dO Wee od \" eA ee, Vow)! Por, \ w aN ; Wey i " * { vd v HN aN Vy Ass PW IWF ef ae ¥ rN vf wv @ ; - H Ny 4 ve , we ‘ 4 ry, / Fy ve y) iV heey ay \y WK \ V4 \ vy A “i oe wy, Soy Ma fi POO Baal ewe J Vou? wud) | g Wout Nol) dN BN Lesdat ss Nits NT \ Wi | wi wy ener n Es ) ye ai’ vy usd te y ye Rae i Vw bed NG Vv Wi V #)fy. \ tek a AD THE ZOOLOGIST: A MONTHLY JOURNAL OF NATURAL HISTORY. THIRD SERIES—VOL. VII. EDITED BY a H. HARING, PFL-8.5 F.4.85 MEMBER OF THE BRITISH ORNITHOLOGISTS’ UNION. DELECTANDO PARITERQUE MONENDO. LONDON: JOHN VAN VOORST, 1, PATERNOSTER ROW. 1883. LONDON = WEST, NEWMAN AND CO., PRINTERS, HATTON GARDEN, E.C. PREFACE. THERE is always a satisfaction in bringing any undertaking to a successful termination, and the Editor, on revising the last sheet of the present volume, imagines his feelings to be very much akin to those of a ship’s captain who, after a voyage of many months, has just brought his vessel safely into port. But while congratulating himself that no harm has come to the ship, he cannot forget that the enjoyment of the passage has in a great measure been due to the good fellow- ship of the passengers, who have one and all contributed to make the voyage a pleasant one, and who, keeping a good “look out ahead,’ have enabled the captain to make valuable entries in the ship’s “log-book.” Pleased with the success of the last cruize, the owner desires to give notice that the vessel will once more be ‘ put into commission” for another voyage next year, under the same captain, and will sail from the well-known dock in Hatton Garden on the Ist of January next. It is hoped that as many as possible of those who were passengers on the last trip will not only repeat the voyage, but will also induce some of their friends ‘‘to take berths,” and accompany them. iv PREFACE. The “ passage-money” remains as heretofore, and may be remitted to Messrs. West, Newman & Co., 54, Hatton “Garden, while all communications touching the Zoology of the voyage may be directed, as before, to the address given on the wrapper. CONTENTS. ALPHABETICAL LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS. ALLEN, JOEL ASAPH On trinomial nomenclature, 97 Apuin, F. C. The plumage of the young Kestrel, 496 Apuin, OLIVER V. Great Crested Grebe breeding in Oxfordshire, 32; Migration of the Jay, 128; Grey Phalarope in North Oxon, 128; Protecting poultry from Foxes in Scotland, 260; Spoonbill and Shoveller, 260; Supposed nestling Grey Plover from the Orkneys, 334; Tufted Duck and Common Tern in Oxfordshire, 470; An albino Blackbird, 471; Food of the Car- rion Crow and Magpie, 499; Jack Snipe in Oxfordshire in summer, 505 Atkinson, Rey. J. C., M.A. Peculiar habit of the Starling, 373 AXFoRD, S. B. Smooth Snake in Surrey, 84 BackHOovwsgE, J., Jun. Occurrence of the American Kestrel in Yorkshire, 126; Uucommon birds near York, 180 Barrineton, Ricnarp M., M.A. The note of the Manx Shear- water, 28,82; Hairy-armed Bat in Co. Fermanagh, 116; Dipper singing during frost, 179 Barrys, A. B. RB. Fire-crested Wren at Oxford, 224; The Edible Frog in Suffolk, 226 Becuer, Capt. HE. F., R.A. Zoological notes from Gibraltar, 100; Notes from Gibraltar: cor- rection of error, 178; Food of the Starling, 334; Bold attack by a Partridge, 336; Wren utilising a Swallow’s nest, 380; Sparrow imitating a Canary’s note, 381; Variety of the Coal Titmouse, 424; Attachment of Magpie to nesting site, 471 BrRNEY, FREDERICK LEE Great Grey Shrike near Croydon, 180 BIDWELL, EDWARD Cuckoo’s eggs, 372 BLoMEFIELD, Rey. L., M.A., F.L.S., F.G.S. Animal parasites, 219 Boorg, EK. T. Wild Geese formerly breeding in the English Fens, 432 Brez, C. R. The Sparrow and his ways, 297 BrotTHerston, ANDREW Animal parisites, 219 Brypees, Sir H. J. J., Bart. Wren building in deserted nest of Martin, 126 Butter, A. G., F.L.S., F.Z.8. Wren’s ege in a Swallow’s nest, 423; Variation in nests of com- mon birds: singular nests taken in Kent, 491 CAMBRIDGE, Rev. O. P., M.A., F.L.S. On a peculiar habit of the Starling, 334 CaMBPELL, Lieut.-Col. Hon. H. W. Nocturnal movements of the Coot, 127 CANDLER, C. Otters and the floods, 115 CaRRINGTON, JoHN T., F.L.S., and Epwarp Lovett Notes and observations on British Stalk-eyed Crustacea, 68, 213 CuaseE, Ropert W. Corn Crake in winter, 177; Hoopoe at the Farne Islands, 338; White-winged Black Tern in Norfolk, 341; Grey Crow nesting in Warwickshire, 423; Leach’s Be picked up in Birmingham, vi CONTENTS. Curisty, RoBERT MILLER Missel Thrush and Chaffinch nest- ing in proximity, 31; Fatal col- lision between two Hares, 75; Partridge perching, 80; Inter- breeding of Blackbird and Thrush, 123; On the time of day at which birds lay their eges, 145; The Serotine Bat in Essex, 173; Singular cause of death of a Chaffinch, 175; Oc- currence of the Pine Grosbeak in Cambridgeshire, 222; Earth- worms and their distribution, 305; Golden Oriole in Essex, 335 CuieRmont, Rt. Hon. Lord, F.Z.5. . Black Redstart in the North of Ireland, 78 Currton, Lord The meaning of English bird- names, 116 C1Loce, STEPHEN Early assumption of breeding plumage in the Cormorant, 176; Swift returning to former nesting-place, 257; Oblong Sun- fish in Cornwall, 342 Cocks, ALFRED H., M.A., F.Z.8. Diver with the tarsi feathered, 176; On the breeding of the Pine Marten in captivity, 203; An autumn visit to Spitzbergen, 3938, 433, 479 CoLe, WILLIAM Ancient camps in Epping Forest, 85 Corsin, G. B. Migration of the Jay, 77; Large Pike in the Avon, 85; Heavy Perch, 471; Late nesting of the Nightjar, 495; Early appearance of Wigeon, 498 CorDEAUX, JOHN On the migration of the Common Jay, 1,76; Origin of the name “ Daker-hen,” 228; The Ortolan Bunting in Lincolnshire, 253; Shore-birds on the Humber Flats in May, 258 CornisH, ‘l'HOMAS The “ White Trout” of Pennant, 228; Migration of the Pilchard, 431; Rare birds in Cornwall and Scilly, 495; Partridges and Pheasants in the Scilly Isles, 504; Habits of the Pilchard, 505 CrowLey, Puiuip, F.Z.S. Great Grey Shrike near Croydon, 176; Swallows returning to their old nests, 259 CULLINGFORD, J. Great Snipe in Lincolnshire, 31; Albino Common Bunting, 33; Honey Buzzard in Lincolnshire, 35; Hobby breeding in South Lincolnshire, 123; Waxwing in South Lincolnshire, 129; Red- backed Shrike in Lincolnshire, 339; Lamprey in the Wear, 382; Osprey in Lincolnshire, 471, in County Durham, 504; White- tailed Eagle in South Lincoln- shire, 501 Daruine, J. FFoLLIoTr The Ring Ouzel in captivity, 239; Marten in Co. Clare, 252; Nat- terer’s Bat in Co. Cork, 294; Ornithological notes from Ire- land, 340 Day, Francis, F.L.S., F.Z.8. Natural History at the Fisheries Exhibition, 233; On the occur- rence of Paralepis coregonoides in Cornwall, 381, 506 Donovan, CHARLES, Jun. Choughs in the South of Ireland, 224; Origin of the name “ Ga- vial,” 803; Birds fattened for the table, 336; Grey Crow in Co. Cork, 837; Blue-headed Yellow Wagtail in Co. Cork, 8340; Gan- net caught in a net, 876; Black Guillemot in Co. Cork, 380; Notes from Co. Cork, 497 Durrin, W. E. L’Estrance Siskin in Co. Down, 494 D’Ursan, W. 8. M., F.L.S. The Polecat in Devon, 25; Ornitho- logical notes from Devon, 28; Fox Shark or “Thresher” off the coast of Devon, 36; Brill with both sides coloured, 36; The Pilot Whale in Devonshire, 178; Notes on Ornithology from Devonshire, 220; Occurrence of the Wolf-fish in Devonshire, 227 ; Occurrence of the Lump-sucker in Devonshire, 228; Occurrence of the Tunny in the Exe, 430; Large fishes on the Devonshire coast, 431 Durnrorp, W. A. The birds of Walney Island, 251 Epwarp, THOMAS Swallow and Wren nesting in proximity, 296 CONTENTS. Evans, H. A. Migration of Wagtails, 469 FEILDEN, Maj. H. W.,R.A.,C.M.Z.S. | Sword-fish on the coast of Nor- folk, 35 FisHeEr, T. Ivory Gull on the Lincolnshire coast, 258 Fircu, Epwarp A., F.L.S. Prehensile feet of the Crow, 470 Fiemyne, Rev. W. W. Note of the Long-eared Owl, 430 Fow.er, W. WaARDE Song of the Grasshopper Warbler, 299 Frere, Rev. H. T. Former occurrence of the Marten in Norfolk, 75 GATCOMBE, JOHN Scyllarus arctus at Plymouth, 36; Ornithological notes from Devon and Cornwall, 165, 419; Sea Lamprey killed by an Otter, 304; Capture of a Dolphin off Ply- mouth, 466; Sharks on the coasts of Devon and Cornwall, 471; Large “‘Sea-purse” or egg- case of the Ray, 472 GrsBins, Epwarp J. Subeutaneous worms in a Shrike, 345 Gurney, J. H., F.Z.S. The Black-winged Pea-fowl, 33; Greenland Falcon in Sussex, 80; Assumption of male plumage by a female Wild Duck, 128; Food of the Common Ringed Snake, 303; Magpie attacking young game birds, 335; Note on the Water Vole, 465 Gurney, J. H., Jun., F.Z.S. The Red-legged Partridge in North Norfolk, 79; The Royal Therio- trophium near the Tower of London, 86; Varieties of the Wheatear and Siskin, 124; Hy- brids amongst birds, 256, 379; Imported game birds in the English markets, 300; Late nesting of the Nightjar, 429 GyLrs, G. Homing instinctin Bats, 173; Ring Ouzel defending its nest, 180; A blind House Martin on the wing, 224 Hapriep, Capt. Henry W. Ornithological notes from the Isle of Wight, 27,126; The Dodo, 432 Vil , Hammonp, W. OxENDEN Shore Larks, Lapland and Snow Buntings in Kent, 83; Black Redstart in Kent in May, 299; Habits of the Little Grebe, 503 Hart, H. Cutcuester, B.A. The note of the Manx Shearwater, 81; The birds of Lambay Island, Co. Dublin, 155, 225; Cor- morants resorting to fresh-water lake in summer, 257 HartineG, J. E., F.L.S., F.Z.S. Short-toed Lark near Cambridge, 33; The note of the Manx Shear- water, 123; Fishing with trained Cormorants, temp. Charles LI., 131; Pectoral Sandpiper in Dum- bartonshire, 177; Crested Lark breeding in England, 178; Origin of the name ‘ Daker-hen,” 183, 229; The International Fisheries Exhibition, 193; The scientific name of the European Thick- knee, 255; Large Sturgeon in the Thames, 341; The New Reptile House at the Zoological Gardens, 353 ; Wild Geese formerly breed- ing in Cambridgeshire, 383; On a rare African Plover, 409; The last Great Auk, 470 Hewett, W. Food of the Hedgehog, 25; Coot and Moorhen laying in the same nest, 31; Late nesting of the Nightjar, 380 Howarp, R. J. ‘The Ibis’ List of British Birds, 339 Hopson, W. H., C.M.Z.S. A wave of life, 151 JESSE, W. Note on Aigialitis nigris, 468 Kenan, Capt. H. R. Bitterns migrating in a flock, 223 Kerry, F. Rare birds at Harwich, 119 Lancton, HERBERT Parasitical worms in a Hornbill, 382 Laver, Henry, F.L.S. Pale variety of the Jay, 257 LitrorpD, Rt. Hon. Lord, F.L.S. Ornithological notes from North Northamptonshire, 26; Rustic Bunting near London, 33; Notes on the Ornithology of Northamp- tonshire, 425, 466,502; Common Scoter inland, 495 vill Lone, FREDERICK Mole pursuing an Karthworm above ground, 76; Singular accident to a Robin, 123 Lovett, E., & Joun T. CARRINGTON, F.L.S. Notes and observations on British Stalk-eyed Crustacea, 68, 213 Lovett, EDWARD A Conger in a lobster-pot, 304 Macpuerson, Rev. Hucu A., B.A. Natural History notes from Alde- burgh, 14; Lesser Redpoll breed- ing near Oxford, 80; Goshawk near Oxford, 31; Hobby breeding in Oxfordshire, 32; Food of the Bittern, 35; Sooty Shearwater at Bridlington, 121; The Mealy Redpollin Norway, 127; Hybrid between Greenfinch and Linnet, 127; Habits of the Edible Frog, 129; Natterjack Toad at Carlisle, 130; Note on the age of a Wild Rabbit, 173; Hybrid song birds, 178; Nestling Grey Plover from the Orkneys, 179; ‘The Palmated Newt in Gloucestershire, 226; Melanism in the Bullfinch, 254; The Marsh Tit in Oxford, 255; Tceland Gull at Aldeburgh, 257 ; A white Magpie, 258; Black- game killed on the railway, 259; Mealy Redpoll with curved man- dibles, 259; Ring Ouzel in cap- tivity, 295 ; British Redpolls, 298 ; Waxwings in Cumberland, 299 ; A Whale in the Thames in 1658, 306; Goldfinch in Oxfordshire, 337; Hybrids among birds, 338, 508; Ornithological notes from Skye, 358; Dipper singing in win- ter, 376 ; Partial melanism in the Missel Thrush, 877; Blackbird building in a waterspout, 381; White and pied varieties of birds, 424; The Greater Spotted Wood- pecker in confinement, 473; Game killed on the railway, 490 Marriort, C. A. Wildfowl at Poole, 124 MARSHALL, JOHN A white Curlew, 377 Matuew, G. F., R.N., F.L.S., F.Z.8. Notes from Solomon Islands, 169 Maruew, Rev. M. A., M.A., F.L.S. The Fauna of a Welsh village church, 74; Dipper singing during severe frost, 78; Keble CONTENTS. and the Nightingale, 176; Marsh Warbler at Taunton, 295 Mawson, GEORGE Great Grey Shrike near Cocker- mouth, 125 MircHett, F. 8. The birds of Lancashire, 119 Mirrorp, Rosert H., F.Z.5. Waders on the South Coast, 469 Monk, T. J. Gyr Falcon in Sussex, 34 Morg, A. G., F.L.S. Snowy Owl in Donegal, 80 Paum_er, J. K. The Hooded Crow in Ireland, 296 ; Gulls in the watershed of the Liffey, 499 Parkin, THomas, M.A., F.Z.8. The Tawny Pipit in Sussex, 34; Rare birds in Sussex, 495 Pascog, Francis P., F.L.S. Long-nosed Ray in the Ouse, 506 Pearce, 8S. SPENCER, B.A. The land and fresh-water Mol- lusea in the vicinity of Oxford, 327, 362 Pains, BE. Camprines, F.L.S. Hybrids amongst birds, 301; On some so-called fish-eating birds at the International Fisheries Exhibition, 462 Porm, 2. H.,, 4.258, Note on an egg of the Kea, 376 Rawson, H. Evretyn French Partridge nesting on a rick, 300 Riw.ey, Henry H. Smooth Snake in Surrey, 129 RospertTs, GEORGE Origin of the name ‘‘ Twite,” 260 Rorsuck, Wm. Denison, F.L.S. Limax cinereo-niger an addition to the list of British Slugs, 304; Slugs in Co. Waterford, 507 Rogers, H. Late stay of Swift in South Wales, 127 Ropsg, G. T. On some Reptilia and Batrachia observed in Normandy, 49; The Natterjack Toad in Suffolk, 84; A pied Shrew, 220; Field Vole suckled by a House Mouse, and vice versa, 332; Shoveller breed- ing in Suffolk, 496; Ring Ouzel in Suffolk, 504 RorHernam, M. H. Nutcracker in North Devon, 338 CONTENTS. Royston, J. Yellow Wagtail in Co. Dublin, 302 SERVICE, RoBERT *¢ Hilder”’ a local name for the Cor- morant, 77; Late breeding of Swallows and Martins in Kirk- cudbrightshire, 124 Suater, Rev. H. H., F.Z.S. Field notes in Norway in 1882, 4, 53; Habits of the Goldfinch and Grey Crow, 378; Subcutaneous | worms in birds, 383 Situ, Ceci, F.Z.S. Bonaparte’s Gull at St. Leonards- on-Sea, 120; Hybrid between the Lesser Black-back and Her- ring Gulls, 174; Heronries in Somersetshire, 221; Erroneous report of Demoiselle Crane in Somersetshire, 333; American Bittern in Pembrokeshire, 341; Wayside notes during a west- country drive, 448 Sopritt, H. T. Late nesting of the Nightjar, 429 SourHWELL, Tuomas, F.Z.S. The Grey Seal in Norfolk, 76; Sooty Shearwater in Norfolk, 179 STEPHENS, DaReELL, F.L.S. Moorhen in a Rabbit’s earth, 128 STEVENSON, Henry, F.L.S. Ornithological notes from Norfolk, 313 StTrRaDLING, ArtHuR, C.M.Z.S. On the treatment of Snakes in captivity, 18, 61, 103, 205, 242, 284; Marine fishes in fresh water, 180 TayLor, J. E. Great Grey Shrike in Suffolk, 125 Tomauin, W. Pied Flycatcher in Northampton- shire, 300 TuRNER, HuGH Honey Buzzard caught at sea, 122; Great Grey Shrike in Suffolk, 178; Variety of the Red-backed Shrike, 180 Ussuer, RicuarD J. Nightingale in Ireland, 30; Mon- tagu’s Harrier in Ireland, 32; Ossiferous cave near Cappagh, Co. Waterford, 86; Dipper sing. | ing during severe frost, 118; Hobby in the Co. Tipperary, 122; Building sites of House Martin, 124; Missel Thrush and Chaf- finch nesting in proximity, 129; Ps 1X Vermin destroyed on an Irish estate, 171; Choughs in the Co. Waterford, 252,298; The Siskin in Ireland, 493 WALKER, Rev. T. A., M.A. Large Jelly-fish, 472 WarRREN, ROBERT Ornithological notes from Mayo and Sligo, 870 WEtrr, J. JENNER, F.L.S., F.Z.S. Curious site for Sparrows’ nests, 125 Wuarton, Henry T., M.A., F.Z.S. The Blue-tailed Bee-eater, 33, 80; Rookeries in London, 225 WHITAKER, J., F.Z.S. Red-backed Shrike and Manx Shearwater in Nottinghamshire, 31; Variety of Wheatear and other birds, 79; Great Snipe in Nottinghamshire, 127; Hider Duck in Nottinghamshire, 129; Grey Shrike and Waxwings in Aberdeenshire, 259 ; Hybrid be- tween Greenfinch and Linnet, 302; Grey Crow nesting in War- wickshire, 387; Egyptian Night- jar in Nottinghamshire, 374; Black Tern and Dunlin in Not- tinghamshire, 376; Variety of Redwing, 380; Wigeon in Notts in August, 424 WILLMORE, JoHN H. Cuckoo’s egg in a Thrush’s nest, 303 WITCHELL, C. A. Snakes eating fish, 259; Voracity of the Shrew, 293; Ground colour of the Viper, 303; Food of the Common Ringed Snake, 341; Habits of Mason Wasp, 346 WOLFERSTAN, THOMAS Singular conduct of a Hare, 75 WoLSTENHOLME, C. D. Uncommon birds near York, 128 YELLOWLY, WILLIAM Pine Marten in Northumberland, 259 Youne, C. Late stay of the Swift in autumn, 30, 81; Building sites of the House Martin, 84; Chiffchaff in winter, 81; Food of the Hedge- hog, 115; Siskins breeding in confinement, 119; Nesting of the Marsh and Reed "Warblers, 29 23 Youne, Joun, F.Z.S. Singular accident to a Bearded Tit, 177 x CONTENTS. ALPHABETICAL LIST OF CONTENTS. Accentor modularis, 8, 158 Accipiter nisus, 54 Achatina acicula, 369 Acme lineata, 369 Acredula caudata, 8 Acrocephalus schcenobenus, 8 Aigialitis nigris, 418, note on, 468; tricollaris, 417 Alauda arvensis, 12 Alcea Bruennichi, 487; torda, 161 Ampelis garrulus, 10 Anas boschas, 55 Ancylus fluviatilis, 331; lacustris, 331 Anguis fragilis, 49 Animals wild in India, 73; in the Tower of London, 37, 86 Anodonta anatina, 829; cygnea, 329, var. cellensis, 329, var. intermedia, 329, var. rostrata, 329 Anser brachyrhynchus, 54 Anthus obscurus, 159; pratensis, 9, 159 ; trivialis, 10 Archibuteo lagopus, 54 Arion ater, 362; flavus, 362; hor- tensis, 363 Asiatic Lepidoptera, 172 Asio otus, 53 Audubon Collection of Birds, pur- chase of the, 35 Auk, Great, formerly eaten in Lent, 38, the last, 470; Little, 487 Balea perversa, 368 Bat, Hairy-armed, in Co. Fer- managh, 116; Natterer’s, in Co. Cork, 294; Serotine, in Essex, 173 Bats, homing instinct in, 173 Batrachia and Reptilia observed in Normandy, 49 Bear, Polar, 479 Beaver in Norway, 465 Bee-eater, Blue-tailed, 33, 80 Bird-names, English, meaning of, 116 Bird-tracks, apparent, by the sea- shore, 378 Birds, of Lancashire, 119; rare, at Harwich, 119; of the Banbury dis- trict, 122; uncommon, near York, 128, 180; time of day at which they lay their eggs, 145; of Lam- bay Island, Co. Dublin, 155, 225; song, hybrid, 178; of Walney Island, 219, 251; hybrids amongst, 256, 301, 338, 379, 501; British, the ‘This’ list of, 292, 839; Game, im- ported in the English markets, 800; winter, arrivals of, 321; young game, Magpie attacking, 335; fat- tened for the table, 336; subeuta- neous worms in, 383; white and pied varieties of, 424; migration of, as observed at lighthouses in 1882, 457; fish-eating, so-called, at the Fisheries Exhibition, 462; common, variation in nests of, 491; rare, in Sussex, 495; rare, in Corn- wall and Scilly, 495 Bittern, food of, 35, near Yarmouth, 315; American, in Pembrokeshire, 341 Bitterns migrating in a flock, 223 Blackbird, 5, 158; and Thrush, inter- breeding of, 123; building in a waterspout, 3881; an albino, 471 Blackcap, 7 Black-game killed on the railway, 259 Bluethroat, Red-spotted, 6 Bombinator igneus, 51 Bonasa betulina, 56 Books REVIEWED :— ‘ Bibliotheca Piscatoria: a Cata- logue of Books on Angling, the Fisheries and Fish-ceulture, with Biographical Notes, and an Ap- pendix of Citations touching on Angling and Fishing from old English Authors,’ by T. West- wood and T. Satchell, 272 ‘Birds, British, a History of,’ by the late William Yarrell, 48 ‘ Birds, British, a History of; with Coloured Illustrations of their Eggs,’ by Henry Seebohm, 91 ‘Birds of Burmah, a Handbook to the, including those found in the adjoining State of Karennee,’ vol. i, by Eugene W. Oates, 268 ‘Birds of New Zealand, a Manual of the,’ by Walter L. Buller, 93 ‘Birds, Report on the Migrations of, in the Spring and Autumn of 1881,’ by Messrs. Harvie Brown, Cordeaux, Kermode, Barrington, and A. G. More, 92 ‘Challenger, H.M.S., Reports on the Scientific Results of the Voyage of, during the years 1873—76’; Zoology, vols. ii.— vi., 189 CONTENTS. xl ‘Hssex Field Club, Transactions of the,’ vol. iii., part 1, 891 ‘Fisheries of the Adriatic, and the Fish thereof; a Report of the Austro-Hungarian Sea-fisheries ; with a detailed description of the Marine Fauna of the Adriatic Gulf, by G. L. Faber, 270 ‘Fowler in Ireland, the; or, Notes on the Haunts of Wildfowl and Seafowl, including Instructions in the Art of Shooting and Cap- turing them,’ by Sir R. Payne Gallwey, Bart., 45 ‘Gapes Disease, on the, in Gallin- aceous Birds, and on the Parasite which causes it,’ by Pierre Még- nin, 386 ‘Grouse Disease; its Causes and Remedies,’ by D. F. Macdonald, 311 ‘Gun and Rifle, the Modern Sportsman’s; including Game and Wildfowl Guns, Sporting and Match Rifles, and Re- volvers,’ by J. H. Walsh, 47 *Micrographic Dictionary, the; a Guide to the Examination and Investigation of the Structure and Nature of Microscopic Ob- jects, by W. J. Griffiths, M.D., and Arthur Henfrey, 190 ‘ Natural History, another Book of Scraps, principally relating to,’ by C. Murray Adamson, 312 ‘Natural History, Cassell’s, edited by Prof. Martin Duncan, 134 ‘ Norfolk and Norwich Naturalists’ Society, Transactions of the,’ vol. iii., part 4, 388 ‘Out in the Open; a Budget of Scraps of Natural History gathered in New Zealand,’ by T. H. Potts, 95 ‘Rhopalocera Malayana: a De- scription of the Butterflies of the Malay Peninsula,’ by W. L. Distant, parts i. to iv., 192 ‘Siberia in Asia: a visit to the Valley of the Yenesay in East Siberia; with Descriptions of the Natural History, Migrations of Birds, &e.,’ by H. Seebohm, 41 ‘Snakes; Curiosities and Wonders of Serpent Life,’ by Catherine C. Hopley, 142 Brambling, 10 Breeding of Lesser Redpoll near Ox- ford, 30; of Hobby in Oxfordshire, 32; of Great Crested Grebe in Oxfordshire, 32; of Hobby in South Lincolnshire, 123; late, of Swallows and Martins in Kirkeud- brightshire, 124; plumage, early assumption of in the Cormorant, 174; of Crested Lark in England, 178; of the Pine Marten in cap- tivity, 203; of Shoveller in Suffolk, 496 Brill with both sides coloured, 36 British Association, 24 Bufo vulgaris, 51 Building-sites of House Martin, 34, 124 Bulimus montanus, 367; obscurus, 367 - Bullfinch, melanism in the, 254; Northern, 11 Bunting, 159; Common, albino, 33; Lapland, 12, in Kent, 83; Orto- lan, in Lincolnshire, 253; Reed, 12; Rustic near London, 33, 83; Snow, 12, in Kent, 83 Bustard, Great, in Yorkshire, 132 Buteo vulgaris, 54 Buzzard, 54; Honey, in Lincoln- shire, 35, caught at sea, 122; Rough-legged, 54 Bythinia Leachii, 330; tentaculata, 329 Callianassa subterranea, 217 Camps, ancient, in Epping Forest, 36, 85 Canary’s note, Sparrow imitating, 381 Caprimulgus europeus, 160 Carp, large, in Sussex, 36 Carychiide, 869 Carychium minimum, 369 Caves, ossiferous, near Cappagh, Co. Waterford, 37, 86 Ceratodus Forsteri, on some newly observed habits of, 506 Certhia familiaris, 9 Chaffinch, 10,159; and Missel Thrush nesting in proximity, 31, 129; singular cause of death of a, 175 Charadrius pluvialis, 58 Chelidon urbica, 10 Chiffchaff, 7; in winter, 81 Choughs in the South of Ireland, 224; in the Co. Waterford, 252, 298 Chrysomitris spinus, 10 Cinclus melanogaster, 5 Circus cyaneus, 53 Clangula glaucion, 55 xli CONTENTS. Clausilia laminata, 369; nigricans, 368, var. dubia, 368, var. Everetti, 368, var. gracilior, 368, var. tumi- dula 368; Rolphii, 368 Coccothraustes chloris, 159 Cochlicopa lubrica, 369; tridens, 369 Columba livia, 161; palumbus, 55, 161 Colymbus arcticus, 60; glacialis, 60; septentrionalis, 486 Conger in a lobster-pot, 3804 Coot and Moorhen laying in the same nest, 31 Coot, nocturnal movements of the, 127 Cormorant, 162, 317; ‘“‘Elder” a local name for, 77; early assump- tion of breeding plumage in, 176 Cormorants, trained, fishing with, temp. Charles I., 131; resorting to fresh-water lake in summer, 257 Corvus corax, 138, 159; cornix, 13, 160; frugilegus, 13, 160; mone- dula, 13, 160 Cotyle riparia, 110 Crake, Common, 56; Corn, 56, 161, in winter, 177; Spotted, 318, 319 Crane, Demoiselle, erroneous report of in Somersetshire, 333 Creeper, 9 Crex pratensis, 56, 161 Crossbill, 11 Crow, prehensile feet of the, 470; Carrion, food of, 499; Grey, 319, nesting in Warwickshire, 337, 423, in Co. Cork, 337, habits of, 378; Hooded, 13, 160, 3817, 318, in Treland, 296 . Crustacea, British Stalk-eyed, notes and observations on, 68, 213 Cuckoo, 14, 160; egg of in a Thrush’s nest, 303 Cuckoo’s eggs, 372 Cuculus canorus, 14, 160 Curlew, a white, 377 Cyanecula suecica, 6 Cyclostoma elegans, 369 Cyclostomatide, 369 Cypselus apus, 13 **Daker-hen,” origin of the name, 1838, 228 Davis Lectures at the Zoological Gardens, 251 Deer parks, English, 74 Dipper, 5; singing during severe frost, 78, 118, 179; singing in winter, 376 Diver, Black-throated, 60; Great Northern, 60; Red-throated, with the tarsi feathered, 176, in Nor- way, 486 Divers and Ducks, 326 Dodo, 432 Dotterel, 58 Dove, Ring, 55 Dreissena polymorpha, 329 Dreissenide, 829 Dryocopus martius, 13 Duck, Eider, in Nottinghamshire, 129, in Norway, 486; Tufted, 55, in Oxfordshire, 470; Wild, assumption of male plumage by a female, 128 Ducks and Divers, 326 Dunlin in Nottinghamshire, 377 Eagle, age of an, 422; White-tailed, 156, in South Lincolnshire, 501 Earthworm, Mole pursuing above ground, 76 Earthworms in New Zealand, 183; and their distribution, 305 Egg of Cuckoo in a Thrush’s nest, 303; of the Kea, note on, 876 Eggs, the time of day at which birds lay them, 145; Cuckoo’s, 872 Elk, Irish, remains of near Belfast, = 37 Emberiza citrinella, 12, 159; hortu- lana, 12; miliaria, 159; scheeni- clus, 12 Epping Forest, the preservation of, Erithacus rubecula, 7 Eudromias morinellus, 58 Falco xsalon, 54; peregrinus, 157; tinnunculus, 54, 158 Faleon, Greenland, in Sussex, 80; Gyr, in Sussex, 34; Peregrine, 157 Fauna of a Welsh village church, 74; of Higham, Kent, 114 Ferret, origin of the name, 432 Fieldfare, 5 Fisheries Exhibition, the Interna- tional, 198; Natural History at - the, 233; on some so-called fish- eating birds at the, 462 Fishes, marine, in fresh water, 180; do they sleep? 182; large, on the Devonshire coast, 431 Flycatcher, Pied, 10; in Northamp- tonshire, 300 Food of the Hedgehog, 25,115; of the Bittern, 35; of the Oyster, 85; CONTENTS. of the Common Ringed Snake, 303, 341; of the Starling, 344; of the Carrion Crow and Magpie, 499 Forbes, Mr. W. A., the late, 260 Fox, Arctic, 479 Foxes, protecting poultry from in Scotland, 260 Fratercula arctica, 161; glacialis, 488 Fringilla colebs, 10, 159; monti- fringilla, 10 Frog, Edible, 49; habits of, 129; in Suffolk, 226 Fuligula cristata, 55; marila, 55 Fulmarus glacialis, 485 Galathea dispersa, 214; intermedia, 214; nexa, 213; squamifera, 71; strigosa, 71 Gallinago celestis, 59; major, 58 Game lulled on the railway, 490 Gannet, 315; caught in a net, 376 Garrulus glandarius, 13 **Gavial,” origin of the name, 303 Gecinus viridis, 14 Geese, Greylag, 318; Wild, 314, 315, 820, formerly breeding in Cam- bridgeshire, 383, formerly breed- ing inthe English fens, 432 Glow-worm, Dr. Johnson on the, 38 Gobia stellata, 218 Golden-crest, 7 Golden-eye, 55 Goldfinch in Oxfordshire, 337; habits of, 878 Goosander, 55, 313, 315 Goose, Pink-footed, 54 Goshawk near Oxford, 31 Grebe, Great Crested, breeding in Oxfordshire, 32, in Norfolk, 3815, 816; Little, habits of the, 503; Red-necked, 314, 815; Sclavonian, 313, 315, 320 Greenfinch, 159; and Linnet, hybrid ‘between, 127, 302 Grosbeak, Pine, in Cambridgeshire, 222 Grouse, Hazel, 56; Willow, 56 Grus communis, 56 Guillemot, 162; Black, 162,—in Co. Cork, 380; Briinnich’s, 487; Mandt’s, 486; Ringed, 315 Gull, Bonaparte’s, at St. Leonard’s- on-Sea, 120; Common, 164; Glau- cous, 314, 484; Greater Black- backed, 163; Herring, 164; Ice- land, at Aldeburgh, 257; Ivory, on the Lincolnshire coast, 258 ; Lesser Xill Black-backed, 60,164; Little, 320, 321; Sabine’s, 319 Gulls in the watershed of the Liffey, 499; Lesser Black-back and Her- ring, hybrid between, 174 Habit, peculiar, of the Starling, 372 Habits of the Edible Frog, 129; of the Mason Wasp, 346; of the Gold- finch and Grey Crow, 878; of the Little Grebe, 503; of the Pilchard, 505; some newly observed, of Ceratodus Forsteri, 506 Hematopus ostralegus, 161 Halietus albicilla, 156 Hare, singular conduct of a, 75 Hares, fatal collision between two, 75 Harrier, Hen, 53; Montagu’s, in Ire- land, 32, 177 Hawfinch, 318, 316 Hedgehog, food of, 25, 115 Hedgesparrow, 8, 158 Helicide, 363 Helix aculeata, 365; arbustorum, 366; aspersa, 365; cantiana, 366; caperata, 367, var. ornata, 367; concinna, 366; ericetorum, 367, var. alba, 367, var. minor, 867; hispida, 366, var. albida, 366; hortensis, 366 ; lapicida, 367 ; nemo- ralis, 866; pomatia, 365, claims of as a British mollusk, 342; pul- chella, 367; pygmea, 367; rotun- data, 867; rufescens, 866, var. albida, 366, var. conica, 366, var. minor, 366 ; rupestris, 367 ; sericea, 369; virgata, 366 Heronries in Somersetshire, 221 Herons nesting, 317 Hirundo rustica, 10 Hobby breeding in Oxfordshire, 32; in the Co. Tipperary, 122; in South Lincolnshire, 123 Hoopoe at the Farne Islands, 388 Hornbill, parasitical worms in a, 382 Hybrid between Greenfinch and Lin- net, 127, 302; between the Lesser Black-back and Herring Gulls,174; song birds, 178 Hybrids amongst birds, 256, 301, 338; 379, 508 Hypolais icterina, 8 Ibis, Glossy, 318 ‘This’ list of British Birds, 35, 292, 339 India, Wild Animals in, 73 Instinct, homing, in Bats, 173 6 X1v of Blackbird and Interbreeding Thrush, 123 Jackdaw, 13, 160 Jay, 13; pale variety of the, 257; migration of the, 1, 76, 77, 128 Jelly-fish, large, 472 Jyux torquilla, 14 Kea, note on an egg of the, 376 Kestrel, 54, 158; young, plumage of the, 496; American, in Yorkshire, 126 Kittiwake, 163, 484 Lagopus albus, 56; hemileucurus, 482; mutus, 55 Lamellibranchiata, 328 Lamprey, Sea, killed by an Otter, 304; in the Wear, 382 Lapwing, 161 Lark, Crested, breeding in England, 178; Shore, in Kent, 83; in Nor- folk, 313, 315, 319, 320; Short- toed, near Cambridge, 33; Sky, 12; Wood, 314, 319 Larks, Sky, great influx of, 314 Larus argentatus, 164; canus, 164; fuscus, 60, 164; glaucus, 484; marinus, 163 Lepidoptera, Yorkshire, 115; Asiatic, 172 Life, a wave of, 151 Limacide, 362 Limax agrestis, 363; arborum, 363; cinereo-niger, a new British slug, | 304; flavus, 363; levis, 3638; maximus, 363 Limicola platyrhyncha, 59 Limnea auricularia, 331; glabra, 370; glutinosa, 370; palustris, 331; | peregra, 331, var. acuminata, 331, var. ovata, 331; stagnalis, 331, var. fragilis, 831; truncatula, 331 Linnet, 11, 159; and Greenfinch, hybrid between, 127, 302 Linota cannabina, 11, 159; rostris, 11, 159; linaria, 11 Lophophanes cristatus, 9 Loxia curvirostra, 11 Lump-sucker in Devonshire, 228 flavi- Macroura, Suborder, 71 Magpie, 13, 316, 317; white, 258; attacking young game-birds, 335; attachment of to nesting site, 471; | food of, 499 Mallard, 55 CONTENTS. Manx Shearwater, note of the, 28, 81, 82, 123 Marten, former occurrence of in Nor- folk, 75; in Co. Clare, 252; Pine, breeding of in captivity, 203; in Northumberland, 295 Martin, 10; building sites of, 34, 124; Wren building in deserted nest of, 126; blind, on the wing, 224; in Norfolk, 318; Sand, 10 Martins, late breeding of in Kirkeud- brightshire, 124; late, 321 Melanism in the Bullfinch, 254; par- tial in the Missel Thrush, 377 Merganser, Red-breasted, 55 Mergulus alle, 487 Mergus merganser, 55; serrator, 55 Merlin, 54 Migrants, arrival of, 316; summer, 319; raptorial, 322 Migrations of the Common Jay, 1, 76, 77, 128; of Bitterns in a flock, 223; of birds as observed at light- houses in 1882, 457; of Wagtails, 469 Migrations, animal, through the Suez Canal, 73; of the Pilchard, 431 Migratory waders, 324 Moa, the, at home, 273 Mole pursuing an Earthworm above ground, 76 Mollusea, land and freshwater, in the vicinity of Oxford, 327, 862 Moorhen and Coot laying in the same nest, 31 Moorhen in a Rabbit’s earth, 128 Motacilla alba, 9; lugubris, 159; viridis, 9 Mouse, House, Field Vole suckled by, and vice versa, 322 Munida bamfficus, 214 Muscicapa atricapilla, 10 Museum, Natural History, 8. Ken- sington, 24; proposed for Shrews- bury, 25 Natural History notes from Alde- burgh, 14; at the International Fisheries Exhibition, 233 Nest, deserted, of Martin, Wren building in, 126; Swallow’s, Wren utilising, 880, 423 Nesting of Missel Thrush and Chaf- finch in proximity, 31, 129; of Marsh and Reed Warblers, 223; of Swallow and Wren in proximity, 296; of French Partridge on a rick, 300; of Herons, 317; of Robins in CONTENTS. XV winter, 321; of Grey Crow in War- wickshire, 337, 423; of Nightjar, late, 380, 429, 495; attachment of Magpie to, 471 Nests, Sparrow’s, curious site for, 125; Swallows returning to their old, 259; variation in, of common birds, 491; singular, taken in Kent, 491 Newt, Palmated, in Gloucestershire, 226 Nightingale in Ireland, 30; Keble and the, 176 Nightjar, 160, late nesting of, 380, 429, 495; Egyptian, in Notting- hamshire, 374 Nomenclature, trinomial, 97 Norfolk Plover attacked by a hen, 317 Norway, Field Notes in, 1882, 4, 53 Note on the age of a wild Rabbit, 173; on an egg of the Kea, 376; on the Water Vole, 465 ; on Aigialitis nigris, 468 Notes, wayside, during a West- country drive, 448; from County Cork, 497 Nutcracker in North Devon, 338 Nuthatch, Northern, 9 Oedemia fusca, 55; nigra, 55 Oriole, Golden, in Essex, 335 Ornithological notes from Devon, 28; from Devon and Cornwall, 165, 419; from Ireland, 340; from Mayo and Sligo, 370; from Nor- folk, 313; from the Isle of Wight, 27, 126; from Skye, 358 Ornithologists’ sling, an, 490 Ornithologists’ Union, American, 488 Ornithology, notes on, from Devon- shire, 220; of Northamptonshire, notes on, 425, 466, 502 Ortolan, 12 Osprey in Lincolnshire, 471; in County Durham, 504 Ossiferous cave near Cappagh, Co. Waterford, 37, 86 Otter, Sea Lamprey killed by, 304 Otters and the floods, 115 Ouzel, Ring, 5; defending its nest, 180; in captivity, 239, 295; in Suffolk, 504 _ Owl, Long-eared, 53, note of the, 430; Snowy, in Donegal, 80; Tengmalm’s, 320 Oyster, food of, 85; America, 472 culture in Oystercatcher, 161 Pagurus Dilwynnii, 68; eblaniensis, 69; ferrugineis, 68; Forbesii, 68 Palinurus vulgaris, 216 Paludina contecta, 329; vivipara, 829 Paludinide, 329 Paralepis coregonoides in Cornwall, 381, 506 Parasites, animal, 219, 292 Parasitical worms in a Hornbill, 382 Partridge perching, 80; bold attack by a, 336; French, nesting on a rick, 300; Red-legged, in North Norfolk, 79 Partridges and Pheasants in the Scilly Isles, 504 Parus borealis, 8; ceruleus, 9; major, 8; palustris, 8 Passer domesticus, 10; montanus, 10, 159 Peafowl, Black-winged, 33 Pectinibranchiata, 329 Perch, heavy, 471 Petrel, Fulmar, 485; Leach’s, picked up in Birmingham, 424; Storm, 313, 320 Phalacrocorax carbo, 162; cristatus, 163 Phalarope, Grey, in North Oxon, 128; Red-necked, 58, 318, 319 Phalaropus hyperboreus, 58 Pheasants and Partridges in the Scilly Isles, 504 Phoca barbata, 480; hispida, 479 Phocena communis, 481 Phylloscopus collybita, 7; trochilus, 7, 158 Physa fontinalis, 331; 331 Pica rustica, 13 Picoides tridactylus, 14 Picus major, 14; minor, 14 Pied Flycatcher, 10; in Northamp- tonshire, 300 Pigeon, Rock, 161; Wood, 161 Pike, large, in the Avon, 85 Pilchard, migrations of the, 431; habits of the, 505 Pipit, meadow, 9, 159; Rock, 159; Tawny. in Sussex, 34; Tree, 10 Pisidium amnicum, 328; fontinale, 828, var. Henslowiana, 328, var. pulchella, 328; nitidum, 328; pu- sillum, 328, var. obtusalis, 328 Planorbis albus, 330; cariatus, 330; contortus, 331; corneus, 330; mar- ginatus, 330; nautileus, 330; niti- hypnorum, Xvi CONTENTS. dus, 3380; spirorbis, 330; vortex, 330 Plectrophanes lapponicus, 12; niva- lis, 12 Plover, African, a rare, 409; Grey, nestling from the Orkneys, 179, supposed, 334; Golden, 58; Kent- ish, 318, 320; Norfolk, attacked by a hen, 317 Plumage of the young Kestrel, 496 Polecat in Devon, 25 Poreellana longicornis, 70 ; cheles, 69 Porpoise, 481 Poultry, protecting from Foxes in Scotland, 260 Pratincola rubetra, 6 Ptarmigan, 55, 482 Puffin, 161; Northern, 488 Puffinus anglorum, 164 Pulmonobranchiate, 330 Pupa marginata, 367; secale, 370; umbilicata, 370, var. edentula, 367 Pyrrhula major, 11 platy- Quail, 319 Querquedula crecea, 55 Rabbit, wild, note on the age of, 173 Rail, Spotted, 320; Water, 340 Rana esculenta, 49 Rangifer tarandus, 481 Raptorial migrants, 322 Raven, 13, 159 Ray, large ‘‘sea-purse”’ or egg-case of the, 472; Long-nosed, in the Ouse, 506 Razorbill, 161 Redpoll, Lesser, breeding near Ox- ford, 80; Mealy, 11, in Norway, 127, with curved mandibles, 259 Redpolls, British, 298 Redshank, Common, 60 Redstart, 6; Black, in the North of Ireland, 78, in Kent in May, 299 Redwing, 5; variety of, 380 Regulus cristatus, 7 Reindeer, 481 Reptile House, new, at the Zoolo- gical Gardens, 353 Reptilia and Batrachia observed in Normandy, 49 Rhinoceros, first introduction of into England, 184 Rissa tridactyla, 163, 484 Robin, 7; singular accident to a, 123 Robins nesting in winter, 321 Rook, 13, 160 Rookeries in London, 225 Ruticilla phoenicurus, 6 Salmon disease, 130 Sandpiper, Bartram’s, 495; Broad- billed, 59; Common, 59}; Green, 59; Pectoral, in Dumbartonshire, 177, in Cornwall, 495; Purple, 484; Wood, 60 Saxicola cenanthe, 6, 158; rubicola, 158 Scaup, 55 Scientific research, Russian endow- ment of, 25 Scolopax rusticola, 58 Scoter, Common, 55, inland, 495; Velvet, 55 Scyllarus arctus, 215; at Plymouth, 6 Seal, Great, 480; Grey, in Norfolk, 76; Ringed, 479 Shag, 163 Shakespeare’s animal lore, 38 Shark, Fox, or ‘‘ Thresher,” off the coast of Devon, 36 Sharks on the coast of Devon and Cornwall, 471 Shearwater, Manx, note of, 28, 81, 82, 123, in Nottinghamshire, 381, on Lambay Island, 164; Sooty, at Bridlington, 121, in Norfolk, 179 Sheldrake, 314 Shore-birds on the Humber Flats in May, 258 Shoveller, 260; breeding in Suffolk, 496 Shrew, voracity of the, 293; pied, 220 Shrike, Great Grey, in Suffolk, 125, 178, near Cockermouth, 125, near Croydon, 176, 180, in Aberdeen- shire, 259, in Norfolk, 318, 816, 318, 320; Red-backed, in Notting- hamshire, 31, variety of, 180, in _ Lincolnshire, 339, subcutaneous worms in a, 345 Siskin, 10; variety of, 124; in Ire- land, 493; in Co. Down, 494 Siskins breeding in confinement, 119 Sitta europea, 9 Skua, Richardson’s, 485 Skuas, 319 Slow-worm, 49 Slugs in Co. Waterford, 507 Smew, 314, 316, 318 Snake, Common Ringed, food of, 303, 341; Smooth, in Surrey, 84, 129 CONTENTS. Snakes, on the treatment of in cap- tivity, 18, 61, 103, 205, 242, 284; eating fish, 259 Snipe, Common, 59, drumming in winter, 320; Great, in Lincoln- shire, 31, in Norway, 58; Jack, in Oxfordshire in summer, 504 Societies, ScIENTIFIC :— Entomological, 40, 264, 347, 385 Linnean, 38, 87, 132. 185, 229, 261, 306, 346, 508 Zoological, 39, 88, 1383, 187, 231, 263, 309 Solomon Islands, notes from, 169 Somateria mollissima, 486 Song of Grasshopper Warbler, 299 Sparrow, 10, 159; and his ways, 297 ; imitating. a Canary’s note, 381; Tree, 10 Sparrowhawk, 54 Sparrows’ nests, curious site for, 125 Spheriide, 328 Spherium corneum, 328, var. fla- vescens, 328; lacustre, 328; ovale, 3828; rivicola, 328 Spitzbergen, an autumn visit to, 393, 433, 479 Spoonbill, 260, 317, 495 Starling, 13, 159; peculiar habit of the, 334, 373; food of, 334 Stercorarius crepidatus, 485 Stilt, 495 Stonechat, 158 Sterna macrura, 484 Sturgeon, large, in the Thames, 341 Sturnus vulgaris, 18, 159 Succinea elegans, 364; putris, 3638 Summer migrants, 319 Sunfish, Oblong, in Cornwall, 342 Swallow, 10; and Wren nesting in proximity, 296 » Swallows, late breeding of in Kirk- cudbrightshire, 124; late, 391; returning to their old nests, 259 Swan, Bewick’s, 314; Mute, 317 Swift, 13; late stay of in autumn, 30, 81; late stay of in South Wales, 127; returning to former nesting-place, 257; at Norwich, 318 Swordfish on the coast of Norfolk, 35 Sylvia atricapilla, 7; curruca, 7; rufa, 7, 158 Teal, 55 Tern, Arctic, 484; Black, 317, in Nottinghamshire, 477; Common, in Oxfordshire, 470; Sandwich, XVli 318; White-winged Black, in Nor- folk, 341 Testacella haliotidea, 363 Thalassinide, 217 Theriotrophium, Royal, near the Tower of London, 37, 86 Thick-knee, European, scientific name of, 255 “Thresher” off the coast of Devon, 36 Thrush, Missel, 5, and Chaffinch nesting in proximity, 31, 129, and Blackbird, interbreeding of, 123, partial melanism in the, 377; Song, 5, 158 Tit, Bearded, singular accident to, ald} Titmouse, Blue, 9; Coal, variety of, 424; Crested, 9; Great, 8; Long- tailed, 8; Marsh, 8, in Oxford, 255; Northern Marsh, 8 Toad, Natterjack, in Suffolk, 84; at Carlisle, 130 Totanus calidris, 60: fuscus, 495; glareola, 60; hypoleucus, 59; ochropus, 59 Trichecus rosmarus, 480 Tringa maritima, 484 Triton alpestris, 52; cristatus, 52 Troglodytes parvulus, 9, 159 “Trout, White,” of Pennant, 228 Tunny in the Exe, 430 Turdus iliacus, 5; merula, 5, 158; musicus, 5,158; pilaris, 5; tor- quatus, 5; viscivorus, 5 Twite, 11,159; origin of the name, 260 Unio pictorum, 329, var. latior, 329; tumidus, 328 Uria grylle, 162; Mandti, 486; troile, 162 Ursus maritimus, 479 Valvata cristata, 330; piscinalis, 330 Vanellus cristatus, 161 Variety of Wheatear, and other birds, 79; of Red-backed Shrike, 180; pale, of the Jay, 257; white, of Magpie, 258; of Redwing, 380; of Coal Titmouse, 424; albino, of Blackbird, 471 Varieties of Wheatear and Siskin, 123; white and pied, of birds, 424 Vermin destroyed on an Irish estate, if Vertigo edentula, 368; pusilla, 368; pygmeza, 368 XVlil Viper, ground colour of the, 303 Vitrina pellucida, 363 Vole, Field, suckled by a House Mouse, and vice versd, 382; Water, note on the, 465 Vulpes lagopus, 479 Waders, migratory, 324; on the South coast, 469 Wagtail, Blue-headed Yellow, in Co. Cork, 340; Grey-headed, 9; Pied, 159; White, 9; Yellow, in Co. Dublin, 302 Wagtails, migration of, 469 Walrus, 480 Warbler, Blue-throated, 318; Grass- hopper, song of, 299; Icterine, 8; Marsh, at Taunton, 295; Sedge, 8 Warblers, Marsh and Reed, nesting of, 223 Wasp, Mason, habits of the, 346 Waxwing, 10; in South Lincolnshire, 129; in Norwich, 321 Waxwings in Aberdeenshire, 259; in Cumberland, 299 Whale in the Thames in 1658, 1381, 306; Pilot, in Devonshire, 173 Whales, 480; Sperm, on the Kentish coast in 1762, 131 Wheatear, 6, 158; variety of, and other birds, 79; and Siskin, varieties of, 124 Whinchat, 6 Whitethroat, 7, 158; Lesser, 7 Wigeon in Notts in August, 424; early appearance of, 498 CONTENTS. Wild animals in India, 73 Wildfowl at Poole, 124 Winter arrivals, 321 Wolf-fish in Devonshire, 227 Woodcock, 58 Woodpecker, Great Black, 13; Greater Spotted, 14, in confine- ment, 473; Green, 14; Lesser Spotted, 14, 315, 316, 321; Three- toed, 14 Worms, subcutaneous, in a Shrike, 345; parasitical, in a Hornbill, 382; subcutaneous, in birds, 383 Wren, 9, 159, building in deserted nest of Martin, 126, and Swal- low nesting in proximity, 296, utilising a Swallow’s nest, 380, 423; Fire-crested, at Oxford, 224; Golden-crested, 820; Willow, 7, 158 ; Wryneck, 14 Yarrell’s ‘ British Birds, 36 42 Yellowhammer, 12, 159 Zonites alliarius, 364; cellarius, 364, var. albida, 364; crystallinus, 364; fulvus, 364; glaber, 364; nitidulus, 364, var. nitens, 364; nitidus, 364; purus, 364; radiatulus, 364 Zoological Gardens, Davis Lectures at the, 251; new reptile house at the, 353 Zoological notes from Gibraltar, 100 Zoology of the Channel Islands, 428 ILLUSTRATIONS. Curious Spider’s Nest Boundary Stone between Europe and Asia Reindeer Sledge on the Koorayira Carrion and Hooded Crows and Hybrids The Coala, or Native Bear of Australia The New Zealand Huia The Butterfly Blenny The Indian Bungarum The Leaf Butterfly of India The Sacred Beetle : Curious New Gall on twigs of Juniperus Difference in Tail-feathers of #gialitis tricollaris and 4. indicus . PAGE 40 41 42 43 136 137 138 139 140 141 265 410 Z-D. THE ZOOLOGIST. THIRD SERIES. JANUARY, 1883. Vot. VII.) [No. 73. ON THE MIGRATION OF THE COMMON JAY. By Joun CorRDEAUX. Seen in the depth of our woodlands furtively flitting from tree to tree, or quietly stealing from the corner of a cover as the noisy line of beaters advances, the flight of the Jay appears both laborious and heavy, kept up by frequent flappings of wing, undulating, too, and somewhat uncertain in direction, and seldom prolonged beyond the nearest tree, hedgerow, or copse. Under such circumstances the bird seems little capable of crossing any width of sea, or of taking a long migratory flight. The fact, however, remains beyond dispute that this seemingly weak and slow-flying bird is capable of long-sustained flights, which will compare even with those of the swift-winged Woodcock and Grey Plover. Great numbers of Jays, along with other migrants, crossed Heligoland with an east to west flight in October, 1876. Mr. Gatke’s notes sent me at that time are as follows :—“ Oct. 21st, 1876. East, very strong. G. glandarius, thousands passing the island; some landed, caught ; coming—never ending. Oct. 22nd and 23rd. Hast, strong. Glandarius, a great many still.” Since that date, and up to this year, Jays do not appear to have been observed at Heligoland, as Mr. Gitke’s subsequent, and almost continuous, notes make no mention of them. Hither the migration has passed some distance off the island, or been carried on at such a height as to be beyond the ken of human vision. B ~ THE ZOOLOGIST. During the past autumn Jays have again passed Heligoland in enormous numbers. Mr. Gitke, under date of October 8th, writes :—‘ A perfect storm of Jays has passed over, and on both sides of the island, during the last three days. No one living has ever seen the like here; about fifty years ago enormous numbers were caught here, but during my time only twice or thrice have they come. On the 6th October, S.E., E. by §., very strong, clear, coldish, G. glandarius, continuous flights of hundreds. 7th, clear, blew about No. 8: G. glandarius, great flights con- tinually passing. 8th, S.E., rather fresh, clear: G. glandarius, more than ever passing on above and beside the island.” It is noticeable that in both these years the migration of the Jay was in October, and continued over three days, and that it was carried on under the circumstances of a strong easterly gale. The question then naturally arises, whence and whither was this great ‘‘storm” of Jays (as Mr. Gatke terms it) steering their course? Seen then seventy miles from land off the mouth of the Elbe, moving from east to west in a strong easterly gale, continuous flock after flock, never deviating from their course, which was straightforward seemingly across the wide tossing waters of the North Sea, with one purpose animating all alike, the forsaking of their native forests for a long flight to the west. Mr. Gitke has always maintained that autumn migration, as observed at Heligoland, does not run north and south, but from east to west, birds invariably coming from the eastward and passing westward. The observations taken during late years on the migration of birds, as observed at lighthouses and light- vessels, quite confirm the views of the veteran observer. It is rarely that we find birds coming to our shores from any point north of east; migration is from east to west, or points south of east to north-easterly points. This great passage of Jays across Heligoland points also to the correctness of his theory, for it could hardly have its origin in the north, the whole of Scandi- navia failing to supply the stream for more than a few hours. It is reasonable, therefore, to suppose that they came from Eastern Europe across Germany, from the immense forest area between the Oder to beyond the Vistula, and probably much further east than this to the confines of Eastern Europe. That the area covered by this flight was very great we may well judge from the fact that the stream was three days in passing. Whether ON THE MIGRATION OF THE JAY. 3 the first impulse to move began at the extreme east or west of the range, extending backward or forward, we have unfortunately no means of knowing. It will be interesting to learn if any great flight of Jays, corresponding in any degree with the thousands that crossed Heligoland, have been observed anywhere by our sharp-eyed reporters on the English coast, or any considerable increase in the ordinary number frequenting our woodlands. Previous to receiving Mr. Giitke’s letter I had made a note of the number seen in shooting some small plantations in this neighbourhood, but certainly not exceeding double what we might expect to see under any circumstances. Mr. Stevenson, in the ‘ Birds of Norfolk,’ vol. i., p. 280, con- jectures that the Norfolk Jays receive at times considerable accessions to their number in the autumn. So far as I am aware there is no direct evidence of the fact, except the state- ment, as given by Messrs. Sheppard and Whitear,* to the effect that ‘“‘Some years since, as two gentlemen were sporting at Tunstal, in Suffolk, distant about five miles from the sea, they observed an extraordinary flight of Jays, passing in a single line from seaward to the interior. This line extended further than the eye could reach, and must have consisted of some thousands. Several of them were killed as they passed; but the firing at them did not occasion the rest to deviate from their line of flight.” It may be that the Jays seen crossing Heligoland passed southward along the European coast-line, as we know is the case with many birds which regularly cross that island in large numbers, and which rarely turn up on our own coast, except perhaps as solitary examples: be this as it may, however, this migration in such enormous numbers is a wonderful and striking phenomenon, and supplies cause for much conjecture—conjecture as to the ‘“‘how and why” of this simultaneous movement; whether a mere normal phenomenon, which, under certain con- ditions of wind and weather, is at long intervals brought within the notice of the Heligolanders, or a something out of the ordinary range of migration due to a scarcity of food, or some other cause which long patient waiting and extended observation alone can determine. * «A Catalogue of Norfolk and Suffolk Birds, with remarks,’ 1826, 4 THE ZOOLOGIST. FIELD NOTES IN NORWAY IN 1881. By tHe Kev. H. H. Suarer, F.Z.S. Member of the British Ornithologists’ Union; Vice-President of the Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union. Tue following field notes were accumulated during a five weeks’ visit to Norway in the spring of 1881. Of this time, May 9th to 10th were spent at Naersness, on the Christiania Fjord; May 11th to 22nd at Lillehammer, on the Midsen Lake; May 24th to 31st at Laurgaard, in the Gudbrandsdal; June 1st to 7th at Fokstuen, on the Dovre Fjeld; June 8th to 11th at Hjerkinn, the next station to Fokstuen: we then returned to Christiania by the Foldal. I was much struck by the scarcity of birds of prey. I do not think that I saw nearly so many as I should have done in an equal length of time in any tolerably uninhabited part of Scot- land, or the north of England. The cause of this, to a great extent, is the reward which a short-sighted Government has placed on the heads of all the larger Raptores; owing to which they are ruthlessly hunted down by the peasants. But there is a phenomenon in connection with this class of birds to which we have no parallel in England. At varying intervals of years the Lemming makes its appearance in countless numbers, overrunning the whole country; simultaneously the numbers of the birds of prey are largely increased, so that birds which are usually rare, such as the Snowy Owl and Jerfaleon, are then found on the fells not uncommonly. That these should make their appearance in greater numbers when suitable food is so plentiful, is intelligible and natural, but when we find that birds like the Capercaillie and Willow Grouse, and others, which have no interest in common, apparently, with the Lemming, are more plentiful in ‘‘ Lemming years,” it becomes rather difficult to see the connection between the two circumstances. Yet Herr Collett informs me that such is undoubtedly the case. There seems to be some uncertainty how the new Game Laws will affect the naturalist collecting in Norway, but my experience leads me to believe that they will make but little, if any, difference to him. Undoubtedly no foreigner has now any right to carry a gun without a license on crown lands (such as the Dovre Fjeld); but I took out no licence. Norwegians do not take for granted, FIELD NOTES IN NORWAY. 3) when they see you with a gun, that you must necessarily be carrying it for illegal ends. Doubtless, if I had shot a bagful of ryper, I should soon have had a visit from the Lensmand, but as it was everyone seemed to take an interest in what I did, and to wish to assist me in any way possible. The following were the birds I met with :— Misseut Turusu, T'urdus viscivorus (L.)—Not uncommon near Lillehammer ; but once seen near Laurgaard, and never on the Dovre Fjeld. Sone Turusu, T. musicus (L.)—Not uncommon in woods near Lillehammer, and up the Gudbrandsdal. In pine woods it appears generally to choose those spots where the trees are young and thick, and is not averse to marshy places. Repwine, 7’. iliacus (L.)—Common in the Gudbrandsdal. On May 12th, near Lillehammer, it. was still in flocks. At Laur- gaard, May 24th and following days, it was pairing and preparing to nest in the birch growth. At Fokstuen it was fairly plentiful and nesting on June 2nd. At Hjerkinn, on June 8th, the Red- wings were singing beautifully in the birch woods, their song somewhat between those of the Missel and Common Thrushes; a nest I found that day was in the forks of a birch tree about eighteen inches from the ground, and the young birds in it were just getting their first feathers. It was curious to notice that there were two large birch tracts at Hjerkinn, one to the east, towards Foldalen, the other to the west, under Gederyggen; the former seemed to be appropriated by the Redwings and the latter by the Fieldfares. Firiprare, T’. pilaris (L.)—Pretty common, breeding on the birch-clad slopes of Gederyggen, near Hjerkinn, and less com- monly around Fokstuen. Buackxsirp, T. merula (L.) — The rarest in Norway, as it seemed to me, of the Turdide. Pretty common near Naersness (Christiania Fjord); rare near Lillehammer, where I saw one and heard another; and not seen at Laurgaard nor on the Dovre Fjeld. Rine Ovze, T’. torquatus (L.)—Not uncommon near Laur- gaard, and also on the Dovre Fjeld, in the birch region above the fir, where a search would probably have revealed the nest. Dierer, Cinclus melanogaster (Brehm).—I did not see this bird on Dovre, and only one at Laurgaard, which was feeding 6 THE ZOOLOGIST. strange to say) in one of the wooden pipes which conveys the water into a small corn-mill by the roadside which leads to Sels Vand. At Lillehammer it was pretty plentiful, on the Mesna, at least, where I once saw five the same day. Wueatear, Saxicola enanthe (L.)\—Common at high and low altitudes alike, wherever there are rocks or stony places ; nests in old walls or ruined cottages, under stones, or even in holes in the ground. Waurncuat, Pratincola rubetra (L.) — Dresser (‘Birds of Europe,’ vol. ii., p. 256) does not give one the idea that this bird is at all abundant in Norway, and up to my leaving Lillehammer I did not find it so; but as I went up the Gudbrandsdal I found it getting more and more plentiful, till, at Laurgaard, it was one of the commonest of all birds in the low grounds; it frequented the willows on the edges of the marshes, and any one could have shot thirty in a day. On the Dovre Fjeld it seemed rare, being apparently a lowland bird in Norway; but in the Foldal, below Dalen, it seemed fully as plentiful as at Laurgaard. Repsrart, Ruticilla phenicurus (L.)—Very plentiful both at high and low altitudes. Nestsin Norway, by preference in an old Woodpecker’s or Tit’s hole in a tree. It certainly has the power, in spite of its slender bill, of enlarging the hole to suit its requirements, as I found a nest at Fokstuen with one egg, of which the parents kept close to me; the fresh chips at the foot of the tree (it was a birch) were, many of them, lying in such positions on leaves, &c., as rain would have at once removed them from, which of course gave me approximately the date of their deposition. Itis possible that the nest might have been commenced by a Woodpecker and deserted, but the shape of the hole was quite different to what a Woodpecker would have made, being almost circular, and only about seven or eight inches deep, while the nest which was placed in it was nearly six inches in external diameter. Rep-sporreD Buiurturoat, Cyanecula suecica (L.) — Very plentiful on the Dovre Fjeld. At Fokstuen I might have shot twenty males any day, but the females were great skulkers, and seldom showed themselves. The note of this bird is remarkably varied, but may be at once recognised by the metallic *‘ ting ting” with which it usually commences its warble, which is just like a couple of strokes on a small high-toned triangle. It also has a FIELD NOTES IN NORWAY. 7 peculiar hurried way of singing, as if it were anxious to get to the end of its song as soon as possible. At Hjerkinn it was very common also, both in the birch scrub and even in the dwarf willow and juniper scrub above the birch limit on the fells. I found a nest here with eight eggs, and sat down by it to blow some of them. The old birds at once came up and hovered angrily round me, often within a yard of me, though the eggs were not at all incubated, the female also quite forgetting her usual anxiety for concealment. Not only they, but every other Bluethroat within hearing of this excited couple, hurried up also, until I must have had about a dozen scolding within ten yards of me at once; the moment I rose, however, they all vanished, like Roderick Dhu’s warriors, “ where they stood.” The nest was made of the finest grasses, and placed in an open space in the birch wood, under a branch of trailing juniper. ; Rosin, Erithacus rubecula (L.)—An Englishman, familiar with the way in which this bird courts the society of man in his native country, is surprised to find it shunning man altogether in Norway, and taking up its abode in the densest pine woods. It seems not uncommon, but very impatient of approach. WuitretTHroat, Sylvia rufa (Bodd.)—I did not find this bird at all plentiful; in fact, I only saw two at Lillehammer. Lesser Wuireruroat, S. curruca (L.)\—Though I did not find this plentiful, I saw it much oftener than the last. One was singing at Naersness, on the Christiania Fjord, on May 9th. I saw several near Lillehammer, one at Laurgaard, and two on the Dovre Fjeld. I shot one of the last (as it is a bird more generally seen at low altitudes) in order to be quite sure. It was singing cheerfully, and flitting uneasily, as its manner is, from birch to birch, near Hjerkinn, about 3800 feet above sea-level. Buacxceap, S. atricapilla (L.)—I only remarked one, which was in full song, at Naersness on May 9th. GoupEeNn Crest, Regulus cristatus (Koch).—Very abundant in conifer-growth at all altitudes. CurrrcHarr, Phylloscopus collybita (Vieill.)—Most abundant everywhere in fir-growth; I only noticed one on the Dovre Fjeld. Wittow Wren, P. trochilus (L.)—Equally common with the last in the lowlands, but differing from it in being just as common at high altitudes, where it is found not only in the birch woods, 8 THE ZOOLOGIST. but even in dwarf willow and juniper scrub on the fjelds. I noticed several on the fjelds near Laurgaard, in a place where the ground was covered several feet deep with snow for miles; they, with Pied Flycatchers, were singing merrily in the birch trees. IcTERINE WarBLER, Hypolais icterina (Vieill.) — One near Roken, close to Christiania, on May 9th; another at Lille- hammer. SepGE WARBLER, Acrocephalus schenobenus (L.)—It is some- what remarkable that this bird should be so plentiful in the extreme north of Norway, in Finmark and Nordland, and yet be so rare south of the Arctic Circle! I saw one or more near Laur- gaard, in the willows amongst the marshes, a place one would consider well suited to their habits; one of them I heard singing during the night. I noticed none elsewhere. HepeeEsparrow, Accentor modularis (L.)—This bird, like the Robin, does violence to an Englishman’s previous notions when visiting Norway. In that country it avoids the neighbourhood of man, and is seen generally in the pine forests, but sometimes even in the heather and dwarf willow above the birch region, and is very shy. Lone-TAILeD TrTmousr, Acredula caudata (L.)\—Said to be common in Norway. I only happened to see about half a dozen. Its manners and voice are much like those of our dark-headed representative, but it is certainly, with its pure white head and yellow eyelids, a much prettier bird ; and it seemed a little wilder also. Great ‘Tirmouse, Parus major (L.); Conrrsenran Coan Tirmouse, P. ater (L.)—Common. Marsu Tirmouse, P. palustris (L.)—Said to be abundant up to Trondhjem. It was plentiful enough on the Christiania Fjord, but I only saw one at Lillehammer, and none north of that, its place being apparently taken by the following. Norruern Marsu Tirmouse, P. borealis (De Selys).—I did not notice this bird till I got to Lillehammer, where it was abundant, as also at Laurgaard; less so on Dovre. It cannot be mistaken for the last for a moment, even at some distance, being larger, much greyer, and the black cap prolonged further down the back. All the specimens I obtained, and all the dozens I saw in the woods, were much greyer than the bird figured in Dresser’s ‘ Birds of Europe’ (pl. 109), both on the back and on the flanks. FIELD NOTES IN NORWAY. 9 Buve Trrmovsr, P. ceruleus (L.)—Pretty common, especially near Christiania. Cresrep Trrmouse, Lophophanes cristatus (L.)—Common in fir woods. In the large mixed flocks of Titmice one often meets with in the woods, this bird seems to take the lead, and to direct to some extent the movements of the others. Its note is stronger and more musical than those of other Tits, and when it happens to be alarmed and to fly off, calling out, the others, consisting of Marsh, Coal, and Blue Titmice, with sometimes Long-tailed Tits and Tree Creepers, generally follow at once. It seems to prefer young Scotch fir-growth to any other, where the trees are from twelve to eighteen feet high. Norruern Nuruarcnu, Sitta europea (L.)—I only remarked one example—at Naersness—of this bird, which is said to be found as far north as the hazel and oak. Crerrer, Certhia familiaris (L.)—Common, often consorting with Titmice, as in England. Wren, Troglodytes parvulus (Koch).—Pretty common south of Dovre in fir woods, and occasionally in birch-growth on Dovre. Much less tame and familiar than in England. Wuire Waerain, Motacilla alba (L.)—Very common and tame; flies and runs in the streets and on the quays of Christiania like the Sparrow in London. In the country you seldom see a farm- house without one pair, at least, of these birds about it (during the summer only, of course), nor are they often seen at any distance from a house. I found two nests, each with six eggs; one in the wall of an outhouse at Hjerkinn; the other in the lake- embankment at Hamar, on Miésen. The nest is composed of fine grasses, with or without a little horsehair in the lining, and the eggs, which closely resemble those of the Pied Wagtail, have sometimes a ring of aggregated spots at the larger end. GREY-HEADED WactTaln, WM. viridis (Gm.)—First seen at Laur- gaard, where it was not uncommon; but it was much more plentiful on Doyre, especially at Fokstuen, where a dozen might be seen together in the taller willow-growth near the station. It seems to breed later than M. alba, and I only found one nest, incomplete, in a wall near Hjerkinn. Meapow Pirrr, Anthus pratensis (L.)—Very common every- where; perches in trees and bushes a great deal more than it does in England. 10 THE ZOOLOGIST. TreEE Prert, A. trivialis (L.)—Very common in the lowlands, . but apparently very rare on the Dovre Fjeld. Waxwine, Ampelis garrulus (L.)—I hoped to meet with this bird alive, but all I saw of it consisted of the dried, weather- beaten remains of several which had been caught in horse-hair nooses on a mountain ash near Lillehammer during the preceding winter. Prep Frycatcuer, Muscicapa atricapilla (L.)—Plentiful. The first flight of this bird (consisting, apparently, of males alone, not quite in full breeding plumage) made its appearance at Naersness, on the Christiania Fjord, on May 10th. ‘The day before I had seen none; this day they were abundant and rather listless. I had always considered the plumage of this bird and that of the Spotted Woodpeckers as very conspicuous—almost what might be called “‘loud.” But I had never seen either before in what was evidently their proper sphere, amongst the black and white stems of the birch trees, with which their colours harmonized so closely as to make them rather difficult to make out than otherwise, when they kept pretty still. Swattow, Hirundo rustica (L.)—Plentiful in the Gud- brandsdal, getting less numerous towards Dovre, where they do not seem to occur. They made their appearance at Lillehammer for the first time on May 16th. Martin, Chelidon urbica (L.)—Abundant everywhere; the only Swallow I noticed on the Dovre, where it breeds abundantly under the projecting eaves of the stations and their outhouses. Sanp Martin, Cotyle riparia (L.)—Common in the Gud- brandsdal, where it often selects the turf-roofs of the cottages to make its nest-burrows in. Siskin, Chrysomitris spinus (L.)—Common in conifer woods, but often seen feeding amongst alders aud birches by stream-sides. Sparrow, Passer domesticus (l.)—Common, but I did not notice it on the Dovre. TreE Sparrow, P. montana (L.)—Not uncommon; is found near farm-houses, where the last-mentioned bird does not come, but they do not seem to associate together. Cuarrincy, Fringilla celebs (L.)—Very common; but I never saw it on the Dovre Fjeld. BraMBuine, Ff’. montifringilla (L.)—Was in flocks at Lille- hammer the earlier part of my stay there; when I got to Laur- FIELD NOTES IN NORWAY. 11 gaard it was paired and building in the birch-growth. At Fokstuen I found several nests, some with eggs. This bird displays great anxiety when you approach the nest; both male and female come and perch on the trees by the nest, sometimes within a yard of your head, uttering their plaintive ery. I paid them the compliment of attributing this conduct to parental affection until I found that their minds were quite as much troubled when the nest was so far advanced as to consist of about as much lichen and fibre as might be contained in an empty 12-bore cartridge case. The nest strikes one at once as being less tidy than that of a Chaffinch, and consists (on the Dovre Fjeld) in great part of reindeer-moss and similar lichens. The eggs principally differ from a Chaffinch’s in their ground colour being bluer, though the latter occasionally lays eggs quite as blue as any Brambling’s eggs I have seen. ‘The call-note of the male has a peculiar, harsh, unmusical sound, and seems to consist of two different notes, a semitone apart, mingled and uttered together, rather reminding me of the noise of a double white-metal dog-whistle. Liyyet, Linota cannabina (L.)—Not uncommon in the valleys, but I did not notice it on Dovre. Meaty Reppott, L. linaria.—I only identified this bird once to my satisfaction, when I saw a pair, apparently feeding, on the waste ground by the bridge at Laurgaard. I fancied I saw others at different times, but they were too shy for me to be quite certain. Twirt, L. flavirostris (L.)—Appeared to be generally dis- tributed, though in small numbers, on the Dovre Fjeld and the fells near Laurgaard. NorrHern Buuirincy, Pyrrhula major (Brehm).—Not un- common, but much oftener heard than seen. I tried to obtain specimens in the pine woods at Lillehammer by calling, but invariably without success; before I got sufficiently near the bird, a Hooded Crow always made its appearance (judging, I suppose, from its frequent calling that there were some eggs to be got) and drove my Bullfinch away. The would-be thieves occasionally got into trouble for their pains, for I never think a cartridge wasted if expended on a Hooded Crow. CrossBiLL, Loxia curvirostra (L.)—I kept a sharp look out for this bird, but never saw it. Occasionally it is pretty common in the summer in S. Norway. 12 THE ZOOLOGIST. YELLOWHAMMER, E’mberiza citrinella (L.)—Very abundant and tame. I shot a curious male Lillehammer, which had such a dark brown head, and showed so little chestnut on the rump, that I imagined, till I picked it up, that it was a male Ortolan not quite in full plumage. Orrotan, EL. hortulana (L.)—I saw one or two in the Gud- brandsdal, but it seemed pretty common near Christiania. Rerp Buntine, EL. scheniclus (L.)\—I saw one or two near Lillehammer, towards the Mesna Lakes, but found it abundant at Laurgaard in the marshes near the station. On Dovre it was one of the commonest birds, and was nesting when I was there. Laptanp Bunrine, Plectrophanes lapponicus (L.)—Very com- mon at Fokstuen, but I saw none at Hjerkinn; I have no doubt I could have killed eighty at the former place, where a dozen might be heard singing together. In fine weather they were very tame, running like mice amongst the willow-scrub in the marshes, and feeding composedly when I was only a few yards off. In wet weather they get very wild, and will not let you approach within forty yards. ‘They were all paired whilst I was at Fokstuen, but (judging from the ovaries of two females I obtained) not laying ; the male had still a few rusty feathers in the crown. The note— that of the male at least, for I never heard the female utter any but the low call-note common to both sexes—is one of the most pleasing I know. The ground-work is a sort of warbling twitter like the Sky Lark’s song; but mingled with this, at regular intervals, come five fuller and more musical notes. When at some distance from the bird you lose the twitter, and these five notes are all you catch, being louder than the rest; they give you rather the idea of a peal of bells, and are always uttered in the same order. When singing the bird often sits on the top of a low bush; sometimes is high in air; in the latter case he descends, singing with elevated tail and outstretched quivering wings, like a Tree Pipit or Blue-throat. The food seemed to consist of sedge- and grass-seeds gathered from last year's still-standing plants, and mingled with small insects. Snow Buntine, P. nivalis (L.)—I saw two small flocks at Lillehammer and one at Fokstuen, all very shy. Sxy Lark, Alauda arvensis (L.)—Very common near Lille- hammer. I saw very few near Laurgaard, and none on the Dovre Fjeld. FIELD NOTES IN NORWAY. 13 Sraruine, Sturnus vulgaris (L.)—Common in the lowlands. Jay, Garrulus glandarius (L.)— Very common at Naersness and Laurgaard; less so near Lillehammer. On the Dovre I did not notice it. Maaeptg, Pica rustica (Scop.)—Very common and tame. Nests in low trees close to the farm-houses, and passes a great part of its time on the roof of outhouses or near the doors. Near Fokstuen and Hjerkinn stations there were old nests, but I saw no birds. Jackpaw, Corvus monedula (L.)— Common in the Gud- brandsdal wherever there are cliffs. Hoopep Crow, C. cornia (L.)—Very common and tame all up the Gudbrandsdal, but apparently less numerous after you pass Laurgaard; not many noticed on Dovre. A bold and greedy robber in Norway, as he is everywhere else, and near Lille- hammer is estimated to destroy half the eggs that all other birds lay. At Skjeggestad, in the Gudbrandsdal, I surprised a crow in one of the ditches by the river feeding on the brains of a warm and freshly-killed Water Vole. A Hooded Crow took me for a corpse at Spurn last autumn but one, as I was waiting at low water on the “clays,” and came at me with a “ caw” which might be translated ‘‘hooray!” He lived just long enough to repent of his mistake, but not long enough to escape the conse~ quences of it. Rook, C. frugilegus (L.)—Not uncommon, but far less plentiful than in England. I do not know whether it forms rookeries in Norway, but I saw none. Raven, C. corax (L.)—I saw one or two fly across the valley at Lillehammer, and one at Laurgaard. A pair were often visible near Hjerkinn, towards Gederyggen, where they may have had a nest. Swirt, Cypselus apus (L.)—This bird had not arrived at Lillehammer up to my departure thence. I saw it two days afterwards, on May 28rd, at Byre, in the Gudbrandsdal. At Laurgaard there were many, but I saw none at Dovre. GREAT Buack WoopPeEckEeR, Dryocopus martius (L.)—I only saw one, just beyond Sels Vand, near Laurgaard, which I watched for some time; it did not feed, and seemed uneasy at the presence of a Sparrowhawk, which absorbed all its attention, and prevented its noticing me. When it was aware of my presence within a few yards, it departed in a great hurry, 14 THE ZOOLOGIST. GREATER Sportrrp WooppeckEr, Picus major (L.)—Not un- common, but oftener heard than seen. I only saw one near Lillehammer, though I heard many, and it was rare at Laurgaard. I saw none on Dovre. Lesser Srorrep Wooprsecker, P. minor (L.)—I shot a male near Lillehammer, and saw another. At Laurgaard I saw one, and at Fokstuen one. TuHREE-TOED Wooprecker, Picotdes tridactylus (L.)—I only met with one example, a female, near Lillehammer, which was feeding on a nest of the large wood ant (Formica rufa). GrvEN Wooppecker, Gecinus viridis (L.)—This, probably the commonest Woodpecker in Norway, I never happened to meet with. Wryneck, Jynx torquilla (L.)—I saw one on the hill above Lillehammer, and heard several others there and at Laurgaard ; none noticed on Dovre. Cuckoo, Cuculus canorus (L.)—Very common in Gudbrands- dalen, on Dovre, and in Foldalen. It may be persuaded to follow a person almost like a dog by imitating the note—a performance which never failed to astonish any Norwegian witness of it. (To be continued.) NATURAL HISTORY NOTES FROM ALDEBURGH. By H. A. Macruerson. During last autumn I spent a few weeks at Aldeburgh, and came across a few birds of some little interest. Desiring to identify all the early arrivals and to get a few skins, I got a Thorpe fisherman to carry a gun occasionally. Upon August 16th a Redshank had still the nestling down adhe- ring to the hind neck ; the same morning a party of four Turn- stones passed over head, stooping to A.’s call but not coming within gunshot. I got an example, a young bird, on the 19th, and saw a single Turnstone consorting with some common Sandpipers on the edge of the Alde river on August 27th. Late in the afternoon of August 28th a fine Skua visited Thorpe mere, and I watched it for a considerable time; on August 31st a Great Skua, perhaps the same individual, was noticed at sea by the Thorpe fishermen. NOTES FROM ALDEBURGH. 15 On August 29th an old Curlew dropped within a very easy distance of our punt on the mud; five or six Knots came up from the north and flew round the mere at a considerable height; no mud being uncovered they went away south, possibly to the Alde river. Two days later some Knots pitched on the beach about 6 p.m.; one was in winter dress, but the other, a female, still bore considerable traces of the red breast. On September 22nd, as I was crossing the bridge near A.’s cottage, I was attracted by the movements of a small grey stranger on the bank; I called A., and he crept within a few yards of the bird, but missed it, probably from excitement, for he saw that it was a Grey Phalarope beyond doubt, examining it very closely; I myself obtained a good view of it, for it was feeding busily; when missed, it flew away to the right and pitched on the mud at some distance; before we got up to it, away it went again, this time to sea; it was in full winter dress. A little later, a Lesser Tern came flying up the marsh towards us, near the railway line; being alone, he answered a call and A. got a shot, but, to my regret, breaking both wings. Its eyes were wonderfully bright; being an immature bird it is . possible that it had been bred in the neighbourhood. The larger Terns apparently disappeared from Aldeburgh between the 2nd and 7th of September. We stopped a solitary Dunlin; in the afternoon A. brought me a fine Bar-tailed Godwit, a mature male, still wearing the red breast of summer; the latter was also killed on the edge of the marsh, near A.’s own house, which affords excellent opportunities for observing birds. Turning out shortly before 6.30 a.m. on September 4th, I found that a large body of Sand Martins, together with a few House Swallows, were already streaming away south, apparently following the coast-line. When first observed, the air was literally full of them; by 7 a.m. the main flight had passed, though a few stragglers continued to pass southwards during the ereater part of the day. After reaching Thorpe Bridge, and passing a number of C. riparia resting upon the sails of the water-mill, I struck into the marsh, but saw and heard no waders except Ringed Plover, until I crossed the railway line, when a Green Sandpiper got up from the side of the river, this part being preserved, and went away showing the white tail conspicuously. I subsequently 16 THE ZOOLOGIST. found him feeding in a small creek not far from the sea, but though I wanted a specimen, the ubiquitous Ringed Plover, on one or two different occasions, gave the alarm prematurely. A few minutes later a fine Godwit, wearing the red breast, got up suddenly very close to me, showing the white rump beautifully ; four or five Godwits then rose on the other side of the marsh and flew around, but did not pitch near me. September 5th was very wet, and I could hardly persuade A. to turn out in the evening with his gun; two large parties of Dunlins and of Ringed Plover were feeding about 6 p.m. near his cottage, out of which he pointed out to me a couple of Pigmy Curlews; the one he secured was in full winter dress, whereas an example which Messrs. Burton, of Wardour Street, received at the same time, with several others,—shot, as the gentleman who shot them kindly told me, out of a party of nineteen, at Winchelsea, on September 4th,—had still much of the red breast, suggesting that it had not left its breeding quarters very long. On September 6th a Whimbrel turned up, and answered A.’s call, but did not come witbin shot; it was killed a few days later by a Thorpe man. On September 7th we sailed down the Alde river hoping to see some Terns, as they breed in some numbers on a certain part of the beach; not a Tern however did we find, and it seemed pro- bable that they had gone away south. Near Orford we were surprised to see a brace of Wigeon feeding on the left bank upon the mud; the wind being with us we got at them with difficulty, and A. missed a rather hard chance. Mr. E. G. Waddilove tells me that he killed two couple on Poole harbour on Sept. 22nd, this autumn, and fancied that even they were early birds. Near the mouth of the Alde, A. missed a common Scoter which came down to us, as we waited for it, with the tide. CUidemia nigra was not much disconcerted, and when we began to “tack ”’ home, after seeing nothing but a few Curlews, Redshanks, Common Sandpipers, and Ringed Dotterel, besides a single Godwit, the old fellow was on the feed and diving away in the same place. He had strayed from a party of sixteen or seven- teen of these sea ducks, which were enjoying the shelter of the outer bank of the river, not at all far from land. After walking round the marsh from before daylight on September 8th, without securing a bird, we found that a pair of Golden Plover had pitched NOTES FROM ALDEBURGH. 17 on some dry mud near A.’s cottage; they seemed tired, and proved to bea male and female in a transitional dress, their black breasts being prettily marbled with white. During my forced absence, from September 9th to 13th, A. secured a couple of Sanderlings ; they were feeding by themselves on the patch of mud patronised by the Phalarope of September 2nd, and proved to be a mature male and female in winter plumage. On September 14th at flight time, a party of twelve or fourteen waders came up from the north and pitched on the mud on the Aldeburgh side of the mere; punting within a few yards of them, under cover of a bank, I recognised at least two or three examples of 7’. subarquata, by their white tail-coverts and curved bills: to make sure of their identity I went for a gun, but it was too dark when I returned to make more of them. I searched for them long and wearily on the 15th to no purpose, but next day we saw four examples, two of which A. shot for me, killing both at one shot. On September 18, a Thorpe fisherman showed me as a rara avis a fine Corn-Crake, which he had picked up on the 17th on the beach, exhausted by a long flight. After resting for twenty-four hours it went away south happily enough. A few minutes later I came across a “ red- tail” which I felt certain belonged to the black Redstart; it was shy, and after A. had missed one shot I decided to try to trap it, thinking that as I trapped two examples abroad in 1881, with ease, I could probably take this bird. Unfortunately, when I returned with a trap, I could find no traces of titys, though I waited until dark and searched the neighbourhood with all possible care. I do not think that there can be much doubt that it was a titys, immature or female; for the old male is so easily recognised by the white alar patch. When first seen it was searching for food in a manure heap, around which it spent the morning; there was no shelter except of nettles, nearer than a thin hedge, distant perhaps seventy yards; and its quarters were close to or on the beach, whereas I have never seen phenicurus very near the sea; moreover, it flew about the hen-houses with the familiarity that this species haunts chalets and cowsheds in Switzerland ; it actually entered one hen-house but darted out just as I tried to shut it in ; its flight was that of titys, and as far as I could ascertain it was certainly that bird. I should have taken more pains to examine its dress had I not c 18 THE ZOOLOGIST. felt sure of securing it. The same evening heavy rain and wind came on, and I have no doubt that titys left the exposed spot where I found him for sheltered quarters soon after I saw him last. As I was flying home for a trap, up got a fine Snow Bunting; as he went away with that uncertain butterfly- like flight which has been described so accurately in Mr. Seebohm’s ‘Siberia,’ I thought that we had seen the last of him. Turning out soon after daylight on the 19th, in the hopes of trapping titys (for which I searched all Thorpe unsuc- cessfully until I had to hurry back to catch the train to town), I was cheered by finding P. nivalis flitting along the beach between Aldeburgh and Thorpe; as no one else seemed to. be about, and as it was still raining very heavily, the bird of icebergs was not wild, and with care I approached within a few yards and watched him as long as I could linger on titys’ account ; from his white wings and general appearance I felt that he was a male. ON THE TREATMENT OF SNAKES IN CAPTIVITY. By ArrHur Srrapuinc, C.M.Z.S. (Continued from Zool. 1882, p. 456.) To those who are inclined to go the expense of building huge dens, with elaborate appliances for heating them, to accommo- date twenty-foot Boas and Pythons,—and there be they, of whose acquaintance Iam proud, who would house the Great Sea Serpent himself, if they could get him,—to such I address myself but briefly, since they will probably take for their models the cages for reptiles of that description in one or other of our European zoological establishments. They can hardly do better than adopt the pattern of those in the new Reptilium at the Regent’s Park, where a marked improvement upon the old edifice will be noted, although the latter had the reputation, until quite recently, of being the best of its kind in Europe; a great change has been effected, not only in the size and construction of the compartments themselves, admitting of better exhibition of their occupants, but in the water-supply, facilities for cleaning, and other arrangements connected with them, all of vast importance to the well-being of the snakes, and which, we may hope, will TREATMENT OF SNAKES IN CAPTIVITY. 19 demonstrate their value in diminished bills of mortality. Never- theless, I take it for granted that very few amateurs, even the most enthusiastic, contemplate the erection of a reptile-house ; and as isolated cages necessarily present some points of modification, a short chapter dealing with spacious lodgings and the serpents best suited to inhabit them may not be out of place. First, as to the situation. Such a cage is most frequently built in an orchid or other exotic house or conservatory, and it seems reasonable to imagine that there would be the best place for it, no extra, specially applied, heating apparatus being required, and greater ventilation permitted while the high tem- perature is constant. But it has this disadvantage ; the excessive warmth of the place renders any but the shortest stay in it disagreeable to dwellers in a temperate clime, to say nothing of the dangers attending the sudden transition to the outer air in cold weather. The consequence is that the snakes are rarely visited, and never become tame; or, if previously tame, soon become wild again. Setting aside the presumption that the creatures are kept for the purpose of study, too much stress cannot be laid upon the injunction that for their own welfare they should be placed where they can grow accustomed to the presence of human beings (and especially of particular people) as much as possible ; where, in fact,—to use a common phrase which expresses the same idea from an opposite point of view,—they can ‘‘always be looked at,” and the more they are looked at, after the first novelty of their position as captives has worn off, the better. The tamest snake becomes nervous and spiteful in a very short time if put away out of sight, a circumstance fre- quently noticed by those who are obliged to cover up their pets in the winter through not being provided with adequate means of supplying artificial heat. It is a most important point this. A serpent’s chance of doing well in confinement is, like that of most other animals, in direct proportion to the equanimity with which it accepts the situation, ceteris paribus. We all know the difficulties with a newly-caged wild bird or beast, the injury it may inflict upon itself in its terrified efforts to escape and no less terrified attempts at assault upon its captors, its refusal to feed, and not infrequent death, independent of these secondary causes, from sheer fright. All these things occur with snakes in 20 THE ZOOLOGIST. like manner, with the additional complication that, in endea- vouring to strike, they bruise or cut their mouths, which, as we shall see later on, is an accident of peculiar gravity. A small dark-green” (Zamenis atrovirens), which was introduced to the public gaze somewhat prematurely at the Zoological Gardens, actually beat itself to death against the glass ; and hundreds of recently-caught specimens—probably, if the truth were known, a large majority of those that are taken alive—are speedily killed by being teased and induced to fly at the wire or glass covering of their box. They must be gradually habituated to the presence of spectators; a process by no means lengthy, though different species and different individuals vary very much in their capability of being tamed. There is always a possibility of certain little accidents, too, which renders it desirable that they should be under the owner’s eye—such as the occasional swallowing of one by another at feeding-time, getting their heads jammed into holes and corners, casual defects in the heating arrangements, and so forth. When the snakes are accustomed to man, these can be remedied with little danger or difficulty, and they will feed unreservedly and display their various characteristics under observation. The only greenhouse cage for big serpents that I have ever seen meeting these requirements was one built against the wall of the house, into which a sheet of plate glass of the same length was let ; the cage itself thus formed an immense window for one of the rooms, while the snakes were really luxuriating in the tropical heat of the conservatory outside. Unfortunately, the plans were altered before it was completed, and the whole thing was turned into an aquarium instead. Wherever it may be established, the chief consideration will, of course, be its size. This must altogether depend upon that of the reptiles for which it is designed. It cannot be too large for them; and I suppose it is hardly necessary to condemn the cruelty of imprisoning huge constrictors in those abominable flat cases, like those that are used for trinkets in a jeweller’s shop, in which they are too often cramped up in travelling menageries and other exhibitions. Speaking generally, the height of the cage ought to be equal at least to two-thirds of the serpent’s length, since it will rear itself up at times to that extent. It is not absolutely necessary to have it as long as the snake, though TREATMENT OF SNAKES IN CAPTIVITY. 21 it should not be less; but the width ought always to exceed half the length of the body, so that the latter may be powerless to exert its expansive force against the front and back when doubled in a bight between them. Overcrowding is an evil to be avoided ; in a den of the dimensions here roughly indicated, four such snakes as the one supposed to be used for illustration of the proportionate length, breadth and height, will be quite enough. Now, as to construction. Use as little woodwork as possible. It rots with the heat and damp; harbours insects which annoy the snakes fearfully and even destroy their eyes, these being undefended by lids; and is subject to perforation by rats and mice, which not only make an ingress for themselves and possibly kill the legitimate occupants, but by so doing provide a means of egress for the latter. Metal is too energetic a conductor of heat ; the best material for the floor and sides is Portland cement. The front must be of glass always—if it can be arranged so that one, two, or all three of the other sides shall be transparent also, so much the better; but bars, netting or wirework of any kind should never be employed, whether the cage be itself situated in a warm atmosphere or whether it is furnished with applied heat. Nor should any apertures to which they can have access exist, except the most minute. The most gentle snakes, no matter how long accustomed to confinement, will press and wriggle with all their might against the margins of an opening in their endeavours to get through until they cut their lips and rub their muzzles raw; not necessarily from any desire to escape, since they will behave in precisely the same manner when allowed to roam through the open door, and are as likely to make their efforts from the outside as within. They are of an exploring and inquisitive nature, and if they discover a hole in their tree, will try to get their heads into it. I have often watched a snake making the most desperate and absurd attempts to pass through the ornamental spaces in a fender, over which it was repeatedly gliding backwards and forwards. For a similar reason, any beam or bar or ledge which traverses the cage should either stand well away from the sides, so that the snakes may pass freely round it, or should lie fairly and squarely against the solid work so that they cannot pass at all; if any small and insufficient interval be left, they will injure themselves in persistent struggles 99 THE ZOOLOGIST. to force their heads between, and very likely do other damage if they succeed. There is another contingency also, which makes it decidedly advisable to guard against leaving open spaces in any accessible position with certain serpents, and which has given rise to awk- ward contretemps more than once in our own and other zoological collections. I will relate a personal incident, by way of proving that the possibility to which I allude is no mere fanciful one. I was once bringing home from Brazil a large female Rattlesnake, which I had allowed to remain in the deal box covered with gal- vanised wire-netting in which I had bought her, for the simple reason that I had no better accommodation to spare on the voyage. Going to my cabin one afternoon, I met a little Rattle- snake climbing over the cant of the door; found two more at large inside; and was luckily just in time to prevent thirteen others from roving from the maternal home. Whether these sixteen constituted the entire brood, or whether some got adrift and were never discovered, I cannot say; but the uncertainty was not a pleasant one, either for me or my neighbours. Glass, then, must be the medium through which the snakes, large or small, are to be viewed, and due regard must be paid to the strength of this. If a single sheet is used it should be of a greater thickness than what would be called for in a number of smaller panes. A big Python missing its aim when striking at its prey, or (as will occasionally happen) darting at some object outside its édage, sends its head against the glass with a thud which is not likely to be forgotten by any one who is present at the time ; and even the passive weight of part of its body, over- balanced when reared aloft to its utmost extent, or rolling off a branch, may strike a blow which will test its resistance severely. And not only the pane itself, but the manner in which it is fixed demands particular attention. Some years ago an immense Anaconda, which had just been put into one of the largest com- partments in the Reptilium at the Zoological Gardens, lying doubled between the glass and the tree in the centre, quietly ex- panded its coil—‘‘ stretching itself’-—and pushed the front of the cage right out, the frame being forced away from its con- nections ! If the height be such that the snakes cannot reach it under any circumstances, or can at most only touch it without being TREATMENT OF SNAKES IN CAPTIVITY. 23 able to exert their force against it, the roof may with advantage be constructed of open wirework, strong netting of a small circular mesh being always preferable to bars. Perforated zine, set in a metal binding and strengthened on the outside with transverse battens, must be used instead, if the den be not sufficiently high to keep it out of their way—it will be observed that I have not yet described anything for them to climb upon. This roof had better be arranged so that it can be removed at pleasure where practicable, care being taken to let it broadly overlap the space which it covers, and. to fasten it securely with a bolt and staple, at intervals of not more than three feet. Where the cage extends to the ceiling of the building, the two ends should be provided with strips of perforated zine, a foot broad, at their upper part, and a grated ventilator leading to the outside may be inserted in the middle or most inaccessible spot in the roof. Whatever glass is employed must be a fixture, and a hinged (not sliding) door, high and wide enough for a man to enter, ought to be placed at each end; these doors should expose the floor of the cage, for convenience of cleaning, and should lie entirely upon the outside, not fitting into their aperture, as the door of a room does, but overlapping it like the lid of a box. Thus they can never become jammed. It will be found desirable to have also a small door or trap, a foot square or even less, for the purpose of introducing food; this may be cut in one of the proper doors or elsewhere, but is best situated on a level with the floor, so that rats or rabbits not eaten can be lured back into their box without the necessity of entering the cage to catch them. Methods of fastening and other details connected with these doors will be taken into consideration in a subsequent chapter, as will the general arrangements of the interior; two points, however, may be noticed here. A stout limb of a tree, with the bark on it and plenty of branches lopped short,—the points of the forks trending up- wards, of course,—should extend from the floor to the upper part of one side, or angle, in not too steep a slant, and be firmly fixed at both ends. This is an item of furniture which ought never to be omitted; snakes delight not only to climb, but to rest on the branches, and, by the exercise it affords them, a tree practically doubles the size of a cage. 24 THE ZOOLOGIST. Reptiles which never leave the ground in their wild state will glide about the bough like whip-snakes in a cage. If the dimensions of the den permit, two or three such gymnasia may be erected. Rockwork and artificial grottoes at the back are not to be commended, since the snakes are always hiding if the interstices are large enough, and trying to if they are not— witness the elaborately got-up serpent-cases in the lion-house at Antwerp, where, moreover, a most ridiculous effect is produced by looking-glasses. (To be continued.) NOTES AND QUERIES. I had rather confess my ignorance than falsely profess knowledge. It is no shame not to know all things, but it is a just shame to overreach in anything.—Bisuop Hat. The Natural History Museum, South Kensington.— Considerable progress has been made with the removal of the Natural History collections from the British Museum to South Kensington. The Geological collections have been to a great extent arranged, and the Mammalian and Reptilian Galleries are nearly completed, while the Fish Gallery is in course of arrangement, as well as the rooms deyoted to the Invertebrata and the stratigraphical collections. ‘The cases in the Zoological Galleries are now almost completed and fitted, and the Osteological and Conchological collections, as well as some of the stuffed animals, have been already removed to the new positions which they will henceforth occupy. It is expected that the transfer of the whole of the collections which are destined for removal from Bloomsbury to South Kensington will be completed by the end of the spring. The British Association.—'lhe Council of the British Association for the Advancement of Science have nominated Mr. A. G. Vernon Harcourt to the office of General Secretary, in the room of the late Prof. I’. M. Balfour. The Council, acting under the powers conferred upon them by the General Committee, in accordance with their report, have appointed the following to be a committee, “to draw up suggestions upon methods of more systematic observations, and plans of operations for local Societies, together with a more uniform mode of publication of the results of their work,” and to “ draw up a list of local Societies which publish their proceedings” :—Mr. H. G. Ford- ham (Secretary), Rev. Dr. Crosskey, Mr. C. E. De Rance, Sir Walter Elliot, NOTES AND QUERIES. 25 Mr. Francis Galton, Mr. John Hopkinson, Mr. R. Meldola, Mr. A. Ramsay, Prof. W. J. Sollas, Mr. G. J. Symons, Mr. W. Whitaker. Proposed Museum for Shrewsbury.—In consequence of the removal of the Shrewsbury Royal Grammar School to new quarters on King’s-lana (a suburb of the town), it is proposed to utilise the old buildings for the purpose of a county museum, free library, and reading-rooms: and the Shropshire Archeological and Natural History Society are willing to transfer their valuable and interesting Roman, Archeological, Geological, Botanical, and Natural History collections to the building. £5000 are required to purchase the place and make the necessary alterations. Efforts are being made to raise this sum by subscription, £2000 having been already promised. Russian Endowment of Scientific Research.— The Emperor of Russia has ordered £2200 to be allotted from the Imperial Treasury to the Russian traveller in New Guinea and the Malay Archipelago, M. Miklucho Maklay, in order to enable him to work up the results of his explorations. His Majesty has also ordered M. Maklay to be informed that the cost of the publication of his book of travels will be defrayed by the privy purse. MAMMALIA. Food of the Hedgehog.—The Hedgehog is generally described as a purely insectivorous animal, and many persons doubt whether the charge of sucking eggs, sometimes brought against him, is true. I had several sea-birds’ eggs sent me last summer from the cliffs about Flamborough, and one or two of these were slightly cracked, a small piece of the shell of one being absent. I placed the box containing them, with the lid off, in the garden about dusk, and going out a short time after noticed a Hedgehog which I had standing on his hind feet with his nose in the box. On seeing me he instantly withdrew, and going up to the box I saw that the damaged egg had the hole considerably enlarged, and some of the yelk was about, evidently done by the Hedgehog’s front paws whilst enlarging the hole; the contents, too, had been sucked up. The car- nivorous propensity of this animal also has lately come under imy notice, the victim being a young Landrail which I had in my possession. About dusk I was surprised to hear cries of distress, and on going to the place from whence the sound proceeded saw the Hedgehog before alluded to with the Landrail in his jaws, held crosswise. On taking the bird up, I found life to be all but extinct, the teeth-marks of the Hedgehog being plainly visivle-—W. Hewerrt (York). The Polecat in Devon.—I very much fear that this animal has beconre extinct, if not in Devon, at any rate in the Exeter District. I have not seen one alive since 1852. The gamekeepers to whom I have 26 THE ZOOLOGIST. spoken about it all say they have not met with one for a long time, and I cannot see any recently-killed ones hung up in the places where such trophies are usually suspended. The Weasel also seems to be getting scarce. It would be well to put on record, before it is too late to do so with ‘accuracy, the date at which the Polecat became extinct in Devon, if it be 30, and I should be very glad to learn what others know about it, The Stoat appears to be still moderately plentiful—W. 8. M. D'Ursan (Exeter). BIRDS. Ornithological Notes from North Northamptonshire.—The Hobby, Falco subbuteo, was, as before mentioned (Zool. 1882, p. 892), much more frequent in our neighbourhood during the summer of 1882 than for many years previously ; the last seen was distinctly recognised by me on the 17th September. The Peregrine Faleon, Falco peregrinus, was reported to me, on good authority, as having been observed in pursuit of a covey of Partridges on September 7th. I merely note this as a somewhat early appearance of this species in our locality. The first Wigeon, Mareca penelope (a female), was seen and shot September 23rd; a Teal, Querquedula crecca, was killed on the same day, but several of this latter species appeared about Lilford in the third week of August, and I have good grounds for believing that the Teal occasionally breeds in our neighbourhood. A Quail, Coturnia communis, was killed near Lowick, Thrapston, September 9th— the first occurrence of this species in our neighbourhood, which has come to my knowledge for several years past. I noticed a Grey Wagtail, Motacilla sulphurea, about the boathouse at Lilford, September 15th. Ihave seldom, if ever, seen this species hereabouts before November, but one of our people who was with me, and saw this bird just mentioned, assures me that the Grey Wagtail (which he perfectly distinguishes from the Yellow, M. Rayi), breeds every year at ‘Titchmarsh Mill, on the Nen, about two miles from Lilford. ‘The first Redwing of the season was seen by me October 5th, first heard of October 3rd (unusually late); first Jack Snipe, Gallinago gallinula, Uct. 10th; Grey Crow, Corvus ccrnia, Sept. 80th (exceptionally early); Laughing Gulls, Larus ridibundus, Oct. 13th; Golden Plovers, Charadrius pluvialis, Oct. 3rd; Ring Ouzel, Turdus torquatus, Oct. 18th. A trained Falcon, soaring high in air over our valley, was stooped at repeatedly by a small bird of prey, which I have no doubt was a Merlin, Falco esalon. On the day following this occurrence (Oct. 8th) my faleoner assured me that he saw no less than six Merlins pass over the house at Lilford in a southerly direction in less than an hour's time. My friend and neighbour, Mr. G. Hunt, reported having witnessed an extraordinary migration of Starlings, Stwrnus vulgaris, on October 20th; he describes them as passing him in thousands for more than two hours, flying low in a southerly direction, against the wind, up the valley of the Nen. A very NOTES AND QUERIES. 27 unusual number of Jays, Garrulus glandarius, appeared in our woods early in October. A Water Rail, Rallus aquaticus, was seen at the Aviary Pond, Lilford, Oct. 21st. Hawfinches, Coccothraustes vulgaris, appeared in large numbers about the lawn at Lilford, October 24th, on which day we were visited by furious sudden squalls of wind from N.W., with heavy snow at times, and some thunder and lightning. Bramblings, Fringilla monti- fringilla, were in force about the lawn at Lilford, Oct. 25th. I have no exact record of the date of the first appearance of Woodcock, Scolopaa rusticola, in our neighbourhood this autumn, but it was during the week beginning October 22nd. The Fieldfare, Turdus pilaris, was first seen on October 30th.— Linrorp. Ornithological Notes from the Isle of Wight.— In a former note the late appearance of Swallows was remarked on, none having been seen till the 14th April. But the Martin was still more behind time, none, so far as I am aware, having been observed till May. Few of either species remained here throughout the summer, and none to breed. It is noteworthy that of late years neither species has abounded, except at the autumnal migration ; the reason I am at a loss to conjecture. The scarcity of our common birds is readily accounted for, seeing that thousands perished the winter before last, frozen or starved to death even in this sheltered locality ; but how to account for the paucity of the summer migrants I know not, unless many perished during that severe weather in the South of Europe. A small party of Ring Ouzels was seen among the gorse at the foot of the Downs towards the latter end of October; none breed here, but are generally to be met with at the autumnal migration. A Rook of a greyish white colour was lately seen in Appuldurcombe Park. Both Swallows and Martins were observed in considerable numbers on the 31st October, in a sheltered part of the town; they are generally to be met with till the middle of November, or later. I am informed by a neighbour who has a fair knowledge of birds that he observed, on the 14th October, a very large dark-plumaged bird—an Eagle, he says—pass over the town in a westerly direction. From the description given I believe it was an Osprey. Mr. Henry Rogers, of Freshwater, has sent me a list of the birds seen or heard of during the past summer and autumn, also of those that have bred in the cliffs. On May 1]th a pair of Hoopoes were brought to him. On the following day two Pied Flycatchers were seen, a species that has been several times observed at Freshwater, and I have known of two being shot— one at Sea View and another near Ryde. On September 19th a Little Owl, a male, in fine plumage, was procured. I am not aware that Striav passerina was ever met with before in the island. A Whimbrel was shot the same day. On the 2nd October Ring Ouzels were observed on the Downs, also large flocks of Golden Plover. On the 12th several Fieldfares and Redwings were seen—the earliest date Mr. Rogers remembers. Ou 28 THE ZOOLOGIST the 20th several Black Redstarts, both male and female, were met with, and one was shot near Freshwater Bay. A Grey Phalarope was procured on the 3rd November. Though the Chough has been twice seen during the summer, it does not breed in the island, but there is reason to believe that it would do so, as of yore, if protected. It is much to be regretted that a strict watch is not kept at Freshwater during the nesting season: only a year or two ago I saw a pair of Peregrines, in perfect plumage, that had been trapped and the eggs taken. Iam informed by Mr. Dimmick, of Ryde, that on the 7th November he had an adult Richardson’s Skua brought to him.— Henry Haprrutp (High Cliff, Ventnor). Ornithological Notes from Devon.—A remarkably coloured young Rook was shot near Crediton on July 13th, and brought to me ‘The quill- feathers were pure white, and the legs and feet were mottled with white. A Hoopoe was shot on Dawlish Warren on August 19th. I know of only four previous occurrences of this bird in the Exeter district since 1820. In this county Hoopoes nearly always occur on or near the coast. The last date at which a Swift was seen by me near Exeter was August 17th, but there were very few about after the 10th. On August 20th, the weather being cold and stormy, a flight of Missel Thrushes passed over Exeter from the north-east at 4.20 p.m. A Red-legged Partridge was shot near Okehampton on October 3rd: this is not a common bird in Devon. A Woodcock was seen on October 10th, at Whitstone, near Exeter. It may have been bred in the neighbourhood, as a nest was found in that parish in 1858, the young being hatched on April 28rd. Another Wood- cock occurred near Moretonhampstead on the 15th and two others at the Grange, near Honiton, on the 2!1st October. A female Black Redstart was captured alive near Exeter, and was shown to me ina cage on October 7th. This is an early date for this species to arrive; they are seldom met with before November, though they have occurred as early as September. Swallows and House Martins were very numerous up to October 14th, about Lidford, but since that date I have not seen any. At the beginning of _ September there were several Landrails in a poulterer’s shop in Exeter; and on October 13th one was put up on the moor near Lidford, and I also saw one which had been shot the previous day on Blackdown, near Lidford railway-station. On October 13th I also saw two Jack Snipe on Dartmoor. Bullfinches were very numerous in the oak-copses in Lydford Gorge in October; and I noticed a Cirl Bunting amongst a lot of small birds in that neighbourhood. On November 14th Rooks were very busy carrying off acorns from some evergreen oaks in front of my window. They pitch on the topmost sprays and pick off the acorns with much difficulty.— W.S. M. D’Ursan (Albuera, St. Leonard's, Exeter). The Note of the Manx Shearwater.—As a member of the Committee appointed by the British Association to collect observations on the migration NOTES AND QUERIES. 29 of birds at lighthouses, I have recently had much correspondence with the light-keepers. On April 25th Edward M‘Carron, keeper at the Tearaght Rock Lighthouse, off the coast of Kerry, wrote to me thus:— There is some solitary bird—so it seems, as there appears to be only one—makes a noise so loud, or crows so loud, in the cliffs that we can hear it distinctly in the dwellings. It sounds as follows, ‘kuck, kuck, ko—kuck, kuck, ko.’ This is repeated a few times, and then there is an interval of some minutes. For so far I can neither see it nor hear it in the daytime. I believe it is called in this place the ‘ Night-bird.’” Towards the end of May I happened to be on the island of Lambay, off the Dublin coast, for a few days, with my friend Mr. H. C. Hart, and the coast-guard officer stationed there described a remarkable note uttered by some bird at night-time round the island. Curious to hear it, I started alone about midnight for a walk along the cliffs. The night was calm and dark, and for a considerable time I stumbled along among the briars and rabbit-holes close to the edge of the cliffs without hearing anything. Having reached a dark little inlet, I suddenly heard an unusual and loud noise. It seemed about a hundred yards out to sea, and evidently came from something in motion. I thought I saw a bird: the noise was loud, and is not easy to describe, the note being repeated three times. Indeed had I not been prepared for some sound the noise would have startled me. Within the space of half an hour I heard it four or five times. Sometimes it approached near to the cliffs, and even seemed a little way inland. In calm weather it would be heard a long distance over the water. Thompson, in his ‘ Natural History of Ireland’ (vol. iii. p. 412), speaking of the Manx Shearwater, says:—‘ Mr. R. Chute informed me, in 1846, that the Shearwater breeds on the larger Skellig Island, off the coast of Kerry, whence a specimen was sent to him in July, 1850. They are called ‘ Night-birds,’ from the circumstance of their being only seen at night about the rock.” In July, 1880, I visited the Skelligs for botanical purposes, and also the Tearaght Rock, twenty two miles north of the Skelligs. I saw the Gannets breeding on the Little Skellig, and the Manx Shearwater was seen in the neighbourhood of both islands. In May last I saw this Shearwater near Lambay, where it is known to breed (Watters, ‘Birds of Ireland,’ p. 267). It is highly probable, from the foregoing evidence, that the noise heard by the light-keeper at the Tearaght Rock and the noise J heard at Lambay was produced by the Manx Shearwater.— Ricuarp M. Barrineton (Fassaroe, Bray). [It does not appear to us that there is any evidence at all to connect the sound heard with the Manx Shearwater, the author of the cry not having been seen. All that can be said is that the note in question, being unlike that of any of the Gulls or other well-known rock-haunting sea-fowl, and the Manx Shearwater being nocturnal in its habits, it is probably the author of the peculiar cry described.— Ep. | 30 THE ZOOLOGIST. Late stay of the Swift in Autumn.—I saw a Swift here, at Llandaff, on October 17th. Once it passed about twelve or fifteen feet above my head, so there was no possibility of my mistaking the species. On the following morning I again saw the bird,—no doubt the same one,—but flying higher in the air than on the previous afternoon, probably finding food abundant, as the day was bright and genial. ‘To my surprise I saw it for the third time on October 20th in the same locality, at a fair height in the air, and concluded that it roosted in the cathedral spire, as [ watched it till nearly dusk, and it did not fly any great distance from the building. Since writing the above I have seen this solitary bird twice more—on October 28th (a wet, cold day) and on November 3rd, when it was flying about the same place where I had previously seen it, skimming through the air as on a summer's day. On this last occasion I was able to direct the attention of others to it, who were equally surprised with myself to see this bird so late in the autumn. I believe it is unusual for the Swift to stay with us after the 11th or 12th August; this year, however, I counted fourteen on the evening of August 24th, flying over the River Taff; and I find there are several instances of its being seen both in September and October. I have seen it myself in September in the North of Scotland, where on the evening of the 8th, about dusk, I counted upwards of fifty, flying along the line of the sea-shore from east to west, evidently migrating; I can, however, find no instance of its having been observed to take up its abode for any length of time in the same place at this period of thé year, and considering the weather that prevailed at that time, it is a marvel to me how the bird could have existed.—C. Youne (Llandaff). Lesser Redpoll breeding near Oxford.— Although, according to Mr. A. G. More, Oxfordshire is one of the counties in which this species occasionally breeds, the only nest that I have heard of was found near Marston, in May, 1882. It was placed in a hedge and only contained two egas, one of which my informant took out to examine. Thereupon the old birds flew up, the male (in crimson dress) perching quite close to the nest. Unluckily, they forsook the nest. It is possible that other pairs bred here last summer, because Mr. 8. Salter, who has until this year always resided near Oxford, and is a very keen observer, recently wrote to me that on visiting Oxford on and after July 20th he was much struck by the numbers of Lesser Redpolls in the parks.—H. A. Macpnerson (Oxford). Nightingale in Ireland.—There is a specimen of the Nightingale pre- served in the Museum of Queen’s College, Cork, of which no notice appears to have been published. Mr. F. R. Rohu, taxidermist, Cork, in answer to my inquiry, replies, ‘‘ I shot it myself at the Old Head of Kinsale about the 10th September, 1876.” When recently at Mr. Fennessy’s nursery in Waterford, he informed me that his foreman, Mr. ‘Thomas Vobe, had seen NOTES AND QUERIES. 31 a Nightingale there. I asked to see Mr. Vobe, an intelligent Englishman, who informed me that he was very well acquainted with the appearance and notes of the Nightingale in the southern counties of England; that towards the end of last May he saw and heard a Nightingale most distinctly in the Waterford Nursery, and that he watched it for nearly an hour between 8 and 9 p.m., being much interested about it—R. J. UssHer (Cappagh, Waterford). Red-backed Shrike and Manx Shearwater in Nottinghamshire. — I shot a female Red-backed Shrike near the house here: it is the first specimen I have seen in North Notts. A Manx Shearwater was picked up in an exhausted state in the school-yard at Sutton-in-Ashfield, which is about sixty miles from the sea, on September Ist. It only lived a short time after being found. It is a great addition to my collection as a Nottinghamshire bird.—J. Wutraxer (Rainworth, Notts). Goshawk near Oxford.—On October 19th I heard from a bird-loving cobbler in St. Clement’s that a Goshawk, Astur palumbarius, had been taken near Shotover on the 12th. My informant had purchased it from the birdcatcher, who took it in his clap-nets as-it pounced on one of his decoy-birds. I found it still in the flesh. Mr.O.V. Aplin and his brother agree with me that itis probably a young male. We only know of one other occurrence of the species in Oxon.—H. A. Macruerson (Oxford). Great Snipe in Lincolnshiren—A male specimen of this bird was shot at Stickney on the 4th October last, and sent to me for preservation. It was exceedingly fat, and weighed very nearly ten ounces.—J. CULLINGFORD (University Museum, Durham). Coot and Moorhen laying in the same Nest.—Whilst collecting on Strensall Common in May last I found, in a nest of the Waterhen containing eight eggs, two eggs of the Coot. These were placed in the middle of the nest surrounded by the eggs of the Waterhen.—W. Hrwerr (York). On the Missel Thrush and Chaffinch nesting in proximity.—A few days since, whilst reading Mr. Dresser’s ‘ Birds of Europe,’ I came upon the lengthy quotation which he makes from the writings of a French author describing the interesting fact that in the immediate neighbourhood of Paris the Missel Thrush and the Chaffinch almost invariably nest in ecompany. This French gentleman had found a considerable number of nests of the Missel Thrush, and on every single occasion there was a Chaffinch’s nest within a few yards—generally on the same tree. It seems that the Chaffinch acts as watchman, giving immediate notice to the Missel Thrush of the approach of a Magpie or any bird of egg-thieving habits, whereupon the Missel Thrush immediately sallies out and does battle with 32 THE ZOOLOGIST. the invader, thus preserving her own eggs and those of her guardian. This peculiar habit seems not to have been observed in other parts of France, and Mr. Dresser’s object in mentioning it is, as he says, to draw attention to it and discover whether it has ever before been noticed in England. I was immediately reminded of a paragraph which I saw in the ‘ Daily News’ of August, 1876, as follows :—* Mr. F. Baker, of Kingscote, Wokingham, writes to us—‘In May last a Missel Thrush built in a fir on my lawn. About ten days after a Chaffinch built on a branch of the same tree, and was sitting when the Missel Thrush hatched. 1 could not, after long watching, see the male Thrush, by which I was led to believe he was somehow destroyed. When the young were a few days old I frequently heard them clamouring, as if being fed, when in a few moments the cock Chaffinch only would fly from that part of the tree occupied by the Thrush’s nest. Not understanding this, I posted myself in a position some distance from the tree, whence, with the aid of a telescope, I could command a full view of the nest, and was much astonished on seeing the Chaffinch repeatedly come and feed the young Thrushes—in fact, much oftener than the Thrush, which he would attack and drive away every time he found her near the nest. He fed them till they flew, when his own young were hatched, which he assisted his mate in rearing with equal assiduity.’” From this it appears that the above-mentioned habit, or something very like it, has on one occasion, at least, been observed in England.—Rosert Minter Caristy (Saffron Walden). Hobby breeding in Oxfordshire.—In June, 1882, a pair of nesting Hobbies were shot, and their nest with two eggs taken, in a wood near Cumnor.—H. A. Macruerson (Oxford). Montagu’s Harrier in Ireland.—At Brittas, in the Queen’s County, the seat of the late General Dunne, is preserved a specimen of Circus cineraceus, which I haye examined, and which bears the following in- scription :—‘ Montagu's Harrier, shot by John McEvoy, gamekeeper, on Ballinahemey Mountain, 25th September, 1855.” This mountain is part of the adjacent Slieve Bloom range. Mr. Robert Dunne, writing recently from Brittas, has informed me that this specimen is in good preservation. This is the fourth instance, I believe, in which Montagu’s Harrier has been obtained in Ireland. ‘Two are recorded in Thompson—No. 1, at Bray (vol. i., p. 247); No. 2, at the Scalp (vol. ii., p. viii). A third, again at the Scalp, in 1877, on the authority of Mr. E. Williams, recorded by Mr. A. G. More, in the ‘ British Association Guide to Dublin’ (1878), p. 78.—R. J. Ussuer (Cappagh, Co. Waterford). Great Crested Grebe breeding in Oxfordshire.—Two pairs of the Great Crested Grebe, Podiceps cristatus, reared their young last summer on Clattercut Reservoir, an extensive piece of water in the north of this county. NOTES AND QUERIES. 33 Mr. H. Holbeck, of Farnborough Hall, and I, early in August, saw both pairs and four young ones; two of these were nearly full grown, the others were smaller, and still followed the old bird. Mr. Holbeck tells me he saw three young ones there in July, 1880.—Oxiver V. Apri (Banbury, Oxon). Albino Common Bunting.—On the 4th September last I got a pure white Common Bunting from the south of Lincolnshire. It was so shattered by the shot that it was impossible to tell the sex.—J. CuLi1ne- FORD (University Museum, Durham). The Black-winged Peafowl.— Mr. Cecil Smith’s valuable note on Black-winged Pea-fowl (Zool. 1882, p. 462) leads me to think that the readers of ‘The Zoologist’ may be interested in referring to some careful remarks on this subject contained in a work entitled ‘ Notes by Sir Robert Heron,’ third edition (1852), p.25. Many years ago I myself bred a perfect black-winged Peacock from parents of the ordinary race, which, so far as I know, had no black-winged ancestry. ‘The excess of dark colouring in the - males of this race, and the invariable deficiency of dark colouring in the females, is, I think, a noteworthy circumstance.—J. H. Gurney (Northrepps Hall). Rustic Bunting near London.—Mr. Burton, of Wardour Street, was good enough to send me a small Bunting, in the flesh, on November 20th ult., which proved to be a young male of the Rustic, or Lesbian, Bunting, Emberiza rustica, Pallas, of which species, I believe, there has been but one recorded occurrence in this country. Mr. Burton informs me that the present specimen was taken in the nets of a birdcatcher at Elstree Reservoir on November 19th.—Litrorp. [The first, and hitherto the only, recorded British example of this Bunting was taken near Brighton, in October, 1867. It was reported by the late Mr. Gould in ‘ The Ibis’ for 1869, p. 128, and is figured in his finely illustrated ‘ Birds of Great Britain.’ The nidification of this bird has been recently elucidated by Mr. Seebohm, who found it breeding in Asiatic Siberia. See his recently publshed book, ‘ Siberia in Asia,’ of which a review is given in this number.— ED. | Short-toed Lark near Cambridge.—I understand that a specimen of the Short-toed Lark, Calandrella brachydactyla (Leisler), was taken by a birdeatcher near Cambridge in the middle of November last, and submitted for the inspection and opinion of Prof. Newton, who confirmed the surmise as to its species and rarity in the British Islands. Only about half-a-dozen examples of this bird have been recorded to have heen met with in England, and, witn one exception, these were all obtained in the southern counties of Sussex, Hants, and Cornwall.—J. E. Harrina. The Blue-tailed Bee-eater.—Mr. Hancock, in his ‘ Catalogue of the Birds of Northumberland and Durham,’ p. 28 (Newcastle, 1874), says a . D 34 THE ZOOLOGIST specimen of the Blue-tailed Bee-eater (Merops philippinus, Linn.) was shot near the Snook, Seaton Carew, in August, 1862.” Endeavours have been recently made to obtain this example for identification, but without success ; when its whereabouts are known it will probably prove to be a specimen of the Blue-cheeked Bee-eater (Merops persicus, Pallas), as Mr. Dresser remarked in his article in the ‘ Birds of Europe,’ v. p. 168 (1877). It is much more probable for the ordinary African species to occur in Great Britain than for an inhabitant of the Philippines to wander so far west. The young of the two species bear a close resemblance to one another.— H. T Wuarton (39, St. George’s Road, Kilburn, N.W.) The Tawny Pipit in Sussex.—On the 23rd October last a Tawny Pipit, Anthus campestris, was caugbt by a birdeatcher in the neighbourhood of Brighton. Five instances of the occurrence of this bird in England are recorded in Mr. Harting’s ‘Handbook of British Birds’ (p. 108). Since the publication of this work, in 1872, two more have been reported, which, together with the subject under notice, bring the number up to eight. It seems somewhat strange that, with a single exception (the one from Scilly, noticed by Mr. Rodd, Zool. 1868, p. 1458), all these specimens have been obtained in the neighbourhood of Brighton.—Tuomas Parkin (Halton, near Hastings). Building Sites of the House Martin.—In reading your review of Mr. Lucas’s book on the ‘Natural History of Nidderdale’ (Zool. 1882, p- 437), I was struck with the mention of a breeding locality of Hirundo urbica, under the ledges of the limestone cliffs in Wharfedale, as also of a remark implying that it was only among limestone cliffs that the nests were to be met with in this, their natural position. I am acquainted with three localities where the nests are to be met with in clif’s: namely, among the rocks of Cromarty (in a gully near the sea-shore), which are red-sandstone, as is well known ; secondly, in some sandstone rocks by the side of a small stream that runs through the woods of Darnaway, N.B.; and, thirdly, on the sea-cliffs near Berry Head, Devon, where the formation is limestone.— C. Youne (Llandaff). Gyr Falcon in Sussex.—A fine specimen of this noble Falcon was shot by Mr. G. Foord, of Balsdean, on September 26th. It was brought to Lewes Market on the above-mentioned day, sold to Mr. R. J. Woodman, and re-sold by him to me. It had been seen some weeks previously on the Downs, near Balsdean. The exact locality where the bird was killed was on the top of Bullock Hill, near Balsdean, which hill is well known to the followers of the Brookside Harriers. It was sent to Mr. Swaysland, taxidermist, of Queen’s Road, Brighton, to be preserved, and from him I have learned the following particulars:—The Falcon proved to be a female, in good plumage, and, from the colouring, an adult bird of some age, | ' NOTES AND QUERIES. 35 and in excellent condition. Length from point of beak to end of tail, 244 in.; breadth of wings, when extended, from tip to tip, 52 in.; weight, 3 Ibs. 11 oz By a curious coincidence it is not at all unlikely that this Falcon was seen by Mr. Henry Swaysland, jun., in June last, who, writing to his father at Brighton, described the bird’s plumage in accurate terms, having approached it within a distance of thirty yards, when sitting on the cliffs near Rousdon, Lyme Regis, the seat of Sir Henry Peek, M.P., for which gentleman Mr. Swaysland, jun., has been arranging a collection of birds, and on whose domain the wild and lofty cliffs fronting the sea form a splendid haunt for many of our noblest birds, and where, I have been informed, the Peregrine and the Raven have been seen nesting within a short distance of each other.—T. J. Monx (Lewes). [Our contribrutor does not state to what species of Gyr Falcon the bird in question belongs; but another correspondent, Mr. Thomas Parkin, of Halton, near Hastings, who has seen it, assures us that it is a Greenland Falcon.—Eb.|] Food of the Bittern.—I do not think that any record has been pub- lished of a fine Bittern shot near Brookhampton, Oxon, late in November, 1879. I saw it in Oxford Market, and Mr. Darbey, the birdstuffer, opened it, when we took out six or seven small dace.—H. A. MacpuErson (Oxford). Honey Buzzard in Lincolnshire.x—On the 24th October I received a fine specimen of this bird, which had been shot near Boston a day or two previously. The crop was quite empty. It is a light variety, and an adult female-—J. Cuttinerorp (University Museum, Durham). Purchase of the Audubon Collection of Birds.— Prof. Henry A. Ward, of Rochester, New York, has purchased from Mr. M. R. Audubon, a grandson of the famous ornithologist, the collection of 748 skins of birds gathered by John J. Audubon, when preparing his great work, the ‘ Birds of America.’ The collection is said to be in a fine state of preservation, and many of the labels are in Audubon’s handwriting. Yarrell’s ‘British Birds.—The 16th part of the fourth edition of “Yarrell,” revised by Mr. Howard Saunders, will be published next month, and it is expected that the succeeding parts will thenceforward be issued at regular intervals. ‘The Ibis’ List of British Birds —We understand that ‘The Ibis List of British Birds,’ compiled by a Committee appointed by the British Prnithologists’ Union, is for the most part in the press, and will be published before the next annual meeting of the B. O. U. FISHES. Swordfish on the Coast of Norfolk.—A fine example of Xiphias gladius, Linn., was captured in Burnham Harbour, ou November 18th, 36 THE ZOOLOGIST. 1882. The fishermen observed it struggling in what is called “ the lake,” where the water remains inside the bar at low tides. The fish was nearly exhausted, and its captor informed me only flapped its gills a few times before being landed. It measured ten feet from the tip of the sword toa point equidistant between the lobes of the tail-fin—H. W. Frer~pen (West House, Wells, Norfolk). Fox Shark, or “Thresher,” off the Coast of Devon.—This Shark so frequently occurs on the Devonshire coast in autumn—following the Pilchards as they ascend the channel—that it is hardly worth while recording each capture. One which I saw, on the 24th September last, at Exmouth, was taken the day before off Teignmouth. It was ten feet long, and therefore rather a small specimen, the usual size being thirteen or fourteen feet, including the tail. In October, 1874, I received one only four feet in total length, which had been taken at Brixham. The skin of this fish is so very tender that few persons can succeed in removing it entire for preservation.—W. 8. M. D’Ursan (Albuera, Exeter). Large Carp in Sussex.— One day in November last the Earl of Sheffield, fishing in his private water at Sheffield Park, Sussex, caught a Carp which weighed 19 tbs. Brill with both sides coloured.—On the 6th September last, when Mr. A. K. Hamilton was trawling in his steam yacht ‘Starlight’ off the Pole Sand at Exmouth, he took a Brill having the deficiency in the continuance of the dorsal outline just behind the head which is mentioned by Couch, in his ‘ Fishes of the British Islands’ (vol. iii., p. 197), as being occasionally observed in the Flounder. As in that fish, this notch behind the head is accompanied by coloration of the under, or usually white, side, with the exception of a white blotch on the gill-covers.—W. S. M. D’'UrBan (Albuera, Exeter). CRUSTACEA. Scyllarus arctus at Plymouth.—On the 13th November, last two specimens of that rare Crustacean, Scyllarus arctus, were brought up in a trawl off Plymouth, and are now in the possession of Mr. W. Hearder.— Joun GatcomBE (55, Durnford Street, Stonehouse, Plymouth). [We may remind our readers that this lobster-like Crustacean is figured in ‘The Zoologist’ for December, 1879, p. 473, in illustration of remarks on the species by Mr. Cornish.—Ep.) ARCHMOLOGY. Ancient Camps in Epping Forest.—The British Association has appointed a committee for the exploration of the ancient camps in Epping Forest. It has been found that on both sides of the Thames “ dene holes” NOTES AND QUERIES. 37 exist which date from a time when the art of building can scarcely be said to have existed in this island, and when invisibility formed the best security against the sudden attacks of an enemy. In Essex “dene holes” are abundant in the district between East Tilbury and Purfleet. In Kent they are especially abundant near the old settlemenis, or sites for settlements, on the river, at Greenwich, Woolwich, Erith, and Greenhithe. ‘Their position—one, two, or three miles from the river, and their concentration in spots about the same distance from the natural sites for settlements on the Thames, seem to suggest that they were used both as storehouses and as places of occasional refuge from pirates who might attack the villages on the river-bank. It is proposed to explore the Essex “dene holes” when the work at the Loughton camp is completed. Remains of the Irish Elk near Belfast.—During the last week of November, as some workmen in the employ of Mr. Hugh Montgomery, of Rosemount, were engaged in making a drain in Grangee Bog, about a mile from Grey Abbey, they dug up the principal portion of the head and horns of what is believed to have been an Irish Elk. The antlers from tip to tip measure about ten feet. Subsequently more men were engaged at the same place, when the greater part of a large skeleton was laid bare. The skull and horns were removed to Rosemount House. On previous occasions remains of this animal have been exhumed in this part of County Down. ‘The skeleton was dug out of a lake deposit west of Scrabo Hill, and within two miles of Newtownards. A complete skeleton was discovered between Newtownards and Donaghadee, and a large specimen was found in Shell Marl, near Quinten Castle, Portaferry. The Royal Theriotrophium near the Tower of London.-—Willughby, in 1678, describing the young of the Golden Eagle, which he terms “ the Golden Eagle with a white ring about its tail” (Omithology, p. 59), observes :—‘* We saw three birds of this sort in the Royal Theriotrophium near the Tower of London, and a fourth in St. James’s Park, near West- minster.” Is there any contemporary description of this “‘ Theriotrophium,”’ or Tower Menagerie, extant? if so, where may it be found? Pepys has an entry in his ‘ Diary,’ under date 3rd May, 1662, which thus refers to it :— “To dinner to my Lady Sandwich, and Sir Thomas Crew’s children coming thither, I took them and all my Ladys to the Tower and showed them the lions, and all that was to be shown.” R Ossiferous Cave near Cappagh, Co. Waterford.—In ‘ The Zoologist’ for 1879 (p. 331) Mr. R. J. Ussher gave an account of the discovery of an ossiferous cavern near Cappagh, in the Co. Waterford, which he was then engaged in exploring in company with the late Prof. Leith Adams and Mr. G. H. Kinahan. The results of this exploration, geological, zoological, and archgological, have since been published in a most interesting memoir, 38 THE ZOOLOGIST. printed in the first volume (second series) of the ‘ Scientific Transactions of the Royal Dublin Society,’ to which our readers would do well to refer. The report embodies “ Preliminary Remarks,” by R. J. Ussher; ‘“ Physical Features of the Valley between the Blackwater aud Dungarvon Bay, with a List of the Caves,” by G. H. Kinahan; “Structure and Contents of the Ballynamintra Cave,” by R. J. Ussher; ‘‘ Animal Remains,” by A. Leith Adams; “Implements,” by R. J. Ussher; and a summary and general conclusions. The Report is illustrated with a map of the district, plans and sections of the caves, and plates of the more remarkable implements and animal remains discovered. Shakespeare’s Animal Lore.—Miss Phipson, of the New Shakespeare Society, has finished her book on ‘ The Animal Lore of Shakespeare's Time,’ which is announced for publication in the spring. Dr. Johnson on the Glow-worm.—Dr. Johnson informed Boswell that one of his first essays was a Latin poem on the Glow-worm, but his biographer omitted to ask where it was to be found. Has this been discovered ? The Great Auk formerly eaten in Lent.—Sir Patrick Walker, in a note communicated to Beckwith for his edition of Blount’s ‘ Ancient Tenures’ (p. 418), says:—* There is a bird nearly as large as a goose, called an Auk, the Alca of Linneus, which was allowed at one time to be eaten in Lent.” What is the authority for this statement? SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES. Linnean Society or Lonpon. December 7, 1882.—Sir J. Luspock, Bart., M.P., F.R.S., President, in the chair. The following gentlemen were elected Fellows of the Society :—The Rev. R. Baron, F. O. Bower, J. H. Corry, O. L. Fraser, D. Houston, A. W. Howitt, H. M‘Callum, E. A. Petherick, S. Rous, and H. C. Stone. Mr. G. Brook read “ Notes on some little-known Collembola and the British species of the genus Tomocerus.” Tullberg refers to their occur- rence in Sweden, but the four species in question (viz., Achorutes manu- brialis, Xenyllo maritima, Triena mirabilis, and Tomacerus vulgaris) have not hitherto been accorded a British habitat. Then followed a paper entitled “‘ Remarks on the genera of the subfamily Chalciding, with synonymic notes and descriptions of new species of Leucospidine and Chaleidine,” by Mr. F. Kirby. The author remarks PROCEEDINGS OF SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES. 39 that this subfamily is in a very unsatisfactory state, and the tendency of recent authors has been to class the majority of the species under the three genera, Smicra, Halticella, and Chalcis, ignoring the divisions which former writers have prepared, partly on the ground that several genera run into each other, and partly because it is usually considered that characters taken from one sex only are not sufficient to establish a genus. But in the order Hymenoptera, where the females frequently far outnumber the males, forming, in fact, the bulk of the species, it seems that the latter objection will hardly hold good. The author thereafter gives a revision of the groups in question, and defines several new genera.—J. Munim. ZootogicaL Society oF Lonpon. November 28, 1882.—Prof. W. H. Frower, LL.D., F.R.S., President, in the chair. Mr. W. B. Tegetmeier exhibited and made remarks upon the skull of a Rhinoceros from Borneo; also the horns of a Buffalo aud Deer from the same country. Mr. J. E. Harting exhibited a specimen of the Eagle Owl, Bubo maculosus, said to have been obtained many years ago near Waterford, and preserved in the collection of Dr. Burkitt. Mr. R. Bowdler Sharpe exhibited and made remarks on some specimens of Swifts from the Congo, and on a specimen of Macherhamphus alcinus which had been obtained in Borneo by Mr. Everett. A communication was read from Prof. Owen, C.B., on the sternum of Notornis, and on sternal characters. A communication was read from Dr. A. B. Meyer, in relation to the adoption by naturalists of an international colour-scale in describing the colours of natural objects. A communication was read from Dr. W. Blasius, of Brunswick, con- taining the description of a small collection of birds made by Dr. Platen in the island of Ceram. The collection contained forty-nine specimens, referable to twenty-one different species, one of which was new to the fauna of Ceram. A communication was read from Mr. KE. P. Ramsay, containing the description of a new species of Monarcha from the Solomon Islands, proposed to be called Monarcha (Piezorhynchus) Brownt. Mr. W. Bancroft Espent read a paper on the acclimatization of the Indian Mungoos, Herpestes griseus, in Jamaica. ‘The author explained that the object in introducing the Mungoos into Jamaica was the destruction of the rats, which had committed serious ravages among the sugar and coffee crops. The first Mungooses were introduced in 1871, and so beneficial 40 THE ZOOLOGIST. was the effect produced that the saving to the sugar and coffee planters now was estimated, at least, at £100,000 a year. Lieut.-Col. Godwin-Austen read a paper describing specimens (male and female) of Phasianus Humia, Hume, which had been obtained by Mr. M. Ogle on the peak of Shiroifurar, in N.E. Munipur, upon the Naja Hills. A communication was read from Mr. A. Thomson, containing the results of some observations made by him during the rearing of a species of Stick- insect, Bacillus patellifer, in the Society’s Insect House.—P. L. Scrarer, Secretary. Ewnromo.ocicaL Society or Lonpon. November 1, 1882.—H. 'T. Srainron, Esq., F.R.S., &e., President, in the chair. Mr. J. Jenner Weir exhibited living specimens of what he believed to be Conocephalus ensiger, Harris, which he had received from Messrs. J. Veitch & Sons, of Fulham Road, in whose hot-houses the locust had appeared in some numbers; they fed readily on flies and spiders, and had thriven in captivity for some weeks. Mr. Weir proposed to place the specimens exhibited in the “ Insectarium” of the Zoological Society. Mr. I’, P. Pascoe exhibited a curious spider’s nest found on the surface of the ground, attached to a stone, at Cagliari, Sardinia. The nest consisted of a silken bag, covered with earth, with a trap-door; it was quite unknown to the Rev. O. P. Cambridge, and no similar speci- mens were in the British Museum. Mr. G. Lewis exhibited specimens of Syn- telia indica, Westw., S. histeroides, Lewis, and Spherites belonging to the Synteliide; of Figulus, Platycerus and Alsalus, n.s., belonging to the Lucanide ; and of Saprinus, Hololepta, and a new genus of Histerid@; remarking on the similarity of outline in the respective genera of the three families, and referred to his recently published note on this subject (Ent. Mo. Mag. xix. 137). Mr. A. G. Butler communicated a paper entitled “ Heterocerous Lepi- doptera collected in Chili by Thomas Edmonds, Esq.: Part 1V. Pyrales and Micros.” The collection contained seventy species of these groups, many of which were described as new. Several of Blanchard’s genera were reviewed, and some extended remarks were made on Zeller’s genus Crypto- lechia. A few supplementary species in groups already treated of were referred to, and five additional species described as new.—E. A. Fircu, Hon. Secretary. eels) NOTICES OF NEW BOOKS. Siberia in Asia: a Visit to the Valley of the Yenesay in East Siberia: with Descriptions of the Natural History, Migra- tions of Birds, ¢c. By Henry Srrsonm. 8vo, pp. 298, with Map and Illustrations. London: John Murray. 1882. Tuer narrative of Mr. Seebohm’s former journey to Kuropean Siberia in 1875, when he explored the country lying between the White and the Kara Seas, will be fresh in the recollection of our readers.* Encouraged by the experience then gained and the collections made, and anxious to push on beyond the Ural further BOUNDARY STONE BETWEEN EUROPE AND ASIA. to the north-east, in the hope of securing fresh novelties and discovering the breeding haunts of certain birds, whose nidifica- tion has hitherto been shrouded in mystery, he resolved to make a second journey, and accordingly set out in March, 1877. The expedition, as may be supposed, was a very arduous one, for after travelling by rail across Europe to St. Petersburgh, and * See ‘ Zoologist,’ 1881, pp. 75, 116, 49 THE ZOOLOGIST. thence to Moscow and Nishni Novgorod, he had from that point to continue his journey for nearly 3000 miles by sledge over a country without roads until he reached Yenesaisk on the river Yenesay, said to be the third largest in the world, whence he had still 1000 miles to travel over the ice-bound water. By the time ke had reached the river Koorayika, at its junction with the Yenesay, on April 23rd, he had come 3240 miles from Nishni Novgorod, and, including stoppages, had been forty-six days on the road, during which time he had employed for his sledges about a thousand horses (changed every fifteen or twenty miles), eighteen dogs, and forty reindeer, the total number of stages being 229. REINDEER SLEDGE ON TRE KOORAYIKA. On the two last stages only were Reindeer employed, and this was found CU to be the quickest mode of travelling, the Reindeer, with their broad flat feet, getting over the snow-clad surface at a great pace. Of the life led by the author in this uncivilized country, of the people he met with, and the beasts and birds he pursued and secured, a most interesting account is given. He found it very difficult to get any accurate information about the dress and habits of the various races inhabiting these parts, so numerous are they, and so mixed together and with the Russians; but he gives some curious information on the subject. The history of animal and vegetable life on the Tundra is very remarkable, and is graphically told by Mr. Seebohm in NOTICES OF NEW BOOKS. 43 Chapter XVIII. For eight months out of twelve every trace of vegetable life is completely hidden under a blanket of snow six feet thick, and during six months of this time, at least, animal life is only traceable by the footprints of a Reindeer or a Fox on the snow, or by the occasional appearance of a Raven or a Snowy Owl wandering about the limits of forest growth, where it has retired for the winter, CARRION AND HOODED CROWS AND HYBRIDS. When the ice on the great rivers breaks up, and the blanket of snow melts away, vegetable life awakes from its long sleep, and for three months a hot summer produces a brilliant alpine flora, like an English flower garden run wild, and a profusion of alpine fruit. Then various animals come forth from their winter retreat, and the great tide of bird migration sets in. Although he did not succeed in discovering, as he had hoped to do, the breeding haunts of the Knot, the Sanderling, and the Curlew Sandpiper, Mr. Seebohm nevertheless met with many . 44 THE ZOOLOGIST. interesting species of birds (some, like the Rock Ptarmigan, not known to occur in Eastern Siberia), and found the nests and eggs of others, like the Little Bunting and Mountain Accentor, hitherto undescribed. Amongst the characteristic birds of this part of the world are the Fieldfare, the Siberian Chiffchaff and Stonechat, the Dusky Ouzel (Werula fuscata), the Siberian Ground Thrush (Geocichla sibirica), the Lapland Bunting, Little Bunting, Ruby-throated Warbler, Waxwing, Pine Grosbeak, Nutcracker, Three-toed Woodpecker, Willow Grouse, Golden Plover, Great Snipe, and Pin-tailed Snipe. The interbreeding of the Carrion Crow with the Hooded Crow had never been noticed on such a large scale as observed by Mr. Seebohm, nor had the fact that the hybrids between these two species are fertile been satisfactorily ascertained. Mr. Seebohm obtained specimens of these hybrids in various stages, showing in different proportions their relationship to both parents. Through the kindness of Mr. Murray, we are enabled to pro- duce here Mr. C. Whymper’s illustration of these birds (given at p- 288), as well as the characteristic sketch by the same artist of the Reindeer sledge (p. 61), and that interesting monument to the traveller, the Boundary Stone between Europe and Asia (p. 11). Amongst the characteristic mammals of which Mr. Seebohm saw specimens or procured the skins, were Bears (six roubles the skin), Ermine (ten to fifteen kopeks a skin), Grey Squirrel (same price). The Striped Squirrel (common to both Asia and America) and the Siberian Marten were occasionally offered by the peasants for fifty kopeks to a rouble each. Two skins of the Glutton were bought, one for four the other for five roubles. Otter and Blue Fox (Vulpes lagopus) were offered at ten to twelve roubles; the - latter, in its white winter garb, at three to five roubles. Mr. Seebohm made many inquiries for skins of the Sable (which is only found in Siberia) and the Black Fox (a melanistic form of (V. vulgaris), but never succeeded in seeing any, they being reserved probably for the Yenesaisk merchants, who would give twenty-five roubles for a Black Sable, and double that price for a Black Fox. The Beaver, it appears, has been extinct on the Yenesay for many years. It was unfortunate that, having travelled so far, Mr. Seebohm was prevented from reaching the coast, and investigating the bird-life on the Kara Sea. He considers also that he would NOTICES OF NEW BOOKS. 45 have done better to await the arrival of the migratory birds at Yenesaisk instead of on the arctic circle. But although he was disappointed in not discovering the nests of some of the birds of which he was in search, and obtaining specimens of others which he had hoped to meet with, the results of his journey in other respects were most satisfactory, and he is to be congratulated upon having returned safely to give this interesting narrative of his travels in a far off and little explored country. The Fowler in Ireland; or, Notes on the Haunts and Habits of Wildfowl and Seafowl, including Instructions in the Art of Shooting and Capturing them. By Sir R. Payne Gauuwey, Bart. With numerous illustrations. 8vo, pp. 508. London: Van Voorst. 1882. As compared with what has been printed on the kindred sports of Shooting and Fishing, the literature which relates to Fowling is not very voluminous, nor has it kept pace, like the others, with the exigencies of the day. Indeed it is somewhat remarkable that more books were written on the subject before the invention of gunning-punts and breech-loaders than have appeared since. This is not to be explained by assuming a decrease in the number of fowlers; for, owing to the improve- ments in guns, there must surely be, at the present day, more shooters than ever. Of this number, however, the majority are unquestionably game-shots, and of those who devote themselves thoroughly to wildfowling few perhaps feel themselves competent to write authoritatively on the many important points which would require consideration. The case seems to be otherwise with Sir R. Payne Gallwey, who, as is well known, has devoted himself for years to the sport on which he now writes, and who, as we gather from his book, has ewdently coupled the successful pursuit of wildfowl with an attentive observation of their peculiar habits. It is not in mere slaughter that the fowler takes delight. The exceeding wariness of the birds renders it extremely difficult to approach them, especially by daylight, and it is the satisfaction that is felt in making this approach, by skilfully mancuvring the punt, which gives such a zest to the pursuit. There is a pleasure, too, in watching the movements of a ‘“‘ company” of 46 THE ZOOLOGIST. fowl while lying unseen by them, and in noticing at close quarters the characteristic actions of the different species. The art of Fowling has many branches. You may build a punt, single- or double-handed as required, mount a punt-gun with all the modern improvements and appliances, and spend your days and nights upon the water. Or you may eschew punts and keep ashore, confining your attention to Snipe, Duck and Teal, with an occasional shot at Plover or Curlew. You may construct a decoy, and take hundreds of fowl in a season without firing a shot; you may take Wild Geese in pitfalls, or Ployers in nets, or you may, if so inclined, relieve the monotony of a walk across the marshes by setting snares for Snipe and Woodcock. On all and each of these subjects Sir R. Payne Gallwey has much to impart, and since his remarks are based on personal experiences, it is perhaps needless to say they are thoroughly practical. From the naturalist’s point of view, with which we are here chiefly concerned, his book is a very attractive one, for it contains many interesting and hitherto unpublished observations on the breeding of wildfowl in Ireland; on the habits of seafowl as observed at the Skelligs and other remote haunts; on the migration of birds as seen by the lighthouse-keepers; and on the present distribution of some of the rarer mammals of Ireland. The chapters which treat of these subjects are embellished with numerous woodcuts by Mr. Charles Whymper, most of which have been admirably drawn from nature, while seventeen full- page illustrations, by the same artist, depict very skilfully some of the various incidents of a fowler’s life. Of the practical part of the book—namely, that which treats in detail of yawls and cutters, punts and punt-guns, with all their modern and improved appliances—we need say no more than that the subject appears to be exhaustively dealt with. For our own part we have been more entertained with the mode described of constructing and working a decoy (Chapter IV.), and with the directions given for making and using a plover-net (Chapter X.), contrivances which show of what ingenuity the human mind is capable when striving to outwit the keen natural instinct displayed by wildfowl in their efforts at self- preservation. NOTICES OF NEW BOOKS. 47 The Modern Sportsman’s Gun and Rifle; including Game and Wildfowl Guns, Sporting and Match Rifles, and Revolvers. By J. H. Wausx (‘‘Stonehenge’’), Editor of ‘The Field.’ In two volumes, 8vo. Vol. I., Game and Wildfowl Guns, pp. 459. With numerous illustrations. London: Horace Cox, ‘ The Field’ Office. 1882. THERE must be few sportsmen at the present day who have not experienced considerable difficulty in making choice of a new gun. The improvements which have been made in breech- loaders since the introduction of the Lefaucheux pin-fire gun have been so numerous and so varied, that it is no easy matter to decide upon the respective merits of the different actions ; indeed only those who have paid close attention to the subject, and have carefully examined and tested the so-called novelties in guns as they have appeared, can consider themselves competent to express an opinion in the matter. Mr. Walsh’s long experience in this respect, coupled with the admitted efficacy of the tests which he has devised and applied, and which have been exhibited at the various ‘ Field’ trials of guns, has specially qualified him to, write authoritatively on the subject; and his opinion, therefore, as set forth in the work before us, must deservedly carry weight. As a text-book on game and wildfowl guns, this volume should be read by every man who shoots, whether he is in search of a new gun or not; for it contains an illustrated history of guns for the last twenty years, showing the successive im- provements which have been made, the details of which are most instructive. To give some idea of the ground which is covered by this treatise, we may state that, following the definition of a shot-gun, the author points out the requirements of a sportsman’s gun for his varied purposes, explains its construction, and the trials of safety ‘by what is called ‘‘ proof,” and efficiency by shooting at a target. He describes the lock in all its details, with the various modifications of it which have been designed from time to time, and discusses fully the important subjects of choke-boring and regulating. Guns with hammers and those without them are fully considered, and subsequent chapters deal successively with cartridges, powder, wads and shot, and the not unimportant 48 THE ZOOLOGIST. questions of cleaning and repairing. The second portion of the volume is devoted to punt-guns and wildfowl shoulder-guns, and concludes with a useful ‘‘ glossary of terms.” A book so practical in its details commends itself not alone to stay-at-home shooters; sportsmen who may be going abroad, and naturalists who may contemplate a collecting tour, will find in it information likely to be of service to them. A History of British Birds. By the late Witt1am YarreEuu. Fourth Edition, revised to the end of the Picide by Prof. Newron, F.R.S. Continued by Howarp Saunpers, F.L.S. Part XV. London: Van Voorst. 1882. WE are glad to see that another part of “ Yarrell” has appeared, under the new editorship of Mr. Howard Saunders. This part finishes the Picide, with which group (as every ornithologist will regret) Professor Newton’s revision ends. Mr. Saunders has now revised the Pigeons, with several skilful emendations, and has written an entirely new chapter on Pallas’s Sand Grouse. He gives a reswmé of the facts connected with the remarkable visitation of this bird to the British Islands in 1868, prefaced with some remarks on the position of the species in the Systema aviwn, pointing out its structural peculiarities and ap- parent affinities. Referring to the views of previous writers who would class the Sand Grouse, on the one hand, with the Pigeons, on the other hand with the Plovers, he ‘‘ thinks it advisable, on consideration, to adopt for the Sand Grouse the separate order to which Prof. Huxley gave the name of Pteroclomorphe (Proce. Zool. Soc., 1868, p. 303), subsequently modified by Mr. Sclater to Pterocletes (‘ Ibis,’ 1880, p. 407).” The part before us concludes with a portion of the article Capercaillie, in which will be found some interesting remarks on the derivation of the name (as variously spelled ‘ capercaillie,” “capercally”’ and ‘‘ capercailzie”), and on early notices of the bird by medizval writers. ——— eee eee 6 emer) 2.7 oe a eS eee es ee ee THE ZOOLOGIST. THIRD SERIES. Vou. VII.) FEBRUARY, 1883. [No. 74. ON SOME REPTILIA AND BATRACHIA OBSERVED IN NORMANDY. By G. T. Rope. Tue Slow-worm, Anguis fragilis, appears to be of common occurrence in Normandy ; I met with it at Oisel, and again in the neighbourhood of Dieppe. A single specimen of the Viper, Pelias berus, was obtained in a large wood containing open patches of heath, situated near La Bouille, a village on the Seine, a few miles below Rouen. We met with only two or three specimens of Rana temporaria during the month spent in Normandy, R. esculenta being far more abundant. The Edible Frog, Rana esculenta, was abundant everywhere, frequenting stagnant ponds, but was not found in running brooks, or even in the ditches communicating with them. It is shy and wary in the extreme, the sense of sight, and probably of hearing also, being apparently well developed : it is only, indeed, by using the greatest caution that a glimpse of the handsome green*jacketed little fellow can be had as he sits on the bank of the pond, perhaps a foot or two above the water, ready, at the faintest suspicion of danger, to take one flying leap into the pond, going at once to the bottom. In that element, however, he seems to feel more secure, and many a sly-looking head may there be seen with eyes and nose only above the surface, ready to disappear at the shortest notice. In large ponds, however, these frogs may often be seen floating at ease on the surface at E 50 , THE ZOOLOGIST. a safe distance from land. There is a decidedly crafty expres- sion about the countenance, which, combined with a habit of winking or snapping the eyes at their would-be captors, is irre- sistibly ludicrous. Some of these frogs were of a size fully equal to that of two large English frogs (&. temporaria). I managed, with difficulty, to catch some seventeen specimens, which I brought alive to England, hoping, should the herons and rats permit, to establish a colony of them here. They vary considerably in colour and markings, the yellow lines on the back being much more pronounced in some individuals than in others; in our two largest specimens they were scarcely of a lighter tint than the rest of the back, and in another the upper parts were of a rich brown instead of green. Owing to their extreme shyness and vigilance they were very difficult to catch with a hand-net, but a bent pin and worm proved more effica- cious, and was the means of bringing several to land. Although the noise these frogs make in August is nothing compared with that heard in early summer, they are not altogether silent, but in places where they are numerous may be heard giving tongue in a subdued manner if cautiously approached. We found the tadpole of this species in immense numbers, in ponds near Rouen, and at La Bouille, a few miles lower down the Seine; they were of large size, equalling a small cherry in bulk, and with the tail measured in many cases nearly two and a half inches. In colour they were of a light greyish brown above, having on the back and the sides of the tail a few small blackish spots; the under parts thickly studded with minute white specks. They were in various stages of development, some having as yet no signs of limbs, while others had acquired both pairs, and had very little tail remaining. Some of these youngsters were ready to leave the water, and as their colour at this period of existence differs materially from that of the adult, I will attempt to describe that of a specimen I have now alive :—Upper parts light brown or grey, lightest on the head, covered with minute warts of a lighter tint; a ridge of larger warts of a light colour extends low down along each side, reaching nearly to the hind legs; lips, sides of head, and legs, speckled with dark brown; under parts very thickly covered with minute whitish warts; thighs below, dark flesh- colour. REPTILIA AND BATRACHIA OBSERVED IN NORMANDY. 51 In a small roadside pond near La Bouille I found Bombi- nator igneus, and obtained ten specimens, but saw it nowhere else, not having the opportunity of examining many ponds. Those I saw were generally near the edge of the water, with only the head or part of the head above the surface, and looking so much like little bits of mud that it was no easy matter to make them out. On the 23rd of August I obtained a young one of this year’s hatch, having still a little bit of tail remaining, but could find no tadpoles of this species, although the pond contained an immense number of those of Rana esculenta and of some species of Newt. The relative difference in size between the male and female Bombinator, seems to be about the same as that of the Common Toad. Those I brought to England feed readily on small earthworms. As soon as they are aware of the presence of food they become very much excited, and are quite as likely to seize one of their companions by the leg as their legitimate prey. The same thing is very - noticeable in the case of the Smooth Newt, L. punctatus. The strange habit these little creatures have of throwing the body and limbs into the most violent contortions, when suddenly startled, is very remarkable, and gives them for the time being a most uncanny appearance. They suddenly flatten and depress the body in a wonderful manner, at the same time closing the eyes and throwing up the head, and all four limbs into the air, so as to form a sort of cup, of which the middle of the back is the deepest part; this gives them somewhat the appearance of a dead frog or toad which has been dried up by the sun, and the very uninviting appearance they present at such a time is pos- sibly a valuable source of protection to them from their enemies. The thick and somewhat clumsy appearance of the hind feet is much more observable in some specimens than in others. Bufo vulgaris appeared to be decidedly less numerous than in England, but possibly the time spent in Normandy (less than a month), may have been scarcely long enough to justify such an opinion. Few specimens were found and those mostly imma- ture. Some young fry just leaving the water were seen on the banks of a pond at St. Pierre. In common with some of the other batrachians, the Toad is very subject to a loathsome and deadly disease, the cause and nature of which I know nothing, but which generally shows itself first in the form of a sore place 52 THE ZOOLOGIST. on the nose, spreading gradually all over the face till it is con- sumed away. This summer I discovered a large female Toad in which the whole face up to the eyes was literally gone, the cavity of the skull being filled with maggots as large as the animal’s toes, yet the poor animal was still living. I have noticed the same disease, but less frequently, in Frogs (Rana temporaria), in Triton cristatus and alpestris, and in Salamandra maculosa. The Newts when attacked waste away very rapidly, and in their case the sores are by no means confined to the head, but break out in various parts of the body. Notwithstanding the diligent search made for Salamanders, I was unable to find a single one until the day before leaving for England (September 1st), when I accidentally came across the crushed body of a remarkably large female Salamandra maculosa which had recently been run over in the road at St. Aubin near Dieppe. Considering the lateness of the season I was surprised to find that this individual contained eggs, some of which were hatched, the young animals resembling Newt-tadpoles. There wasa pond at a short distance from the spot where it had been killed, and it may have been journeying in search of such a place, to serve as a nursery for its offspring, when unfortunately de- stroyed by the wheel of some passing cart. I have had a pair of Salamanders for twelve months in confinement, but as yet have been unsuccessful in getting them to breed. Their favourite food is earthworms, and I have never seen them swallow any- thing else, with the exception of very small slugs, and in one instance a small white grub. A few specimens of J'riton cristatus were obtained at a pond at La Bouille, near Rouen, in company with Triton alpestris, the latter species being far the more abundant. I obtained here a variety having a large portion of the under parts black. The commonest Newt by far to be found in Normandy, in August, was T’riton alpestris, and I managed to bring home alive to England about thirty specimens, several of which however have since died of the disease mentioned above, many having the toes and parts of the feet completely gone. They were fed on earth- worms, which they ate readily, but possibly they suffered from the want of some other food. Not being perfectly sure of the species of this. Newt, I sent some specimens to Mr. Southwell, of Norwich, who kindly examined them, confirming my opinion as , Rad — es FIELD NOTES IN NORWAY. 53 to their identity. I found the tadpoles either of this species or of Triton cristatus (or perhaps of both) in various ponds in Normandy. The Newts were generally seen in the shallow parts of the pool, either resting or crawling along the bottom. Lissotriton punctatus appeared to have mostly left the water, several specimens being found on land, underneath large stones, whereas I only took one from the water. I recently kept some Newts of this kind in a box with a glass front, partially filled with bark, rotten wood, and moss, with only a small pan of water. They lay hid among the moss all day, but at night were very active, and often visited the water. Excepting during the spring both this species and 7’. cristatus, according to my experience, pass more time on land than in water, but require a considerable amount of moisture notwithstanding. In confine- ment they are very voracious, and often seize objects far too large for them to swallow. I have seen two of these little creatures, of about equal size, striving manfully to swallow each - other. On first attaining the perfect state these Newts are extremely small, being often much inferior in bulk to the full- erown tadpole. FIELD NOTES IN NORWAY IN _ 1882.% By roe Rey. H. H. Suarer, F.Z.S. Member of the British Ornithologists’ Union; Vice-President of the Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union. (Concluded from p. 14.) LonG-EARED Ow1t, Asio otus (L.)—I saw one in the pine woods above Lillehammer, the only Owl I actually saw alive in Norway, though I once heard a Tawny Owl. Hen Harrier, Circus cyaneus (L.)—I saw a pair in the marshes at Fokstuen for several days, and generally in exactly the same spot, so I went to try and find the nest, which I was pretty certain was there. In this I was unsuccessful, but on one occasion the male attempted to mob me, and was secured. On my arrival at Christiania I was pleased to find that no adult male had been obtained in Norway for some years, though immature * These notes were made in the spring of 1882, not 1881 as stated on p. 4, 54 THE ZOOLOGIST. examples occurred occasionally, so I had the pleasure of pre- senting my specimen to Professor Collett for the new series of Norwegian-killed birds he is making for the University Museum— and a splendid series it is, which every ornithologist who sees must admire. I am doubtful whether to attribute a bird I saw at Laurgaard, beating the marshes by the river, to this species or to C. eruginosus. A Harrier it certainly was, and I am inclined to think of the latter species, as its colour seemed to be of too dark a red-brown for any other species. I am only inclined to hesitate by the extreme rarity of the Marsh Harrier in Norway. Buzzarp, Buteo vulgaris (Leach).—I saw one flying over the town at Lillehammer; my attention was called to it by the great commotion made by White Wagtails and Swallows as soon as they saw it. RovGu-LeGGED Buzzarp, Archibuteo lagopus (Gm.)—I am inclined to attribute to this species a bird I several times saw near Laurgaard, but I was never near enough to be certain. I paid some attention to what I think must have been the cliff between Fokstuen and Hjerkinn, where Mr. Mitchell took the nest of this bird (‘ Zoologist,’ 1877), but could not see that it was tenanted. SPARROWHAWK, Accipiter nisus (L.)—Not uncommon. Noticed at Lillehammer, Laurgaard, and on the Dovre. Mertin, Falco esalon (Tunst.)—A pair near Hjerkinn seemed by their conduct to have a nest near at hand. Kestrret, FF’. tinnunculus (L.)—Not uncommon; I saw more near Laurgaard, I think, than anywhere else. PInK-FOOTED GoosgE, Anser brachyrhynchus (Baill.)\—Whilst I was at Lillehammer a pair were shot by night out of a flock of ten making their way up the Logen to breed somewhere in the north. Both were females, and the one I bought had a con- spicuous white line round the base of the upper mandible, an unusual circumstance in this bird. On dissection well-developed eggs were found, which, from their size, would have seen the light, under ordinary circumstances, in a week or ten days. Prof. Collett, to whom I showed the skin, was surprised at this circum- stance, as this bird is rare in Norway, usually seen on migration only on the west coast, and has never been satisfactorily proved to have nested in the country. FIELD NOTES IN NORWAY. 55. Matxiarp, Anas boschas (L.)—Common wherever there are suitable spots. TEAL, Querquedula crecca (L.)—Common, especially at Fok- stuen, where it was laying. Scaup, Fuligula marila (L.)—I saw several Scaup on the Miésen Lake, near Lillehammer. A large flock, of males only, on a lake near Fokstuen, the females being apparently sitting. Turtep Duck, F’. cristata (Leach).—I am pretty certain I saw a pair near Fokstuen, but was unable to get near enough to be quite sure. With an india-rubber boat great things might be done amongst the duck at Fokstuen. I never cared to shoot them for food (although food was neither plentiful nor varied at that station), but I did shoot a couple of Teal for the Sunday dinner of my wife and myself at a time of great scarcity. I may as well here advise intending visitors to Fokstuen to take some bread or biscuit and tinned meat and soup with them; all that can be obtained there is coffee, beer, fladbrod (rye-bread made ‘ the summer before), occasional eggs, and grayling, which at our visit were out of season, and kept getting staler and staler every day. GoLDEN-EYE, Clangula glaucion (L.)—I saw an adult male on Lake Midsen from the steamer, when first arriving at Lille- hammer, but never satisfactorily identified the bird afterwards. VELVET Scorer, Oedemia fusca (L.)—I1 saw a few on the Miésen Lake, several small companies on the still parts of the Logen, on our way up the Gudbrandsdal, and a good many on the lakes at Fokstuen. Common Scorer, O. nigra (L.)—I saw many on the Midsen, and a great number at Fokstuen, and elsewhere on Dovre. GoosanDER, Mergus merganser (L.)—I saw several on the Midsen, and a pair in the marshes at Laurgaard. There were some Mergi at Fokstuen, but I do not know of which species. RED-BREASTED Mrraanser, M. serrator (L.)—I obtained a fine male in breeding plumage at Lillehammer, but did not identify it elsewhere. Rine Dove, Columba palumbus (L.)—Plentiful at Lillehammer and in the Gudbrandsdal; not seen on Dovre. Prarmican, Lagopus mutus (Leach).—First met with on the fells above Laurgaard, where it seems fairly abundant in suitable places ; also near Fokstuen, 56 THE ZOOLOGIST. Wittow Grouse, L. albus (Gm.)— Pretty plentiful in the birch region on the fells, and occasionally met with in the edge of the fir-growth. I saw a good many at Laurgaard, also at Fokstuen. The similarity of the male bird’s call when rising to that of the Red Grouse is striking to one accustomed to the latter. Hazet Grouse, Bonasa betulina (Scop.)—I did not meet with this bird alive, which, I believe, is not an uncommon experience with foreigners in Norway, but I bought a male (snared, of course) in Lillehammer. Corn Crake, Crex pratensis (Bechst.)—I heard the note of this bird at Naersness, and once at Lillehammer, where it seemed uncommon. Common CRANE, Grus communis (Bechst.)—Inasmuch as Mr. Mitchell (J. c.) never saw a Crane at Fokstuen during his visit, I did not particularly expect to do so either. On the second day, however, after my arrival (June 2nd), I was wading through the swamps below the station, and wondering what would turn up next (for Fokstuen is a place, ornithologically, of pleasant surprises) when my eye fell on a small bare turf island in the middle of a swampy pool, about sixty yards distant, where I at once caught sight of something like a large egg. I approached, full of anticipation, and found two large eggs, and Crane’s to boot ; whilst looking at them, not without pleasure, my attention was caught by a faint chirp, which proceeded, as I found at length, from one of the eggs, the chick whereof had broken the shell, and was complaining, as I took it, that he could not get out. So I concluded that the egg I was holding was addled (as it was), and thought it best, considering the intense heat of the sun, to take it at once for fear it might burst. So I retreated to an adjacent bush, where I crouched down, suspending my gun in the willows, in the hope that the parent would return whilst I was employed in cleaning and blowing the egg, to gratify my curiosity to watch her at her nest. Soon I heard her cry, like a distant bugle, and made her out approaching stealthily in a somewhat crouching attitude. However, she did not come near (having, as I imagine, caught a flash from my field-glasses), and, after wandering about for some time, she got up and flew round in a wide circle, being shortly joined by her mate, and both trumpeting loudly. I thought their cry the finest I had ever heard from any bird's throat, but doubtless the wild and solitary spot, surrounded FIELD NOTES IN NORWAY. 57 by a circle of snow-covered hills, materially heightened the effect. They soon flew off altogether, and, having watched them till about a couple of miles off, I went to take another look at the nest. It consisted of about as many short willow sticks and reeds as might be grasped in one hand, scattered in a loose untidy ring round the eggs, which lay on the bare flat ground, there being no mate- rial depression. I then went my way. ‘The next day I took a look in passing, and found the young bird quite hearty, and the empty egg-shell lying near. ‘I'wo days afterwards I went again and found the nest deserted, and the chick dead, which I manu- factured into a respectable specimen of the Crane in down. The removal of the addled egg must have disturbed the minds of the old birds after all, added to the fact that the nest was in the most productive part of the marsh, and they must have heard my gun every now and then not far off. I was, however, much surprised to see the old bird rise close to the nest, about a hundred yards from me; my sudden impulse was to fire at her, ’ without any visible result. Later the same day I was about two miles to the S.W. of the nest, and heard the then familiar cry of the Crane still further towards Dombaas, and soon made out two Cranes about half a mile or more from me, and, as they were on lower ground than I, and their movements clearly visible, I lay down and watched them with my glass. To my surprise their spirits were so little depressed by recent events that they were actually building a new nest two miles anda half from the old one. I could see one of them picking up and arranging some short sticks, apparently in a very fastidious way, while the other stalked slowly about, with erect neck, trumpeting at intervals ; every now and then the one building uttered a note also. I had no doubt at the time (though I was not so certain afterwards, for reasons which will appear) that they were the same pair of birds whose nest I had found, as I had previously remarked that their two voices were pitched at an interval of “a third” apart, and I remarked the same thing now. The next day we all left for Hjerkinn, and I walked on in advance of the rest. When about four miles from Fokstuen, the day was so hot that I sat down and took alook around, and my pleasure was great to see four Cranes together on an island in the midst of the valley less than half a mile from the road where I was. I watched them for half an hour or so, when the others came up, and noticed that whilst three of 58 THE ZOOLOGIST. them gave themselves up to feeding and arranging their feathers (giving great attention to the tail-plumes), the fourth stood perfectly still, with erect neck, as sentry. The rest of our party examined them also, and the remark was made that they looked “almost as large as Ostriches.”’ They certainly looked very large. GoLDEN Prover, Charadrius pluvialis (L.)—I did not find this bird as common on the Dovre Fjeld as I expected. I saw three pairs feeding on the marshes at Fokstuen in the evening; at Hjerkinn I found a nest, from which, as I wanted a specimen in full summer dress, I shot the bird. There were two things note- worthy; that, though the eggs were fresh, the bird lay on the nest till almost trodden on, which conduct generally indicates, with the Golden Plover, that the eggs are not far from being hatched ; secondly, that the sitting bird, as I found on dissection, was amale. I have never seen it remarked that the male Golden Plover assists in incubation. Dorreret, Hudromias morinellus (L.)—I only saw this bird once; one of the pairs of Golden Plover, which I have mentioned as feeding in the marshes at Fokstuen, was accompanied by a solitary Dotterel. ReD-NECKED PHaLaropE, Phalaropus hyperboreus (L.)—Pretty common in the marshes at Fokstuen, but showing a preference (as many birds do there) for one spot. Not breeding when I was there, as evident from the ovary of one female. Very tame, pretty little birds, looking on the water like miniature ducks, from their plump shape and carriage. When you come upon them in the marshes they rarely rise, unless you throw something at them, but swim about in a pool ten yards from you, and retire behind a tussock to hide if you make demonstrations; they were such nice little birds that I could hardly persuade myself to shoot any. I saw none at Hjerkinn. Wooncock, Scolopax rusticola (L.)—Of this bird I only found the dried remains in a small ‘‘ gill” near Lillehammer. Great Snipe, Gallinago major (Gm.)— Pretty common at Fokstuen in the marshes, the only place I saw it alive, though I picked up a freshly-killed female under the telegraph-wires near Hjerkinn Station. I found one nest at Fokstuen, on a hummock of turf in a dry part of the marsh, placed under a bush of Vacci- nium uliginosum ; the bird rose silently (as the Great Snipe FIELD NOTES IN NORWAY. 59 always does) and fluttered away; there were four eggs. On another occasion, as I was going through the marsh, I heard distinctly a bird snapping its bill. Going to the spot whence the sound proceeded, I flushed a Great Snipe; I fancy it was snapping its bill at me. Common Snipe, G. celestis (Fr.)—I put up a pair from a small marsh at Fokstuen, the only ones I saw there. I saw one at Lillehammer, and heard another drumming at Hjerkinn. BRoAD-BILLED SanpripeR, Limicola platyrhyncha (Tem.)— Pretty plentiful at Fokstuen, and just below the station at Hjer- kinn. I did not find the nest, nor did the ovary of a female I procured at Fokstuen lead me to suppose I should, though at Hjerkinn—which, both in Ornithology and Botany, is decidedly earlier than Fokstuen, although the places are, as near as possible, at the same altitude (the ornithologist will do well to take Hjer- kinn first)— one contained an egg which would have been laid in afew days. They are not easy to shoot, as they have a perplexing way of rising at your feet in a great hurry, and flying off as if they meant to go for miles, and then, just as they are at a right distance to kill, dropping down suddenly, and causing you to shoot thereby over their heads. They frequent grassy and sedgy parts of the marsh where the ground is neither too wet nor the vegetation too high, never being seen actually in the water or amongst bushes, but where the soil is such that an ordinary man’s foot would sink a couple of inches into the mud at each step. They lie, usually, very close, rise with a low but shrill whistle, and almost invariably are in pairs; in wet and windy weather, however, like most other birds, they become very wild, and I have seen them at such times go through the same motions as a drumming Snipe, the descending motion with quivering wings being accompanied by a high tremulous whistle. Those shot at Fokstuen have a slight rufous tinge in the breast, due to the iron oxide in the wet soil they frequent. Common SanprrrPer, Totanus hypoleucus (L.)—Common by every stream and lake. They made their appearance at Lille- hammer on May 17th. GREEN SanpPrPerR, TJ’. ochropus (L.)—I saw several near Lille- hammer and several near Laurgaard, but for some reason or other I did not see it at Fokstuen in anything like the plenty I had expected, 60 THE ZOOLOGIST. Woop Sanppiper, T. glareola (L.)—I saw one at Lillehammer, and one or two at Laurgaard. At Fokstuen they were very plentiful, but not breeding when I was there; at Hjerkinn they were equally abundant in the marsh below the station. I may as well add, for the benefit of ornithologists visiting Hjerkinn, that that marsh below the station is dangerous in places, though not at the end nearest the station. I sounded in one place with a pole, and found that under the thin and quivering crust of matted vegetation on which I stood were about six feet of water and thin mud. I may mention that for marsh-work in Norway I found a pair of ordinary waterproof fishing-stockings excellent, and wore with them a pair of light india-rubber brogues, which latter should be laced, or they may be drawn off the foot by the mud. They are more pliable than long leather boots, and lighter; you can kneel down in them comfortably in shallow water, and, when not in wet places, can let them down, when they are quite cool. They are also a delightful covering when travelling by carriole or stolkjcerre in wet weather. Common Repsuank, 7’. calidris (L,)—Plentiful, but local, at Fokstuen ; one pair inthe marsh below the station at Hjerkinn. Lesser Buack-BacKkED Guu, Larus fuscus (L.)—I saw a flock of about twenty on May 16th at Lillehammer, frequenting the islands at the mouth of the Logen, apparently intending to breed there; but as the river kept rising, owing to the melting snow, they went in a few days. BLACK-THROATED Diver, Colymbus arcticus (L.)—I saw a great many on the Miésen Lake as we went up in the steamer to Lille- hammer on May 16th. Going up the Gudbrandsdal I saw a good many on the stiller reaches of the river; in one place of the kind there were four, which seemed quite unconcerned at the sight of five carrioles going along only about eighty yards from them. At Laurgaard I saw several on hill-tarns, but none on the Dovre Fjeld; had I had a boat at Fokstuen I should probably have seen some. Great NorrHern Diver, C. glacialis (L.)—Several near the islands at the mouth of the fjord at Christian Sand on May 7th. URGES, } ON THE TREATMENT OF SNAKES IN CAPTIVITY. By Arruur Srrapuine, O.M.Z.S. (Continued from p. 24.) Tue tank and water-supply are of greater importance still. Nearly all snakes love to drink and bathe frequently, often lying in the bath for days together, while some (such as the Anaconda) spend more time in the water than out of it. This habit is more noticeable among big serpents as a class than among small ones. The tank, therefore, should be roomy, so that the largest specimen may be able to get bodily into it with comfort; it should be placed at the extreme back of the cage, leaving no interval between it and the hinder wall; the bottom must not be sunk below the level of the floor ; and it will be a great advantage to have the front of it made of glass. Then the reptiles are never hidden, no matter how deep the tank may be—and a tolerable depth ought to be allowed, certainly not less than a foot clear, to permit of a sufficiency of water at all times, without overflow when the snake’s bulk is submerged; their behaviour in that situation, interesting in many ways, can be observed likewise. Here, too, the glass must be thick; it may be set, for ornamental appearance, in a frame of rough wood or (better) stone. If a lid for this tank can be contrived, either to slide in from the outside through a thin slit in the end, or hinged at the back and worked by a pulley from above, it may be serviceable to separate the occupants at feeding-time, or to shut in a mischievous customer while cleaning out the cage. Soft water is best for them, and ought to be made tepid by lying in a cistern placed upon some part of the heating apparatus before it is admitted. One of the greatest defects of the old reptile-house at the Regent’s Park Gardens is the want of means for warming the water outside the cages; it flows in cold, and remains some time before it is raised to a proper temperature, since it receives heat only from the general surroundings. The disadvantages of such a state of affairs are numerous. Snakes at a high tem- perature plunge suddenly in, and are not only thereby often induced to regurgitate their food, but may take a fatal chill, especially if on the point of shedding their skins; or they may become so numbed and paralysed as to le there and die. The 62 THE ZOOLOGIST. recognition of these facts naturally leads the keepers to delay | changing the water as long as possible, particularly in the large tanks, which take a very long time to get warm, and where the Pythons, Boas, and Anacondas constantly bathe; and it becomes foul in consequence—probably the lesser of the two evils, though doubtless both conditions have something to do with the production of that serious disease of the mouth to which I shall refer hereafter. The water should be changed and the tanks cleansed frequently. The heat, as I have said, is best applied to the cage itself rather than to the apartment in which it stands; and there is another reason for this, besides the one mentioned at the com- mencement of this chapter. The very solidity of construction which renders the den admirably calculated to keep in and ~ economise any warmth generated in its interior, serves often to exclude that of the outer atmosphere. I have remarked this in the Reptilium of the Jardin des Plantes in Paris. The building is heated by enormous stoves, and becomes at times quite oppressive to the visitor. But the cages, which are glazed on two sides and, in the case of the larger snakes, are so arranged as to be visible from the outside of the house, have no special appliance ; and one is quite surprised, standing in that sultry air, to find on handling the reptiles how cold they are. As to the mode of application, it is difficult to lay down any rules or offer advice, since this must depend in every case upon the situation and opportunities. Hot water is decidedly to be preferred to hot air, and if a gas-stove is used it ought to be placed outside the building or in such a position that no vapour may contaminate the air within the cage. Pipes should run underneath the flooring in all directions, and at a very slight depth from the surface (especially if it be composed of Portland cement), as there will be a bed of gravel over this; it is advisable also to have a pipe at the upper part of the cage, so that the reptiles may have an inducement to leave the floor and take plenty of exercise. This upper pipe had better be buried in the wall or walls along which it passes; if exposed, it must be very carefully shielded with thick felt, so that no more than a warmth comfortable to the hand can penetrate. A gentleman writes to me from the north of Germany that he has improved upon this detail, which I sent him when he was building a vivarium for TREATMENT OF SNAKES IN CAPTIVITY. 63 tropical serpents a year ago, by tunnelling the tree for the passage of a hot water-pipe with good results. The actual degree of temperature will vary in accordance with that of the natural habitat of the snakes, their progress of aceli- matization, the time of year, and the exposure of the cage; heat will of course evaporate more rapidly through four glass sides than through one, and from a structure situated in the open air than from one under cover. Such a position as the former is not likely to be chosen, nor is it to be recommended in any climate subject to severe winters; the difficulty in keeping up the temperature in all but the hottest summer weather is immense, the glass is perpetually dimmed by moisture, shutters are required, and visitors are few and far between in times of frost and snow. Perhaps, on an average, 75° Fahrenheit may be a fair register during the day; slightly elevated before feeding, and allowed to fall to 65° or thereabouts at night. A uniformly high tempera- ture is an evil usually overlooked, and will be mentioned in . connection with the topic of hybernation. Great attention should be paid to the mechanism for regulating the heat, that it is always in perfect working order, so that the temperature may be controlled to a degree. If the floor be too hot or too cold, the snakes—although tolerant within fairly wide limits—are prone to vomit, and acquire an irritable condition of stomach ; while they may be (and often are) either chilled or scorched to death. A large number of little Nose-horned Vipers, which were born in this country a short time ago, were absolutely baked dry and crisp before they were discovered on the gravel where the parent Viper lay at ease! If rugs are-put in at night, they should be removed in the daytime; a better plan, when there is any trouble in keeping up the warmth, is to cover the ventilators and glass with blankets during the night; but if this be not sufficient, the snakes themselves may be covered up. A small cage for snakes from one to three or four feet in length requiring artificial heat, adapted to stand in any room, may be constructed conveniently on the plan of those which con- tain moths and tarantulas in the Insectarium in the Regent’s Park, with the addition of a reservoir for hot water underneath. Its size must depend, as in the last case, on that of the reptiles it is intended to accommodate, and on the taste of the proprietor. The same rules may be laid down—that it cannot be too large, 64 THE ZOOLOGIS. that its dimensions must not be less in proportion to the largest occupant than those stated before, and that a similar restriction with regard to the number of inmates is to be observed; but there is a further consideration to be taken into account in the fact that a large cage will require a larger supply of boiling water at one time, but will require to be replenished less frequently than a small one—a point of no small importance sometimes in the domestic economy of a household. Having mentioned this, to obviate the idea that 1 am recommending any fixed measurements for adoption, and premising that any detail is subject, to meet the exigencies or expediencies of the situation, to the same variation as the size of the whole, I may perhaps doscribe one now before me as a type :—Length, 38 feet 6 inches; breadth, 2 feet 8 inches; height of actual interior, from gravel to cover, 2 feet 4 inches. This case is constructed entirely of glass and metal. ‘The two ends consist of single panes, but the front and back, or long sides, are divided each into two panes, as the glass is ordinary thin window material ; single sheets of plate glass might be used. The edges or frame- work, being of metal, are mere narrow bindings, but are at the same time as strong as stout wooden pillars would be; one end is removeable, sliding upwards in two vertical grooves, for con- venience in cleaning the floor of the cage. Each of these four glass sides is bound with a thin ribbon of zine along its upper margin. The top is composed of a sheet of perforated zine, fitted upon a quadrangular frame ; this is hinged at the back with six attachments (the two long sides are precisely alike, but, for perspicacity of description, I style the one nearer to me and to the centre of the room the front, and the other, against the window, the back), but is so contrived that the frame—about three-quarters of an inch in depth—laps or jits down over the front and ends, when the cover is closed, like the lid of a tin biscuit-box. It is secured with a staple and split-ring in front (of which arrangement more anon). The object of this over- lapping ledge and the number of hinges at the back is to prevent the snakes from pushing up the soft flexible perforated zinc at any point, and scratching themselves in endeavouring to get through. ‘The sliding end is locked immoveably by the cover, and would, indeed, under any circumstances, keep in position by its own weight. TREATMENT OF SNAKES IN CAPTIVITY. 65 Looking at the cage as it stands, one might imagine the glass sides to spring directly from the floor, since the lower edge of the panes is exactly on a level with the gravel. In reality, however, that stony carpet is an inch deep, so that the glass is inserted into a low wall of metal of that height, surrounding the floor. The latter is also made of perforated zinc, but the holes are much larger than those above—big enough to admit a dried pea. Underneath is a cistern for hot water, nine inches in depth, and capable of holding thirty-six gallons; but between the metal top of this cistern and the perforated floor of the cage is a space of about an inch and a half, in which lies a shallow tray or drawer, filled with baked earth or sand (the coarser the better) or charcoal, or all three mixed. This drains and purifies the cage, prevents the accumulation of moisture which would take place on a solid floor, and at the same time regulates economically the transmission of heat from below, by virtue of its mal-conductivity, even storing it to some extent for radiation . afterwards. Whatever is used—sawdust, earth, or sand—must be quite dry, or it will exhale steam—and should be coarse or crumbled rather than in fine powder. The tray—mine is divided into two—is pulled out in front by a couple of little knobs, like a drawer; once a week is quite often enough to change its contents. It has been suggested to me that it would be convenient to have the cage and cistern made separately, and stand the one upon the other. I hardly see the advantage myself. It would inyolve another layer of material between the snakes and the hot water, already separated by gravel, perforated zinc, earth, and two sheets of imperforate metal. Its weight adds very little to the upper part when it is empty; and as the burden of support comes entirely upon the perpendicular metal, there is not the least danger of any part cracking or bulging. The improvements claimed for such a construction,—that the cage is more easily moved, and that the cistern can be sent away to be filled instead of necessitating buckets and kettles to be brought into the room when it is replenished in situ,p—appear to me to be very doubtful ones. In the first place, such a cage is not intended to be shifted here and there continually, like a parrot’s; and to be obliged to lift it off on to a table or the floor every time the water is changed will be troublesome enough, to say nothing of the chance F 66 THE ZOOLOGIST. of breakage. In the second place, to carry away the reservoir full of cold water would be no light job, and to bring it back filled with boiling would be still less easy. I should, therefore, certainly advise my readers who may contemplate setting up an article of this sort to have it connected in the manner I have described, with the cistern, tray, and cage in one and the same construction. The cost of such a vvarium, without the stand, is about £4 15s. The one I am speaking of rests upon a strong iron frame ; and great attention must always be paid to the strength and steadiness of the support, whatever its nature may be, as the weight of water makes the burden very heavy, and the disastrous consequences of any accident are too obvious to require comment. The height of the stand will depend upon the depth of the reservoir ; about three feet above the ground is a desirable level for the visible floor of any cage, with a view to comfortable observation of the inmates. The top of the stand had better be solid, like a table, to afford level support to the superincumbent water-apparatus ; a piece of thin wood will be sufficient, but the bottom of the reservoir ought to be made of extra thickness, or strenghtened with battens outside if resting on a skeleton frame. And below this I keep a humble piece of furniture, which I would strongly recommend as an adjunct to a cage like this to all snake-keepers of normal proportions—a broad, firm stool whereon to stand when doing anything to the interior. Everything should be worked from the open top, and thus elevated, the hand can reach any part with ease. Never use the sliding end, except for the purpose of removing the gravel, and cleaning the floor when the cage is empty ; and then lift it out altogether and lay it aside. Sliding doors are an abomination ; they catch the snakes’ heads and tails, get blocked with gravel and refuse to close (which, in this case, would prevent the cover from shutting down also), stick half open at critical moments, and inevitably come to smash sooner or later. As for those finger-amputating, snake-dividing panes of glass with naked edges, which are often used in this connection, the less said or seen of them the better. The hot-water supply is, of course, the most important question. The receptacle has an aperture of outlet, controlled by a tap, at the lower angle of one side, and a short wide pipe, TREATMENT OF SNAKES IN CAPTIVITY. 67 bent upwards at a right angle and closed by a screw, at the uppermost border of the opposite end. Over the former a piece of india-rubber tubing is fixed when it is to be emptied, to pre- vent splashing; while a funnel can be inserted into the other to facilitate the process of fillmg. And since this operation in- volves no inconsiderable amount of trouble, it is extremely desirable that the heat should be economised and expended entirely in the right direction, viz., to warm the cage as far as possible. We must endeavour, therefore, to absolutely prevent its evaporation from any surface except the upper by encasing the other five sides of the reservoir in thick non-conductive material. The one of which I write is ‘ packed” in a complete envelope of felt an inch thick, which is adherent to the metal through the medium of a glue-like cement; holes are cut for the two pipes, which are the only exposed points, and caps are made to fit over even these. Underneath, on the top of the stand, an extra bed of felt is laid, and the sides are covered with green cloth for neatness of appearance. It is extraordinary to note how very long this preserves the caloric, considering how lightly the upper surface is defended from radiation ; but I may remark here that a depth of nine inches is hardly sufficient for a floor of this extent. It would save time and trouble to allow a foot, for, though the capacity of the tank would be thereby greatly in- creased, it would require filling much less frequently. The intervals at which the water should be renewed will, of course, depend upon the situation of the apparatus, and the partial or complete covering of the glass and top; and on the capacity of the cistern, out of all proportion to its relative size. Six gallons of water will retain heat ten times as long as two, under similar conditions. The owner must be guided by the indications of his thermometer ; such a cage as I| refer to requires to be replenished every three days with full exposure in the ordinary temperature of a living-room, but with the cover on would keep warm a week. It should always be quite full, and the water should be as near the boiling-point as possible when it is poured in ; a very gradual diminution of the heat may be insured by withdrawing a quantity —say a large kettleful—morning and evening, and at once replacing it with boiling. Lvery particle of heat must be hoarded, and, as undue waste can be prevented with attention to these few details, which are simple enough after once being 68 THE ZOOLOGIST. reduced to working order, they should never be neglected. The tray of earth will be found to equalise the temperature wonder- fully, preventing too sudden an accession when the reservoir is filled, and retarding its decrease afterwards; if it falls very low, a blanket may be spread over the snakes as they lie upon the gravel, but, as we have seen before and shall see again, it is not altogether undesirable that the heat shall be lessened at times. (To be continued.) NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS ON _BRITISBo STALK-EYED CRUSTACEA. By Joun T. Carrineton, F.L.S., anp Epwarp Lovett. (Continued from vol. vi., p. 391.) Pagurus ferrugineus, Norman. This small crab appears to partake of the features of P. Hyndmanni and P. levis, for its large claw is reddish in colour, slightly hairy above, but smooth beneath; its remaining legs are banded red and white. It has been recorded from Shetland, Northumberland, the Clyde, and Guernsey ; and we have obtained it from the last-named locality. Pagurus Forbesii, Bell. This species was described from a single specimen sent to Prof. Bell by Mr.{Corks, of Falmouth. The carapace is smooth ; antennz longer than the first pair of legs; eye-stalks club-shaped, and as long as the first joint of the inner antenne. Anterior feet on the unequal wrist and hand roughly granulate, the second and third pairs slightly compressed and with numerous small reddish brown spots. This species, we observe, has been recorded from Galway (rare), and off the South Isle of Arran, in sixty fathoms. Pagurus Dilwynnii, Bate. The striking peculiarity of this crab is that its left claw, and not its right, is the larger. The colour is of a bluish brown in life, which, however, is lost after death. The second and third joints of the anterior legs are toothed and armed with a medial BRITISH STALK-EYED CRUSTACEA. 69 ridge. The antenne are hairy, and are not quite so long as the prolegs. The swimmerets are hairy and bifurcate. Mr. Spence Bate describes this species from numerous speci- mens taken in a shrimp-net at Teignmouth, and it has been since dredged off Plymouth; we have also procured it from the same coast in seven fathoms. Pagurus eblaniensis (Kinahan). In the ‘ Natural History Review,’ 1857 (p. 34), Dr. Kinahan describes this species, which he, however, thinks may be a form of the young of P. Bamhardus, and again at p. 161 of the same volume, at the suggestion of Mr. Francis Day, he surmises it may be the true P. ulidianus. Fam. PoRcELLANID. This family terminates the British Anomoura, and embraces only the genus Porcellana. Porcellana platycheles, Lam. This crab is of small size, the carapace being seldom over half an inch in length, its breadth being somewhat less. The anterior portion is developed into three blunt prominences, and the rest of the margin is comparatively smooth. The antenne are about twice as long as the carapace. The anterior pair of legs are large and very broad; they are slightly hairy on their flattened surface, and ciliated on their outer margin with a thick fringe of hair. The next three pairs of legs are armed with a hooked terminal joint, also fringed with hair, and the last pair of legs are simply rudimentary, usually lying on the posterior portion of the carapace. The colour of this interesting species is usually of a brownish tint, much lighter beneath, but this shade is much regulated by the locality it inhabits. In the young state, especially, it is extremely difficult to discover unless it moves, for it adheres so closely to the rough stones which it affects, and moreover resembles them so completely in colour, that the most experienced eye will often overlook it. Under these circumstances it is not to be wondered at that we find it widely distributed. Prof. Bell states that it had been sent to him from various parts of the coast from the Orkneys to Land’s End. We have ourselves collected 70 THE ZOOLOGIST. it abundantly from the Channel Islands, Devon, Dorset and Cornwall coasts, as well as from the Farne Islands. It has also been recorded from several parts of the Irish coast, as well as from the French coast and the Mediterranean. It seems, how- ever, from what we have gathered, that its development is more favoured in a northern than in a southern locality, specimens from the north being generally larger and finer than those from the Mediterranean; this rather curious fact obtains with some other species. Being a shore crab it is easily obtained at low tide by searching carefully the under surfaces of large rugged stones. In the young state, final stage, this is a beautiful and instructive object for the microscope, the remarkable sete covering the animal exhibiting most curious structure. Porcellana longicornis, Edw. This species, though resembling the last-named in general form, is so distinct in its specific features that a description is necessary. The carapace is nearly round in form, and the three anterior projections are very small, the middle one being slightly grooved ; the antenne are very long, whence the specific name of the animal. The anterior pair of legs are large and heavy, in comparison to the size of the owner, the carapace seldom reaching three-eighths of an inch in diameter; they are ribbed longitudinally and armed with powerful forceps; they are also unequal in size, which is not the case with P. platycheles. The next three pairs of legs are simple and hooked at the tips, and the last pair are rudi- mentary. P. longicornis is not hairy, like the former species; it also differs widely from it in colour, being generally of a dull reddish tint, but often of a bright red, beautifully marked with brown or white, some that we obtained from the outer Farne Islands having a most brilliant combination of tints. It seems to be often taken in company with the last species, though it is more frequently found in rather deeper water; its range, however, appears to be pretty much the same as that of P. platycheles. In Jersey we were much struck on observing that, whilst P. platycheles was invariably found on rugged, overgrown, or BRITISH STALK-EYED CRUSTACEA. 71 encrusted rocks, P. longicornis was just as invariably found on smoother rocks, generally boulders of pinkish syenite, on which it was well protected by its similarity in colour. Suborder Macroura. Galathea squamifera, Leach. We now approach the Lobster type of Crustacea, although this genus, from its remarkable characteristics, is included in the Anomoura by Prof. Bell. The carapace and abdomen vary much in size; but Bell states that specimens have been obtained three inches in length, the usual size, however, is below this. The carapace is flattened, ribbed laterally, and armed on either side with spines pointed forwards, terminating in three long spines forming the rostrum; the abdomen is formed of wide segments, terminating in a broad telson, fringed with sete. The anterior ' pair of legs are long, equal, and partly spinous, the flat surface however, being covered with scale-like processes, from which it obtains its name. The next three pairs are scaly and hairy, armed with hooked claws at the extremities; the fifth pair are rudimentary, and appear to be used as brushes or cleaners. The colour of this species is generally of a dull brown, but Bell states that he obtained some from Bognor of a reddish tinge. It is a common frequenter of lobster-pots, Bognor being mentioned (and found by us) to be a good locality for it. Large numbers were thrown up on the Sussex coast by the great storm of January 18th, 1881. It has also been recorded from Cornwall, Devonshire, Dorsetshire, and all parts of the coast of Ireland. It is not a deep-water species, being often found at low tide, and we have dredged it at three fathoms. Galathea strigosa, Fabr. Although this species much resembles the former, it would perhaps be as well to describe it generally, instead of referring only to those points wherein it differs from G. squamifera. Tt often attains a length of four inches, and its first pair of legs being about the same length as the carapace and abdominal somites, cause it to appear larger even than this. 72 THE ZOOLOGIST. Its carapace is strongly segmented laterally, the upper margins of each fold being fringed with sete, and, towards the rostrum, with spines also; the lateral margins are also strongly spinous, the spines pointing forwards in the same direction as the rostrum, which latter is formed of three stout and sharp points. The antenne are fine, long, and have the basal joint spinous. Eyes kidney-shaped. The anterior pair of legs equal and proportionate, densely covered with spines and sete, the forceps being beautifully fringed with the latter; the next three pairs also spiny and ter- minating with a powerful claw; last pair rudimentary. The colour of this handsome species is usually a warm red- dish brown, with decided markings of a bright blue, which, however, should be seen in life to be fully appreciated. Prof. Bell’s graphic description of the rapid backward jerking (for it can scarcely be termed swimming) of this species we can fully endorse, from observations both in a state of nature and in captivity, and it is certainly remarkable to find an animal with anterior eyes of such development whose movements are of sucha retrograde character, so to speak, as those of Galathea strigosa. Of course, when safely landed in its burrow, or crevice, its eyes are of great service in watching its prey or its enemies; but as to its general movements in the water, they are decidedly in a direction where these organs of vision would be of but little service. The ova of this species are small, of a golden colour, and connected in groups, of great beauty when examined by the microscope. As regards the zowa, we may refer our readers to the woodcut in Bell's work; the filamentous tail is very similar to that of the zowa of Lithodes maia, another crustacean of the division Anomoura. G. strigosa is a fairly distributed species, inclining to southern waters ; itis common on our south-west shores and in the Channel Islands, though it is found also in our northern seas. At Wey- mouth it is called the ‘‘ Spanish Lobster,” possibly on account of its bright colours. (To be continued.) K2odBes) NOTES AND QUERIES. Animal Migrations through the Suez Canal.——_We learn from ‘ Nature’ that Professor Keller, of Zurich, during a stay near the Suez Canal, has been making a study of the animal migrations due to the opening of this means of communication. These are said to be very positive, though certain causes stop the progress of some species, or at least retard their movements,—for instance, the too sandy nature of the ground; the large lakes ; the currents ; the passage of ships, which derange the ova and larve ; and the too great saltness of the canal water. Since 1870 the following have passed from the Mediterranean to Suez:—Solen vulgaris, Umbrina cirrhosa, Labrax lupus, Balanus miser, and Ascidia intestinalis. Some Medi- terranean species are now on their way through (Solea vagina, Cardium edule, Spheroma), several fishes (Pristipona stridens, Crenidens forskali, &c.), and some molluscs (Cerithium scabridum, Mactra olorina, Mytilus variabilis) have passed from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean, while a numerous caravan” was found resting in the basins of the great Bitter Lakes. The fauna of the canal is still too poor for large carnivorous species to find a living in it; hence Rays, Cuttlefishes, &c., do not migrate: nor have Red Sea Corals passed into the canal. Wild Animals in India.—The ‘ Gazette of India’ contains the returns for 1881 of wild animals and poisonous Snakes killed in British India during the year. The total number of wild animals killed during the year was 15,279; Snakes, 254,968. The total number of persons killed was 21,427, against 21,990 in 1880, and the mortality was far greater in Bengal, the North-West Provinces and Oudh than in other provinces. Of the total number of deaths, 18,610 resulted from Snake-bite, and 2817 were caused by wild animals. The total number of cattle killed decreased from 8536 to 2032. The number of Tigers, Leopards, Bears, and Wolves destroyed was 1557, 3397, 991, and 4588 respectively, as compared with 1689, 3047, 1100, aud 4243 in the preceding year; and the number of human beings killed by these animals respectively amounted to 889, 289, 75, and 256, against 872, 261, 108, and 847 in the year 1880. ‘The total amount of rewards paid during the year was Rs. 102,811. Of this sum Rs. 90,850 was awarded for the destruction of wild animals, the remainder (Rs. 11,961) being paid or the destruction of Snakes. Of the latter amount, Rs. 6,214 was paid in the Bombay Presidency. In ‘ Nature’ for December 28th last will be found an interesting article by Sir Joseph Fayrer ‘‘ On the destruction of life by poisonous Snakes in India.” After quoting and commenting in greater detail upon the official returns above referred to, he expresses the opinion that still more zeal might be exerted in exterminating poisonous Suakes in 74 THE ZOOLOGIST. India, and that the mortality caused by them can only be checked by a system of organized and sustained efforts for the destruction of certain species. He advocates the employment in every district of an organized body of men to seek out and destroy the poisonous species, receiving a reward proportionate to the deadly character and number of those killed, and suggests that magistrates, district and police officers, and civil surgeons be authorized to give the following rewards, namely :—for a Cobra, 8 annas ; Bungarus ceruleus, 6; B. fasciatus, 4; Ophiophagus, 8 ; Russell’s Viper, 8 ; Echis, 4; and Trimeresurus, 2. The Fauna of a Welsh Village Church.—Our pretty little church, before it was restored a few years since, was in a very dilapidated state. Rabbits had their burrows in the old walls, and the rotten ivy-covered roof was tenanted by Slowworms, which occasionally fell on the heads of the congregation to their great alarm. At the present time numbers of Bats come into the church from an adjoining wood, and make an untidy mess on the floor and seats with the débris of their insect-food. One Sunday morning the sexton was told that it would be a good thing if they could be dispersed, and, on returning to the church for the afternoon service, the villagers were amazed to find a large paper tray, upon an old altar-tomb in the churchyard, on which were arranged in rows the bodies of some thirty Long-eared Bats, the spoils of a successful raid after the morning service. Sometimes the preacher, in the midst of his discourse, may hear the Brown Owls hooting from an old tree in the churchyard close at hand.—Murray A. Matuew (Stone Hall, Wolfscastle, Pembrokeshire). English Deer Parks.—Apropos of a paragraph which has been going the round, relative to the immunity of Deer-parks from taxation, it may be interesting to show that there are many more such parks in England than is generally supposed. There are no less than 334 Deer-parks south of the Tweed, thirty-one of which contain Red-deer. Eridge Park, Sussex, is the oldest ; the largest is at the Cheshire seat of Lord Egerton, of Tatton. The extent of this park is 2500 acres. Blenheim is sometimes said to be the largest; but this is an error. It is true that Blenheim Park measures 2800 acres, but only 1150 acres are occupied by Deer. Near London the largest and most famous Deer-parks are those of Richmond and Eastwell; in the Midlands is Thoresby ; in the North, Knowsley ; and in East Anglia, Grimsthorpe.—‘ Land.’ [This information is apparently derived from Shirley’s ‘English Deer Parks,’ published in 1867, and must be considered to be only approximately correct; for in some counties there are more Deer-parks than Mr. Shirley seemed to be aware. In Hertfordshire, for example, there are ten, although he only enumerates six.—Ep.] NOTES AND QUERIES. 75 MAMMALIA. Singular conduct of a Hare.—On the 2nd September last my brother and I were shooting in North Cornwall, and were trying a large uncultivated close, of between twenty and thirty acres in size, in search of some birds which we had just before flushed. I was at a distance of some 200 or 250 yards from my brother, when he kicked out a Hare, and let it go away apparently unhurt. The Hare made for the only gateway, which was some 100 yards from me, and the whole length of the close from the Hare, but in a different direction. Iran towards the gate and got within fifty yards of the Hare when it was nearing the gateway. I shot at it, but without effect, and the Hare ran nearly to the gateway, then turning sharp round faced me, and came right back, making for the hedge behind me, where, however, | could see no place for it to break. As it passed me I fired my second barrel and killed it. My brother and I were both at a loss to know what had caused the Hare to turn and face the gun instead of getting away through the gateway, which was entirely open in every way. When we passed through the gateway, and had gone but ten or twelve yards, my brother put his foot almost on another Hare, and when she went away killed her. He then found that his foot was resting on three leverets not bigger than rats, and it was evident that the former Hare, being the jack, had shirkéd the gateway so as not to run over the doe in her form. We had dogs with us, but they did not chase, although probably the Hare might have expected they would. I may add that, so far as we could see, there was no other means of exit from the first close but the gateway, it being surrounded, except in that one place, with an unusually high fence and ditch on either side-—Tsomas WoLFERSTAN (29, Woolster Street, Plymouth). Fatal Collision between two Hares.—During a day’s shooting on my uncle’s land at Boynton Hall, near Chelmsford, about the middle of December, a Hare came by its death in a most extraordinary manner. Two Hares were put up together from a field. Both ran back and tried to pass the beaters, but, on being shouted at, became apparently confused, and ran straight at one another without looking. ‘The result was a collision, after which one Hare fell over, and its neck was found to be broken. The occurrence was witnessed by my uncle’s keeper and several of the beaters, but I believe none of the guns saw it. I have heard of a case in whicha coursed Hare killed itself by running against a clod of earth, but never before have I heard of such an instance as the foregoing.—Rosr. Minter Curtisty (Saffron Walden). Former occurrence of the Marten in Norfolk,—I do not know whether you will think it worthy of addition to the notices of Marten-cats 76 THE ZOOLOGIST. in Norfolk, that I have recently learnt that one was seen throughout the summer at Gissing, in this county, about forty years ago. I have carefully cross-examined my informant, and have no doubt that it was accurately identified, though not obtained.—H. T. Frere (Burston Rectory, Diss). Mole pursuing an Earthworm above ground.— One day, whilst sauntering down a lane with steep-inclined banks covered with long matted grass, I suddenly heard a rustle on the bank, and, stoppng a moment, watched for a mouse or rat to appear, .but to my surprise out came a very large earthworm (Lwnbricus), wriggling along ata rapid pace, being evidently pursued by some enemy. Before the worm had got clear of the grass, his pursuer, a Mole, poked his head through, and, seizing the worm, bit it in half. He then dragged one piece back, but whether he ate it or simply secured it in some way I cannot say, as the period of his disappearance was so short, and almost immediately he pushed his head through the grass again, and began smelling about for the rest of his prey, which was wriggling in front of him. He soon discovered it, and, seizing hold of it, carried it back. During all this excitement the Mole only showed his snout and head through the grass. Evidently the Mole had been chasing the worm under- ground, when the latter, coming to the surface, endeavoured, though unsuccessfully, to make its escape.—IF' REpDERICK Lone (Wells, Norfolk). The Grey Seal in Norfolk.— On November 30th I saw a young female Seal at Yarmouth, which had been killed two days previously on Breydon : as it was undergoing the process of skinning at the time of my visit to Lowne, the birdstuffer, my opportunity for examining it was not very favourable ; but Mr. W. W. Spelman, for whom Lowne is preserving it, very kindly allowed me to take away the head, and a subsequent comparison of the skull with a number of specimens in the Museum of the Royal College of Surgeons, under the guidance of Professor Flower, leaves no doubt as to species (Halicherus grypus). It will be remembered that an adult female Grey Seal and its little one, killed in December, 1881 (Zool. 1882, p. 187), were the first recorded specimens of this species on the Norfolk coast. The present example measured 4 ft. 3 in. in length from the nose to the end of the hind flipper, and weighed 58 lbs. Mr. Spelman has presented the skull to the Norwich Museum.—T. Sournwe tt (Norwich). BIRDS. The Migration of the Common Jay.— Lord Lilford remarks (p. 27), on the unusual number of Jays which appeared in his woods in Northampton- shire early in October. This is very interesting, as their sudden abundance correlates with the great flight past Heligoland on the 6th, 7th, and 8th of the same month. I have recently also received several communications regarding the large and very unusual gatherings of Jays observed in the NOTES AND QUERIES. tits large woodlands in the western half of North Lincolnshire. It appears, therefore, very probable that our local birds were last autumn largely reinforced by immigrants from the Continent. —Joan Corpeavx (Great Cotes, Ulceby). Migration of the Jay.—I am glad to be able to add my mite of obser- vation to Mr. Cordeaux’s interesting article on this subject. After reading his remarks, I have no doubt that this immediate neighbourhood was affected by the migration in question, though not to the extent of a visit from the main body of migrants. About the 11th or 12th of October, having occasion to pass through some fir woods in this immediate locality, I was surprised at the immense number of jays which were to be seen and heard on every hand, and all appeared in a more or less excited state. I do not mean to say that the Jay is at any time at all rare either near here or in the New Forest, but it is well known to be much scarcer generally than it was some years ago, and this is not to be wondered at when a price is put upon its head. So common were they about the middle of October, that even the most casual observer could not but notice them, and several gamekeepers called my attention to it, one of them telling me that he counted thirteen jays in a single tree, and another telling me he had never seen them so commonly before. The numbers that were caught or killed, by other people besides gamekeepers, during October is also a further proof that they were unusually abundant. and I am quite sure that not half of those I saw were bred in this neighbourhood. ‘The Jay, unlike its gregarious relations, seems to me naturally unsocial, and, like the Magpie, if two or three are together they are generally chasing or fighting each other. Yet there are exceptions even to this rule, but when a certain degree of amity exists between individuals I imagine they are a family party, and members of the same brood, which could not have been the case with the numbers seen congregated together in October last. By the end of the month the numbers to be seen were considerably reduced. ‘These observations were made principally in the fir woods on the western side of the river Avon, but whether the number of jays was increased to any extent in the New Forest I am not in a position to say. A case in point, as to the direction of the flight of migrating birds, may be noticed in the migration of the Skylark, which, as far as I have observed, is never from north to south, but from north-east to south-west, or still more from east to west.—G. B. Coren (Ringwood, Hants). “Blder,” a Local Name for the Cormorant.—A few years since, when shore-shooting one cold wintry day at Southerness on the Stewartry coast, I had secured a Cormorant. Shortly after I was carrying the bird along by the legs, when meeting an old woman she exclaimed with an air of mock alarm, “Eh! Ye hae shot ane o’ the six Elders!” Isubsequently learned 78 THE ZOOLOGIST. that this is not an uncommon salutation with which to greet one who has bagged a Cormorant, but neither this woman, nor any other person acquainted with this curious remark that I have asked for an explanation, could give me any reason for it, or tell me how it originated. Throughout this county, as I formerly stated (‘ Zoologist,’ 1878, p. 428), the Cormorant is known as the ‘‘ Cow’en Elder,” Cow’en being the provincial pronuncia- tion of Colvend, a seaboard parish on the rocky coast of which these birds formerly nested commonly. In the adjoining county of Wigtown they are known as “ Mochrum Elders ”—Mochrum being an inland loch, on the banks of which they once bred in numbers, but from which they have lately been nearly, if not altogether, banished. Their territorial titles are easily understood, but why are such voracious, uncleanly creatures called after those decent, douce, peculiarly Scottish productions, the Pillars o’ the Kirk? And why a killed Cormorant should be “ ane o’ the six Elders ” is still more inexplicable. However, six Elders are a fair average number with which to constitute that ecclesiastical court, the Kirk Session, which in former times held undisputed sway in rural districts, imposing pains and penalties for breaches of morality, non-attendance at Kirk, Sabbath-break- ing, and various other offences. Seaside dwellers familiar with the charac- teristics of the Cormorants may, by way of revenge for some infliction of the “ cutty-stvol,” have thought it a good return to call a Cormorant an Elder! I shall be pleased if any of your readers can throw light on the subject.— Rogerr Service (Maxwelltown, Kirkcudbrightshire). Black Redstart in the North of Ireland.—As the capture of a female Black Redstart here on the 30th of last October, which I reported to you a few days later, is an uncommon event in this northern part of Ireland, I think you may perhaps consider it deserving of a notice in ‘ The Zoolo- gist.’ It is the first time that I have known or heard of a Black Redstart in the North of Ireland since the publication of Thompson’s ‘ Irish Birds.’ The facts are as follows :—On October 30th, 1882, a female Black Redstart, which had been catching flies on the window-sills, flew in at an open window into one of the rooms, when I caught it, and, having compared it with a stuffed specimen to verify the species with accuracy, let it go again unhurt. It flew off, and has not been since seen, although probably it is wintering in this country,—CLeErmont (Ravensdale Park, Newry). Dipper singing during severe frost.—On the coldest day during the severe spell of weather we had last December, I was by the river-side waiting for a shot at wild duck. The temperature was low enough for my beard to be covered with icicles from my frozen breath. Close to me, on a stone in the river, was a Water Ouzel warbling a soft Thrush-like song, and seeming to be extremely jolly. At the very same spot in the cold weather of January, 1881, I heard a Dipper singing from a large lump of ice in NOTES AND QUERIES. 79 mid-stream, when there must have been fully twenty degrees of frost. As a fly-fisher I have for many years wandered by the sides of mountain and moorland streams, favourite haunts of the Dipper, during the spring and summer, and yet, strange to say, I only remember once to have heard its song at a season which would seem more appropriate to it—Murray A. Maruew (Stonehall, Wolfscastle, Pembrokeshire). The Red-legged Partridge in North Norfolk.—It having been stated by some that the Red-legged, or as we call it the ‘“ French,” Partridge was very scarce this season, and knowing that a wet summer is always said to affect them more than the English Partridge, I have collected particulars of bags made between the Ist and 20th of October, near Cromer, which give a proportion of about eleven English birds to every Red-leg. But very much depends on locality; thus of forty-one killed at Trim- mingham ten were Red-legs, but this was always a favourite place for them, while forty-four killed at Northrepps, adjoining, were English to a bird. There is no doubt that, under the modern system of “ driving,” they suffer more than they used to do when the plan was to walk the turnips, and the wary Red-legs might be seen topping the hedges far out of shot. Last year I knew of an instance at Plumstead, near Norwich, in which sixty-four Red-legs were killed out of 110 Partridges, but this was very exceptional, and mostly on rough ground, which they like. That the dislike formerly shown to Red-legs is decreasing is certain, and no sportsman who cares about “driving,” at which they afford the finest sport, ever thinks of destroying their eggs. Mr. Stevenson, in his article on the Red-legged Partridge as a Norfolk bird (‘ Birds of Norfolk,’ vol. i., p. 411), mentions their habit of perching on trees, but in this respect they have now adopted the habits of their English cousins, and though I have shot at an old Red-leg as he flew out of a hedgerow oak-tree, the circumstance was so very exceptional as to be the only occasion on which I have seen one perching. It may also be partly owing to the yearly diminution of suitable hedgerow timber, and the fact that no young trees are planted since the plan of turning cattle into the fields became general, and the ash in particular, which must once have been a very favourite hedgerow-timber, is completely dying out in Norfolk, and so bad is it for the land that none are planted, though it fetches a price equal to the best oak.—J. H. Gurney, Jun: {Northrepps, Norwich). Variety of Wheatear and other Birds.— When staying at Scar- borough I went to Filey, and at Brown's, the taxidermist, I obtained a pretty variety of the Wheatear. Its back, shoulders, neck, and top of head were white, here and there speckled with minute grey spots. It was a bird of the year. At Scarborough also I obtained a cream-coloured Hedge- sparrow, pied Lark, and a Ringed Plover with the back a pale drab colour. 80 THE ZOOLOGIST. A few weeks ago a keeper near here found a nest of young Jays, one of which was white, with slightly yellow markings on the wings, the other three birds being of the ordinary colour.—J. WaiTaxkeEr (Rainworth, Notts). Partridge perching.—About the middle of last June [ was passing below a large, old, low oak-tree that had once been pollarded, but now bears branches again, when I was startled by what I took to be a Stock Dove coming out of it; but I saw directly after that it was a Partridge, and I believe a Red-legged or French one. Knowing that this bird not unfrequently breeds on the top of straw-stacks, I made search for a nest, but did not find one. The tree stands in a hedgerow near here, and Owls have bred in it.—R. M. Curisry (Chigual St. James, near Chelmsford). Snowy Owl in Donegal.—Mr. W. H. James, the principal light-keeper on the Island of Inishtrahall, at the northern extremity of the county of Donegal, has sent to this museum a Snowy Owl in immature plumage, which he informs me was shot by himself at Inishtrahall on the 19th of November last. It was first observed about six o'clock in the morning, the wind being then north-west, squally, with hail showers.—A. G. Morr (Curator of the Natural History Museum, Leinster House, Dublin). The Blue-tailed Bee-eater.—The example of this bird mentioned on p- 33 has at length been traced, and it was exhibited at the scientific meeting of the Zoological Society on January 16th by Mr. H. E. Dresser. Since it proves to be an adult specimen, the mystery of the appearance of this Asiatic species so far west remains as great as ever. Is it possible that it was ‘‘ changed at nurse ?”—Henry TT. Wuarrton (39, St. George's Road, Kilburn, N.W.) Greenland Falcon in Sussex.—I have taken advantage of a visit to Brighton to call on Mr. Swaysland, to whom I am indebted for an inspec- tion of the Greenland Falcon recorded in the last number of ‘ The Zoologist’ (p. 34). I found it to be a fine adult Hierofalco candicans (Gmel.), of a medium character as regards the extent of its dark markings, but I think inclining to the light rather than to the darker phase of this very variable species. This bird, when shot on the 26th September, had just completed its moult, except as to the quill-feathers of the wings and tail; in the latter only two new feathers had yet appeared, both lateral and one on either side. Each of these new feathers is an immaculate white, which is note- worthy, as the older rectrices show traces of dark transverse bars, which, however, are but very slight and rudimentary, except upon the central pair. Mr. Swaysland informed me that the Falcon (probably the same individual) which his son saw at Rousden in June had been observed about that locality for some two months previously, and therefore it had probably not nested. —J. H. Gurney (Northrepps Hall, Norwich). NOTES AND QUERIES. 81 Late Stay of the Swift.—Chiffchaff in Winter.—In my notice of the late stay of the Swift during the past autumn (p. 80) November 3rd is stated to be the latest date on which I saw this bird last autumn. I find, how- ever, on referring to my notes that the date should have been November 10th. It may be interesting to note that when out shooting near Brecon on December 2Ist last I noticed a Chiffchaff or Willow Wren flitting along a hedge. To be certain about the species, I shot it, when it proved to be the former.—C. Youne (Llandaff). The Note of the Manx Shearwater.—Lambay Island, off the coast of Dublin, has long been known as a breeding place for this species, though I am not aware that the eggs have ever been brought thence. Watters was informed on Lambay in 1851 that these petrels only visit this island and breed in some years, and not in others. The single white egg found in burrows above the rocks was correctly described, and the bird had decreased in numbers from about fifty, twelve years previously, to a dozen the year before his visit. Prior to this Mr. Montgomery obtained a couple of Shear- waters in a hole in the island, one of which came under Mr. Thompson's _ notice; but neither Watters nor Thompson appears to have had personal experience of the bird or its nest on the island. I have always seen a few in the neighbourhood of the island during the breeding season, though never more than about three pairs. Once only, in May, 1882, I believe I started the bird from the land. In July, 1880, during a week spent on board a trawler between Dublin and Carlingford, Shearwaters were continually seen, usually in the afternoon and evening, and in little parties of two or three to about a dozen. A more graceful flight can scarcely be observed. As the season grows later the flocks grow larger, and towards night also they seem to gather together. In broad daylight they keep farther to sea, but towards dusk and during the night they fly about the coast. They feed chiefly at night, and probably keep their nesting- holes by day, and thus elude observation. This brings me to a question which I raised in ‘ The Zoologist’ in June, 1880, and enables me to correct a false supposition there made. The cry which I for a time believed to belong to a species of Owl proves to be the utterance of the Manx Shear- water. Such a strange, hoarse, weird, half-strangled noise as they make, and heard on land as I heard it, would instinctively be attributed to the throat of an Owl. To Irish folks, who have no “hooting Owl,” it is some satisfaction to have discovered so good a substitute. About eight or nine years ago a lad on Lambay Island brought home a couple of young birds, the like of which he had not seen before, though in the habit of rearing seafowl of all kinds. He took them from holes on the north side of the island one evening, and all through the night there came unearthly noises, which terrified the good woman his mother so much that she ordered them to be removed at daybreak as “uncanny.” I have no doubt G 82 THE ZOOLOGIST. these were young Shearwaters. This was told me last May, when my friend Mr. Barrington came with me to Lambay. Up to that time I had not identified the noise, but my supposition that it proceeded from an Owl had been shaken by my Howth friends asserting that they had seen as well as heard the bird flying over the water in the afternoon, and that it was evidently a seafowl. Mr. Barrington was so much interested that he went out that night, and was lucky enough to hear it. Connecting this habitat with that of Howth, I began again to suspect the Shearwater, which I had hitherto set down as a silent bird, in consequence of finding no allusion to its note in the books ; and on the Ist July last I was fortunate enough to see and hear a flock of about thirty birds crowing and hooting in concert. Mr. Barrington has described the sound (p. 29) in the syllables “ kuck- kuck koo,” which, often much prolonged, and repeated quickly five or six times at intervals, is as close as it can be rendered in words. The birds seldom make this noise by day, but on heavy still after- noons in May, June, and July they are not unfrequently to be heard on the south side of Howth. They may then be seen far out to sea, swerving in occasionally, and coming nearer towards dusk. During the night, especially if it be dark, they hardly cease till dawn, flying over the cliffs and land bordering the sea. The sound must be well known to those who fish and boat by night, and to coastguards like McCarron, a correspondent of Mr. Barrington’s, who takes much interest in birds, and who suggested the above words for the cry of the “ night bird,” as it is called in Kerry. Heard at night it is sufficiently gruesome to build any ghostly tales on, and may, perhaps, have favoured a superstition of a “ night crow” or ‘night raven ” in its time.—H. Cuicuester Harr (Dublin). [It can hardly be said that naturalists have treated the Manx Shear- water as a silent bird. Yarrell, for instance, on the authority of D. W. Mitchell, remarks (vol. iii., p. 656):—*They make no noise when dis- turbed, though in their holes they are eloquent enough, the Scillonian synonyms of Crew and Cockathodon being derived from the guttural melodies they pour forth.” Apparently the Orkney name for this bird, Lyre, in Shetland Lyrie, noticed by Sibbald, Low, Montagu, and Saxby, has reference to the sounds which it utters. The Norwegian name also, Skrabe, looks as if it were onomatopeic. Sir R. Payne Gallwey, in his recently-published work, ‘ The Fowler in Ireland,’ describes the note of this bird, which he heard on the Skelligs (p. 260), as resembling the syllables ** Took-a-h66, took-a-ho6."—Ep.] The Note of the Manx Shearwater.—Referring to my note on the cry of the Manx Shearwater (p. 28), let me draw attention to the statement on p. 260 of ‘The Fowler in Ireland,’ by Sir Ralph Payne Gallwey, which book has appeared since my note was written. The writer, describing the Skelligs and their sea-fowl, says:—“A few steps farther, and we hear NOTES AND QUERIES. 83 ‘ Took-a-hoo! Took-a-hoo !’ coming from under our very feet. Here is a hole, and we find inside the author of the peculiar cuckoo-like cry to be a Manx Shearwater.” Edward McCarron, the keeper at the Tearaght Rock, described the sound as “kuck-kuck-ko, kuck-kuck-ko.” The inference which I drew is now corroborated by evidence of the most direct character, and a cry has been traced to the Manx Shearwater—a bird hitherto supposed to be absolutely silent—for I could find no mention of a sound being uttered by this bird in any book I consulted when writing my previous note. In its hole the cry is probably subdued, but at night, when flying over the surface of the water, it is very loud and remarkable.— RicuarD M. Barrineton (Fassaroe, Bray). [See the editorial note appended to Mr. Chichester Hart’s communica- tion on this subject.— Ep.] Rustic Bunting near London.—In the note under this heading (p. 33) it was inadvertently stated that only one previous occurrence of this Bunting in the British Islands (viz., that taken near Brighton in October, 1867) had been reported. A second, however, was shot at Easington, in Holderness, in September, 1881, as recorded by Mr. W. Eagle Clarke (‘ Zoologist,’ 1881, p. 465). The specimen recently reported by Lord Lilford, procured at Elstree Reservoir last November, is therefore the third which has been identified as an accidental visitant to Great Britain. Shore Lark, Lapland, and Snow Buntings in Kent.—Having heard that a bird-catcher in this district had been catching some Shore Larks in November last, I went to his house to see them. He had then three, taken about two days before my visit, and these were supplemented by four more, seven in all, about a week later. ‘Together with these, and associating with them, he had taken what he termed an “ Ortolan,” but which was indeed a Lapland Bunting in its winter dress, and this, as well as some of the Shore Larks, I obtained from him. Besides these birds, he had several freshly- caught Snow Buntings, in beautiful white plumage ; and, over and beyond these, he produced a fourth bird, evidently only just got (I think he told me the previous day), which he believed to be a hybrid between a Green- finch and a Common Linnet, Linota cannabina, and this conjecture, no doubt, is correct, as the bird bears in a very marked way the characteristics of each of these species. Thus in one visit I obtained from him the three good species, Shore Lark, Snow Bunting, and Lapland Bunting, with the above-mentioned hybrid. All these birds were perfectly clean in tail, primaries, and general plumage. All were shy, and evidently quite fresh caught.—W. OxenpEN Hammonp (St. Alban’s Court, near Wingham). {Some years ago we remember to have seen a hybrid between the Greenfinch and Linnet, and we believe an example of this cross is in the collection of Mr. Frederick Bond.—Eb. } 84 THE ZOOLOGIST. REPTILES. Smooth Snake in Surrey.—No one could be better pleased than myself to hear that the range of Coronella levis is extending. But the description given of the one seen by Mr. Ridley at Chobham Bridges does not tally with what I have observed around Bournemouth. From my experience it is (when first caught) wild and fierce. I had three last summer, which, when first introduced in the same case, were continually biting one another. Sometimes in their anger they would roll themselves together in a knot, biting fiercely, and whenever handled they would turn and bite, but after a week or so two of them became more amiable. One I had some time ago was of like temperament, and in two instances drew blood. I have kept many Grass Snakes (Natrix torquata), but have never known them to bite. The Sand Lizard (Lacerta agilis) occurs freely in this neighbourhood, and is, as a rule, very fierce. I should be inclined to think the Snake which Mr. Ridley saw was either a tame one set at liberty, or had been injured in some manner. I must express my admiration at that gentleman’s conduct in refraining from taking such a rarity.—S. B. Axrorp (Bournemouth). BATRACHIANS. The Natterjack Toad in Suffolk.—‘t The Zoologist’ for December last contains a note from Mr. Macpherson relating to the occurrence of the Natterjack at Aldeburgh. This is one of the few spots in Suffolk where this very locally-distributed species is to be found. A colony of them breed annually at a place called Coldfair Green, some three or four miles from Aldeburgh, the spot chosen being a sandy common, crossed by a small stream, which here becomes widened out, so as to form a sort of shallow pool, communicating with various other small ponds or creeks, and runs eventually into the mere at Thorpe, close to the town of Aldeburgh. In the month of April, during the spawning season, and more especially at night, their loud ringing cry may be heard at a considerable distance, the blending of their numerous voices forming one continuous murmur, not unlike that caused by distant flocks of sheep or of rooks, the effect of which is far from disagreeable. Their croak is totally distinct in character, both from the deep solemn bass of the Frog and the chirping treble of the common Toad. ‘There are several cottages within less than a stone’s throw of their breeding place. Natterjacks are also found, I believe, on the coast near Bawdsey, a few miles north of the mouth of the Deben, but I have no personal knowledge of their whereabouts at that place. I found them this year congregated at Coldfair Green in great numbers on the 22nd of April, and there were still a few in the water on the 4th of May. As regards their apparent partiality to the sea coast, the occurrence of this species in Scot- land, in great abundance, on the shores of the Solway Frith, as mentioned by Bell in his ‘ British Reptiles,’ and within a hundred yards of spring-tide high- watcr mark, might also be adduced as evidence.—G. ‘I’. Rope (Blaxhall) NOTES AND QUERIES. 85 FISHES. Large Pike in the Avon.—About the end of July last a large fish of this kind was caught in the Avon not far from Ringwood. It had been previously seen on several occasions, and many an unsuccessful attempt had been made to capture it by those versed in the “gentle craft.” The fish, however, had apparently disappeared from its usual haunt for some considerable time, till one day a small boy, whose angling experience could not have been very exteusive—much to his surprise—chanced to hook the ponderous-jawed monster, and brought it “to bank,” with the assistance of aman who came to the rescue. I saw the fish soon after its capture, and it measured three feet ten inches in length, and weighed just over 25 tbs. Its appearance was somewhat lean and gaunt, which would, I suppose, account for the comparatively small weight of the creature. Judging from the formidable aspect of its open mouth, it must have been an old enemy to its finny companions, as some of its teeth, especially in the lower jaw, stood up nearly an inch in length. The man who landed it told me he distinctly saw a rat in its throat when first brought ashore. I understand that much heavier Pike have from time to time been met with here, but few exceeding itin length. I am well aware that larger and heavier Pike have been met with in other rivers, but J think perhaps the above may be worth recording. —G. B. Corsin (Ringwood, Hants). MOLLUSCA, Food of the Oyster.—Can you give me any information about the food of Oysters? I have looked into several books for details on the subject, but have only encountered very general and vague remarks. It would appear that while the culture of Oysters has provoked considerable discus- sion, little or no attention has been directed to a discovery of the nature of their food.—R. A. (The most recent contribution to our knowledge on this subject is con- tained in an article by M. Certes in the ‘ Bulletin de la Société Zoologique de France,’ 1882, pp. 347-353, entitled Note sur les Parasites et les Commensaua de VHuitre. In this article the writer observes :—“ L’huitre est omnivore. Lorsque l’on examine au microscope les liquides extraits de lestomac on y retrouve plus on moins désagrégés par les sucs gastriques, des ‘grains de pollen, des acariens, des débris d’algues et de crustacés, des diatomées, des foraminiféres, des radiolaires, et en tres grand abondance a certaines époques de l'année les ceufs et les spermatozoidés de l’animalcule lui-méme.”—Ep. ] ARCHHOLOGY. Ancient Camps in Epping Forest.—There is a little confusion in the archeological note (p. 36) referring to the explorations at the Forest Camps and the Essex “ Dene Holes,” which it may be well to remove. The 86 THE ZOOLOGIST. British Association Committee (composed of members of our Club) is only concerned with the Forest Camps, and all the work, and almost all the money (excepting only the British Association grant of £10) has been sup- plied by the Essex Field Club. The explorations made last year at Grays, at the Dene-holes in Hangman’s Wood, were entirely under the superin- tendence of the Club, and the proposed complete exploration researches will be also thé work of the Essex Field Club.—Wixtram Couz (Hon. Sec., Essex Field Club). Ossiferous Cave near Cappagh, Co. Waterford.—The collections from the Bone Cave near Cappagh, mentioned in ‘The Zoologist’ for 1879, p- 331, and again in the current number (p. 37), have been deposited in the Science and Art Museum, Kildare Street, Dublin, where they occupy a separate case, and are arranged stratigraphically, the implements and other relics of man from each stratum being placed along with the animal remains discovered in the same deposit with them. One side of the case is wholly devoted to the second stratum, or grey earth, in which the broken marrow- bones and other smaller bones of the Irish Elk are associated with human bones, charcoal, and chipped hammer stones. A neighbouring case in the same museum is filled with the remains of Mammoth, Bear, Reindeer, Horse, and other pleistocene mammalia discovered from time to time in the Shandon Cave, five miles from here. The latter collection was arranged there by my much-lamented friend Prof. Leith Adams, whose influence and example led me to the discovery of the former and other caves that contain records of our past zoology, and by whom the animal remains were deter- mived.—R. J. Ussner (Cappagh, co. Waterford). The Royal Theriotrophium near the Tower of London.—In reply to the enquiry under this head (p. 37), I may observe that a little information on the subject is given in Bennett's ‘‘ Tower Menagerie” (Introduction, p- 15) which may be of service. Lt is as follows:—“In 1708 some improvement had taken place, for there were then, according to Strype, no fewer than eleven Lions, two Leopards or Tigers, three Hagles, two Owls, two Cats of the Mountain, and a Jackal. Maitland gives a much longer catalogue as existing there in 1754, and this is still further extended in a little pamphlet, entitled ‘An Historical Description of the Tower of London, and its Curiosities,’ published in 1774.” I have referred to Maitland’s ‘ History of London,’ 2 vols. folio (Ch. xvi., p. 172), 1756. He describes at some length “ the wild beasts and other savage animals in the Tower at this time, March 25th, 1754,” and mentions “‘a Golden Eagle, which has been kept there upwards of 90 years,” and “several other Eagles brought from different parts."—J H. Gurney, Jun. (Northrepps, Norwich). ; ear) SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES. Linnean Socorzty or Lonpon. December 21, 1882.—AFrrep W. BENNert, Ksq., in the chair. Prof. Adolph Ernst, of Venezuela, and Dr. W. C. Ondaatje, of Ceylon, were elected Fellows. Prof. T. S. Cobbold exhibited specimens of Ligula abdominalis from the Bream, of L. leucisci from the Minnow, and of L. monogramma from the Grebe, to compare with L. Mansoni from man, in illustration of his paper mentioned below. The L. abdominalis is the same worm which is called L. edulis by Briganti, and is eaten under the name of “ macaroni piatti.” Dr. Francis Day read a paper entitled “ Observations on the Marine Fauna of the Hast Coast of Scotland.” This contribution was the result of accompanying H.M.S. ‘ Triton,’ sent to survey certain parts of the coast off Aberdeenshire, Kincardine, and Forfar, in J uly, 1882. He remarked that the migrations of the Herring had given rise to many speculations, but still required elucidation. The chief objects of migration would appear to be a search for a locality where spawn may be safely deposited and the species continued, or a search for food to maintain their existence; but occasionally it would seem the fish migrate from ground where incessant netting and capture render them uneasy or frightened. If going more seaward it is not unlikely their progeny would locate themselves where reared; but again the new location might be found unsuited and the shoal might return to its first habitat. Dr. Day mentioned facts connected with the Wick, Moray Firth, and Aberdeenshire fisheries, showing that at Wick a large form of Herring arrives about the beginning of the year and disappears about March, shoals of a smaller size appearing in May and June; while a larger, fatter sort come in great shoals, and spawn in August and September. As the Wick fisheries declined those of Fraserburgh increased in yield. It is evident that the fishing is now carried on further out to sea, forty or fifty miles being the usual limit. As to the mesh of the nets employed opinions are very different. The same may be said of the nature of the food of the Herring; but Dr. Day’s observations point to this being minute Ento- mostraca, various ova, and small fishes. Whatever may be said by the fishermen of decrease in certain localities, the records of the fishery returns show a steady annual increase in the capture of Herrings from the com- mencement of this century until the present time. Dr. Day gave the results of his various dredgings, and particularly described the crustaceans and the molluscans, all of more or less well-known forms. A report on the Echinodermata collected by Dr. Day formed a separate communication, by Prof. F. Jeffrey Bell. Spatangus purpureus, Asterias violacea, and Echinus elegans were abundantly represented. Of the last- 88 THE ZOOLOGIST. mentioned there were a very large number of small-sized, though not one large specimen. Entangled in the spines of many of them were small egg- cases with unfertilized ova within. The Ophiurids were only six in number, and but a single Holothurian, not in a condition for determination. There were eighteen different species of Echinoderms taken in all. Further notes on the Zoophytes and Sponges obtained during the cruise of the ‘Triton’ were embodied in a paper by C. O. Ridley. These groups, though containing few species, were rich in individual specimens. The sponge Amphilectus (Isodictya) Edwardi was represented by finely developed specimens, and the. Suberites ficus, in some examples, showed instances of the vents on a special excretory area. Prof. T. Spencer Cobbold then read a description of Ligula Mansoni, a new human Cestode. The parasite in question was received from Dr. Patrick Manson, of Amoy. After an account of the animal, Dr.Cobbold remarked that the observations of M. Duchamp, taken in connection with the embryological studies of the late Dr. Bertolus, render it extremely probable that the Ligula of the Trout is the sexually immature state of the great broad tapeworm of man. If this genetic relation should be established by further researches, it is possible that the proscolices or six-hooked embryos of Bothriocephalus latus might, in place of passing through the ordinary piscine host, develop as immature Ligule within the human body. We know that phenomena precisely analogous to this do actually occur in the case of Tenia soliwm, the proscolices developing into scolices or cysticerci within the human subject instead of passing into the flesh of swine. In this case the ultimate host becomes also the intermediary bearer. An act of cannibalism would certainly bring about the completion of the genetic cycle.—J. Muniz. Zoo.oaicaL Society oF Lonpon. December 19, 1882.—Prof. W. H. Frower, I.L.D., F.R.S., President, in the chair. The Secretary made a report on the additions that had been made to the Society's Menagerie during the month of November, and called special attention to a collection of Reptiles from the Western States of North America, presented by Mr. Samuel Garman; and to a young Lynx, from Ballistan, presented by Capt. Baldock, R.A., which was apparently referable to Felis isabellina, Blyth. Mr. Sclater exhibited some photographs of a new Zebra, from Shoa, lately named Equus Grevyi by M. A. Milne-Edwards, which had been sent to him by that gentleman, and pointed out the differences which separated this animal from the nearly allied E. zebra. The Rev. H. H. Slater exhibited, and made remarks on, the skin of a Shrike (Lanius, sp. ine.), which had been obtained near Spurn Point. The Secretary exhibited, on behalf of Lord Lilford, the skin of a young SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES. 89 male E'mberiza rustica, which had been taken at Elstree Reservoir on the 19th November last. Only two other examples of this bird had hitherto been recorded as having been met with in Great Britain. Dr. Ginther exhibited, on behalf of Sir Campbell Orde, Bart., a specimen of a Charr, Salmo alpinus, obtained in a loch in North Uist, being the first example ever obtained in this loch. Mr. P. H. Carpenter exhibited, and made remarks on, some microscopical preparations of Antedon Eschrichti, in which a nervous plexus derived from the fibrillar envelope of the chambered organ was visible at the sides of the ambulacra of the disk. Prof. Flower exhibited a photograph (presented to the Society by Mr. James Farmer) of Seal Point, Farallone Islands, off California, showing the immense number of Seals, Otaria Gillespii, frequenting that locality. Prof. Flower read a paper on the Whales of the genus Hyperoodon, in which he pointed out that one of the most important points in the history of these animals yet unsolved was whether the large-headed form, with great development of the maxillary crests, called by Dr. J. KE. Gray Lagenocetus latifrons, was a distinct species, or whether, as suspected by Eschricht, it was the adult male of the common form known as Hyperoodon rostratus. The author had asked Capt. David Gray to avail himself of his exceptionally favourable opportunities of observing these auimals in their native haunts, to solve this question, with the result shown in the next communication. A communication was read from Captain David Gralpt, S.S. ‘ Eclipse,’ called ‘‘ Notes on the Characters and Habits of the Bottle-nose Whale '(Hyperoodon),” in which it was stated that he had killed 203 of these animals last season, and had traced in the males every gradation of development between the two forms, and had therefore conclusively proved that Hyperoodon or Lagenocetus latifrons had no existence as a distinct species. The communication was illustrated by sketches and photographs, showing the external characters and cranium in various stages of growth. Mr. P. H. Carpenter read a paper on the classification of the Comatule. He criticised the method of formulation recently proposed by Prof. F. J. Bell, and pointed out its disadvantages for the purposes of classification, owing to its being inapplicable to those Comatule which have irregular arm- divisions. He explained his own system of formulation and classification, and stated that he believed it to be capable of dealing with all possible variations of Comatula structure. Mr. F. Day read a paper on the identity of Arnoglossus lophotes, Gthr., with Plewronectes Grohmanni, Bonap. A second paper by Mr. Day contained remarks on some hybrids between Salmon and Trout. A paper by Messrs. Godman and Salvin was read, describing some Butterflies from New Ireland, received from the Rev. G. Brown and Mr. E. L. Layard. Among these were examples of two new species, named respectively Prothoe Layardi and Danais adustus. 90 THE ZOOLOGIST. Mr. Oldfield Thomas read a paper containing descriptions of two new species of Fruit-Bats of the genus Pteropus, from the Caroline Islands. The author proposed to call them Pteropus pha@ocephalus and P. breviceps. A communication was read from Major G. F. L. Marshall, containing some notes on Asiatic Butterflies. A species of Amecera was mentioned as new to the Beluchistan fauna, and three species were described as new. Mr. G. A. Boulenger read the description of a new species of Lizard from Dacotah, based upon some specimens lately presented to the Society’s collection by Mr. 8. Garman, of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Cambridge, Mass., and proposed to name it Sceloporus Garmani. Mr. Arthur G. Butler read a paper in which he gave an account of a collection of Spiders made by the Rev. Deans Cowan in Madagascar. In addition to many interesting and singular forms were specimens of the curious-tailed species drachnoura scorpionoides from Central Madagascar. Six new species were described. Mr. W. N. Parker read a paper on the anatomy of the Indian Tapir. Mr. Herbert Druce read a paper descriptive of new species of Moths, chiefly from Western Africa and New Guinea. Fifteen new species were described, as also was a new genus of Chalcosiide from New Guinea. January 16, 1883.—Prof. W. H. Frower, LL.D., F.R.S., President, in the chair. The Secretary read a report on the additions that had been made to the Society’s Menagerie during the month of December. Mr. H. E. Dresser exhibited, and made remarks on, a specimen of Merops philippensis, which was said to have been obtained near the Snook, Seaton Carew, in August, 1862. Lieut.-Colonel Godwin-Austen read the third and last of a series of papers on the shells collected in Socotra by Prof. J. Bayly Balfour. The freshwater shells of Socotra were stated to belong to the genera Planorbis, Hydrobia, and Melania. Not a single bivalve was obtained. Four species were described as new. Prof. E. Ray Lankester read a paper on the right cardiac valves of Echidna and of Ornithorhynchus. Seven additional specimens of the latter animal had been examined since the author’s former paper on this subject had been read, all of which, whilst showing interesting variations, agreed in the absence of the septal flap of the right cardiac valve. This character was shown to exist also in Echidna, and was therefore presumed to bea distinctive feature in the structure of the Monotremes. A communication was read from Mr. F. Moore, containing the descrip- tions of some new genera and species of Asiatic Lepidoptera Heterocera. A communication was read from Mr. G. B. Sowerby, jun., in which he gaye the descriptions of five new species of Shells from various localities. — Pp. L. Sctatsr, Secretary. (ris) NOTICES OF NEW BOOKS. A History of British Birds ; with Coloured Illustrations of their Eggs. By Henry Serpoum. Roy. 8vo, Part I. London: Porter. 1882. Hewitson’s ‘Coloured Illustrations of the Eggs of British Birds,’ which had reached a third edition before the author's death in May, 1878, has long been the standard work on British Oology. But, although the plates are excellent, and will probably never be surpassed for their fidelity to Nature, it must be admitted that the text as regards many species is out of date. Not only do we know a great deal more about the nidification of certain birds, concerning which little had been ascertained when Hewit- son wrote, but several species have since been added to the British list of which no mention is made in his work. The eggs of these have, therefore, to be figured, and some account furnished of their nidification. On this account the work recently commenced by Mr. Seebohm, which will supply these desiderata, will be very generally welcomed. We understand that this new publication will be completed in six parts, issued at a guinea each to subscribers, the first part of which is now before us. We are not sure that we like the tinted background on which the eggs are drawn, as it seems to detract from the richness of tone in some of the more highly- coloured eggs, although it answers well for eggs which are pure white. The text contains not only a description of each egg and its varieties, but also a very full account of the life-history of each bird. What this comprises is thus indicated by Mr. Seebohm :— “The habits of the bird during the breeding season, at the two periods of migration, and in winter, its mode of flight and progression on the ground, in the trees or on the water, its song and its various call- and alarm-notes, its food and the mode of procuring it at different seasons of the year, its migrations, the dates of arrival and departure, the routes it chooses and the winter-quarters it selects, and above all every particular respect- ing its breeding [such as choice of situation, materials of nest, 92 THE ZOOLOGIST. number and colour of eggs, &c.], all these particulars are its real history.” If we may conceive the works of Yarrell and Hewitson rolled into one, with corrections, emendations, and important additions, and with woodcuts as well as coloured plates, such a work will be Mr. Seebohm’s when completed. Report on the Migration of Birds in the Spring and Autumn of 1881. By Messrs. Harviz Brown, CorpEaux, KERMODE, BarrineTon, and A. G. More. 8vo, pp. 101. London: West, Newman & Co., Hatton Garden. 1882. Now that the British Association for the Advancement of Science has formally appointed a Committee to obtain observations, and the Master and Brethren of the Trinity House, the Commis- sioners of Northern Lights, and the Commissioners of Irish Lights have concurred in sanctioning the co-operation of the lighthouse-keepers and the keepers of light-ships all round the coast, the questions affecting this subject of so much interest to zoologists seem in a fair way of being solved; albeit some con- siderable time must elapse before a sufficient series of observa- tions can be collected for utilisation. At present the matter stands thus:— The services of the light-keepers have been enlisted on the east coast of Scotland at 29 stations; on the east coast of England 36; on the west coast of Scotland 40; on the west coast of England 40; and on the Irish coast 40. In other words, there are at the present time 185 stationary observers on the look-out for the arrival and departure of birds, with instructions to observe and note the time of day or night at which the birds are seen, the direction of the wind and the direction in which they are flying, and the temperature, and to identify the species if possible, or to describe, as accurately as may be, the general appearance as regards both size and colour. They are supplied with printed forms to be filled up and trans- mitted at the end of the year to the different members of the British Association Committee, who have undertaken to collect and report upon them. Thus the returns relating to Scotland have been arranged by Mr. Harvie Brown; for the east coast of NOTICES OF NEW BOOKS. 93 England by Mr. Cordeaux; the west coast of England by Mr. Philip Kermode ; and those for the coasts of Ireland by Messrs. R. M. Barrington and A. G. More, these gentlemen having the advantage of the advice and direction of Professor Newton, who is also a member of the Committee. The third report of the Committee is now before us, and embodies a large number of statistics, from which the Committee will no doubt later be enabled to deduce valuable conclusions. We need not occupy space here by giving extracts from the Report, for we make no doubt that every ornithologist will secure a copy for perusal in its entirety. A Manual of the Birds of New Zealand. By Waurer L. Buier. 8vo, pp. 107, with thirty-seven uncoloured plates. G. Didsbury, Wellington, N. Z. ‘ Triibner & Co., London, 1882. Mr. Buer’s well-known quarto work on the ‘ Birds of New Zealand,’ published in 1872, with its admirable coloured plates by Keulemans, has long been out of print and scarce. A new edition is announced, but pending the preparation of this the author has isued an octavo Manual with the above title, and illustrated with facsimiles of the plates in the quarto work, reduced by photo- lithography, but uncoloured. As tending to encourage and promote the study of Ornitho- logy in the Antipodes by placing a reliable yet inexpensive guide within reach of naturalists and collectors, Mr. Buller has been well-advised in this publication, which, we have no doubt, will be found useful by many, and especially by those who do not possess the former and larger work. We must confess, however, that we are disappointed with the text, which does not exhibit that advance and improvement upon the quarto which we should have expected after an interval of ten years. The ‘ Transactions of the New Zealand Institute’ contain many valuable records printed during this interval which might have been quoted by Mr. Buller with advantage ; as, for example, that relating to the occurrence in New Zealand of the Australian Roller (or Dollar-bird, as it is termed by the colonists), Eury- stomus pacificus (Trans. N. Z. Instit., vol. xiv., p. 265). 94 THE ZOOLOGIST. No information of any kind is given about the nesting habits of the Saddle-back, Creadion carunculatus, Gmel., of which so interesting an account has been published by Mr. T. H. Potts, who has also described the changes of plumage which this bird undergoes, but which are not noticed by Mr. Buller. Similarly, we find no reference to the nidification of the Orange-wattled Crow, Glaucopis cinerea, Gmel., of the Bell-bird, Anthornis mela- nura, nor of the Pied and Black Fantails (Rhipidura), although nests and eggs of all these have been described by Mr. Potts, who has likewise directed the attention of ornithologists to the curious fact that the two last-named species not unfrequently interbreed (Trans. N. Z. Instit., vol. ii, p. 64), a noteworthy observation which Mr. Buller would have done well to quote. The account given of the Kea, or Mountain Parrot, Nestor nota- bilis (p. 388) is very meagre, in view of all that has been published on the habits of this remarkable bird since the date of Mr. Buller’s quarto work ;* and the latest information relating to Notornis mantelli is too briefly given in the statement that since the appear- ance of his former work a third example has been “ lately captured by a party of rabbit-hunters with dogs at a place known as ‘ Bare-patch,’ between Maruia and Upokororo Rivers, on the plains eastward of Te Anau Lake.” For “lately” we should read “in 1880,” and it would surely have been desirable to direct attention to Professor Jeffery Parkevr’s description of the skeleton (Trans. N. Z. Instit. xiv., p. 245), and to inform the reader that this specimen of Notornis was forwarded to England for sale (cf. Newton, P. Z.8., 1882), and was ultimately purchased for the Dresden Museum, where it may now be seen. Describing the Black Oystercatcher of New Zealand, “ Hema- topus unicolor, Forster” (rectius Wagler) Mr. Buller makes the extraordinary remark that “ this species, although far more abun- dant in New Zealand than the Pied Oystercatcher, appears to have a more confined range, for it has never yet been recorded elsewhere!’ It happens, however, to be quite as common in Australia as it is in New Zealand, inhabiting all parts of the Australian coast, as well as Tasmania and the Islands in Bass’s Straits. Itis the more surprising that Mr. Buller should have overlooked this, since in his quarto work he has identified his H. unicolor with H. fuliginosus, Gould, from Australia! * See * Zoologist,’ 1880, p. 57; 1881, p. 290. NOTICES OF NEW BOOKS. 95 Gallinago pusilla, Buller, we perceive, still figures (p. 59) as specifically distinct from G. aucklandica, although, upon an examination of the type-specimen some years ago and a comparison with several examples of aucklandica, we failed to detect any difference, except in point of size, pusilla, as its name would suggest, being slightly smaller, a circumstance by itself inadequate, in our opinion, to warrant specific separation. If new species are to be founded in this way merely on a difference of size in individual examples, there will indeed be no limit to “ species- making! ” We are ata loss to understand why Tinga acuminata, Hors- field, or, as Mr. Buller has it (p. 55), ‘‘ Limnocinelus acuminatus, Horsf.,” should be separated from Tinga by the interposition of the genera Numenius, Recurvirostra, and Himantopus. Nor do we see any reason why the specific name baweri should be retained for the New Zealand Godwit, since that was merely a “‘ museum- name” bestowed by Natterer (not Naumann, as Mr. Buller has it), and no description was published of the bird to which it was applied. This leads us to remark that it would have been well if Mr. Buller had printed after each specific name adopted by him a reference to the original description, a course which would have added little to the cost of printing, and would have saved the reader a good deal of trouble. Let us hope that should another edition be called for, as we trust it may, these and other useful emendations will be made. Out in the Open: a Budget of Scraps of Natural History gathered in New Zealand. By T. H. Porrs. 8vo, pp. 301. With illustrations. Printed by the Lyttelton Times Company, Limited, Gloucester Street, Christchurch, N.Z. 1882. Unper this title the author has reprinted a number of articles contributed by him to ‘ The New Zealand Country Journal,’ with a few revised papers read before the Philosophical Societies of Wellington and Canterbury. _ Many of our readers probably do not see the ‘ Transactions of the New Zealand Institute’ and other colonial journals in which 96 THE ZOOLOGIST. at intervals these essays have appeared, but the name of the author will be familiar to them in connection with the many interesting articles which Mr. Potts has contributed to ‘ The Zoologist.’* As an outdoor observer he seems to have had excellent opportunities for becoming acquainted with the life- habits and mode of nidification of many of the less-known New Zealand birds, and has turned these opportunities to good account by a systematic entry in his note-book on the spot of all obser- vations made by him, storing them up for subsequent utilisation. This, no doubt, is the right way to proceed, and the way to avoid the mistakes which would be sure to occur by trusting to memory only. Amongst the chapters in the present volume may be cited that on the White Heron (pp. 1—8), on New Zealand Hawks (pp. 37 —50), the Bell-bird (pp. 113—116), Parrots (pp. 176—183), the Kea (pp. 184—198), on rare or little-known birds (pp. 194—203), Seafowl (pp. 204—220), and “ On recent changes in the Fauna of New Zealand,” which last-named chapter, like that on the Kea, has already, as noted below, appeared in ‘ The Zoologist.’ Amongst the illustrations we notice the nest and eggs of the Bell-bird (Anthornis melanura), a Kea perched on the back of a sheep, and the nest of the Saddle-back, Creadion carunculatus. It would perhaps have been well had Mr. Potts indicated in every case the particular journal in which each chapter of his book originally appeared, quoting volume and page, instead of leaving the reader to discover it for himself, perhaps with some trouble and inconvenience, for New Zealand publications are not quite so accessible in this country as Mr. Potts would have us suppose. * See his ‘‘ Notes on the Birds of New Zealand,” ‘Zoologist,’ 1871, pp. 2793, 2853; 1872, pp. 3052, 3089; 1874, pp. 8898, 3936, 3979, 4014; 1875, pp. 4409, 4477; ‘ On the habits of the Kakapo, or Night Parrot of New Zealand,” ‘ Zoologist,’ 1878, p. 3621; ‘‘ On recent changes in the Fauna of New Zealand,” 1874, p. 4185; “On Apteryx haasti,” 1874, p- 4158; and ‘On the habits of the Kea, or Mountain Parrot,” 1881, p. 290. G1) ed). THE ZOOLOGIST. THIRD SERIES. Vout. VII.) MARCH, 1883. [No. 75. ON TRINOMIAL NOMENCLATURE. By Jorn AsapH ALLEN. (Assistant in ihe Museum of Comparative Zoology, Cambridge, Mass., U.S.A.) By some remarks on trinomial nomenclature in the very able and discriminating review of ‘The Coues Check List of North American Birds,’ published in the October number of ‘The Zoologist’ (1882, p. 396), I am forcibly reminded how little our English fellow-workers understand what the trinomial nomenclature of American zoologists really is, and how little they appreciate its purpose and import. To most English authorities who have referred to it, it seems to have proved the most thorough stumbling-block imaginable; indeed, to us on this side the water it is a mystery that it should be so universally misunderstood. To explain clearly the points at issue it is necessary to refer briefly to the recent history of our knowledge of North American birds. Those who have closely followed our ornithological literature for the past twelve years must appreciate how thoroughly the Ornithology of North America has been studied, both in the field and in the museum, or how vast is the amount of material which has passed under the critical eye of experts. The whole of our immense trans-Mississippian territory, as well as Florida, Alaska, and portions of Mexico and the British Possessions, has been traversed and more or less carefully explored by well-trained collectors, their accumulated spoils amounting to not less than 50,000 to 75,000 specimens. Except H 98 THE ZOOLOGIST. in case of the rarer forms, the generalisations reached have been based on hundreds of examples of each species and subspecies, gathered from every portion of the habitat of the form in question. The elaboration of this material has resulted in the discovery of intergradation between forms whose specific dis- tinctness was not previously even questioned, and which would now pass as well entitled to specific recognition were the connecting links unknown. Furthermore, it has been found that various portions of the continent present phases of diffe- rentiation, more or less strongly marked, peculiar to cach, and which affect the greater portion of the species by which they are inhabited ; while the intermediate and connecting regions furnish a gradual transition between the forms typical of the remoter districts—a transition as gradual as, and correlated with, the changes in the geographical and climatic conditions of the connecting area. In other words, these investigations have led to the recognition of certain general laws of geographical variation which are accepted by all of our ornithologists of recognised authority. In consequence of the accumulation and study of this immense amount of material it has been found that three, four, or even half a dozen species formerly in good standing, because known from only a few examples, really form one specific group, with more or less strongly differentiated types in different portions of the general habitat, which, however, are inseparably connected by series of examples from intermediate districts. While all these intergrading forms are, in consequence of their known inter- gradation, referred to a single species, each differs so much from the other, as they approach their extreme phases of divergence, that the differences seem too great to pass unnoticed, and are therefore recognised nominally, and at the same time in such a manner as to indicate their true status and relationship. ‘The forms trinominally designated are simply well-marked local forms, geographical races, incipient species, subspecies, or “ varieties,” in the sense in which the latter term is commonly employed. To refer now to the text which has given rise to this bit of preaching, the writer says: “For instance, to take the first example in the ‘Check List,’ if Turdus migratorius propinquus is not Turdus migratorius, why not let it stand as Turdus pro- pinquus?" ‘To this we answer, because it would be giving ON TRINOMIAL NOMENCLATURE. 99 ? specific rank to what is not a species. “If itis only,” continues our reviewer, “‘a variety of Turdus migratorius, why let it stand as a species, on the same footing as the type from which appa- rently it so slightly differs?” To this we say, it does not stand as a species. but merely as a subspecies or variety.* T'rinomials are never used to designate a species; they always stand for what are commonly called subspecies or varieties. ‘‘ T’wrdus migratorius propinquus” is only a short way of writing “ Turdus migratorws, subspec. propinquus,” or “ Turdus migratorius, var. propinquus.” It is so understood by all who use it, and in no other sense. Our trinomials result simply from the dropping of the cumbersome connective ‘‘ subsp.” or “var.” commonly used in cases where we employ simply the trinomial. It is not therefore, to borrow the words of our reviewer, “simply to return to the old method that Linneus is celebrated for having—as we hoped—caused his followers to discard, naming a bird by a diagnostic sentence.” Neither has it the remotest tendency or bearing in that direction, either in origin or function. Instead of doing such violence to the Stricklandian Code,—instead of being “‘ both retrograde and misleading,’—it is a device to meet simply and explicitly, in accordance with the spirit if not with the letter of that “Code,” a condition of things unknown and unsuspected when that, in most respects, admirable system of nomenclatural rules was conceived. Instead of bewailing and denouncing the “evil example of the Americans” in the use of trinomials, we sincerely hope that Europeans will examine into the occasion, basis, and import of this practice, which is believed by those who use it to tend merely to simplicity and conciseness, while it clearly recognises the status and relationship of the subspecific types to which, as above said, it is alone applied. In consequence of the recent thorough exploration in the interest of Science of nearly every part of our ‘‘ Great West,” it may be safely said that no other equal portion of the earth’s surface is so well known ornithologically as North America, and that no amount of material from a like area has ever passed through the hands of specialists. This statement is made in no * Dr. Coues, it is true, gives it a distinct number, as we think unwisely, and contrary to his and all other previous check lists of North American birds; and in the present case we fear his so doing has aided misconception on the part of the reviewer here referred to. 100 THE ZOOLOGIST. boastful spirit, but in recognition of the fact that it is the result simply of favouring circumstances, which it is perhaps hardly necessary in this connection to enumerate. It is not therefore wholly strange that the exigencies thereby developed should be imperfectly appreciated by Old World authorities. When similar opportunities for investigating the bird-life of other large areas have been enjoyed, the convenience, if not the necessity, of trinomial nomenclature will be more readily conceded — when intergradations have been traced between many allied forms now held to be specifically distinct; for it is not supposable that North America is exceptional in respect to the matter of geographical variation in animal life under diverse conditions of environment, resulting from differences of latitude, elevation, and climate. ZOOLOGICAL NOTES FROM GIBRALTAR. By Capt. E. F. Brcuer, R.A. Berne at Gibraltar during the spring of 1882—from 28th March to 5th April, again from 24th to 30th April, and from 25th to 30th May—I paid particular attention to the vernal migration of the birds visiting Tangiers, an excellent place for observation. I was grievously disappointed. Olcese, the local naturalist, in- formed me that he never remembered seeing so few migrants; he had only observed a few stragglers on the well-known plain called the Marshan, which, according to Col. Irby, seems to be “the starting-point of half the small birds which visit Europe.” Presumably the reason for this scarcity was the unusual drought in the interior. As an example of the exceptionally dry season, it may be stated that the registered rainfall at Gibraltar was about 17 inches against 56 the previous year. The sergeant at the signal station at Gibraltar observed very few migrants passing over, and it would be interesting to know the result of observations elsewhere—whether a falling off of the number of migrants was observed in any other locality. The drought, or some other cause, also appeared to have affected the Lepidoptera, for butterflies on both sides of the Straits were unusually scarce, even in the cork woods near the Rock— generally such a favourite locality. A pair of Bonelli’s Eagles, N. fasciatus, bred as usual on the NOTES FROM GIBRALTAR. 101 east face of the Rock, the nest being situated on a ledge below the highest point. The female was first observed on the nest on the 28th January; the young were fledged and gone about the 14th May. Only a single pair breed there yearly, for as soon as the young can fly they are driven away, doubtless because the old birds know that the supplies obtainable in the neighbourhood are limited. By the 25th May the spring migration, such as it was, had ended. On the occasion of one of my visits to Tangiers I noticed rather a peculiar position selected for a nesting-place by a Common Swallow, H. rustica; this was inside a small entrance- hall in Bruyeaud’s Hotel; a cornice runs round it about two feet from the ceiling; at one of the corners the nest was placed; at night the male used to roost on the cornice about a foot from the nest. ‘The peculiarity about the choice of this position was that it was the most noisy place in the whole house; at one side of the - hall was the main entrance, opposite to this the staircase, the dining-room and smoking-room doors being on the other two sides; a large lantern hanging from the centre of the ceiling, which was alwys kept burning till a late hour. A Squacco Heron, Ardea comata, was shot “between the rivers,” about four or five miles from the Rock, on the 20th May; Col. Irby says he never observed one near Gibraltar. There were three Crested Coots, Fulica cristata, shot in the same locality, the first on the 27th May, the other two a few days later; the plumage of all three was very much worn; Col. Irby “never saw this species in Andalusia.” A Kingfisher, Alcedo hispida, was seen in the cork woods, near Gibraltar, on the 23rd May; I myself saw one on the 5th June outside the line-wall, between the Ragged Staff and the Waterport; Col. Irby says, “I have no record of its occurrence during the breeding season, i. e., not later than the end of April; the majority arrive in October, leaving in March.” Although the avifauna of the Straits of Gibraltar has been so well investigated by Col. Irby and others, there are still species peculiar to each side of the Straits, the occurrence of which on the other side would be a most interesting event,—e. g., the Blue Titmouse, P. ceruleus, is found on the Spanish side, but is represented on the African side by the Ultramarine Titmouse, Parus teneriffa; a similar case is that of the Common Chaffinch, 102 THE ZOOLOGIST. Fringilla celebs, and the North African F’. spodiogena: while analogous variation is seen in the case of some butterflies. It is curious that under almost similar conditions of existence these variations should be persistent. I am not aware whether the North African Chaffinch migrates South, but it is supposed never to cross the Straits; it thus opens a very interesting question on the subject of migration—that these two birds, (F. celebs and F’. spodiogena) should respectively stop short on the very shore of a narrow sea. The Apes on the Rock had bred well, and it was interesting to watch them on the trees in some of the gardens. On one oceca- sion I saw at least three very young ones with them, and I particularly noticed the way in which their mothers carried them—which as a rule was on their bellies, the young ones holding on with their feet and hands as their mothers jumped from branch to branch; sometimes the mothers holding them with one hand, but usually the little one had to cling on unaided; sometimes they were carried on their mothers’ backs. As regards the land shells of Gibraltar, from information I have gathered and from my own observation, there are twenty species found on the Rock, of which Pupa calpeana is supposed to be found in no other locality. The following is the list :— Helix aspersa (Mull.), H. acuta (Drap.), H. pisana (Mull.), H. marmorata (For.), H. luteata (Parr.), H. sherzeri (Geleb), H. lenticularis (Morel), H. conspurcata (Drap.), H. hyalina, H. coquandi (Morel), H. lactea, H. apicina (Ferr.), Ferrusaica vescot (Morel), Bulimus truncatus, Pupa calpeana (Wester.), Cyclostoma elegans, and four unnamed; a white variety of H. lactea is also found at the highest part of the Rock. In summer every twig and dried remains of herbage is laden with Helices, chiefly if not all H. pisana, the fierce heat of the sun apparently not harming them; of the above list all but P. calpeana, and three of the unnamed ones are more or less common. I cannot suppose that the list is complete, but that if the gardens were thoroughly searched, containing as they do a number of imported shrubs and plants, some new species would be found. In conclusion I would add that, uninviting as the Rock of Gibraltar looks, especially in summer, yet to those interested in any branch of Natural History there is a ready field for their investigation. Well worked as the Ornithology of the Straits has been by Col. Irby and other tt ei TREATMENT OF SNAKES IN CAPTIVITY. 1038 naturalists, it is still far from being exhausted. To trace the connection of the rock with Africa, in regard to species of any class, would be another interesting study. ON THE TREATMENT OF SNAKES IN CAPTIVITY. By Arraur Strrapuine, C.M.Z.S. (Continued from p. 68.) Snakes can be kept warm in a box unprovided with any such mechanism by movable tins of hot water, or, better still, by an india-rubber water-pillow, though there are great disadvantages attending each. Here the same principles hold good; the larger the vessel the longer will it continue to evolve heat, one being preferable to two of half its capacity, unless no obstacle exist to the two being refilled at very short intervals; here, too, it will - be necessary to wrap up the tins, not only for the purpose of economizing the heat, but to prevent the snakes from burning themselves. Care must be taken not to run into the opposite extreme, and cover them so thickly that the heat is all kept in and the poor reptiles get none of the benefit of it. That is the reason for choosing coarse earth for our tray; a fine, close powder would be too perfect a non-conductor. The tin or pillow may be cased in a flannel bag, but should rest upon some material which will prevent evaporation from below, since what- ever heat goes off in that direction is wasted ; a pile of tightly- pressed newspapers is as good as anything. If a tin is chosen, a square shape is best, the upper surface just large enough for the serpents to coil upon, with rugs over all; they will find out where the greatest amount of radiation is taking place, to a degree. In arranging some rough paraphernalia for an attempt at artificial incubation with snakes’ eggs, I once fell into this error of over-precaution against escape of heat. A tin holding S1X gallons of boiling water was so completely shielded that at the end of seven days it was scarcely possible to bear the hand upon it when it was unwrapped, while the eggs were cold and dead. This system is adapted to several articles of manufacture for domestic comfort and convenience. A cover of flannel or quilted stuff, the thicker the better, should be provided for the vivarium, and always put on at night; 104 THE ZOOLOGIST. it ought to be well-fitting like a garment, but the four sides may have free borders unattached to each other, only joimed—hinged, as it were—to the top piece. ‘Thus, when the ‘‘cosy” is on, the edges will be in apposition and the cage perfectly covered, and at the same time it allows one or more sides to be turned up to admit light during the day; for it is often advisable to partially shelter the glass in this way, and effects a vast saving of heat. If the cage stands, as it probably will, at the window, then the zine top and the two ends only must be covered, the front and back squares being folded above, to prevent the room being darkened, as well as to afford a view of the reptiles—always let them see, as well as be seen. If, however, it stands in any other situation, then it will be enough to turn back the front portion alone ; but if the cage is not designed to transmit the light, it is just as well to have the back (and perhaps the ends, too) made of wood or metal. The use of the cover will naturally vary with the season, and according to incidental circumstances affecting the local temperature. The ordering of the interior of the cage will be discussed when we come to consider that topic generally. There must be a forked branch, of course, of suitable size, as in the den last described ; one end can be fitted into a hole of the perforated floor, while the other may be secured to the zinc at an angle of the top with wire or a rivet. A pan of water will take the place of the tank, and the only thing that need be said about it here is that it should not be put in until the sides of the cage are thoroughly warmed—otherwise the vapour which it will be impelled to throw off by the heat below will condense and cloud the glass. ‘Tepid, not cold, water is to be introduced when the pan is refilled, as it should be every day. The kinds of snakes which may be kept in such a cage will also be allotted to a separate chapter; but I may remark in this place that when it is intended to contain young constrictors, of large and powerful species, the sides must be made of plate-glass. A small orange-tree, fuchsia, geranium, or other plant with tolerably sturdy stem, has a very pretty appearance in such a case with Green Whip-snakes, or any whose habit of body is excessively slender, like the Tree Snakes proper; but does not do for bulkier reptiles, even if the branches will support their weight. Coming out of the water, they glide and burrow about TREATMENT OF SNAKES IN CAPTIVITY. 105 the earth in which it grows, thus acquiring a coat of mud which they transfer to the gravel and bath, and smear about the glass. Such an arrangement, however, is well suited to serpents belonging to Philodryas, Herpetodryas, and allied genera, which live almost entirely among the leaves, their long lithe bodies twining gracefully in and out between them, and scarcely dis- tinguishable when at rest by the unaccustomed eye. As a rule, “pretty” effects are to be mistrusted, where snakes are in question. A crystal vivarium, with beautiful serpents roaming and climbing about within it, is quite handsome and striking enough, if kept clean, without the addition of any adventitious decorations. Allusion has already been made to the stucco rock- work and mirrors displayed in the four reptile-cages opposite the Lions in the Antwerp Jardin Zoologique—et preterea nihil in some of them, very often !—but the most atrocious cruelties are perpetrated to obtain picturesque and bizarre effects. Unhappy . snakes have been compelled to writhe in a narrow interspace between two sheets of glass as window-transparencies and fire- screens; have been prisoned in tubes of water surrounded by flowers; and have fretted their lives away in miserable little bowl-shaped shades, made to cover stuffed birds, hanging on drawing-room walls. Some writers have even asserted that the inhabitants of certain countries wear them commonly as bracelets, necklaces, and even as earrings, passed bodily through the lobe of the ear—a statement which requires a good many grains of the chloride for its deglutition when we remember the universal horror with which they are regarded in every country by the only class likely to be guilty of such a practice, the impossibility of retaining them in such a position, and the certainty of their biting if they could be so retained. Still, the point is not of much moment here, since I presume that the reader will value his serpents rather as materials for the study of Ophiology, than as the means for indulgence in per- sonal adornment. It is usually advantageous to keep newly-born snakes of all species in feeding condition through their first winter in captivity, even if they belong to a comparatively cold habitat, and adults of the same kind are allowed to hybernate. For these, or for any tiny snakes of a few inches in length, especially for a single specimen of some brilliantly-coloured, rare, or delicate serpent, a smaller and 106 THE ZOOLOGIST. more easily managed hot cage may be contrived with very little expense. An ordinary gold-fish globe, or vase, is filled with fine gravel, or coarse sand, up to the level of its largest diameter, and furnished with a small saucer or pot, buried to to the rim, for water, and a miniature tree. Over the top a piece of muslin or stout gauze is passed; this may be loose and baggy in the centre, so as to permit the tree to extend above the top of the globe, and thus increase the space for exercise ; but it must not be forgotten that this elevated part will practically be in the open air as far as warmth is concerned, and in any case the gauze is to be fastened very tightly under the everted brim—an ordinary elastic band is not strong enough. The globe, now complete as a cage, should rest upon a cylindrical hot-water tin, whose transverse diameter is not less than the greatest breadth of the glass. This tin may hold about four gallons, and must be concave at its upper end in such a way that the globe sinks into it to the level of the surface of the gravel, the convexify and concavity being adapted to each other as accurately as possible. A very thin piece of flannel may interpose between the glass and metal, but the tin (which will require refilling with boiling water about once in thirty-six hours) should be thickly enveloped in felt. A circular imitation rockery, to mask the tin, can be constructed of cork, and will pass on and off over the top like a ring; or, if rather elaborate and stocked with ferns, may be left undisturbed, and the apparatus put together within it, or removed piecemeal as required. This has a highly ornamental appear- ance, and involves no sacrifice of proprieties. I have used a glass clock-shade for a similar purpose, but it is a very awkward arrangement; if anyone should adopt it, they had better take off the little feet on which the stand rests, so that, whether it be kept on the mantelpiece or upon a water-vessel, the under part may lie flatly upon the warm surface. We may now consider the accessories incidental to the conservation of serpents which will thrive under ordinary climatic conditions, and require no increase of temperature; and it is to- this section that I most especially and hopefully devote myself— not only because it appeals to the greatest number of amateurs in this branch of Natural History (from the school-boy who snatches a fearful joy in contemplation of a contraband grass- snake in his desk, upwards), but because the observations made TREATMENT OF SNAKES IN CAPTIVITY. 107 under circumstances which are as little as possible influenced by artificial surroundings are far more trustworthy than any which can be conducted in heated cages. I write here, keeping in mind our English atmosphere and using our own snakes for illustra- tion; but the remarks will bear reference equally to the serpents of any country, tropical, subtropical, or temperate, studied in their native habitat. Furthermore, a big snake presents no special characteristics which render it preferable to a small one for most scientific purposes; and no one will doubt that a common grass-snake or adder will offer many opportunities in its own territory for records more valuable to science than anything which can be gleaned from the largest Boa Constrictor, or other ophidian immigrant, whose existence is maintained in an abnormal environment. The construction of a vivarium for this class of serpents obviously admits of the greatest variation. One must aim at - obtaining the utmost facilities for gaining a constant insight into the phases of their changeful life, consistent with altering the immediate relations of that life in no way prejudicial to the creatures themselves; avoiding the rock of raree-show “‘ prettiness ” on the one hand, nor plunging on the other into the whirlpool of ultra-conformity to ‘‘ Nature,” which will engulf all chance of ever making an observation at all. This latter evil is exemplified to some extent in the terrarium established in the beautiful gardens of the Zoologische Gesellschaft at Hamburg. It is a large and handsome structure, situated in the open air; the sides are entirely of glass, and it contains a tasteful display of shrubs, ferns, and mountainous rockeries with miniature cascades, &c. All very natural and homelike for the snakes, but somewhat disappointing to the visitor who comes to look at them, since not a tithe part of the number it houses can ever be seen at one time. A great many of the European species are said to be represented in this terrarium; having no heating appliance, it is half-filled with dead leaves for their protection all through the long and severe winter, owing to its exposed position. The welfare of an animal in confinement does not demand for its provision so close an adherence to its native Lares et penates as this, which would indeed be exceedingly difficult to carry into execution with brutes of larger growth. A friend of mine, living in the West of France, some time ago 108 THE ZOOLOGIST. determined to investigate the habits of common snakes under what appeared to him to be the most favourable circum- stances, by keeping them in an enclosure upon his lawn, wherein they might be considered to live in a perfect state of nature. A circular space, between sixty and seventy feet in circumference, was surrounded with a wall four feet high; the foundations of this wall were dug to a depth of three feet, to preclude the possibility of any reptile burrowing its way beneath it to the outer world; for no trouble or expense was spared to insure completeness in every detail by the designer. Part of the ground was planted with thick, coarse grass and rank weeds, while the rest was left bare; there was a huge pile of rustic wood and stone in the centre, to hide a mound of rotting vegetable matter, accessible to the snakes through the interstices of the rockery ; and a small pond gave lodging to an abundance of live food in the shape of frogs, fish, and newts. The wall was plastered smooth as glass on its inner side, all overhanging or under- growing boughs and stems were cut away, that no prisoner— if prisoners they could be called—might find the means of escape, and the snakes were turned in, scores, if not hundreds of them; grass-snakes like ours, for the most part, though other kinds indigenous to the continent, of which shall afterwards make mention, were there too. It was a great success—for the snakes; they did remarkably well, as might be expected in such luxurious quarters, fed well, bred well, but were scarcely ever visible. If one walked stealthily up to the wall and peeped over, there might be time to note two or three indistinct objects flash away into the tangled bush with an angry hiss, certainly; but neither this nor going in amongst them and stirring them up from their jungle, where they lay matted like the blades of grass, could properly be termed studying their habits in a state of freedom. I am afraid the very pretence soon dwindled down to an undisguised sensational exhibition to guests at night; the wall was surrounded as quietly as possible in the darkness, and and the light from several lanternes sowrdes suddenly turned on. It would be some moments before the snakes, lizards, and frogs, bewildered by the illumination in the midst of their nocturnal rambles and avocations, contrived to stow themselves away ; and the whole enclosure presented a creeping, leaping, hissing, slimy nightmare for herpetophobic people to shudder at, If TREATMENT OF SNAKES IN CAPTIVITY. 109 reptiles bore a high commercial value, the place might have proved a capital speculation as a nursery; the eggs deposited in the rotten leaves were hatched freely, and in the spring swarms of little serpents might be seen about the stones on a sunny day, or surprised in pursuit of tadpoles and newly-emancipated frogs after dark. And from these young ones was gathered perhaps the only result of the costly experiment—an answer to the question often asked, Why are snakes not more numerous ? All these creatures are very prolific, whether ovo-viviparous or oviparous. Boas, vipers, and various colubers belonging to the former class which have bred in menageries, have given birth to batches of fifteen, twenty, thirty, or even a greater number ; and in those cases where less have been produced, there have usually been indications to show that many more ova have never reached maturity, as they probably would have done had the mother remained undisturbed in her native wilds. Our common ‘English Snake lays from twenty to fifty eggs at a time, and it may reasonably be conjectured that most, if not all, that are laid are hatched; the parent’s instinct leads it to deposit them in some situation favourable for their germination, and the eggs themselves are not exposed to the depredations that imperil the contents of a bird’s nest. Yet the snake is a reptile com- paratively scarce in our midst, and does not increase fifty, twenty, or even twofold in localities where they are unmolested by the hand of man. My friend found an explanation of the fact in the many animals which devour them greedily, in addition to their well-known enemies, mongooses, pigs, storks, and pike. Any bird or fish that will eat a worm will take a snake of corresponding size; and, curiously enough, the very things upon which they feed when they are big enough, seem to prey upon them with an avidity which one might fancy inspired by an impulse of self-preservation—thus, frogs, lizards, and tritons which had been intended to furnish the larder, took a dietetic revenge on the early snakelings. Toads, hedgehogs, and even slow-worms made away with them, while flocks of birds by day, and rats, stoats, weasels, polecats, and other small deer at night were undoubtedly attracted to that happy hunting-ground, to the notable diminution of its ophidian population. After a while snakes began to appear outside the enclosure, about the lawn and shrubberies, and it was supposed, since not the tiniest 110 THE ZOOLOGIST. aperture could be discovered, that they were carried over the wall by marauding cats and fowls. Finally, two large Black Vipers having been added to the collection, a panic seized upon the household, which communicated itself to the host at length ; no one would venture within the circle any more; and a couple of pairs of Peacocks, the most determined of ophiophagists, were permitted to wage a war of extermination upon the remaining reptiles. This is rather a digression from our subject; but I relate the incident to show how unsuitable an arrangement which would at first strike one as being admirable, on account of its fidelity to Nature, may be for the work of observation. (I intend, however, to turn a number of Common Adders into a large walled manure- pit in a stable-yard, and see what I can make of them there, as they yield less satisfactory results and are more difficult to keep in confinement than almost any other serpent). Small glazed ferneries are sometimes used as reptile-cases; but, as I remarked in the last chapter, it is impossible to combine snakes and botany, except it be in one or two peculiar instances, hardly likely to come within the scope of amateurs; while if the fernery be utilised exclusively as a reptilium, it will combine the maximum of expense with the minimum of convenience to be expected in such an apparatus. The objection applies equally to the dome-shaped structures which replace the lower sashes of windows, and the oblong, pyramidal-topped articles adapted to stand upon a table or decorate a green-house; to purchase an aquarium for the purpose is simply throwing away money. Here is a model which I can strongly recommend for cheapness and efficiency. Suppose an ordinary four-legged table to be turned upside down. Let the top (or rather its under surface), now resting upon the floor, represent the bottom of the cage—the only solid part about it. Ridiculous as this method of illustration may appear, you had better make use of it when giving your instructions to a carpenter; for no matter how skilful a draughtsman you may be, you will find it very hard to combat all his preconceived notions of architectural propriety, and to impress his understanding with the kind of thing you want by a plan; but a cribbage-board with long pegs may be tried. To revert to our inverted table—lay four bars of wood upon the TREATMENT OF SNAKES IN CAPTIVITY. 111 extremities of the upturned legs, so as to complete the frame ; imagine one of the two long sides to be glass, and the other, the top, and the two ends to be covered with canvas or wire-gauze ; and there you have, roughly sketched, the sort of receptacle which I have found to answer excellently in every climate for the snakes proper to it. Both floor and frame ought, of course, to be made of good, seasoned wood; the former should be riddled with plenty of small gimlet-holes and be supported on two or three battens, about an inch in thickness, if it is intended to stand upon a solid surface, to meet the possible requirement of drainage. Wood is to be preferred to metal for this cage, since it is warmer in its contact with the snakes, while no extra heat holds out an inducement to insect pests to take up their abode in it, as in the two former constructions. The frame must be stout enough to carry the glass and nails, but does not call for any great strength beyond this: the lower part should rise about an inch or an inch and a half above the level of the floor all round, to keep in the gravel. The uprights, and indeed every part, ought to be plain and square, without turning or ornamentation of any kind; if anything of the sort exists on the inside, it must necessarily leave chinks and spaces which will harbour dirt and tempt the snakes to explore. Window-glass will probably be employed for the glazed side (it is quite strong enough) instead of plate; and, to avoid the dangers attendant upon unduly large panes, an additional upright support must be allowed to every twenty inches, or two feet, of the length of the cage. A corresponding pillar to match this should be erected on the opposite side, and the two joined across the top by a transverse beam, like the ends, as the canvas or gauze will also require extra supports to main- tain its tension, in proportion to its length. It will be observed that I say nothing as to the dimensions, because they depend upon precisely the same circumstances that were cited before, and the same rules of comparison with the size and number of the creatures for which it is destined to hold good. Having thus completed the floor and front (the glass side), the back and top will not take long to finish, since they merely require to be filled in with stout canvas, such as meat-safes are made of, or with wire gauze which is used for similar purposes. Of the two, I must say that I infinitely prefer the former. It admits more light, is 112 THE ZOOLOGIST. equally permeable by air while it excludes dust more effectually, does not corrode or become clogged, is far less expensive, and can be easily renewed at any time—though, as far as I can see, it is practically as durable as the wire. Moreover, the snakes do their mouths no harm in pressing against it, as they would be apt to do with the other material. I have had some in constant use for five or six years, and find it in as good condition, with regard to utility, as it was when first nailed on; nor has it stretched or slackened to any appreciable extent. It can be washed, and even scrubbed; but all that will be necessary, as a rule, is an occasional dusting with a clothes-brush, within and without. It ought to be supported, in a cage of very large dimensions, at intervals of half a yard or two feet, like the glass, —nailed, that is to say, not merely drawn over an intervening beam,—otherwise it may lose its tension. And take particular care that it is fastened as near to the edge of the woodwork as possible, so that no interval is left for the inmates to wriggle their heads or bodies into; where a piece of canvas passes across any part of the framework, upright or horizontal, it should be nailed firmly to both margins of the support, the two squares thus becoming practically separate pieces, independent of each other. The extreme obnoxiousness of any interval of non- adherence between the woodwork and canvas is very soon apparent when any such exists at the lower border; no matter how tightly the stuff may be stretched, the gravel will become wedged there by the persevering efforts of the serpents, and will be next to impossible to dislodge without injury to the canvas. Fix it close to the edge, then, and do not spare the tacks—three to the inch will not be an extravagant allowance. If these items of advice seem tediously minute, I would invite the reader to notice that none of them are unimportant. His object in building a cage is to keep live snakes therein, and it would be vexatious to find that object frustrated by their escape or injury through the want of a tin-tack in the right place when all is finished. I wish to spare him the annoyance of finding these things out for himself by experiences which can only be untoward. A serpent-cage is not a recognised article of commerce. One cannot order it to be made, like a dog-kennel, without any further directions about details than its size; nor send to an ironmonger’s or a fancy-shop and get a new one if it TREATMENT OF SNAKES IN CAPTIVITY. 113 does not answer, as one might for a canary. The importance of all these small matters has been revealed to me by a series of disasters for lack of them. We have still the two ends to fill in. For these, two frames should be made of the exact size as the ends themselves, covered with canvas like the back and roof, and fastened with hinges to the top so as to form doors, lying against the exterior and lifting up from below. (It is hardly necessary to say that the canvas everywhere lies outside the frame). If these hinges are properly contrived, the doors may be turned up till they rest by the upper surface of their frame on that of the cage, and will stand in that position without support, which will be found an immense convenience during any manipulation in the interior. There must be a button, bolt, or ring and staple fastening at each corner below. Where the length of the cage does not exceed two feet, one door will be sufficient, the other end being simply covered with canvas; where the breadth exceeds three feet, there ‘had better be a division in the middle of each end, and the door oceupy only the half which is nearer the glass. No tray will be required, since the facilities for cleansing the gravel are so great. A sliding panel, to divide the interior into two compartments, is very easily contrived, if circumstances render it advisable. Such a cage stands at a window of the house in which I write. It is 3 feet 6 inches long, 2 feet 6 inches broad, and 2 feet 6 inches high, the glazed side containing two panes. A well-branched ‘‘tree”’ springs from the floor, near the glass at one end, and slopes upwards to the farther angle at the top of _ the other. The frame and floor are made of white deal, the former being stained and varnished on the outside in imitation of satin-wood ; and the whole, complete, cost £1. I cannot give its exact weight, but when furnished with gravel and pan of water I can just lift it without assistance from the small table on which it stands and carry it to any part of the room, In this cage are five snakes—Huropean and North American Colubers, of hardy species; the largest four feet in length, the others being about three feet, two feet and a quarter, twenty-one inches, and eighteen inches, respectively. The glass side looks towards the centre of the room, of course, and the canvas back is close against the window. The cage itself is almost as light as if it were glazed on every side; while, since only the one layer of I 114 THE ZOOLOGIST. translucent canvas intervenes between the window and the apartment, the latter is not darkened by its presence as much as it would be by an ordinary bed-chamber muslin blind. This window opens upon the road, and though the eyes of passers-by cannot penetrate the white canvas wall (a very important point in boy-infested neighbourhoods !), everything that goes on outside is visible from the interior, while every movement of the reptiles can be observed at leisure from any part of the room. If it be intended to introduce hot-water tins into this kind of cage in the winter, a felt or quilted cover, such as was spoken of in the last chapter, must be made to go over it. It is ill adapted for such an arrangement, however; and I infer that those who make use of it will either remove their snakes to another situation in cold weather. or allow them them to go into a state of hybernation with the appurtenances to be afterwards described. (To be continued.) NOTES AND QUERIES. The Fauna of Higham, Kent.—In a little volume, entitled “A Handbook of Higham; or, the Curiosities of a Country Parish" (1882), for a copy of which we are indebted to the author, the Rev. C. H. Fielding, M.A., we find a chapter headed “ Natural History,” followed by lists of the animals and plants found in the district. Judging by the length of these lists, the author appears to have paid more attention to botany than zoology, although, as he tells us, “ considering the great centre of popula- tion in which the parish of Higham is situated (between the Thames and the Medway), and the amount of cleared land in the parish, the fauna is very extensive.” Amongst the few interesting mammals noticed are the Badger, which has been “ frequently found,” the Harvest Mouse, and the Horseshoe Bat, concerning which we should have been glad to see some- thing more than the bare mention of the name. ‘The Polecat is doubt- fully included in the list, and although the parish lies between two rivers, the Otter is said to be unknown there. In the list of birds, wherein 88 species are named without any intimation of their being resident or migratory, rare or common, we observe Montagu’s Harrier placed on equal footing with the Barn Owl and Sparrow Hawk, as if it were equally abundant, and we are left to guess what particular species (out of the half- dozen or so which are found in the British Islands) may be intended by the vague expression “ Wild Goose.” Amongst the Amphibia the only species ne NOTES AND QUERIES. 115 calling for remark is the Natterjack Toad, which has once been procured in the parish. Higham, it appears, “can boast of few fish except those which, swimming in the Thames, are caught by Gravesend fishermen,” and the author, who refers very briefly indeed to the local Crustacea, has nothing to tell us about the Land and Freshwater Mollusca, of which we should have supposed that the adjacent marshes would have yielded some interesting forms. Yorkshire Lepidoptera.—All who are interested in the working out of the geographical distribution of animals will be prepared to welcome the list of Yorkshire Lepidoptera which Mr. Geo. T. Porritt, HES... of; Huddersfield, has been preparing at the instance of the Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union, in whose ‘Transactions’ it will shortly appear, being now in the printer’s hands. Assistance having been given by Yorkshire collectors, and full attention paid to the extensive bibliography of the subject, Mr. Porritt has written what is probably the best county-list of Lepidoptera. in existence. It includes 1344 out of the 2031 known British species, or a proportion of about two-thirds. MAMMALIA. Food of the Hedgehog.—I am able to corroborate the statement of your correspondent (p. 25) as to the sucking of eggs by the Hedgehog. One I kept in my garden for some time last summer contrived to get into the hen-house, in which one of the hens was sitting on thirteen eggs, which disappeared one by one until three only were left. The hen then forsook them, and a day or two afterwards I found the Hedgehog in the nest-box, half buried in the straw, and two or three of the remaining eggs broken.— C. Youne (Llandaff). Otters and the Floods.—The extreme wariness of the Otter and its nocturnal habits have probably often caused it to escape notice, or at least to be looked upon as a rare animal in many districts where it is not really uncommon. But here, at any rate, I think I have good reason to regard it as scarce, for till last October I had not for years heard of any Otter having been killed near this town, either by the hounds or otherwise, and though I have been constantly, and at all hours, on the banks of the Waveney, I have found very few traces of the presence of this animal. The fact, therefore, that during the last few months several Otters have been observed in the river, or the dykes connected with it, is I think worth noting. Like the rest of the county, we have suffered all through the autumn and winter from the excessive rainfall, and all our low-lying meadows have been repeatedly inundated. These high floods must have driven many Otters from their river-bank securities, and this may account for their unusual appearance in the open river, The thick and muddy 116 THE ZOOLOGIST. condition of the water, too, for weeks together has, I suppose, made it difficult for them to procure their usual food, and being pressed by hunger they have lost a good deal of their natural shyness. Besides others seen I have, I am sorry to say, the following notes of animals killed:—In the beginning of October an Otter was taken in a dyke at Mendham, in Suffolk. A man gathering bullaces in a cottage-garden by which the dyke runs heard a great uproar among some ducks feeding in the water, and looking up saw them fluttering in a body up the dyke closely pursued by the Otter. Before the animal could make its escape the man disabled and then killed it with a few blows on the head from a pole. ‘This happened at a frequented spot, and only a few feet from the high road. I did not see this Otter, but was told it was a young one, not full grown, miserably thin, and out of condition. About the same time three others were seen together, early one morning, at Needham, in Norfolk, a little higher up the river, by a man out with his gun. ‘T'wo of these he shot, and his dog brought them out of the stream. The third, which he said was a larger animal, fortunately got away unhurt. They measured in length 31 in. and 29 in. (or exclusive of the tail 21} in. and 20 in.) respectively. Again, on January 4th, and very near the same place, but in Weybread, on the Suffolk side of the river, a whole family of these animals was sacrificed An old Otter and three young ones were discovered in a ditch connected with the river. ‘The mother was shot, and the young ones killed by a dog. The latter were lying under a large heap of flags and weeds; they were apparently only a few days old, being quite blind, and so must have been born in mid-winter. The destruction in such a way of seven Otters in a few months, and in one short stretch of river, is greatly to be regretted. The Waveney here is well stocked with coarse fish, a few of which might well be spared for the Otters by our anglers, who generally have good sport.—C. Canpier (Harleston, Norfolk). Hairy-armed Bat in Co. Fermanagh.—It is as well to record in the pages of the ‘ Zoologist’ the occurrence of the Hairy-armed Bat, Scotophilus Leisleri, at Crum Castle, Co. Fermanagh. In June last year I found this Bat in great numbers in the roof of the boat-house-there. It is far commoner in Ireland than was once snpposed. See ‘ Zoologist.’ 1874, pp. 4071, 4236: and 1875, pp. 4419, 4532.—Ricuarp M. Barrineron (Fassaroe, Bray). BIRDS. The Meaning of English Bird Names.—Referring to Mr. H. T. Wharton's article on this subject (Zool. 1882, p. 441), I may remark that “Hern” and “ Erne” are obviously the same word, and from the earliest times there has been an association in language between the two classes of birds, viz., Herons and Eagles, though perhaps the latter class, and especially with reference to Egypt, should also include Hawks, On the es NOTES AND QUERIES. 117 principle that / = 7, we can trace a connexion between the various names for ‘‘eagle,” such as aquila (Lat.), aigle (French), etc., and the various names for the heron tribe in which a guttural letter appears, viz., hiegro (old High German for heron), eyret, etc. The initial aspirate is of course of little philological value, while the guttural g or q in the centre of a word is probably of not much greater consequence in a question of roots. Thus on the one hand we have two sub-classes of names, apparently derived from a common root, where the letter 7 denotes the heron tribe, and the letter / the eagle tribe; on the other hand we have the two tribes of eagle and heron meeting in the old English hern and erne. It would be very interesting to many ornithologists if Mr. Wharton would try to trace the connexion in language between the eagles and the hawks; at any rate I can inform him that the old spelling of hawk was haulk, just as the Latin name for the marine auks is alca. The marine “auks” are probably so called from the analogy of their hooked beaks and wise-looking heads to those of the ‘‘ hawks” on shore. Mr. Wharton is quite right to point out that the Saxon form of hawk was havoc, which is simply hawk with an o interpolated between the two last letters. But having done so, is it not * most remarkable that he does not see the plain fact that avocetta is nothing more than Italian for “little havoc” — “ little hawk or auk”? Avis custa, or “chastely coloured bird,” is too far-fetched; the avocet is merely “the little hook-billed bird,” with the hook turned up instead of down. [With regard to the derivation of the name avocet, there is yet another suggestion to be made, namely, that the word (a diminutive) may be derived from avoco, avocare, to call out, bearing in mind the noisy cry of this bird, and the fact that it was once provincially called “ barker ” and “ yelper ” in days of yore when it used to breed here, and was well known to the fen-men.— Ep.| If we go further, and besides admitting / and r to be transmutable also adopt the method of transposition, it becomes very probable that the words in which the liquid precedes the guttural, as in alca, haulk, falco, &c., are from the same root as the words in which the guttural precedes the liquid, snch as aquila, eagle, egret, &. The terminal n and ante- terminal o in words like hiegro, heron, falcon, &c., probably derive their origin from mere euphony—also I think it will be admitted that initial aspirates, or intermediate gutturals which are a sort of rough “ breathings,” make no difference to the root which appears to rest on the liquids / and r for its pivot. Hiegro, deprived of its guttural, appears to indicate a con- nexion between the herons and the hawks or falcons, e.g., hiexaa (Gr.) gier-eagle and jer-falcon (Engl). My only real doubt is whether the words beginning with a sibilant s are from the same root. In Greek we have _ hieros = sacred, hierax = hawk. In Latin we have sacer — holy or sacred, and the falcon has always been called sacer, saker, or sakr in the language of European and Arabic falconers. Substituting J for r, and 118 THE ZOOLOGIST. leaving out the initial s (as the French do before p and t, e.g., épine for spina, étude for studiwm), is it reasonable to suppose that aquila = falco _ sacer and the Arabic sakr? Is it possible that in the religion of old Egypt the idea of sacredness may have been named from the hawk, and not the hawk from the idea of sacredness? We know that the moustached hawk, either lanner or kestrel, or both, was sacred. But Mr. Massey thinks the purple heron was also reverenced as the phwniax or purple bird. Is it possible that here we have the key to the immemorial connexion between hawk and heron, eaglet and egret? With regard to the suggested deriva- tion of “bustard” from avis “tarda,” if that be correct, how does Mr. Wharton derive custard, gustard, and mustard? My own theory is that bustard, buzzard, bittern (= biittern) are all one and the same word, and mean ‘the yellow-brown bird.” Buteo = buzzard in Latin, and butio = bittern. - Butter = yellow milk. With bittern compare the French “bistre.” On this theory “ butter-bump ” would mean “ the yellow booming bird,” and the Devonshire men, who called bustards “ turkey-buzzards,” would deserve the thanks of philologists. On no other hypothesis but colour can I account for the similarity in name between buteo and butio, the buzzard and the bittern.—C.1irron. Dipper singing during severe Frost.—I am able to corroborate what Mr. Mathew has said (p. 79) on this subject. On the 13th December last the thermometer was said to have registered twenty-six degrees of frost in this country. A bitter north wind was blowing over a country covered with frozen snow. Rooks and other birds had that mute look of despair they assume in severe frosts. I was walking along a trout-stream named the Finisk with my gun, and a Dipper had flown on before me. At 3.45 p.m., the sun having just set, I approached a bend in the river, when I was amazed to hear a bird warbling sweetly near me. I paused and the song went on; not a loud song, but very sweet. I drew closer to the bend, when from the bank near me up flew the Dipper I had been listening to, and flew back over my head up-stream, uttering its Stonechat-like warning-note. On the 22nd December the Rev. W. W. Flemyng wrote to me, “I heard the Dipper singing to-day, in Curraghmore, a very sweet melody.” Doubtless this species finds no difficulty in obtaining its prey, molluscs, &c., beneath the running water of brooks when the ground is frozen like a stone, and other birds are starving, so that it alone is cheerful under such circumstances. I took a Dipper’s nest containing five eggs, on the 8th April last, that was placed on the iron shelf formed by a flange of the girder of the railway-bridge over the above-named Finisk River. This shelf, with the nest on it, faced inwards beneath the bridge and overhung the water. The bird, which was hatching, continued to sit though I drummed with a stick on the iron girder behind her, and only left the nest when approached with a ladder. A second I NOTES AND QUERIES. 119 nest was subsequently formed last spring in the same position. Another had been constructed two years before on a flange of the same bridge, but that first nest was within reach of the bank, and was destroyed.—R. J- Ussuer (Cappagh, Co. Waterford). Siskins breeding in Confinement.—It may interest some of your readers to know that during the past summer I succeeded in getting my two pairs of Siskins (which I keep in large cages) to lay, and one of them to rear young ones as well. Although I have kept Siskins for several years, I never succeeded in inducing them to breed before. I am, however, aware that there are many instances of these birds laying when kept in confine- ment, but I only know of one where the young were hatched and reared. The first pair repaired a nest and laid two eggs on the 7th June; the hen then began to sit, but I took the eggs away shortly after, expecting she would build again and lay the full complement of eggs. She did not, how- ever, do so. The second pair relined a nest in the same manner as the other, but did not lay until July 17th. Four eggs were laid and three young ones hatched in eleven days. The young when first hatched were _ covered with black down, but after the first week grew rapidly, and at the end of a fortnight were able to leave the nest. They were fed by the hen bird on the pupz of gentles, hard egg, and the seeds of various composite plants. All lived to be a month old, when one died. The survivors are both cocks, lively healthy birds (one of them acquired a black chin by the 26th November) and resemble the wild bird in all particulars, except that the legs were always light-coloured.— C. Youne (Llandaff). [Some interesting remarks on the breeding of the Siskin in confinement, by Mr. John Young, will be found in ‘ The Zoologist’ for 1880, p-61.—Eb.] The Birds of Lancashire—I have for some years been working at the ‘ Birds of Lancashire,’ and am anxious to make the list as complete as possible. The value of local lists of birds is generally recognized; and I need not, therefore, apologise for attempting to bring together in a collected form, up to the present date, the ornithological knowledge of my native county. Lancashire ornithologists, though numerous and intelligent, have, unfortunately, seldom published their observations; and the quantity of material ready to hand is much smaller than is possessed by other counties. Thus, to make the work complete, it is the more necessary to have full information from those acquainted with every district. If any of your correspondents are able to assist me, I shall be pleased to furnish them, on application, with the particulars on which I desire information.—F. 8. MircHEtx (Clithero, Lancashire). Rare Birds at Harwich—A Gray Phalarope was shot on the 8rd November last whilst swim ming in the harbour, and another was seen. A Little Bustard was seen on the 2]st November. It frequented the large 120 THE ZOOLOGIST. fields of Ramsey and Little Oakley for more than a week, and escaped the many attempts made to shoot it. A large flight of Shore Larks arrived on this part of the coast, and frequented the salt marshes. No less than thirty- five were shot. A single specimen of the Waxwing was seen on the 13th December in a garden at Dovercourt.—F. Kerry (Harwich). Bonaparte’s Gull at St. Leonards-on-Sea.—About the month of July, 1876, I was looking through an interesting collection of birds belonging to Mr. F. Pershouse, of Torquay. Amongst other specimens I particularly noticed a small Gull, which I could not then identify. However, I luckily - took some notes of it. A month or two ago I got an American skin of Bonaparte’s Gull, Larus philadelphia, from Mr. Marsden, the dealer, at Gloucester. This skin at once put me in mind of Mr. Pershouse’s. bird, and on referring to my notes of that specimen I found they agreed very closely with the skin which I had received. As Mr. Pershouse was lately making some alterations in his cases, he very kindly took the bird out and sent it up to me for identification, and on comparing it with the skin above mentioned and with another which Mr. Howard Saunders had kindly sent me, I found it to be without doubt Larus philadelphia, in immature plumage, and in the same state of plumage as the centre bird in Yarrell’s figure. Nor can there be any doubt about its being a British-killed speci- men, for Mr. Pershouse shot it himself. The following is his account of its capture :—“ It is some years since I shot it, and I cannot supply the exact date, but it was early in November, 1870, at St. Leonards-on-Sea, at the western extremity of the parade. It was with a number of Black-headed and Kittiwake Gulls. I mistook it at the time for Larus minutus, and remained under that impression until your visit.” It isa young bird, with some of the dark markings on the wing which probably led to its being mistaken for an immature Little Gull. For an adult Little Gull, with its white primaries, it could never have been mistaken. It is by no means a common Gull in the British Islands. Mr. Harting, in his ‘ Handbook,’ enumerates only six British specimens; and Mr. Rodd, in his ‘ Birds of Cornwall,’ mentions one other Cornish specimen besides the one referred to in the ‘ Handbook,’ but beyond these I have not been able to find another recorded instance of a British-killed example. Mr. Pershouse’s specimen, therefore, is only the eighth reported. It may be well, perhaps, to point out some of the distinctions between Bonaparte’s Gull and the immature of Larus ridibundus and Larus minutus. It is intermediate in size between the two, but the markings of the primary quills will serve better to dis- tinguish it than comparative size and measurements, however accurately taken, as most gulls vary a little in size. Bonaparte’s Gull has the shaft of the first primary black, or nearly black, except a small portion towards the tip where the white on the inner web runs up to the shaft. This may vary a little, as the skin sent to me by Mr. Saunders seems a very light NOTES AND QUERIES. 121 one, and has the shafts of the primaries paler than either my American skin or Mr. Pershouse’s specimen, but still the shaft is by no means white as in Larus ridibundus, and besides this there is on the inner web of the first primary of Bonaparte’s Gull a black streak, on the inner web next to the shaft, the outer part of the web being white, the white only running up to the shaft at one part about half an inch from the tip; the tip itself is black. In Larus ridibundus this order of things is reversed, the inner web being white next the shaft, with a small streak of black outside the white. This is equally applicable to the second and third quills, and will at once dis- tinguish this bird from Larus ridibundus. From the immature Little Gull the primaries may also serve to distinguish it. There is no white on the shaft of the first three primaries of the Little Gull, the shafts being black to the tips, nor does the white on the inner web anywhere extend to the shaft. In the Little Gull also there is no white on the outer web of the fourth and fifth primaries, as there is in Larus philadelphia, the white being very visible even in the closed wing: these distinctions, many of which are pointed out in Mr. Howard Saunders’s paper on the Larina in the * Pro- ceedings of the Zoological Society’ (1876, p. 206), and the figures of the first three primaries of Larus ridibundus aud Larus philadelphia there given, and which are apparent in the specimens of all three birds now before me, will, I think, be sufficient to help anyone into whose hands a specimen of Bonaparte’s Gull may fail to recognize it at once, and to dis- tinguish it from either of the commoner British Gulls for which it may be mistaken.—Cxcit Situ (Bishops Lydeard, Taunton). Sooty Shearwater at Bridlington.—In December, 1882, an example of this widely-distributed Shearwater, so long confused with the Greater Shearwater, as a visitor to our shores, was presented to the Oxford Museum by the Rev. E. Elton, of Wheatley Vicarage, Oxon, at the suggestion of Professor Westwood. Mr. Elton informs me that this example of Puffinus griseus was shot by his nephew, the late Mr. John Elton, in Bridlington Bay in 1872. The fishermen there called it “the black Shearwater.” This appellation seems analagous to that of “ Black Hagdon,” by which, according to Mr. Dresser (‘ Birds of Europe’), it is known in the Bay of Fundy. [It is also called Hagdown in the South of Ireland, see Thompson vol. iii., p. 408.] So far as records in ‘ The Zoologist’ go, this Shearwater, now at Oxford, is the last obtained on the British coast; at least I have failed to find any (but the old, Irish) reference to the species, since three were obtained in September, 1866, also at Bridlington, as recorded by Mr. W. Boulton (Zool., 1867, p. 543); at the time these birds were supposed to be immature Great Shearwaters. Messrs. Clarke and Roebuck include Puffinus griseus in their list of the Vertebrates of Yorkshire (p. 85) asa “casual visitant, of rare occurrence in the winter.” But the first British example, apparently, on record, was obtained by Mr. G. Marwood, jun., at 122 THE ZOOLOGIST. Teesmouth, in August, 1828, so that it would appear to be as much an autumn as a winter visitor.—HvucH A. Macpuerson (3, St. James Road, Carlisle). Honey Buzzard caught at Sea.—On the 25th November last I received from Great Yarmouth a live Honey Buzzard, which had been caught two days previously on board a ship at sea, upon which it had settled, tired out probably on its migration to our shores. It appeared to be in good health, and showed no sign of fear or wildness in its captivity. I gave it meat, liver, “lights,” and the heads of chicken and pheasant, which for the first week or ten days it ate freely, so that I hoped to be able to keep it alive. Its appetite, however, seemed to fall off, and, though tempted with rats, mice, birds, and a worm, it refused to eat, and on the morning of December 19th I found it dead. Mr. W. Lowne, of Great Yarmouth, to whom I sent it for preservation, found the liver affected, part of it being as black as ink. ‘The plumage was a uniform dark rich brown, the legs, toes, and base of the beak a bright yellow, the iris a greyish hazel. The bird frequently raised the narrow-pointed feathers at the back of the head, which formed a crest, a peculiarity I do not find mentioned by Yarrell. When approached it often made a noise in its throat somewhat resembling that made by a hen.—Hueu Turner (Ipswich). Birds of the Banbury District.—Under this title the Banbury Natural History Society has recently published in pamphlet form (pp. 28) a list, by Messrs. Aplin, of the birds which have been procured or observed within a radius of six miles of the head-quarters of the Society. The district consists for the most part of land in a high state of cultivation, small fields with thick hedgerows, fairly well timbered; but, although it lacks the wild character of some more favoured localities, it embraces such features as Tadmarton and Wigginton Heaths, the valley of the Cherwell, with its numerous tributaries so attractive to aquatic species, and Clatter- cutt Reservoir, where the Great Crested Grebe breeds. ‘The list com- prises 180 species, of which the most noteworthy have been already at various times reported on by Messrs. Aplin in the pages of ‘ The Zoologist.’ Hobby in the Co. Tipperary.—As the Hobby is a rare bird in Ireland (see ‘ Zoologist,’ 1877, p. 471), it may be worth while to communicate the following note which I received from Mr. W. Corbet, of Green Hall, Rathcormack, whose passion for falconry and for keeping various birds and animals in confinement is well known in this country. He writes:—*I shot a wild Hobby and saw another some years ago. I have had trained ones which I got from Castang, of Leadenhall Market, London, and could not be mistaken as to the species. I have been practising falconry for fifty years, and have had all the hawks used in faleoonry—the Greenland, Iceland, Saker, Lanner, Peregrine, Hobby, Merlin, Goshawk, and Sparrow a NOTES AND QUERIES. 123 Hawk—and I ought, therefore, to “know a hawk from a heronshaw.” The Hobby is larger than the Merlin ; the points of his wings reach to the tip of his tail, and he flies higher.” In reply to my request for further par- ticulars of the one shot by him in Ireland, I have received a fuller com- munication from him, dated the 11th December last, in which he states :— “Tt is now about twelve years ago since I shot the Hobby in the Co. Tipperary, near Bird Hill. It was a male bird in mature plumage. I skinned it, but a cat got at the skin and spoiled it. I think it was towards the end of September 1 shot it.” Six instances of the occurrence of the Hobby in Ireland have been noticed by the Editor in ‘The Zoologist’ for 1877, p. 471. The above instance mentioned by Mr. Corbet makes a seventh.—R. J. Ussuur (Cappagh, Co. Waterford). The Note of the Manx Shearwater.—Jn justice to Mr. H. Chichester Hart, whose communication on this subject appeared in the last number (p. 81), it may be stated that after it had been printed, and before it was published, he wrote to correct his impression that the Manx Shearwater was ‘a silent bird, in consequence of his finding no allusion to its note in . the books.” A correction to that effect, however, had already been sup- plied in the editorial note to a much fuller extent, and it was too late to make further alteration.—Ep. Interbreeding of Blackbird and Thrush.—I have for several years been occupied in collecting all the recorded cases of apparent interbreeding between Blackbirds and Thrushes. I have uow got notes of between twenty and thirty such instances, which I am putting together for the purpose of examination, and I shall feel obliged to any ornithologists who will direct my attention to any obscure instances which are likely to have escaped my notice.—Rosr. Miiier Curisty (Saffron Walden). Hobby breeding in South Lincolnshire.—Mr. Seebohm, in his new work on ‘ British Birds,’ mentions this faleon as breeding annually in North and Mid Lincolnshire, on the authority of Mr. John Cordeaux, thus leaving out the southern part of that county. Several times to my own knowledge it has bred there, and last year a pair took possession of a deserted Crow’s nest in a wood, but before any eggs were laid one of the birds was shot. _ However, another mate was found in a day or two, and before again being molested three eggs had been laid, when the female bird unfortunately fell to the keeper's gun.—J. CuLiinerorp (University Museum, Durham). Singular Accident to a Robin.—I was driving one day on the road, when | caught sight of a Robin by the edge of the grass struggling a little and presenting an unusually odd appearance. On getting down in order to look at it, I found the mouth wide open, and no sign of the lower mandible, which, on closer examination, I found to be completely imbedded 124 THE ZOOLOGIST. beneath the skin of the neck and along the sternum. With great care I managed to disengage the bill, and although the bird seemed nearly dead from strangulation, I laid it down in a safe place, hoping it might recover by the time I came back. I returned to the spot in a couple of hours, when I found the bird had disappeared, probably not much the worse for its singular misadventure. No doubt it had been busy preening itself when its sharp beak happened to transfix the skin, and of course during its efforts to withdraw it the beak only penetrated further and further under the skin.— FReprrick Lone (Wells next the Sea, Norfolk). Varieties of the Wheatear and Siskin.—F rom the description given (Zool. 1882, p. 352) of the variety of the Wheatear shot in Kirkeudbright- shire, [ would suggest that it may be merely a young bird in a certain state of plumage, for it corresponds almost exactly with one which I shot some time ago, and which was, I think, certainly a young bird changing its first feathers for the winter plumage. My father has a variety of the male Siskin which curiously resembles that recorded at p. 368, as having “a white instead of a black cap to its head,” his bird having the cap almost entirely yellow.—J. H. Gurney, Jun. (Northrepps, Norwich). Building Sites of House Martin.—As Mr. Young has noted (p. 34) instances of the House Martin building in cliffs, I may mention the two communities of this species which I can remember for over thirty years nesting among the sandstone cliffs of Ardmore, on the coast of this county. In both cases the nests are clustered beneath lofty arches of rock over- hanging the sea, positions evidently chosen as being inaccessible except on wings. One of these breeding places is at a considerable distance from the other. No Martins build under the eaves of houses in that neighbourhood. Ardmore is one of the many localities mentioned by Thompson (pp. 390-1) where Martins breed in precipices on the Irish coast.—R. J. UssHer (Cappagh, Co. Waterford). Wildfowl at Poole.—I have received a female specimen of the Great Northern Diver, in mature winter plumage, weighing 8} pounds. Its stomach contained the remains of some small fishes. I have also received three Shoveller Ducks, au adult male and female and an immature male; and two female Red-breasted Mergansers. All these birds were shot by a punter on the 18th November in Poole Harbour.—C. A. Marriorr (Lewisham, Kent). Late Breeding of Swallows and Martins in Kirkcudbrightshire.— I noticed two Swallows flying about Edenbank, the residence of Provost Lennox, near Maxwelltown, for more than a fortnight after the others had gone south. At my request Mr. James Lennox made an examination on October 18th of the nests under the porch, where these two pairs had NOTES AND QUERIES. 125 already brought out at least one brood of young each. Mr. Lennox found that in one nest there were eggs just on the point of hatching, and the other nest looked as if it had been only a few hours vacated by a young brood. The old Swallows were not seen after the evening of the 17th October. On the 19th and 20th October a Swift was seen flying along the streets and over the houses of Maxwelltown. On the 20th October I saw beneath the eaves at Lochanhead Railway Station, about five miles west of Maxwelltown, a brood of four Martins that would probably be ready to leave the nest on the following day. The parents were busily catching for them the ‘‘ midges ” that swarmed along the roadsides during the sunny blinks betwixt the very heavy showers that had continued during the whole day. The dates for each of these three species are later than I have ever previously noted, and it is to me the more remarkable since the great body of the Swallow tribe left us last season a few days earlier than usual. The many cold, wet, and blustering days last autumn may account for this earlier departure, but there were frequent warm, though dull, days, on which Dipterous and other small insects were abundant in the air, and these may have enabled the individuals I saw to ’ prolong their stay, which was plainly attributable to causes that affected individuals only—Roserr Servicer (Maxwelltown, Kirkcudbrightshire). Great Grey Shrike in Suffolki—I had a fine adult specimen of this bird brought to me by Mr. J. A. Smith, of Akenham Rise Hill, near Ipswich. It was shot on December 2nd, and is believed to be the only specimen killed here for many years past.—J. EH. Tayror (The Museum, Ipswich). Great Grey Shrike near Cockermouth.—I had the good fortune to have given me a Great Grey Shrike, shot by Frazer, head-keeper to Mr. L. F. B. Dykes, of Dovenby Hall, on the 11th December last. Though very badly shot, I succeeded in skinning it, and have got a fair specimen. It is a bird rarely shot in this neighbourhood.—Grorcx Mawson (Cockermouth). Curious Site for Sparrow’s Nests.—At Hove, on the western side of Brighton, are some large gas-holders. Round the circumference of these huge cylinders small wheels are attached, with broad flat spokes, which pass up and down against the upright supports of the holders, so that when the holders are filled, they rise to a considerable height, and when they are nearly exhausted of gus they fall almost to the trough of water surrounding the base of the cylinders. The Sparrows in the neighbourhood often build their nests between the nave and rim of these wheels, supported by the -broad spokes, and have sometimes even hatched their young, notwith- standing the fact that the nest and its contents must slowly revolve, so that at each half-revolution what was the top of the nest .becomes the bottom, and the sitting bird must have accommodated itself to the altered position 126 THE ZOOLOGIST. by gradually shifting the eggs. I am informed by the engineer of the works that, as the nests cause obstructions in the wheels, they are usually removed before the young are fledged.—J. Jenner Wetr (6, Haddo Villas, Blackheath). Ornithological Notes from the Isle of Wight.—On October 3rd, 1882, a Thick-knee Plover was picked up on Bembridge Down. A Red- necked Phalarope, 7% inches in length, was received by Mr. Smith, the taxidermist at Newport, on October 29th, the first he had seen or heard of in the island, after twenty-one years’ experience there. The Grey Phalarope has been a frequent autumnal. visitor to our shores of late years. In the northern part of the kingdom the Red-necked species appears to be more frequently met with than the Grey, which had only once come under Macgillivray’s observation in winter, whereas the former is said to be “much more numerous.” There is no accounting for the great increase of the number of Phalaropes visiting us in the autumn; either the species must be much more numerous or the migratory line of flight changed.— H. W. Haprievp (High Cliff, Ventnor). Wren building in deserted Nest of Martin.—A pair of Wrens built last year (1882) in the deserted nest of a Martin, Hirundo urbica. The latter was sixteen feet two inches from the ground, with an eastern aspect.—H. J. J. Brypexs (Boullibrooke, Presteign). [A curious and unusual situation.— Ep. ] Occurrence of the American Kestrel in Yorkshire—A female example of Falco sparverius was shot by a gamekeeper near Helmsley, Yorkshire, in May, 1882. I first saw the bird with Mr. C. Helstrip, bird- stuffer, St. Saviour’s Place, York, on the 14th November last, and have since bought it, being perfectly convinced as to its authenticity. I have seen for myself both where the shooter stood and where the bird fell. I am informed by my friend Mr. Robert Taylor, of Harome, near Helmsley, who skinned my specimen, that a pair were killed, but that only one was found, They were shot in a small copse of deciduous trees, and the nature of the undergrowth was such that “ marking them down” was made completely out of the question, falling as they did in different directions. I have shown the bird to Mr. Seebohm, and he confirms my opinion as to the species. It agrees very well with a specimen in his collection. The total length is only 9 inches. The red marks upon the head, which are characteristic of the bird, are well defined, and also the dark regular bars extending across both wings and back, and on the tail. On November 30th I went again to Harome, and was told that the skeleton of the second bird had been found The specimen is, I believe, the only one on record as having been taken in Europe. It has no appearance whatever of ever having been in confinement. the feathers being remarkably perfect.—J. BackuouseE, Jun. (York). NOTES AND QUERIES. 127 The Mealy Redpoll in Norway.—As the Rev. H. H. Slater mentions (p- 11) that he only once satisfactorily identified the Mealy Redpoll, it is perhaps noteworthy that late in July, 1878, this species was very plentiful at Hjerkinn and other stations on the Dovre. The young birds were very familiar: I frequently observed them perching upon palings close to and sometimes on the roof of the stations. They appeared to be feeding on grass-seeds.—H. A. Macpaurson (Carlisle). Nocturnal Movements of the Coot.—While staying at Stackpole Court, Pembrokeshire, on the 28rd January last (a bright moonlight night, with a light wind from S.E., time 12.45 a.m.), I observed from my window, about ninety feet from the water below, a large black object, about twenty feet long and six feet broad, moving through the water at the rate of about two or three miles an hour in various directions; there was a good deal of splashing about the tail and sides of the object. I called Lord Kensington’s attention to it; it had the appearance of some large fish,—a shark or some- thing of that sort,—and, as we could not make out what it was, we went down to the water’s edge to investigate, and found it was a mass of Bald . Coots, which dispersed on seeing and hearing us. Looking down from the window above there was no interval perceptible between the birds, who were in one solid black mass. After returning to the house we watched them for half an hour from the window; they all crowded together again, and continued their gyrations about the water in different directions, both up and down wind.—H. W. Campsett (44, Charles Street, Berkeley Square). Late Stay of Swift in South Wales.—Swifts should be gone before October, but I saw one here repeatedly in that month and even later, always in the same place, close to the Cathedral. The following are the dates of which I made notes of having seen it:—Oct. 25th and 26th; the 30th, a cold and cloudy day ; again on Nov. 2nd (stormy, with heavy showers) ; and lastly, Nov. 10th (bright and clear, but cold). I was unable to look for it between Nov. 2nd and 10th.—H. Rogers (Llandaff). Hybrid between Greenfinch and Linnet.—A year or two ago I placed in the western aviary of the Zoological Gardens a female example of this hybrid, which, for aught I know to the contrary, may still be living there. Another was netted near Reading a few years since, and passed into the possession of my correspondent, Mr. 8S. Salter, jun., who recently informed me that it exhibited the rosy or carmine breast of the male Linnet in breeding plumage.—H. A. Macpuurson (Carlisle). . Great Snipe in Nottinghamshire.—A Solitary Snipe was shot on October 3rd at Hickling in this county ; it was in good plumage and weighed eight ounces and a half. This is only its second occurrence in Nottinghamshire-—J, Wuiraxer (Rainworth). 128 THE ZOOLOGIST. Migration of the Jay.—Referring to the notes which have already appeared on this subject (pp. 1, 27, 76, 77), I may remark that the Jay has certainly been more plentiful than usual with us during the past autumn and winter. I have several times seen upwards of a dozen together; this is in a part of the district where they hardly ever breed, but where a few may generally be noticed from October to March.—Orrver V. APLIN. Assumption of Male Plumage by a Female Wild Duck.—A Wild Duck, which was hatched and brought up in a domesticated state in the parish of Northrepps in the year 1854, lived till February, 1883, when it died, after having been for some months quite blind. For the last eight years of its life, or thereabouts, this Duck has exhibited a complete drake’s plumage, with the exception of a sprinkling of brown intermixed with the green male plumage on the sides of the head and neck, and also with the exception of a very few brown feathers of the female type scattered on the flanks.—J. H. Gurney (Northrepps Hall, Norwich). Moorhen in a Rabbit’s Earth.— Whilst ferreting on Feb. 5rd a Moor- hen (Gallinula chloropus) came out of a rabbit's hole. Not having heard of a similar circumstance, I inform you of the fact—Dareci STrpaEns (Mapperton, Beaminster, Dorset). [Doubtless the bird was suddenly surprised, and no other place of con- cealment was at hand. We have more than once seen a Moorhen attempt to creep into the hole of a Water Rat, which proved too small for it, and have also seen a winged Red-legged Partridge take refuge in a Rabbit’s- burrow.—Eb. ] Uncommon Birds near York.—The following uncommon birds have recently been obtained in the neighbourhood of York, and are now in the hands of Mr. E. Allen, of Feasegate, in this city, for preservation, where I have had the opportunity of seeing them. A Waxwing, shot at Acaster; a Peregrine Falcon, killed near Escrick; a Grey Plover, obtained near Cottingwith ; a Greenshank (Totanus glottis), shot at Sheriff Hutton; a Turnstone, killed on Eldwick Moor out of a flock of seven; a White- fronted Goose, obtained at Cottingwith; a Great Grey Shrike, shot at Kiplingcotes; a Little Auk, from near Harrogate; an American Bittern (Botaurus lentiginosus), shot at Welbury ; and a Common Bittern ( Botaurus stellaris), killed near Hull. Besides these I saw a curious rufous variety of Phasianus colchicus, anda pied variety of the Blackbird.—C. D. WotstEn- HOLME (York). Grey Phalarope in North Oxon.— On the 22nd December last I examined an adult specimen of the Grey Phalarope (Phalaropus fulicarius), which a boatman had that morning picked up by the canal-side about a mile north of this town,—Otiver V. Apiin (Banbury, Oxon). NOTES AND QUERIES. 129 Waxwing in South Lincolnshire.—On the 13th Dec. a nice specimen of this bird was shot on the coast of Lincolnshire, and sent to me. ‘There are six wax-tips on each wing. The bird was in good condition, and had been feeding upon the berries of the mountain-ash.— J. CULLINGFORD (University Museum, Durham). Eider Duck in Nottinghamshire.—A female Eider Duck was shot on November 16th in the meadows near Nottingham, where it was no doubt attracted by the large floods, many acres there being under water. This is the first time it has been obtained in this county, and makes the Nottingham- shire list to number 240 species, which, considering it is an inland county, is a large number.—J. WuiTakEr ( Rainworth). Missel Thrush and Chaffinch nesting in proximity.—A Chaffiuch built in an apple tree in my garden last May on one side of a walk, on the other side of which was a Missel Thrush’s nest in another apple tree. This corroborates the observations of Mr. Christy mentioned at pp. 31 and 32.—R. J. Ussyer (Cappagh, Co. Waterford). REPTILES. Smooth Snake in Surrey.— Mr. Axford, in ‘The Zoologist’ for February, in commenting on my discovery of Coronella levis at Chobham Ridges (not “ Bridges,” as erroneously printed), suggests that it was either injured, or a tame one. I am quite sure it was uninjured, and think in such a locality it is most improbable that it was a tame one. I am more inclined to think that the chilliness of the evening—it was just about sunset—may have made it sleepy.—Henry N. Rrpiey (Natural History Museum, South Kensington). BATRACHIANS. Habits of the Edible Frog.—Apropos of Mr. Rope’s accurate account of the habits of this species (p. 49), I quote a brief extract from my journal, under date Sept. 15th, 1881 :—‘“ Found to-day, in about three inches of stagnant water, some fine tadpoles of R. esculenta, nearly as large as fully- developed frogs; they had for the most part only the posterior legs pro- truded. They are very expert in avoiding capture, darting away for a little distance, and then assuming a position of apparent repose. When thus at rest the colour of these tadpoles serves admirably for protec- tive purposes, it being by no means easy to detect the ugly little monsters upon a muddy brown surface. After leaving the water, the young R. esculenta wanders to a considerable distance from that element; should it be alarmed, however, in the immediate neigh- bourhood of water, it generally makes for the water like its elders.” I may mention that the colour of these little frogs is of a colour epproxi- K 130 THE ZOOLOGIST. mating closely to that of a dry field; whilst the usual green dress of the adults, though varying from a very light shade to a very dark one, serves also, as Mr. Rope suggests, to protect the patriarchs of the pool amid the herbage they love. But a favourite “ mizpeh” is a defunct cat or dog, when the harmony of colour is less obvious. I have found the colour of Bombinator igneus approximate closely to that of the muddy ditches in which it revels. As to Mr. Rope not having found the Edible Frog in running brooks, it was certainly plentiful in the stream (or canal) which passed through the Villeneuve Marshes, where I made the above jottings I found the best way of catching mature examples was to walk down the stream, “ marking” each Frog as he sprang into the water. Invariably the Frog swam out towards the middle, but always turned back without crossing, and hid its head in the mud of the near bank. When the Frog had thus hidden its head like the ostrich of history, it was easy to capture it with a quick “grab” of the hand. In this way I caught a baker's dozen very quickly, after having spent a whole day in trying to take them with a net.—Hueu A. Macpuerson (Carlisle). The Natterjack Toad at Carlisle.—I am much interested by Mr. Rope’s account of the colony of Natterjacks at Coldfair Green. My friend Mr. H. Holton, jun., tells me that he obtained a fine adult of Bufo calami- tosa at King Moor, near Carlisle, in August, 1882. It would be well to ascertain whether the partiality to the sea (which, as Mr. Rope reminds us, is well exampled by Bell’s long-established locality on the shores of Solway) can be attributed to the distribution of any favourite food of the Natterjack. I shall try to renew my acquaintance with this species on the Solway this spring —H. A. Macrnerson. FISHES. The Salmon Disease.—In certain rivers the Salmon are affected by an epidemic disease, which manifests itself in white patches upon the fish where there are no scales. As the fungus grows a sore forms, which may extend to the bone. According to Professor Huxley, the fungus is a Saprolegnea, probably S. feraa, but of this there is no proof. The zodspores from this fungus were never observed ciliated and motile; but they are exceedingly minute, and become rapidly disseminated. ‘They are produced in great numbers—a single fly infected with the fungus may bear 1000 fruiting hypbs, which in one day may produce 40,000 zoéspores. The hyphe seem not only to traverse the epidermis of the fish, but also to bore through the superficial layers of the derma. The epidermis is entirely destroyed. ‘The only method of preventing the spread of this fungus among Salmon is to remove every infected fish from the stream, though it may not be worth while to adopt this method in practice. Although sea- water kills the fungus when it comes in contact with it, if the latter has ee NOTES AND QUERIES. 131 penetrated the derma the fish may go to the sea and recover from its attack, but on returning to fresh water the disease may break out again from the hyphe in the derma. ARCHZ OLOGY. Fishing with Trained Cormorants, temp. Charles I.—Pennant, in his account of the Cormorant (‘ British Zoology,’ 1812, vol. ii., p. 283), says: “ These birds have been trained to fish like falcons to fowl. White- lock tells us that he had a cast of them manned like Hawks, and which would come to hand. He took much pleasure in them, and relates that the best he had was one presented to him by Mr. Wood, Master of the Cormorants to Charles I.” It is presumed that the “ Whitclock ” here referred to was Sir Bulstrode Whitelocke, the author of ‘“ Memorials of English Affairs from the beginning of the reign of King Charles the First to the happy restoration of King Charles the Second,” but I have been unable to find in this work any such statement as that quoted by Pennant, either in the original edition, which has no index, or in the modern edition, ‘in four volumes, published at Oxford in 1853, wherein the index on this point affords no assistance. There was a curious little volume published in 1654 (12mo., pp. 568), entitled ‘‘ Zootomia; or, observations on the present manners of the English,” by Richard Whitlock; and it occurred to me that possibly this might be the author cited by Pennant. But having with some trouble procured a sight of the book, I found it to contain nothing but satirical discourses on morals and manners, in which few readers at the present day would take the slightest interest. Being still curious to trace Pennant’s quotation to its original source, in the hope of finding - further information on the subject to which it relates, I should be much obliged to any one who, having found it, would furnish me with the exact reference.—J. HK. Harrina. A Whale in the Thames in 1658.—The following notice appeared in the ‘ Mercurius Politicus,’ June 3rd to June 10th, 1658:—*“ Whitehall, June 2nd. This evening came hither divers seamen and watermen to give an account of their having taken a Whale in the Thames not far from Greenwich. It is strange that this kind of monster should quit the sea to come up a river, and advance beyond the salt water so far into the fresh. He hath lain upon the shore these three days at Greenwich Town’s end, a spectacle to many thousands of people that have flocked thither to behold him. He is none of the bigger sort, being supposed but young, yet about _ sixty feet long, and carrieth a very great bulk in the other dimensions.” [This was probably a Rorqual or Fin Whale.—Ep.]| Sperm Whales on the Kentish Coast in 1762.—An old newspaper of May 17th, 1762, states that “the spermaceti and blubber of the four 132 THE ZOOLOGIST. Whales which were ashore at Burchington and Broadstairs were sold last Wednesday for £374 18s., and that at Deal for £149, which was much more than was expected.” Former Occurrence of the Great Bustard in Yorkshire‘ The Sporting Magazine’ for October, 1792, states that “ within these few days a Bustard was killed at Rudstone-on-the-Wolds by a gamekeeper belonging to Sir Griffith Boynton. The width of the wings was seven feet over.” SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES. Linnean Society or Lonpon. January 18, 1883.—Sir Joun Lupsocr, Bart., F.R.S., President, in the chair. The following gentlemen were balloted for and severally elected Fellows of the Society :—Edward A. L. Batters, A. J. Burrows, Edgar F. Cooper. Prof. J. A. Harker, and George Lewis. There was exhibited, on behalf of Mr. James Romanés, a live specimen of Pieris rapa, which had been found fluttering on the window of his house a few days previously. Mr. Stainton remarked that this early appearance of the insect in question might be accounted for by the fact that the eggs were often hatched on the flowers of Tvop@olum within doors, and hence the imago would issue sooner than in out-door specimens. Mr. A. G. Bourne offered some remarks on the anatomy of Polynoina, pointing out that Polynée Grubiana (very common in the Mediterranean) is only a variety of P. clava, Montague, of our own coasts, which has certain constant characteristics and others more variable. Prof. P. M. Duncan read his “ Observations on the Madrepore Corals, Fam. Fungide, with special reference to the hard structures.” The family Fungide of Dana was further elaborated by MM. Milne Edwards and Jules Haime in their ‘ Hist. Nat. des Coralliaires.’ They described the synapticula as constituting an essential family structure, and also the absence of endothecal dissepiments. In Dr. Duncan’s communication he describes the ridge of the continuous synapticula with canals between them limited by solid and also perforate septa, and delineates the structures ; the synapticula are shown to have no relation to the ornamentation on the. ridges of thesepta. The basal wall is stated to be of synapticular origin, and the foramina in it to relate to the growth of these binding structures. ‘The anatomy of species of F'ungia, Herpolitha, and Holomitra, Dana, is given, and it is shown that it is the last genus what the author considers to include Pcdolacia, Eclatt; the synapticula Legin to be divided and dis- SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES. 133 continuous, leading to the condition seen in the Anabaciacee and Lopho- serine. The microscopic value of the septa and synapticula is considered, and these last structures are shown to be produced in some instances before the thin septum, which very well unites to the larger one; while the synapticular structures are not always continuous with those of the larger septa. The direction of the ultimate histological elements of the two structures differs, and there is connective tissue between them. February 1, 1883.—Sir Joan Luszock, Bart., F.R.S., President, in the chair. Messrs. F. W. Burbridge and Joseph Johnson were balloted for and elected Fellows of the Society. Dr. W. C. Ondaatje called attention to a Red Coral from Ceylon. A paper was read by F. Maule Campbell “ On the pairing of a Spider, Tegenaria guyonii, and description of certain sexual organs in the male.” Some of the habits of spiders, and especially of this species, were mentioned as bearing on the conflicts of the sexes which were described, and the specific benefits which would arise from them referred to. ‘The paper con- ‘cluded by a note on certain glands (probably of spinning function) situated on the convexity of the abdominal sexual region. The ducts, considerably convoluted, open through transparent tubular spines, arranged transversely to the axis of the body of the spider. Two papilla-like processes below the opening of the genital sinus were described.—J. MurtE ZootoeicaL Society or Lonvon. February 6, 1883.—Prof. W. H. Frower, J.L.D., F.R.S., President, in the chair. The Secretary made a report on the additions that had been made to the Society’s Menagerie during the month of January, and called attention to examples of two species of Passerine Birds from Japan (T'urdus cardis and Parus varius) new to the collection. A letter was read from Mr. F. C. Selous, dated from the Matabele Country, on the possibility of obtaining a White Rhinoceros. Extracts were read from a letter received from the Rey. G. H. R. Fisk, of Cape Town, giving an account of the habits of some Reptiles which he had had in captivity. A communication was read from Messrs. Salvin and Godman, con- taining the description of a new species of Pigeon of the genus Otidiphaps from Ferguson Island, one of the D’Entrecasteaux group, which they proposed to call O. insularis. Mr. Sclater read some further notes on Tragelaphus gratus, and exhibited drawings of both sexes of this Antelope, taken from specimens living in the Menagerie of the Jardin des Plantes, Paris. 134 THE ZOOLOGIST. A communication was read from Mr. EK. W. White, containing some supplementary notes to a former paper on the birds of the Argentine Republic. A communication was read from the Rev. G. A. Shaw, containing some notes on the habits of an Aye-Aye which he had had in confinement for several months, and other information respecting this animal. Mr. G. A. Boulenger read a paper containing the description of a new species of Lizard of the genus Enyalius from Peru, which he proposed to name EF, palpebralis.—P. L. Sctarer, Secretary. NOTICES OF NEW BOOKS. Cassell’s Natural History. Edited by Professor Martin Duncan, F.R.S. In six volumes, 4to, with numerous illustrations. London: Cassell, Petter, Galpin & Co. 1878—1883. Wer have been too long accustomed to find in zoological text- books a long string of quotations from various authors of an older generation, ill-assorted, uncondensed, and unverified, and containing not unfrequently a variety of statements which may have been perfectly true in a sense at the time they were written, but which very inaccurately represent the views of modern scientists. It is time that such text-books as these were super- seded, and we are glad to see the attempt which has been made by Prof. Duncan in the volumes before us to furnish students of Zoology with something more accurate, more comprehensive, and more philosophical than they have yet been able to obtain in the way of a text-book. Although the attempt has frequently been made, no individual author has succeeded in producing unaided a satisfactory general work on Natural History, it being virtually impossible for any one man to be thoroughly conversant with every branch of so large a subject. The merit of the present publication lies in the fact that, under the guidance of a competent editor, the work has been divided among specialists, each of whom has made a par- ticular study of the class of Vertebrates, or Invertebrates, as the case may be, on which he has undertaken to write. The reader, therefore, may reasonably infer that the information afforded him in each department of the work is, if not thoroughly NOTICES OF NEW BOOKS. 1385 exhaustive, at least thoroughly reliable, so far as it goes; and this is what is wanted at the present day. We will not pretend to say, as regards the Vertebrata, that the various classes have been so well treated of as not to stand in need here and there of improvement, for we have noted several eases in which fuller information would be desirable, and some rearrangement necessary to ensure greater accuracy and sim- plicity. In the case of the Invertebrata, for want of a sufficient knowledge of many of the groups, we hesitate to express an opinion ; but the names of the writers, as it seems to us, furnish a sufficient guarantee of the accuracy of their work. The contents of the volumes may be thus briefly stated :— Vol. I.—Apes and Monkeys, by Dr. Duncan; Lemurs, by Dr. Murie ; Bats and Insectivorous Mammals, by Mr. Dallas. Vol. II.—Land Carnivora, by Prof. Parker; Aquatic Carnivora, Cetacea, _and Sirenia, by Dr. Murie; Elephants and Conies, by Prof. Boyd Dawkins and Mr. Oakley; Ungulata, or Hoofed Animals, by the two last-named and Prof. Garrod. Vol. III.— Ruminants, by Prof. Garrod; Rodents, by Mr. Dallas; Edentata (Sloths, Anteaters, and Armadilloes) and Marsupials, by Dr. Duncan; Birds (the Accipitres and Picariz), by Mr. Sharpe. Vol. IV.—Birds (the remaining Orders), by Mr. Sharpe; Reptiles and Amphibians, by Dr. Duncan. Vol. V.—Fishes, by Prof. Seeley; Mollusca and Tunicata, by Dr. Wood- ward; Molluscoidea, by Miss Crane; Coleoptera, by Mr. Bates; Hymen- optera, by Mr. Dallas. Vol. VI—The remaining Orders of Insects, by Mr. Dallas; Myriopoda and Arachnida, by Mr. Dallas; Crustacea, by Dr. Woodward; Vermes, Zoophyta, and Infusoria, by Dr. Duncan; Kchinodermata, by Mr. P. H. Carpenter; Spongiew, by Prof. Sollas: Rhizopoda, by Prof. Rupert Jones. * Tt would be, of course, impossible in the limited space at our disposal to give anything like an adequate review of each volume, the contents of which are here indicated; but it will be seen from the above array of names that the Editor of the work has spared no pains to make it as complete and accurate as possible by securing the co-operation of those who are well qualified to write on the subjects allotted to them. ' This, as we have said, is a characteristic feature in the present work. Another feature is the way in which the Editor deals with the subject of classification. Nine authors out of ten 136 THE ZOOLOGIST. in taking up any branch of Zoology or Botany, almost invariably commence by giving their ideas of classification, and having laid down a scheme to their satisfaction, proceed to deal seriatim with the species under review, in the order which this classifica- tion indicates. There can be no doubt that this method affords an aid to memory—the key to the classification furnishing, as it were, a route map to the unknown country which has to be explored. Dr. Duncan, however, takes a different view. He says, in effect, ‘If you want to puzzle a beginner, set before him a scheme of classification (bristling with scientific names) which Tue Koara, orn Native Bear or AUSTRALIA, Phascolarctus cinereus. he cannot understand, for he has learnt nothing of the relation- ships of the various orders, families, and genera, and which he cannot remember for the same reason.’”’ His advice to a student, in a word, is “Get hold of your facts first, and learn to group them afterwards.” This doctrine is carried out in the present work, and so pleasantly is the lesson imparted that the reader experiences no feeling of being bored by technicalities, and at the same time acquires, as he proceeds, a considerable amount of information, NOTICES OF NEW BOOKS. 137 Each volume is illustrated, but, we think, somewhat too profusely ; for the illustrations are not all of equal merit, and many of them are certainly not good enough to be retained either as works of art, or as accurate delineations of the objects they are intended to represent. In a future edition a judicious weeding out of the less satisfactory ones would make room for desirable additions to the text, and thereby enhance the value of the work. Through the kindness of the publishers we are enabled NINES ND AW \ NV THe New Zratanp Hora, Heteralocha acutirostris. to reproduce here the illustrations which are given of a few remarkable species, namely :— 1. The Koala, or Native Bear of Australia, Phaseolarctus cinereus, a specimen of which lived for some time in the Regent’s Park Zoological Gardens, feeding on the leaves of the blue gum- tree, especially procured for it. It is one of the Phalangistide, a family of the Marsupials, or pouched animals, arboreal in its 138 THE ZOOLOGIST. habits, and descending at night from the trees to prowl about in search of succulent roots, which it scratches up; but it derives its chief sustenance from the leaves and tender shoots of the blue gum, of which it appears to be very fond. 2. The New Zealand Huia, or Wood Crow, Heteralocha acuti- rostris, is chiefly remarkable for the difference which is observable in the bills of the sexes, a peculiarity which, according to the observations of ornithologists in New Zealand, is not without its use. They frequent decayed trees which are infested with the Oy = ST NOON s) Tue Burrerrry Bienny, Blennius ocellaris. hu-hu grub (the larva of a large nocturnal beetle, Prionoplus reticularis), and the different development of the mandibles in the two sexes enables them to perform separate offices. The male, with his shorter and more conical bill, attacks the decayed portions of the wood, chiselling out his prey after the manner of some Woodpeckers, while the female, with her long pliant bill, probes the other cells, where the hardness of the surrounding parts resists the chisel of her mate. 3. The Butterfly Blenny, or Sea Butterfly, Blennius ocellaris, remarkable for its peculiar and bright colours, is not uncommon NOTICES OF NEW BOOKS. 139 in the Mediterrancan, and was first noticed as a British species by Montagu, who obtained specimens from an oyster-bed at Torcross on the Devonshire coast. He observed that those in which the ocellated spot was most perfect had the first dorsal ray very long. Since his day it has been met with more frequently on our coasts. Mr. Cornish reports that it is not uncommon near Falmouth, but elsewhere on the Cornish coast rare. 4. The Bungarum Pamah, Bungarus fasciatus, is @ very venomous snake between three and four feet in length, which is Tur Inpran Bunearum, Bungarus fasciatus. found nearly all over India. It may be recognised at once by its peculiar markings being ringed alternately with steel-blue and bright yellow; by its triangular outline having a dorsal keel of hexagonal scales; and by the hard blunt end to the tail. It does not erect its head, but lies coiled up in curves, and when disturbed jerks itself out like a spring, but without extending its whole length of body. It is not so common as the Cobra, Naa tripudians, which sometimes reaches five feet or more in length, 140 THE ZOOLOGIST. and rarer than the Krait, or Gedi Paragoodoo, Bungarus ceruleus (see ‘ Zoologist’ for February, p. 74), which have the under parts uniformly white, and the upper parts bluish or brownish black, uniform, or with very narrow white streaks, not quite as broad as a scale, and generally radiating from a white vertebral spot. These three are amongst the most deadly of venomous snakes.* Bre Tue Lear Burrerrry or Inp1a, Kallima inachis. 5. The Leaf Butterflies of the genus Kallima are amongst the most remarkable of the Nymphaline, from the curious resem- blance of the under surface of the insect to a dead leaf. The Indian species are nearly five inches in expanse of wing; the * By the way, why does the writer of the section on the Reptilia in this work give the English name of the poisonous Sepedon hamachates as “ Ring Hal’s Slang” (sic.)? Ring-hals Schlange is merely the Dutch for Ring- necked Snake, bestowed on it by the Boers in South Africa, NOTICES OF NEW BOOKS. 141 upper surface of a bluish or purplish colour, with a transparent spot in the middle of the fore-wings; the under surface brown, with a dark streak resembling a midrib running from the tip of the fore-wings to the tail of the hind wings. The under surface is irregularly streaked and mottled, and Mr. A. R. Wallace describes the Sumatran Kallima paralekta as being invisible when at rest, from its resemblance to the dead leaves among which it always perches. It sits with its wings over its back, and its THE SacRED BEETLE, Scarabeus sacer. head and antenn® raised and hidden between them, while the tails of the hind wings rest upon the branch, corresponding exactly in appearance with the stalk of the leaf. 6. The Sacred Beetle, Scarabeus sacer, is one of about seventy species of a genus of Old World Beetles which have their metro- polis in tropical Africa, and is remarkable as being that most frequently represented on Egyptian monuments. 142 THE ZOOLOGIST. Snakes ; Curiosities and Wonders of Serpent Life. By CATHERINE C. Hoptry. 8vo, pp. 592. With illustrations. London: Griffith & Farren. 1883. For a long time past there has been a gap—a something wanting—in ophiological literature, taken as a whole; and no one has hitherto grappled with the task of supplying this one thing needful so courageously as Miss Hopley has done in the book before us. Between the standard authorities—huge tomes, which are often little more than statistical museum catalogues—and the © absurd stories about snakes which appear from time to time in the columns of popular journals and magazines, a wide hiatus exists; and, though several books have been cast into the chasm, it has never heretofore been bridged-over in the manner accom- plished by ‘ Curiosities and Wonders of Serpent Life.’ Although the writer has much original observation upon which to draw, founded upon a patient study of reptiles, both in this country and in America, she does not by any means disregard the experience of others. ‘ Audi alteram partem” is obviously her motto where -adisputed point is involved; and what point is there connected with snakes which is not matter of dispute ? The industry herein indicated is most commendable. It would be difficult to mention any author or publication, general or special, having any bearing on the subject, that has not been hunted up for quotation. Turning to the index at the end of the volume, and selecting, for example, the letter B at hap-hazard, we find the following names among the references under that head:—Lord Bacon, Baird, Owen Baker, Sir Samuel Baker, Balfour, Bancroft, Sir Joseph Banks, the Bard of Avon, Bartlett, Barton, Bartram, Bates, Beal, Duke of Beaufort, Beaumont, Beauvoir, Bell, Ben Jonson, Berkeley, Beverley, Bibron, Bingley, Blake, Bond, Bonnat, Buffon, Bowerbank, Braden, Brittain, Broderip, Browne, Brunton, Buckland, and Bullen; without including such as would come within British India, British Museum, Bridgewater Treatise, Brazil, Bulletins, &c. Not content with simply describing snakes, Miss Hopley endeavours to find a use for everything; to seek out the purposes which the creatures themselves serve in creation, as well as to discover the utility of the various component items in the economy of each individual. Thus we find the tongue, the NOTICES OF NEW BOOKS. 1438 rattle, the hood, and even the horns and prolonged snouts of some species, not merely accepted as curious facts, but discussed intelligently from a physiological point of view. Concerning the first we are told :— “ For the most part nocturnal, winding their way under tangled masses of vegetation, often in dark caves, holes, crevices and obscure retreats, with their eyes so placed that they can see neither before nor under them, and with other senses only feebly developed; the tongue, with its sensitive papillz, feels its way and conveys impressions to its owner. Cats have their whiskers to help them in the dark ; moles and mice have their quick sense of smell to guide them; all nocturnal animals are gifted in some manuer or another, but snakes have only their tongue. ...... “Much as an insect uses its exquisitely-constructed antenne, so does a snake its long, slender, pliant, bifurcate, and highly-sensitive tongue. Eyer busy, ever vigilant, exploring while barely touching each surface within reach, yet by night and by day conveying with that slight contact all necessary information to its owner. Sent out with the speed of a flash, it telegraphs back with like quickness the result of its discoveries.” The writer betrays an obvious partiality for the Crotalide, some of the best chapters being devoted to that family, while the illustrations of the different rarities are noteworthy for their fidelity to Nature. An amusing account of a rattlesnake battue is quoted from Catlin. The sections devoted to the sea-snakes and serpent-worship are especially interesting, and under the heading “The Great Serpent” a vast amount of testimony and learned opinion in favour of, and adverse to, the existence of such a monster is adduced. Many little points, too, well worthy of attention, are noted. The possibility that rare and singular snakes, which have been classified in museums as the sole representatives of new varieties, species, or even genera, may be nothing more than hybrids, is inferred from a case of hybridisa- tion which actually occurred in the reptilium at the Zoological Gardens, and is a consideration which may be extended far beyond the domain of ophiology. As practical, also, is the solution of the mystery which has puzzled many observers, who have found vegetable substances in the intestinal canal, viz., that they were simply the contents of the stomach of some animal which has been swallowed by the snake, and dissolved away from them. We have seen grain from a pigeon’s crop rejected by a boa, and still retaining sufficient germinal vitality to grow when 144 THE ZOOLOGIST. planted. In all probability, the Scolopendre found in the stomach of Echis carinata can be accounted for in a similar manner; and in any case a decided negative may be given to the hypothesis of Aristotle, mentioned in conjunction therewith (p. 579). The illustrations, by Mr. A. 'T. Elwes, add much to the value of this work, and are original, both in conception and design. Especially to be commended are those which represent various anatomical details, either of the natural size or indefinitely-stated relative dimensions, and aid greatly in the study of the physiology of the different organs. Since without a grumble or two criticism would be uncritical, one may take exception to certain curious plural forms of generic titles, as used to denote individuals,—Bungari, Tropidonoti, Trigonocephali, Bucephali, &c. The name of the genus is the standard of a regiment: there is but one, and it cannot be multiplied as a designation for Privates Brown, Jones, and Robinson. Again, it is somewhat surprising to find in a book on “Snakes” two whole chapters (by no means uninteresting in their way) devoted to slow-worms. ‘T'rue, they are brought in as a sort of theatrical contrast to the Anaconda, by virtue of their diminu- tive size; but seeing that Anguis fragilis sometimes attains a length of twenty-two inches, and is really a rather thick and bulky little reptile in proportion, it may be doubted whether some of the excessively lithe and slender whip- or tree-snakes would not have served the purpose better, preserving the ophiological unities at the same time. Some kinds of Oxyrhopus and Liophis are very small also, not to mention the rare Stenorhina fremin- villei (Microphis quinquelineatus of Hallowell). Lastly, in her desire to be strictly impartial and unbiassed, Miss Hopley occasionally admits evidence which appears to be insufficiently supported: —‘“‘A farmer,” ‘a clergyman,” and sundry anonymous “gentlemen” are quoted; and one “ Charles Smith, who was ploughing near Chicago,” also contributes his testimony. The species Smith is familiar to most of us, but the soul athirst after knowledge yearns for some further identification of the particular specimen. And the name of the gentleman, clergyman, ploughman, or whoever he was that furnished the tale of a tame boa-constrictor dying of grief because its master was unwell, ought surely to be handed down to posterity ! Z.D. THE ZOOLOGIST. THIRD SERIES - Vou. VII.) APRIL, 18838. [No. 76. ON THE TIME OF DAY AT WHICH BIRDS LAY THEIR EGGS. By Roperr Mituer Curisty. In the year 1876 there was a brief discussion in ‘The - Zoologist’ on the above subject. It was started by Mr. J. Cor- deaux, who said (p. 4988) he had observed that after-a Carrion Crow’s first egg is laid the hen bird may always be found on the nest between the hours of 8 and 5 p.m. He had searched ornithological works for the purpose of learning at what hour out of the twenty-four birds usually deposit their eggs, but the only reference to the subject he had been able to find was a note by the late Dr. Saxby, who said (Zool. 1862, p. 8166) :—* Careful observation on twenty different species of our Insessorial birds has enabled me to ascertain the fact that, as a general rule, they lay their eggs between the hours of 7 and 12 p.m.” Mr. F. Boyes, of Beverley, soon after (Zool. 1876, p. 5115) wrote that he thought 8 a.m. was nearer the time, and he suspected that by accident Dr. Saxby had written “p.m.” instead of ‘‘a.m.” and . best BOOKS on ENTOMOLOGY, ORNITHOLOGY and oOLOGy. 37, MIDLAND ROAD, GLOUCESTER. “THOMAS COOKE & SON, aturalists, Dealers in Entomological Apparatus, &e. 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