38 Natural History Notes. 



■whole day in the garden in summer looking for toads and bumble 

 bees, which are favourite delicacies, but always coming home to 

 sleep in the house at night. It is gentle with human beings, but 

 jealous and spiteful with dogs and cats, which it regards as rivals 

 whose attempts to occupy positions on the hearthrug must be 

 resisted at all hazards. In India, I understand, the mongoose is 

 often kept about houses to kill snakes and rats, kc, but they are 

 seldom quite gentle. My own, which came from China, is as 

 tame as a cat, Some years ago there was ;i large importation of 

 so-called mummy cats from Egypt. As every one knows, the 

 Egyptians had a great respect for cats, embalmed them, and 

 made cases for their mummies, which are exact images of the 

 domestic pussy cat of our own day, but the only specimen I saw 

 of tliese mummy cats imported to Liverpool was not a cat but a 

 mongoose. There are several ditferent species of mongoose at the 

 London Zoological Gardens, but being shut up in cages, of course 

 little is seen of their interesting ways. I have had many queer 

 pets in my time, a weasel and a racoon among others, and would 

 like well to mention some of the unexpected talents and 

 peculiarities wliicli they revealed when thoroughly familiar with 

 their surroundings, but I fear I have already taken up too much 

 time and must conclude my remarks. 



Mr Rutherford of Jardington said this was just such a paper 

 as should come before a natural history society, being a record of 

 personal observations. He confirmed from his own observation 

 Mr Maxwell's notes regarding the butterflies. With regard to 

 the crows, he questioned whether it would be wise to destroy 

 them. They did mischief certainly, but it was as nothing in 

 comparison with tlie good which they did. They were of 

 incalculable service in destroying grub. They were always at 

 work, always seeking and always finding. Living on the banks 

 of a river he had every opportunity of observing the king-fisher. 

 In some seasons he would see half-a-dozen day after day, one 

 after another ; then they disappeared for a time, and they had 

 them now just as plentiful as when he came to Jardington. He 

 had exceeding pleasure in moving a hearty vote of thanks to Mr 

 Maxwell for his very valuable, concise paper, and a paper 

 containing observations which he had made himself instead of 

 collecting his information from books. He considered it a model 

 paper. 



