244 LOCAL J0TTIXG3. 



nearly extinct. lu this part the harmless mouse -eating Kestrel is the most 

 numerous of the tribe, but greatly thinned; the Sparrow Hawk is next to it 

 in numbers; after that, at long intervals, the Merlin and Hobby may be 

 perceived, once or twice in a season, with close observation. 



Former notes have recorded my observation of the Merlin taking its prey 

 on the wing during the winter. The White and Brown Owls I have seen 

 once or twice; and the Long and Short- eai*ed Owls have been procured in 

 this neighbourhood.* A fine Osprey, well preserved by the veteran Reid, of 

 Doncaster, now in the possession of a neighbouring gentleman, was shot on 

 the moors westward of us, towards Saddleworth. This same observant neigh- 

 bour, in discussing the difficulty in the way of preserving the doomed race 

 of Hawks from extinction, observed that he could not prevent his keepers 

 from destroying even Jays and Magpies; that their skins too had their price, 

 and thus the mark of destruction was set on their heads. 



{To be continued.) 



LOCAL JOTTIXGS.— No. 10. 

 DOEOHESTER— DORSETSHIRE. 



BY JOHN GA.RLAND, KSQ., MEMB : ENT: SOC:, MEMB: WERN : CLUB. 



The Rat, (Mus decumanus.) — Most of your readers will doubtless remember 

 the story of the boy at Dr. Burney's school, who saved himself from a flogging 

 for laughing, during prayers, at seeing a Rat slide down the rope of the 

 school-bell, by, on the instant, composing these lines — 



"There was a Eat, for want of stairs, 

 Came down a rope, to say his pray'rs." 



Mr. Waterton has given some notes, whimsical and otherwise, of these ^^plagucs 

 of life." I have just heard of something like a similar instance of sagacity 

 (I mean on the part of the Rat,) as the above, and I think it worth 

 jotting: — 



Mr. Scott, of Martinstown, a year or so since, had a rick of wheat infested 

 with Rats, to which he could not understand their mode of approach. He 

 however got his men one day to put a Ferret in the rick, and stood 

 watching. There was an apple-tree adjoining, the upper boughs of which 

 were at least three feet from the top of the rick. Whilst standing quietly 

 looking on, he observed a very large Rat peep out of the rick nearly at the 

 top, and thinking the coast clear, gave a spring to the bough of the apple- 

 tree, ran down the trunk of the tree, and escaped through a hedge near. On 

 examination he found that this was evidently the mode of ingress and egress 

 to and from the rick, discovered by these sagacious and destructive animals. 



* The Kite, the Common and Kougli-lcg:god Buzzard, in solitary instances, have been shot 

 in the neighbouring domains of Cannon Hall Park. 



