10 APPENDIX © NOS. VII.—VIII. 
VIE: 
Tue SHREW AND GRASSHOPPER- WARBLER. 
[‘ Zoologist,’ iv. (1846) p. 1297.]} 
In a note to Letter XVI., of White’s ‘Selborne, Mr. Rennie’ 
doubts the propriety of the term ‘“ whisper” as applied to the 
trilling notes of the Grasshopper-Warbler. I have little doubt that 
White confounded the sounds made by the Shrew with those of the 
Grasshopper-Warbler. As this little animal is running along the 
bottom of a hedge, its low sibilous notes may not inaptly be called 
whispering. Iam inclined to think that two Shrews are in playful 
chase when I hear them, but as I seldom catch a glimpse, or more 
than a glimpse, I am not at all sure upon this point. The Water- 
Shrew makes similar sounds. I often hear a much more vigorous 
sibilous cry, which I used to suppose was made by a Field-Cricket, 
and many a time have I crept about on tip-toe in the hope of finding 
one sitting, all proper, at the entrance of its burrow; it is now some 
dozen years since I was undeceived by a countryman, who assured 
me it was “ only a sherrew whistling on the muck-heap.” Since this 
I have often heard similar notes from Shrews in confinement, when 
they are fighting, or alarmed; if a worm is thrown to them they 
devour it with sibilous chattering. Led by White, I also had 
supposed that the hedge-bottom notes were the Grasshopper- 
Warbler’s, and I fancy I can remember being laughed at for saying 
so, as White was. Since I have met with the real Grasshopper- 
Warbler in the Cambridgeshire Fens, and elsewhere, I recognize its 
notes as perfectly distinct, nor has the bird ever continued them till 
I approached so near as White seems to have done to the author of 
the whisperings. 
Beeston, near Nottingham, 
March 19, 1846. 
VIEL: 
OccuRRENCE OF Vanessa AwTIoPéa NEAR NOTTINGHAM. 
[* Zoologist,’ iv. (1846) pp. 1506 & 1507. | 
An unentomological shoemaker has taken a specimen of the 
Camberwell Beauty this autumn at Southwell. I possess one taken 
some years ago near Nottingham. 
Beeston, near Nottingham, 
October 3rd, 1846. 
1 (Ed. 1833, p. 60; ed. 1836, p. 89.—Ep.] 
