Birds. 7793 



short and thick, the under fur being of a silvery white shade, slightly 

 waved and silky, and of similar texture to that of the beaver, but not 

 so long. The colour of the overlying hairs varies from a rich and 

 glossy brownish black to a dark chesnut. In summer the colour is a 

 rusty brown and the fur is shorter and thinner. The habits of the otter 

 are aquatic : from the shortness of its legs its motions on shore are not 

 so quick as when in the water, and, as its food is principally fish, it 

 resides in winter near some lake or river, where it keeps a hole open 

 in the ice all the season : during this period of the year its migrations 

 on land are toilsome, and it leaves a deep furrow or path in the snow, 

 which, when seen by the trapper soon after the animal has passed, in- 

 variably leads to its destruction. If a trap be set on this road the 

 otter is nearly certain to be caught, as it has a strong objection to 

 opening new paths through the deep snow. In firing at an otter in 

 the water care must be taken not to shoot it in an immediately vital 

 part, as, if death ensues instantaneously, the body will sink like a 

 stone. 



Whether the Lutra californica be found in this district, or whether 

 that animal be only a variety of the species under consideration, I 

 cannot say ; but an examination of a greater number of specimens will 

 in time determine the matter. 



White Thrushes— My birds, which are snow-white, were hatched this year, in this 

 immediate locality. The first nest, which was hatched the first week in April, con- 

 tained four birds, one of them white, the other three of the usual brown colour. This 

 white bird (a male) has now completed his moult. The second nest (hatched May 24th), 

 had only three birds ; all three are white. The third nest (hatched June 28th) had 

 four birds one of them white, two brown, and one brown with the tail and wing-feathers 

 tinged with white. I am anxious to find out whether, if there have been any other 

 white birds, they have turned out males or females. I believe mine are all males. 

 During the severe thunderstorm we had some six weeks ago, two of the birds, which 

 happened to be in a cottage, in cages near the window, were in some way afi-ected 

 with the lightning, one of them in a most extraordinary degree. Its nerves were evi- 

 dently affected, and whenever the atmosphere was lowering it would sit down and 

 gasp most violently, and its heart would be distinctly perceived throbbing. This 

 occurred whenever rain was imminent, and then it might be caught without the 

 slightest fluttering. So constant were these attacks, and so weakening to the bud, 

 Ihit I had it killed. Its beak also was twisted a little. The other bird was not 

 affected to anything like its fellow. Its eyes were affected, and now, at times, the 

 under lashes are a little distorted. During the same storm several bullfinches, cana- 

 ries and nightingales, in the same cottage, were either affected in the same manner, 

 or were killed at once.-John Marshall; Belmont, Taunton, Septetnber 10, 1861. 

 VOL. XIX. ^ ^ 



