OCCASIONAL NOTES. 50 
that state of plumage in which the breast is so prettily varied with 
dark lunate markings on a white ground. 
Almost daily during the month of November I observed one or 
more Black Redstarts. Black-backed Gulls began to arrive in the 
first week of December, and will increase in numbers until spring, 
when their place will be taken by the Lesser Black- pees species 
just before the breeding season. 
—— 1) —— 
OCCASIONAL NOTES. 
HypropHosia FROM THE Bire or a Potscat.—In the journal of Robert 
Marsham, F.R.S., under the date of 1739, the following curious passage 
occurs, which, by the kindness of the Rev. H. P. Marsham, I am allowed to 
make public. Hydrophobia from such a source, in this country, is quite 
new to me, and even if not altogether unknown, it is at least, happily, of 
such rare occurrence as to render it worth recording. The passage is as 
follows :— This Sum? a poor Girl, eleven years old, being order’d by her 
Father (Short), in Coltishal, to keep ye Birds off his Wheat, ye Child 
carry’d with her some Baby-cloths, and a pan of water to wash them; but 
a Polecat came from ye Hedge, and, as ye Girl thought, wou’d have drank 
of ye water. She struck at ye Polecat; upon which it seiz’d her Arm, and 
hung by ye Teeth, ‘till two neibours, allarm’d by ye cries of ye Girl, came 
to her assistance, seiz’d and kill’d ye Polecat. A Plaister was apply’d to 
ye sore place, and ye Girl soon became easy and well. But about eleven 
weeks after this accident happen’d the Girl complain’d of pain in her Arm, 
where she’ had been bit. This pain mov’d from her Arm to her Heart; 
and she complain’d of great heaviness, and soon had the Hydrophobia in 
the most dreadful manner, complaining of ye most excessive thirst, yet 
cou’d not bear ye sight of water; it conyuls’d her only to look at it. She 
expir'd in this dismal manner, after she had been ill three Days. The 
pain seiz’d her Arm ye day before, and she dy’d ye day after ye full of ye 
Moon, Oct. 6, 1739. Before she expir’d she desir’d ye People to keep out 
of her reach ; for she fear’d she shou’d bite them. I had this account from 
Mr. J. Ives, of ye same Town, Landlord to ye unfortunate Father of ye 
Girl, and by Mr. Negus that attended ye Girl; both Gen‘? of very good 
character.” Dr. Elliott Coues, in his recently published ‘ Monograph of 
the North American Mustelid@,’ republishes two papers which originally 
appeared in the ‘ American Journal of Science and Art,’ on “ Hydrophobia 
from Skunk-bite.” To this book I may refer your readers, as this is 
perhaps not the place for a discussion on the subject, merely calling 
attention to the similarity of the symptoms in both cases, and the singularly 
