Miscellaneous, 159 



course of doing so, and observing the attacks I have described fre- 

 quently repeated, I was at last astonished to find that the object of 

 the titmouse was actually to feed the young redstarts together with 

 its own. I spent many an hour in watching this, and have seen that 

 when both parents arrived at the same time with caterpillars in their 

 bills, the titmouse would fiercely drive the redstart away and give 

 the caterpillar to its young. In this way did the titmouse indiscri- 

 minately feed the young in both nests, while the redstart never at- 

 tempted such a reciprocation of favour ; but when arriving with food 

 for its own young, would wait on a neighbouring branch till the old 

 titmice left their nest. — M. Hill, Rowmore. 



ZOOLOGICAL GARDEN IN EDINBURGH. 



For several years there has been an endeavour to establish a Zoo- 

 logical Garden in Edinburgh. Mr. Wombwell made offers at one 

 time, and Sir Thomas Dick Lander has often used his interest for 

 the same purpose. The great want has hitherto been the difficulty 

 of getting some active person as a general superintendent ; and Mr. 

 Douglas, who has for several years imported for sale a considerable se- 

 lection of foreign birds, has expressed his willingness to undertake the 

 charge, and to embark a portion of his own capital in the undertaking. 

 Several influential gentlemen in Edinburgh and its vicinity have been 

 spoken with, and have expressed their anxiety to support the Gar- 

 den. A piece of ground at the west end of the town, on the pro- 

 perty of Coates, has been examined, and could it be obtained would 

 be a most suitable site, being free from damp, and at the same time 

 affording facilities for artificial waters. When the plans are more 

 matured we shall report progress, and in the mean time will hope 

 that the Societies already prosperous will contribute to the advance- 

 ment of one about to be commenced. 



TWEEDSIDE PHYSICAL AND ANTIQUARIAN SOCIETY. 



This Society, only established in 1834, has advanced most rapidly. 

 Its collections have increased so greatly that more accommodation is 

 now required ; and at a late meeting it has been resolved to build a 

 museum in Kelso. For this purpose the gentlemen in the vicinity 

 have subscribed liberally ; while the society of gentlemen educated 

 at Kelso Grammar School have given the sum of 200/. to aid in its 

 erection. We are induced to make this short notice to show the ad- 

 vance which Natural Science is making north of the Border ; and as 

 the first instance, we believe, where a provincial Society in Scotland 

 has ventured to erect aMuseum, for the purpose alone of accommo- 

 dation for its meetings and the preservation of its collections. 



