PONDS, PADDOCKS, AND AVIARIES 73 



gave up rearing them ; they are bad birds to bring up 

 to a flushing point, and very fond of going back ; they 

 wander immense distances in single file and run for 

 ever." l 



"May $rd, 1893. 



" I shall be much interested in hearing of any success 

 with the water-shrews. I should suggest waiting till they 

 have young, digging out the nest, and putting it with 

 the young into a " live " mouse trap. 



" Do you care for any British bats alive ? " 



"April 2ist, 1893. 



" About harvest mice : I have kept many, and have 

 five, recently received from Surrey, in the room from which 

 I am writing. I have found that the best way to keep 

 them for observation is in a large glass jar, such as they 

 pickle snakes and fishes in at South Kensington. I put 

 a perforated zinc top upon this and give reeds or straws 

 for the mice to scramble up and amuse themselves with. 

 It would be well to have a removable zinc bottom or tray 

 to facilitate cleaning and feeding. The cage that Groom 

 made for me was, if I remember rightly, not for mice 

 but bats. I cannot say that I ever had much luck with 

 my harvest mice, as they have a nasty habit of eating 

 each others' tails, and, as I suppose, finding these palatable, 



1 To E. G. B. Meade-Waldo, Esq. 



2 To the Editor. 



