THE ZooLocist—Juty, 1872. 3143 
their miserable cages, or thrown to the cat. I remember some 
time ago buying a pretty little bird, which seemed very tame, but 
exhausted, and on bringing it home and giving it water, which it 
was unable to drink, I discovered ligatures introduced amid its 
feathers, which hindered its movements, and fully accounted for its 
apparent tameness. I cut its fetters and restored the bright 
creature to air and liberty. I scarcely venture to hope that the 
poor birds bought in the purlieus of Bethnal Green are equally 
fortunate.” 
Moles.—I am desirous of asking your opinion as to the rationality of the 
practice of trapping and endeavouring to exterminate moles on grass lands. 
I am the proprietor of a few acres in North Wiltshire, and my tenants 
bring in (annually) bills for payments to professional mole-catchers. Now in 
my untutored mind there floats the idea that the destruction of moles is a 
mistake. All that I can get specifically laid to their charge is that the 
mole-hills interfere with the mowing; but how, if these “hills” were syste- 
matically knocked about over the grass? “Yes,” the reply is, “ but they 
(the hills) are cast up in the mowing grass,”—that:is, after it is allowed to 
grow for mowing,—‘“ and you cannot then get at the ‘hills’ to beat them 
about.” Now I am ignorant enough to think that it is only in the fall of 
the year that these animals make their “runs,” and I have always looked 
at the hills as a cheap and ready freshener of the surface—a sort of 
manurial top-dressing of value—Robert Brewin; Cirencester, May 80, 
1872. 
[I am unable to give an authoritative opinion. My information is derived 
from books, and these are not very reliable. Mr. Bell, in his ‘ History of 
British Quadrupeds,’ gives a very good summary of all that has been pub- 
lished previously to the date of that work, but he does not appear to add 
much from actual experience. I shall be much obliged if any of my 
correspondents will give my friend and myself the benefit of their views on 
the subject. Will Mr. Reeks, Mr. Cordeaux, Mr. Rodd, Mr. Gurney and 
others relate their experience ?—Edward Newman.] 
Seal in the Dene.—One of the game-watchers, with the aid of his dog, 
captured a seal not far from the mouth of the Dene, about ten days ago. 
It was lying on a rock when first seen, and had evidently been caught 
napping, there being but little water left around it. It weighs thirty 
pounds, is still alive, and is becoming remarkably tame, showing great 
affection for a boy, the watcher’s son. ‘There happened to be a dead calf 
not far off, which the man procured, and it has lived chiefly on that since 
its capture; but veal, as well as being an unnatural, is rather an expensive 
