The Scottish Naturalist. 155 



That the " Cotton Gall of the Oak" occurs in this county is certain. I learn 

 from my friend Dr. Innes, of Forres, that four or five years ago he met with the 

 gall in question in the utmost profusion in the Darnaway Forest, belonging to 

 the Earl of Moray. 



Oribata geniculata. — About two years ago, whilst looking for the larvae of 

 Trachea pinipcrda in the Chapelton Muir Wood here, I noticed many incras- 

 sated or gouty-looking swellings in the lateral branch-tips of Finns sylvestris. 

 Thinking they might be galls of some sort, I gathered and sent a quantity to 

 Mr. Miiller, who bred a mite from them, quite new, I believe, to this country, 

 viz., Oribata geniculata Latreille (following Hartig). 



Batoneus populi on Populus tre?nula. — Some time in the spring of this year, 

 while searching for fungi at Sluie, on the banks of the Findhorn, in company 

 with Dr. Innes, I noticed the branches of the aspens (which are here of natural 

 growth) to be loaded with beautiful reddish-green downy excrescences, ranging 

 in size from an inch in diameter to that of the closed fist. A box of these were 

 sent off to Mr. Miiller, who has since published them as the work of a mite, Bato- 

 neus populi, first found and described by Herr L. Kirchner, from specimens 

 discovered by him in Bohemia. This, I presume, has not been found elsewhere 

 in Britain. *— Geo. Norman, Forres, 8th Oct., 1871. 



Keversed variety of Helix nemoralis L., var. hortensis.— A few days 

 ago, on looking over some shells of the above species, which I had picked up 

 upon the links near Aberdeen, during the summer, I found among them a speci- 

 men with the whorls reversed ; this monstrosity is mentioned in Jeffrey's British 

 Mollusca as of very rare occurrence. This shell, along with most of those ocur- 

 ring on the links, has the colours very dull and faded looking. It is rather 

 hard to assign any cause for this loss of colour, as the animals in these faded 

 shells seem quite healthy ; and in the same localities, and under the same cir- 

 cumstances, other specimens occur which have shells of the ordinary colours. — 

 James W. H. Tjraill, Old Aberdeen, Oct., 1871. 



Wild Cats.— I have been lately informed that no less than ten "Wild Cats 

 Felts Cattus) have been killed on one property in Badenoch. One which I 

 have in my hands at present measures 3 feet 6 inches from nose to tip of tail. — 

 R. Baton, Berth, November, 1871. 



A Happy Family.— A few years ago, a cat I had gave birth to kittens, 

 some of which were kept, and the others destroyed. Shortly afterwards, my 

 children brought in some newly-born rabbits, which, as I did not wish them 

 to be kept, I told the children to give to the cat— thinking she would speedily 

 make an end of them. To my surprise, however, the cat at once adopted them 

 in place of the lost kittens. Happening a few days afterwards to find a squirrel's 

 nest with young ones in it, I thought I would see if the cat would likewise adopt 

 them, and so brought them home and placed them with the cat. My expecta- 

 tions were realized, and I had the pleasure of witnessing the interesting spectacle 

 of a cat suckling kittens, rabbits, and squirrels all at one time. The end, how- 

 ever, was sad : the cat went out one day and never returned, and so the happy 

 family perished miserably.— W. Herd, Scoonie Burn, by Berth, August, 1871. 



* I have noticed similar gall8 in Inverness-shire and Eoss-shire.— Ed. 



