9706 Sucklers. 



Black Water Rat near Chichester.— On the 22nd of May last I shot a perfectly 

 black specimen of the water rat {Arvicola amphibia): it was not quite full grown. It 

 rather remarkable that on the 21st of May, 1863, 1 shot a full-grown specimen within 

 a hundred yards of the place where the first-mentioned specimen was obtained, and 

 1 have seen one other on the same stream ; so that we appear to have a black race of 

 the water rat in this locality. Is not this unusual? — W. Jeffery, jun. ; Ralham, 

 Chichester, July 6, 1865. 



Notes on the Quadrupeds of Lanarksliire. 

 By Edward R. Alston, Esq. 



(Continued from page 9648). 



Mole. — I have this suminer succeeded in keeping a mole alive in 

 confinement for nine days, and paid much attention to its habits during 

 that time. I must begin by observing that there are certain small 

 semi-circular areas outside the ground-floor windows of this house ; 

 these are about two feet deep, and being lined with stone form capital 

 traps for small animals, which fall into them and cannot get out again. 

 Into one of these hollows the mole must have fallen on the night of the 

 6th of July, in the course of the nightly rambles on the surface to 

 which these animals are partial in suunner. Next morning I was told 

 of the prisoner, and foinid him running about at a quick pace with a 

 serpentine sort of motion, turning his head from side to side, and trying 

 in vain to burrow through the thick bed of gravel which forms the 

 floor of the area. A icw sjiadefuls of earth were then put in a corner, 

 into which he speedily retired, and here he lived until the 15lh of 

 July. 



This mole was a living confirmation of the character given to the 

 species by former observers, of being the fiercest, boldest and most 

 voracious of animals. At first I gave him a number of earthworms, 

 which disappeared into the heap of soil and were never seen again. 

 Before many hours had elapsed the mole found that there were no 

 more worms to be had, and, coming out of the earth, wandered about 

 seeking what it might devour, j A very large frog [Rana temporaria, 

 var. Scotica, Bell) was then put into the area, and a remarkable scene 

 soon took place. The mole rushed at the frog, seized it by the hind 

 leg, and tore at the muscles of the thigh with the greatest ferocity. 

 The poor frog screamed piteously, and made several frantic leaps, 

 dragging the mole after it, for the latter retained his gripe with all the 

 pertinacity of a bull-dog. At last his hold gave way, and the frog 

 continued to leap about, bleeding freely, while the mole seemed to be 



