450 MISCELLANY. 



yet I am inclined to believe, from this occurrence, that Squirrels do occasionally 

 feed on young birds, especially as a similar carnivorous propensity is exhibited by 

 allied species. — Peter Rylands, Bewsey House, near Warrington, Sept. 26, 

 1837. 



The Nest of Vespa Britannica. — We are informed, by the Rev. F. W. 

 Hope, F. R. S., that the Wasp's nest mentioned in No. xii., for September, p. 

 312, of The Naturalist, as having been found by Mr. Lankester, near Camp- 

 sail Hall, belongs to Vespa Britannica. — Ed. 



Engraving of the Cirl Bunting. — The figure of the Cirl Bunting (Embc- 

 riza cirlus), at the beginning of our current number, was intended to illustrate 

 a paper on that bird by Mr. Blyth (No. xiii., p. 341 et seq.), for which, how- 

 ever, it arrived too late. E. cirlus is true to the Bunting type, as will be no- 

 ticed on comparing it with any familiar typical Emberiza, either British or fo- 

 reign. Its nearest approach is to E. citrinella. — Ed. 



A live Toad embedded in Stone. — One of those curious facts the origin of which 

 remains unexplained, is believed to have taken place in the limestone quarry of 

 J. Johnson, Esq., near the cast iron bridge of the Earl of Morley, over Cat- 

 water. As the workmen were removing a quantity of dislodged limestone that 

 lay in the bottom of the quarry, they discovered a Toad, which when first seen 

 appeared to be but just removed from a state of torpidity. It is supposed that the 

 Toad had been an inmate of its lonely dwelling in the limestone rock, shut out from 

 all communication with the air we breathe, ever since its formation. One of the 

 animal's eyes was rather singular, being no larger than a pin's head, the other the 

 usual size. The Toad appeared to be of more than the ordinary dimensions. Jour- 

 nal. — [[Some naturalists altogether deny the possibility of a circumstance similar 

 to the above. Accounts of Toads, and even other animals, embedded in stone, not 

 unfrequently appear in the newspapers, but they are in general not sufficiently 

 authenticated, considering the interest of the subject. We, however, perceive no 

 such insurmountable barrier in the way of the thing as many appear to imagine. 

 The fact of so notoriously sluggish and long-lived a creature as the Toad being 

 most frequently the subject of these reported incarcerations, renders the occur- 

 rence at least possible. The chief obstacles appear to be the entire exclusion of 

 air, and the fearful length of time which the Toad must have remained in its 

 gloomy prison. In theory such an occurrence seems impossible. We believe, 

 however, that well-authenticated instances of it have happened ; it therefore only 

 remains to be ascertained, by experiment, whether this circumstance can or 

 cannot happen, and to draw inferences accordingly. — Ed. Nat.~\ 



Extraordinary Fowl's Egg. — An egg laid by a hen belonging to Mr. John 

 Lowe, of the Cheshire Cheese, Temple-Street, near Dale-Street, in this town, 



