1S4 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



[Aug. 1, 1SG9. 



ZOOLOGY. 



Abyssinian Birds. — At the last meeting of the 

 Zoological Society a communication was read from 

 Dr. 0. Eiusch on the collection of birds from North- 

 eastern Abyssinia and the Bogos country formed 

 by Mr. "William Jesse, zoologist to the Abyssinian 

 expedition. The collection was stated to be of 

 great interest, and to contain seven hundred and 

 thirty-five specimens referable to two hundred and 

 twenty-one species, whereof two appeared to be new 

 to science. 



Salmon in Maine.— The finest of salmon are 

 now being taken from the waters of the Penobscot. 

 About three miles above Bangor they are taken in 

 drift nets. But below, near Searsport and Buck- 

 sport, they are taken in large quantities in weirs. 

 The number appears to be on the increase yearly, 

 and the business of taking them is highly remune- 

 rative. They weigh generally twelve pounds apiece 

 and upward, perhaps twenty-four pounds. One was 

 taken at Belfast the other day whose weight was 

 twenty-seven pounds and a half. The present price 

 is about forty cents a pound. — Chicago Times, 

 May 30. 



Otter. — I copy the following from the Abing- 

 don News of the Oxford Chronicle of to-day (July 

 3rd) : — " On Sunday last a very large otter was 

 caught in the basket rings in a pool just below Mr. 

 Blake's. It weighed about a t cwt." — H. Ward. 



The Crane in Norfolk. — In addition to the 

 Crane recorded in Science-Gossip for July, p. 160, 

 as having been killed at East Summerton on the 7th 

 of May, one has been shot on the marshes at 

 Thornham, which is now in the Lynn Museum, and 

 another killed at Pickenham, near S waff ham. In 

 the Field of the 12th of June, four are said to have 

 been seen at Burnliam, two of which were killed. 

 1 regret to say there is a probability of the Buddy 

 Sheldrake, recorded by me at the same time, being 

 an escaped bird, one having been lost by a gentle- 

 man some miles from Snettisham a few days before. 

 I examined the bird in question myself soon after it 

 had been set up ; it was a male in fine plumage, and 

 presented not the slightest appearance of ever 

 having been in confinement. The escaped bird was 

 purchased with a female, which died before the 

 male escaped, in Leadcnliall market, and is said to 

 have been received from Russia. — /. Southwell, 

 Norwich, July 3rd, 1SCJ. 



The Otter in Sussex.— I copied the following 

 this morning from the Brighton Herald: — " Capture 

 of another Otter in Sussex. — Two or three of these 

 destructive animals have recently been captured in 

 this county. As one had for some time past been 

 seen in the neighbourhood of Barcombe, a reward 



of two pounds was offered for his apprehension — 

 dead or alive — and this led to euergetic measures. 

 He was seen on Saturday, and some men employed 

 at the oil-mills set a trap for him. On Sunday 

 morning on going to look at the clams, they found 

 him caught by one of his hind legs. Prongs, &c., 

 were soon brought into requisition, and the animal 

 killed. He turned out to be a fine animal, weighing 

 13flbs., and a handsome subject for stuffing."— 

 T. W. Wonfor, Brighton, July 3rd. 



Wren and Ely-catcher. — This morning I saw 

 a strange example of socialism at Swaysland the 

 naturalist's. A wren had nearly finished its nest in 

 an elm-tree, when a fly-catcher commenced build- 

 ing; and the two birds had evidently finished their 

 nests in company, for while the wren's nest, mainly 

 composed of shavings, leaves, &c., was perfect, the 

 fly-catcher's was not simply built on, but into the 

 wren's, of moss and horse-hair. When brought in 

 the night before from Preston, the wren's had three 

 eggs and the fly-catcher's four. I fancy, from the 

 fact of the former having been built against the elm, 

 some of its eggs had been dropped when the nest 

 was taken, for the back of the nest was quite open 

 at one point. 1 saw also a curious illustration of 

 how soon birds will build and lay near the same 

 spot after their nest has been taken. A couple of 

 redpoles built a nest in a garden near Montpelier 

 Crescent in a willow tree, and when five eggs had 

 been laid the nest was taken; nine days after the 

 same birds had built in an adjoining elder another 

 nest, and the female had laid five eggs. In the 

 latter case the nest was mainly composed of cotton 

 from the willow. Both trees were quite close to a 

 public path.— T. W. Wonfor, Brighton, July 3rd, 

 1869. 



Dartford Warbler's Nest. — The much denied 

 fact, viz., a Dartford Warbler laying five eggs in 

 one nest, has been proved by Swaysland and his 

 wife, who have spent weeks this year iu watching 

 on the downs the habits of this bird. Since April 

 they have found seventeen nests, one containing 

 three eggs only, one on June 25th five, and the rest 

 four each. I saw to day thirteen nests in one box, 

 among them the prize ; and while there was great 

 variety in the general appearance and markings 

 when compared nest with nest, yet the eggs in each 

 were alike.— T. W. Wonfor, Brighton, July 3rd, 

 1S69. 



A Hawk's Home. — Mr. L.'s gamekeeper, in 

 Wiltshire, recently shot a hen hawk. He found 

 her nest with four young ones in it, all dead for 

 want of the hen's care. But the male bird con- 

 tinued to bring food to the nest, and between 

 Eriday and Monday brought eighty-three birds, 

 chiefly blackbirds and thrushes, also one mouse, 

 and a pheasant's egg. My friend adds, where 



