OBSERVATIONS. 



349 



for he himself reminds us, that his most prolonged experiments have not 

 extended over a longer period than tliis. We may note — in passing — that 

 some species have not been subjected to experiment, and that for many the 

 proofs have been of short duration. 



(To he Continued.) 



A Hint to Keepers of Seals and 

 Otters. — Last autumn two young 

 otters were caught by a fisherman 

 who took them home and endea- 

 voured to keep them alive until I 

 should be able to prepare a suitable 

 place for their reception. My in- 

 junction that their food should be 

 given to them outside their cage, 

 not upon the hay, &c., which formed 

 their bed, was at first strictly obeyed, 

 but at the end of about three weeks 

 the precaution was neglected, and 

 very soon afterwards word was sent 

 to me that one of them was dead. 

 On examination the stomach was 

 found greatly distended with a large 

 compact mass of hay and wool, and 

 one still larger was contained by the 

 stomach of the second otter which 

 died a few days afterwards. A 

 tame seal which was kept at Balta- 

 sound some years ago and died from 

 a cause which could not at the time 

 be explained, was found to have the 

 stomach similarly distended with 

 straw and heather, which had acci- 

 dentally been introduced with the 

 food. The ill success which so fre- 



quently attends the many attempts 

 to rear these animals in confinement 

 may doubtless be attributed, in many 

 cases at least, to the want of proper 

 care in keeping the food from con- 

 tact with the litter. — Henry L. 

 Saxby, M.D., Baltasound, Shetland, 

 Feb. 22, 1865. 



Occurrence of the Rednecked Grebe, 

 at Church. — As a young man named 

 Thomas Savage, was returning from 

 work on February 10th, by the 

 Canal Bank, Church, he perceived 

 some boys throwing stones at a bird 

 in the canal. The bird appeared 

 to attract the boys' attention very 

 much, by diving down in one place 

 and making its appearance in ano- 

 ther. One of the boys struck the 

 bird with a stone which killed it. 

 Savage got it out of the canal and 

 brought it to Thos. Jones, Church, 

 for preservation. The bird proved 

 to be the Rednecked Grebe, Podiceps 

 riihricoUis, in winter plumage. — 

 Sydney Smith, Church, near Ac- 

 crington. 



llie Rednecked Grebe. — A fine 

 specimen of the Rednecked Grebe, 



