Welsh Journals

May 2, 1894. BYE-GOtfES. 325 Dr Butler andDrKennedy,and matriculated at Jesus College.Oxf ord, of which his uncle, Dr Ffoulkes, was then Principal. He took a second class in the Final Classical Schools in 1841, and subsequently became Fellow, Tutor, and Junior Bursar of his College. In 1855 he joined the Church of Rome, and remained in the communion of that Church for fifteen years. Becoming dissatisfied with his position, he applied to his old diocesan, Bishop Wilberfore, to be rein¬ stated as a clergyman of the Church of England, and his request was granted. In 1876 his college pre¬ sented him to the rectory of Wigginton, near Ban¬ bury. He had often assisted the late Dean Burgon at St. Mary's, and in 1878, on the resignation of Dr Chase, as no Fellow of Oriel elected to accept the living, it was offered to Mr Ffoulkes by the present Provost and Fellows. The late vicar was the author of many works—" Christendom's Divisions," " The Church's Creed or the Crown's Creed?" "Difficul¬ ties of the Day," "Sermons on the New Criticism," and " The Primitive Consecration of the Eucharistic Oblation," and his last work was " The History of St. Mary the Virgin," on which he spent several J rears. For a long time he was one of the Divinity ecturers to the non-collegiate students, a body in whom he took deep interest. Mr Ffoulkes was married, in 1860, to Anne, youngest daughter of the late Sir Thomas Strange, D.C.L., first Chief Justice of Madras, and leaves two sons and one daughter. IN THE FIELDS~AND LANES. Mr Alfred George, Meifod, writes as follows fco the Field on March Cuckoos:—"I observe you have had your usual annual announcement of the cuckoo being heard in March. Well, all I have to say is that, after a life's observation—for che last thirty years of which I have kept a record of the arrival of our summer migrants—I have never been fortu¬ nate enough to hear the cuckoo until April 15, until this year, when I heard it on April 12, which is the earliest date that I have ever heard it." Offa Field Club.—A meeting of members of this Club was held in the Albert-road Schoolroom, Os¬ westry, on Wednesday, Mr D. H. Richards presiding. A varied and attractive programme of excursions arranged by the Committee was approved by the members.—The Secretary having tendered his resignation, the Chairman moved "That the members of the Offa Field Club accept the resigna¬ tion of Mr T. P. Diamond, as secretary of the Club, on his appointment as Librarian of the Oswestry Free Library, with great regret, and tender him their best thanks for the valuable aid he has ren¬ dered the Club, and his services to the develop¬ ment of the natural history of the district generally." —Mr Bradshaw seconded the motion, which was supported by Mr James Taylor, and carried unani¬ mously.—Mr T. J. Bradshaw was elected secretary, on the motion of the Chairman, seconded by Mr Jones, Church-street.— The name of Mr Diamond was added to the Committee. The Early Season.—As an indication of the earliness of tho season, the Rev W. F. Dawson, Congregational minister, Madeley, writes to the Daily News :—" Having perused with interest your articles on the forwardness of nature this spring, may I ask you to record an item of interesb to the numerous ornithologists who read your excellent (and I am glad to see, enlarged) paper. A few weeks since I noticed that a thrush's nest was being built in a most open position in the fork of an apple tree opposite my library window. As soon as the nest was finished,the hen bird daily de¬ posited one egg in the nest until the number of four eggs was reached. Then she commenced sitting. She was, however, so often disturbed by children and visitors to the house that I began to doubt whether the eggs would ever be hatched. But my doubts were set at rest on Sunday morn¬ ing April 8th, when I found three young thrushes and one egg in the nest. On the following: day the last egg had vanished, and four young birds were seen opening their mouths for food. The attention of the old bird has been unremitting,and her estimate of our movements surprising, she some¬ times remaining in the nest when we are near, if our attention is on the garden or other objects. But as soon as we glance towards the tree away she flies, to return again as soon as possible. The young birds are now a good size." A PEREGRINE FALCON AT LAKE VYRNWY. An extraordinary occurrence was related to me the other day, which was witnessed by a shepherd at the upper end of Lake Vyrnwy. He was going round his flock one morning and saw a large bird hovering in the air for some time; suddenly it darted on a rabbit, and was on the wing again in an instant with the poor animal suspended in the air. The bird flew across part of the Lake, and finding his catch too heavy he dropped it into the Lake, where it was drowned. On making in¬ quiries I find that this bird was a Peregrine Falcon. D.J. ARRIVAL OF SUMMER BIRDS. The redstart was seen here on the 20th, but was seen near Bala over a week ago. This morning, the 22nd, I observed the sandpiper, tree pipit, and the house martin. We have at present three species of the swallow family with us, and the voice of the cuckoo has been heard for about a fortnight in this district. Still we have some of the winter visitants with us, for I observed a very large flock of field¬ fares a week ago on the hill near here ; the birds were running about on the upland pastures, eagerly searching for food. It rarely happens in this part of the country to see the cuckoo and fieldfare here at the same time. The house martin is a week before its usual time of arrival. The Gardens, Pale\ Corwen. Thos. Ruddy. \ ,- I I BBS, MAY 2, 1894- NOTES. A CHURCH CLOSED FOR ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY: YEARS.—Llanfrynach Church,