56 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
fatal nature of the bite inflicted by the Skunk, Mephitis mephitica, when 
affected with what he terms Rabiés mephitica; also that it appears in every 
instance there recorded the Skunk had either exhausted his “ mephitic 
battery,” or else had lost the projectile force by which it is discharged; and 
that when its natural means of defence is unimpaired it rarely has recourse 
to biting or assumes the aggressive-—T. SourHweE.1 (Norwich). 
Bortie-NoseD Doipuin at PrymMoutH.—On the 9th November an adult 
specimen of the Bottle-nosed Dolphin, Delphinus tursio, measuring twelve 
feet in length, was washed up on the rocks beneath the Plymouth Hoe. 
The number of teeth on each side of either jaw are twenty-five, not acute, 
but truncated, proving the animal to be old, or at least quite mature. 
Having apparently been dead for some time, it was not in a fit state for 
preservation; but I am glad to state that Mr. Hearder, of Plymouth, who 
cut the animal up, carefully saved every bone, with the intention of making 
a skeleton. I know of but one other specimen of this Dolphin having been 
obtained in this locality, and that is now preserved in the Museum of the 
Plymouth Institution. The snout or beak of Delphinus tursio is much 
shorter than that of the Common Dolphin, D. delphinus, and the number 
of teeth about one half—Joun Garcomse (Durnford Street, Stonehouse). 
Great Grey Sarike Nestinc near Satispury.— As I believe this 
bird has not been hitherto ascertained to breed in England, I think it is 
worth while mentioning the following circumstances, which have recently 
come to my knowledge. Mr. Norwood, of Salisbury, who is a keen and 
intelligent observer of birds, told me he knew a man who some years ago 
had taken a nest of the Great Grey Shrike close to Salisbury, and who had 
very accurately described the birds and nest to him. I asked him if he 
would kindly write to his friend and get me an account of it, when Mr. W. 
King, of Devonport, the person referred to, replied as follows :—‘‘ The Grey 
Shrike’s nest was taken by me about the end of May or beginning of June, 
1839, about midway between the Gas-house wall and the river, called ‘Picked 
Point,” on the left-hand side of the lane. The nest was built in the upright 
forks of a very strong thorn-hedge, interwoven with brambles. It was a 
large, compact nest, composed of dry grass, moss, and small fibrous roots 
on the outside, and lined with soft downy feathers, intermixed with a little 
hair. It contained four eggs, of a pale ash-colour,—I think about the colour 
of wood-ash,—thickly marked at the larger end with spots and stripes, or 
blotches of a yellowish red colour. My cousin, since dead, was with me at 
the time, and at first I tried to lift him up to the nest; but the old birds 
came flying round our heads, and screaming at such a rate that we were 
