48 
Correspondence. 
Orrer aTCooxHAm.—On Monday, 
the 10th of August, a female Otter, 
three feet in length, and weighing 
153lbs., was shot on an islet in the 
Thames, near White Place, by Mr. 
Joseph Ford, Jun.; his dogs at the 
same time destroyed her four young 
ones.—South Bucks Pree Press. A 
specimen of the Cross-bill (Lowia 
curvirostra) has lately been shot in 
the same neighbourhood. 
Tur CirovpED YELLow.—A speci- 
men of this was taken last month at 
Addington, near Winslow, by Mr. 
John Mathison. He writes :—“<I 
captured a specimen of the Clouded 
Yellow Butterfly (Colias Edusa), a 
few days ago; it is a male. Some 
years ago I captured a female of this 
species; these are the only specimens 
I have ever seen in this part of the 
country.” 
Ture Guiu.—A young specimen of 
the Common Gull (Larus canus) was 
captured between Booker and West 
Wycombe, during last July. It sur- 
vived only two days. 
Fora or Bucks.—A second “ List 
of Buckinghamshire Plants,’ in- 
cluding the additions which have 
been made to the known Flora of the 
County during the past year, will, it 
is hoped, shortly be published. It 
is therefore requested that any one 
who has any information on the sub- 
ject in his possession will forward 
the same to Jamxs Brirren, High 
Wycombe, at his earliest conve- 
nience. 
Tue Folkestone Natural History 
Society announces the publication, 
at an early date, of the first num- 
ber of a Quarterly Magazine of 
Natural History. When we state 
that it will be edited by our former 
Secretary, Mr. Ullyett, we are sure 
that our readers will cordially wish 
it success. 
AsBnoRMAL DEVELOPMENT OF 
Treru in A Rat.—A short time ago 
I saw in the window of a taxidermist 
in Birmingham, a rat which had 
been stuffed and labelled—‘‘ This 
curious specimen was caught at 
Harborne, March, 1865.”’ It was 
indeed a curious specimen; for the 
greater part of the lower jaw had 
been destroyed, probably by a spring 
trap. The two upper incisors had 
grown enormously long, and de- 
scribed a curve; the one on the left 
side formed a ring of bone, and the 
one on the right side had curved and 
pierced the palate, projecting partly 
through the nose half-an-inch above 
the tip. The poor animal must have 
suffered much pain and inconvenience 
from the abnormal growth, but was 
in good condition. Some time ago 
I had the pleasure of showing at our 
Natural History Conversazione a 
similar occurrence in a rabbit, which 
had been presented to our Secretary. 
Ihad not an opportunity of seeing 
the lower jaw, but I have no doubt 
it was destroyed in a similar manner. 
R. M. Bowstgap, M.D. 
THE GREAT BuSTARD ( Otis 
tarda).—Mr. Clark Kennedy gives 
1802 as the last date at which 
a specimen of this bird was seen 
in Berks or Bucks. Mr. W. H. 
Rowland, of Hungerford, wrote as 
follows in the Times of January 31, 
1856.—“ A specimen of the Great 
Bustard (Otis tarda, L.), a male, 
and a very fine one, was taken 
January 3, 1856, in the neighbour- 
hood of Hungerford, just on the 
borders of Wilts and Berks.” 
