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The Field Naturalist' s Quarterly August 



in the letters you have published, and which I should like to draw 

 attention to. I believe that one great reason why our field clubs, to a 

 certain extent, fail in their purpose is to be found in the fact that 

 occasionally they fritter away their time and energy in aimless 

 observation of anything and everything which comes to hand, instead 

 of setting themselves to make complete records of the fauna, flora, and 

 objects of archaeological interest in their special district. Of course, I 

 know that some clubs do this, and these are the clubs which flourish 

 and do good work. But in many instances there is absolutely no 

 definite plan of work set before the members, and, still less, plan of 

 instruction. It only requires that this should be altered on the lines 

 suggested to make every field club the highest authority on the scientific 

 objects in its own district, as it ought to be. We should then have 

 fewer errors in our text-books, and the would-be author on these 

 subjects would know that the information he wants is to be found 

 chiefly in the records of the local scientific societies, which now he may 

 often search in vain for the information he requires." — ■" Another 

 Field Naturalist." 



Concerning Pythons. — ■" Having had considerable experience with the 

 python tribe, it may be of interest to state that it is only when hungry 

 that pythons and their kindred constrict, and use that mighty and fearful 

 power which nature has given them. I have never known an instance 

 in which a python has used constriction as a means of attack or defence, 

 except when seized by the hands round the neck or head. The python 

 always comes for you with his teeth, and hits you with his head. Rats 

 have been known to kill a valuable serpent simply because the reptile 

 was not hungry. But when hungry it will always wrap itself around the 

 victim, crushing the latter to death. I was once a witness of a little 

 tragedy that may bear repeating. I was on excellent terms with an 

 anaconda on a man-of-war, stationed in the West Indies. My friend 

 had been captured in Trinidad. She, for the snake was a female, got 

 to know me very quickly, and we got on famously together, till one 

 fatal day when a large retriever dog approached her. In the twinkling 

 of an eye she was around him, and he was dead. Ever afterwards my 

 pet could never be handled with safety, for she would slap one so un- 

 mercifully across the body that on one occasion she broke three of my 

 ribs. After that she was enclosed in a large tank until she finally died." 

 — Chas. F. Wheeler, 30 Wyndham Street, London. 



Rutland Birds. — " In answer to your correspondent, Mr. C. E. Reade, 

 I beg to say that the birds he mentions are members of our fauna. I 

 did not mention them (and others) specifically in my paper because I had 

 no data as to their having increased or diminished. The marsh-tit is 

 fairly common, long-tailed tit quite common, chiffchaff not very abund- 

 ant, coot only in a few localities. The tree-sparrow I should have in- 

 cluded, as I imagined I had done. This bird is common in Rutland." — 

 Reginald Haines. 



