Mr. II. M. Christy, Natural History Notes. 67 



diately killed by the springing of the trap. I never 

 remember having heard before of a similar incident, but in 

 all probability the weasel was hunting the rat at the time 

 they were both caught. Although ignorant keepers ruth- 

 lessly slaughter these animals, there can be no doubt, from 

 the frequency with which they, as well as stoats, are 

 found when corn stacks are thrashed out, that they do 

 considerable service in destroying rats. 



This unusually cold winter has caused not a few of our 

 stoats [Mustela erminca, L.) to turn luhite, which is, I 

 believe, not a common phenomenon so far south as Essex. 

 Mr. Smoothy, of Galleywood, saw a pure white one on his 

 farm about a month ago ; and the local bird-stuffer has 

 one in his shop very nearly so. On the 4th instant a 

 stoat, mainly white, was put out of a barley stack that 

 was being thrashed at Chignell Hall ; and a man told me 

 that he saw this particular animal catch and kill a rat 

 there only a day or two before. Three days later another 

 of our men saw one in a field near our house ; he described 

 it as being pure white without a spot. He is a somewhat 

 aged man, and appeared to be very pleased at his obser- 

 vation, saying that, although he had seen such a case 

 before, it was a long time ago. 



R. M. C. 



Feb. Uth, 1880. 



II. 



{Bead June 26th, 1880.) 



The question. How do wild ducks, moorhens and other 

 such birds introduce their young to the water, when their 

 nests are placed on a tree ? is one that has been often 

 discussed, but, I think, never satisfactorily settled. 



I have lately been fortunate enough to discover in this 

 neighbourhood two nests, one a wild duck's and the other 

 a moorhen's nest, both placed on trees at a considerable 

 height from the ground. The latter of these contained, 

 wiien I first found it, nine eggs very hard sat upon, and 



