WATER RATS. 39 



trochiJus .• Mr. Derliam supposes, in Ray's Philosophical 

 Letters, that he has discovered three. In these, there is 

 again an instance of some very common birds that have as 

 yet no English name. 



Mr. Stillinglleet makes a question whether the black-cap 

 (jnotaciUa afracapiUa) be a bird of passage or not. I think 

 there is no doubt of it ; for in April, in the first fine weather, 

 they come trooping all at once in these parts, but are never 

 Been in the Avinter. They are delicate songsters. 



Numbers of snipes* breed every summer in some moory 

 ground on the verge of this parish. It is very amusing to 

 see the cock bird on wing at that time, and to hear his 

 piping and humming notes. 



I have had no opportunity yet of procuring any of those 

 mice which I mentioned to you in town. The person that 

 brought me the last says they are plenty in harvest, at 

 which time I will take care to get more ; and will endeavour 

 to put the matter out of doubt, whether it be a nondescript 

 species or not. 



I suspect much there may be two species of water-rats, t 

 Ray says, and Linnaeus after him, that the water-rat is web- 

 footed behind. Now, I have discovered a rat on the banks of 

 our little stream that is not web-footed, and yet is an excel- 

 lent swimmer and diver : it answers exactly to the oniis am- 

 phibius of Linnaeus (see Si/st. Nat.), which, he says, " Qiatat in 

 fossis et tirinatur,'^ " swims and dives in the water." I should 

 be glad to procure one '■'' plantis palmatis,^' "with webbed feet." 

 Linnaeus seems to be in a puzzle about his mus ampliibius, 

 " amphibious mouse," and to doubt whether it differs from his 

 mus terrestris, "land mouse," which, if it be, as he allows, 

 t\ie ^'' mus agrestis capite grandi hracliyuros^'' " short-taded, 

 large-headed field-mouse," of Ray, is widely different from 

 the water-rat, both in size, make, and manner of life. 



* Both snipes and woodcocks breed freely in the neighbourhood of Woolmei 

 Forest. The latter liavc always four eggs, wliich arc generally deposited on a 

 dry bank. As soon as the eggs are iiatched, the young are conveyed to wet 

 swampy grounds. Sir Charles Taylor of Hollyconibe, for many years past, 

 has had a couple of young woodcocks on hi? table on the 25th of June. — Ed. 



+ Many persons in the neighbourhood of the river Tliames have supposed 

 that there were two varieties of water-rats. This has arisen from th<* '^ircum* 

 Btance of the common Norway rat having been seen swimming to the aits on 

 'he nver, and attaching and destroving the water-rats. — Ed. 



