172 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
under the following circumstances :—To escape the death which awaited it 
after running a considerable time before the hounds, it climbed a high tree, 
and thus baffled its pursuers, but, alas! only temporarily; for next time 
the covert was drawn Mr. Chafin ordered his keeper to attend with a gun 
charged only with powder, and in case the Marten-cat “ took to tree” again, 
to fire at it. It was soon found again, and once more when hard pressed 
sought the friendly shelter of a tree. The keeper, however, was at hand, 
and, according to previous orders, fired. The little animal immediately 
dropped to the ground, and allowed itself to be caught without venturing a 
third time an arboreal refuge.—J. C. ManseL-PLeyprLi (Whatcombe, 
Dorsetshire). 
Marren-cat 1n Norro_x.—About the end of June or the beginning of 
July, 1878, a Marten was caught in a trap set fora rat, in a fir plantation in 
the parish of Hevingham, Norfolk. I learn from several persons who saw it 
alive in the trap, and immediately after it was killed, that it was not injured, 
and that the fur was in perfect order; also that the man who caught it led 
it home in the trap, holding the chain in his hand whilst the poor beast 
trotted tamely along by him. The Hevingham people were undecided as to 
whether the beast was a Fox-cub or a Polecat! I sent a notice of it to 
‘The Field’ and to our local newspapers, with the object of learning if such 
an animal had escaped from confinement, but I have not heard anything to 
that effect—FRranx Noreoare (Sparham, Norfolk). 
BreEpDineG oF THE OrTER.—On December 28th three young Otters, 
apparently less than a fortnight old, were found in a large nest formed of 
rushes and sedge among the reed-beds near Castle Mills. They consisted 
of one male and two females, and were unfortunately destroyed. This is in 
accordance with Mr. Southwell’s opinion as to the time and number of the 
litter. I have one of the luckless little creatures ; it is a male, and measures 
twelve inches and a half from nose to tip of tail. Otters are not yet extinct 
in the Ouse, though of rare occurrence. Mr. Covington has only had one 
to preserve for years; but I received an authentic notice of an old Otter 
shot higher up the river, near Buckingham, about the same date.— 
C. Matruew Prior (The Avenue, Bedford). 
ALBINo Hepgnnoe.—Mr. Wright received an albino female Hedgehog 
to stuff. It was caught by the gamcekeeper at Wrest Park about the middle 
of December.—Ib. 
VaRIETIES OF THE HupdorHoc, BapGerR and Motr.—A white Hedge- 
hog, about half-grown, was killed in the neighbourhood of Malvern during 
the month of October last, and brought to Mr. Edwards, naturalist, for 
preservation. Strange to say, it did not possess pink eyes like an albino, 
but purely white ones. The same naturalist has in his possession a yellow 
