ON NATURAL HISTORY. 341 



It is a curious fact, that a gentleman in Wilt- 

 shire, who is a strict preserver of his game and fish 

 has his ponds regularly visited by Herons on a 

 Sunday, not a Heron is to be seen near them on 

 any other day. 



Shrew Mice feed upon frogs, and attack them 

 with great energy. 



Vast numbers of Frogs were found dead this 

 Summer, (1843) by the side of a pond near Ascot 

 heath. I heard of the fact too late to be able to 

 procure any of them for the purpose of ascertain- 

 ing the cause of their death. 



The Rev. Gilbert White in his MS. memoranda 

 says, " A colony of black Ants comes forth every 

 Midsummer from under my staircase, which stands 

 in the middle of my house ; and as soon as the 

 males and females (which fill all the windows and 

 rooms) are flown away, the workers retire under 

 the stairs and are seen no more. It does not 

 appear how this nest can have any communication 

 with the garden and yard ; and if not, how can 

 these ants subsist in perpetual darkness and con- 

 finement ?" 



The dark colour of many wild birds must be a 

 great preservation to them. The young of many 



