The Zoologist— March, 1867. 631 



stiff and arched ; the run is crouching, the head carried on a line with 



the body. 



Harry Blare- Knox. 



Dalkey, County Dublin. 



(To be continued.) 



Notes on the Mammalia of Berkshire and Buckinghamshire. — 



Hedgehog. — A few days since I was in the shop of one of the Eton birdstuffer?, 

 who told me that one or two summers ago he had brought to him alive four hedgehogs ; 

 one was the mother, and there were three young ones, the mother and one of the young 

 being of the usual colour, and the remaining two having all their quills of a pure 

 white colour. This is not, I believe, a common occurrence. 



Gray Rat.— On the 30th of January I saw a rat sitting on one of the lower branches 

 of a willow tree overhanging the water of a small stream running into the Thames 

 near Windsor. It was apparently feeding, and I was surprised to observe that it was 

 of an iron-gray colour all over, nearly approaching to white. I continued to observe 

 it for about five minutes, during which time it did not move more than to occasionally 

 turn its head towards me, and continue to feed. This is not a very common variety in 

 this neighbourhood, although no doubt some have occasionally been taken. 



Common Squirrel. — While walking through Ditton Park, on the 27th of January, 

 1 saw one of these active little animals take a rather surprising leap : it leaped at least 

 four feet, in an almost upright direction, from the upper branch of a thorn to one of 

 the thin branches of a larger tree, and it seemed to make a sort of hissing noise; it 

 might have been its feet scratching on the branches, I cannot positively say. Do 

 squirrels make any noise with their mouths? 



Common Mouse. — A variety of the mouse was captured by a cat in Eton, on the 

 30th of Jauuary. Its head and legs were of the usual colour, but its back was a sandy 

 yellow colour, not very light. Is this variety common? 



Badger. — I have been informed that a pair of badgers bred in the vicinity of 

 Surly Hall, on the Thames, last summer, and that they are occasionally seen dow. 

 Some time ago, as Mr. Fisher, of Eton, told me, one young one was seen by a 

 labourer near the Cavalry Barracks in Windsor, who killed it with a prong, thinking 

 that it was a large polecat. 



Weasel and Stoat. — Weasels are very common here, as also are stoats, but perhaps 

 not so common as the first-named species. We have no martens in this neighbour- 

 hood, so far as I am able to ascertain. — A. Clark-Kennedy ; Eton, February 1, 1867. 



Peregrine Falcon in Kent. — A month or two ago the keepers here, attracted by a 

 great confusion among some rooks, came up and disturbed a large peregrine falcon 

 from a rook which she had knocked down. Soon afterwards one of the same men saw 

 a peregrine, probably the same, swooping down at some pheasants that were feeding. 

 I myself also saw a very large hawk hovering about in the park, which, from its falcon- 



