4378 THE Zoo_octst— Marcu, 1875. 
unfailing evidence of domestication either in the present or past generation. 
—Edward Newman.) 
Rats and Gas-pipes.—About eight o’clock on Sunday morning a woman 
named Mrs. Dempster went to the provision shop of Mary Hart, or 
M’Nab, at 15, M’Alpine-street, Glasgow, but could get no admittance. 
She returned several times before half-past ten, and still the door was 
closed. She began to suspect that something was wrong, and on informing 
her husband, he, along with two other men, went and forced the door in the. 
close. On entering, Mrs. M’Nab, with her two children, Barbara, aged 
seven years, and David, aged five years, were found in bed insensible, and 
the servant, Catherine Hughes, was found lying on the floor in a similar 
condition, while the premises were filled with gas. The poor people were 
carried off by the relieving party to another house, and Dr. Jack was called 
in. He applied the usual restoratives, and the children and the servant 
have all recovered, but Mrs. M’Nab still lies in a precarious condition. © 
Intimation of the escape was sent to the Gas Office, and a plumber was 
sent to examine the pipes and find out where the leakage had occurred. 
On inspection he discovered that a large hole had been cut into the lead 
pipe near the meter by the rats, and that there must have been a large 
escape of gas. The defect was immediately remedied.—Glasgow Herald. 
[This occurrence has frequently been reported in London as regards the 
rats; four holes have been gnawed by rats in the gas-pipes passing under 
this office. The plumbers assert that the rats, being thirsty souls, tap the 
pipes hoping to procure water.—Edward Newman.] 
Instances of Albinism requested.—For some time past I have been 
engaged in collecting instances of the occurrence of the phenomena of 
albinism, melanism, and analogous variations in animals, and particularly 
amongst mammals and birds. Of such I have now collected a large number, 
either from records in the zoological journals or from actual inspection of 
specimens, and I hope soon to be in a position to publish the results of my 
researches. My present object in writing is, however, to ask all those who 
record the occurrence of such varieties to pay particular attention to, and 
note, the colours of the soft parts, particularly of the eyes, bill, and feet. 
Two distinct phases of albinism are as a rule confounded under one name— 
viz. (1) what may be termed “ albinism” (sensu strictura) ; and (2) what the 
late Mr. Blyth (‘ Field,’ March 25, 1871, p. 230) has denominated 
«Jeucotism.” In the former the eyes are invariably red, the other soft parts, 
as the bill, feet, nails, naked skin, &c., being of a delicate flesh-colour. A 
truly albino variety of Macacus cynomolgus, now living in the Zoological 
Gardens, well shows this, the fur being perfectly white, the eyes red (in 
some lights almost transparent), and the skin of the face, hands, &c., as 
