The Zoologist — June, 1874. 4011 



discussed and judiciously investigated, but which are here passed 

 over ill silence or but superficial]}' glanced at; such as the period 

 of gestation in the badger, concerning which so large a number of 

 interesting statements have appeared in the 'Field' and 'Zoologist;' 

 it seems scarcely creditable to living zoologists that the matter 

 should be suffered to rest in its present obscure and unsatisfactory 

 state : although we must by no means infer that the gestation of 

 the bear is an infallible guide in this matter, still it would be 

 instructive to study the natural history of so familiar an animal, and 

 see whether a ray of light could be obtained on the gestation of the 

 badger from this collateral source. On the species, or varieties, or 

 races, of weasel, it would have been desirable to have expended 

 a little labour: we cannot excuse or justify its dismissal in the 

 following curt and crude manner: — 



*' The female weasel is much smaller than the male, and is no doubt the 

 ' little reddish beast, not much bigger than a field mouse, but much longer,' 

 mentioned by White, iu bis ' Natural History of Selborne,' and called 

 ' Cane ' by the people of that district. It is known in Surrey also by the 

 name of ' Kiue,' as Mr. Blyth informed us. We have received specimens of 

 this animal from several parts of England, and find, as may be supposed, 

 that it is nothing more than the female weasel of unusually small size." — 

 P. 187. 



My experience in the matter is certainly not extensive, but so 

 far as it goes is in an exactly opposite direction : the only pregnant 

 female I have seen is of the large variety, and the only two of the 

 very small ones were males. This diversity of experience does not 

 lead to any absolute conclusion, but it shows that the opinion has 

 been expressed without much reflection, and is quite untenable 

 unless supported by repeated observations all tending to establish 

 the same hypothesis. 



As a subject that has been ignored I may mention the ship 

 rat, or snake rat (the Mus Alexandrinus of Southern Europe), con- 

 cerning which some controversy has occurred in the 'Field,' and 

 on which a most able paper was read before the Linnean Society 

 by Mr. Salter, who exhibited several living specimens. Mr. Salter, 

 in another paper subsequently published in the 'Field,' says: — 



" I have recently received some rats from one of the West India Islands ; 

 they inhabit and live upon the growing heads of certain palm trees. They 

 are not, as far as external characters go, to be distinguished from the new 



