338 Account of a Grampus (Delphhim O'rca) 



descended on the captive, which he seized, and tried, by 

 wriggling, twisting, and hanging by it, to appropriate to his 

 own use, but without success. When exhausted with his 

 efforts, he relinquished his hold and dropt on the ground, 

 where having taken wind, he ran up the stick again, and 

 renewed his task with redoubled ardour. My old friend, 

 having observed him try ten or eleven times successively, 

 thought that he deserved the mole for his trouble and perse- 

 verance, and, taking it from the trap, laid it on the ground 

 read)^ for him ; but, on being disturbed, he retreated, and 

 would not again make his appearance whilst the old man 

 remained. 



An instance of the affection of the weasel for its offspring was 

 related to me by one of our labourers. He was standing in a 

 footpath close to a hedge side, when he observed something 

 coming towards him, but till it got close to him he could not 

 be certain what it was ; at last he perceived that it was a 

 weasel with one of her young ones in her mouth. The animal 

 was so intent on her burden that she did not see the man till 

 he kicked at her, when she dropt her young one and retreated 

 into the bottom of the hedge. The man then stood over the 

 helpless young one with a large stick in his hand, not with the 

 intention of harming the old one (as he was not a keeper), but 

 merely to see how the parent would proceed. She soon 

 peeped out of her covert, and then made several feints to get 

 her charge ; but was obliged to run into the hedge again, 

 apparently intimidated at the stick which he flourished and 

 knocked about. At last she summoned up all her resolution 

 for one grand effort ; and, in spite of the opposition of the 

 man, she, after a great deal of dodging to avoid the stick, 

 which he used in every way to keep her off without hurt- 

 ing her, fairly succeeded in obtaining the object of her solici- 

 tude, and bore it off in triumph from between his legs. 

 I am, Sir, &c. 



SCOLOPAX RUSTICOLA. 



Chilwell, near Nottingham, May 12. 1831. 



Art. VIII. Some Account of a Grampus (Delphinus Cyrca) recently 



captured in Lynn Harbour. By G. M. 



Sir, 



The history of the cetaceous animals, in consequence of 



their being placed beyond the reach of .the naturalist, is so 



confessedly incomplete, and the interest attached to them, not 



only on that account, but because of their importance in a 



