, 1903, whilst walking
through a copse about three-quarters of a mile to the W.N.W,
of Newick Station (near Lewes, Sussex), my attention was
attracted to a column of ants, about eighteen inches wide, which
extended across the path. The ants were crossing in both
directions, but many of those going in a westerly direction were
dragging caterpillars, the size of which varied from 1/2 inch
1 Accra bullata was recorded for the Blackwater by Mr. Walter Crouch, E.N. ii., 248, and
Dr. Sorby says (Victoria. History i., 83), that it must be common " in the upper part of the
Stour, and I think I have collected it in the Colne."