MISCELLANEOUS NOTES. 419 



at once closed the cell and abandoned the place. Every one who has watched 

 these parasite flies knows how warily they follow their victims, keeping some 

 inches behind them. A curious circumstance is that another lot of five cells 

 was begun and finished soon after thii^, at another place in the same room. 

 The builder may not have been the same \vasp, but I could not distinguish 

 them from one another. 



Another feature in this case, almost more interesting, is the behaviour of 

 the fly in examining the cell immediately after the wasp left it the first 

 time, and not doinrj so the second time. A naturalist ought not to assume 

 anything, but he must be a captious man who will object to the assumption 

 that, when the fly examined the cell the first time, it saw that it was just 

 begun and knew that it must take some time to finish. They never lay their 

 egg, I believe, until the cell is actually finished and ready to be stocked. 



E. H. AITKEN. 

 Camp Oolwa, 1th November, 1898. 



No. XI.— BULL TERRIER AND TIGER. 



I believe it is well known that a tiger will retreat before a pack of dogs, 

 but that a single bull-terrier will put a tiger to flight, drive it from cover 

 when wounded, and finally attack the beast, appears to me to be an occur- 

 rence sufficiently rsmarkable to be worth recording, even were not the other 

 circumstances in connection with the encounter I am about to describe 

 of a most unusual nature. 



On November 18th last, a gardener came to tell me, at about five o'clock 

 in the evening, that a panther was in the compound of an unoccupied 

 bungalow in this station (Jalna), where he was employed. I received his 

 statement with reservation, knowing that the native is prone to exaggerate. 

 However, I took my rifle, and accompanied by Lieut. A. R. Burton of my 

 regiment, together with my orderly and a few native servants, proceeded to 

 the spot, which was about fifty yards from my bungalow. The compound 

 where the animal was said to be located contained several thickest hedges, 

 disposed in parallel lines, and a large patch of long grass. We looked in all 

 likely places but could see nothing. We then went to the far side of the 

 patch of grass telling the men to walk through it, and drive any animal that 

 night be there in front of us. Then there was a rush and a roar, and in a 

 moment not a panther but a tiger cleared the hedge and road in front oE us, 

 and disappeared be'^^ind the hedge of the next compound. Here was a 

 hard case. AVe could not see where the tiger wa«. Beyond the com- 

 pound in which he had disappeared the band was playing, and the ladies 

 were playing tennis, whilst a party of ofiicera and men was engaged at hockey 

 close by. Bungalows surrounded us on three sides. A cry was raised that 

 a tiger was afoot, and there followed a hurrying to and fro. People rushed 

 in all directions, some looking for rifles, others for safety. Then one of my 



