The Zoologist — December, 18GG. 511 



between the specimens described by Mr. Cordeaux (Zool. S. S. 327) 

 and S. remifer; the general characters agree exactly and the dimen- 

 sions do not greatly differ. Certainly his shrews could have been 

 neither S. telragonurus (our common species) nor S. ruslicus of 

 Jenyns, for neither of these belong to the aquatic section of the family 

 (Crossopus of some authors), which his specimens evidently did. Of 

 the last-named species (S. rustic us) I have never met with a descrip- 

 tion : if any of your readers have access to Mr. Jenyns' account 

 perhaps they would favour us with his specific characters. The 

 Leominster specimen, described by Mr. Newman (Zool. S. S. 386), 

 would appear to be intermediate in some of its characters between the 

 oared and water shrews. T believe that Mr. Jenyns has recorded 

 similar specimens, and has expressed a doubt as to the distinctness of 

 these two species. 



Weasel. — Last winter a lad who worked in our garden saw one 

 morning two weasels rolling over and over on the ground, seemingly 

 in mortal combat. So engrossed were they that he succeeded in 

 seizing one of them, when the other one, after gazing at him for a 

 moment, flew at him and ran up his leg. The boy, naturally enough, 

 dashed them both to the ground, and took to his heels. The above I 

 have on thoroughly trustworthy authority, but whether the second 

 weasel wished to rescue the prisoner, or meant to renew the conflict, 

 I will not venture to guess. At any rate, the incident illustrates the 

 boldness of these little beasts. 



Bank Vole. — Another specimen, a female, was caught on the 21st of 

 June, among some ornamental rock-work, where it had been feeding 

 on a species of saxifrage. It contained four fceti, apparently just 

 ready for birth, and was an unusually large example, the head and 

 body 4.12 inch in length, the tail 1.75 inch. What is the usual 

 number of young borne by the common field vole? 



Squirrel. — On the 9lli of October I saw a young squirrel, not more 

 than three parts grown. It was singularly bold, and as I stood quite 

 still it descended from the tree on which it was silting, came within 

 two yards of me, looked me all over, and then, apparently satisfied with 

 the inspection, returned to its feast on fir-seeds. It showed the 

 greatest dexterity in gathering the cones from the ends of the branches, 

 frequently hanging under the bough, back downwards. In descending 

 the perpendicular trunk, which it did with great rapidity, the hind feet 

 were reversed, so that the claws might catch on the inequalities of the 

 bark. 



