1096 The Zoologist — February, 1868. 



"Caprimulgus" and " goatsucker," is too well known to require 

 further notice. 



Pigeon. — The dove was the bird of Venus and Cupid, the type of 

 love and chastity, of innocence and beauty. One species, the wood 

 pigeon, is hence known in many parts of England and Scotland as 

 the " cushat-," or " cushie," which is said to be derived, through the 

 Anglo-Saxon " cusceate," from " cusc," chaste. (Yarrell, ' British 

 Birds.') The dove is sacred to Christians as the emblem of the Holy 

 Spirit, and to Mahometans as the favourite of their Prophet, who is 

 always represented with one perched on his shoulder (an attribute also 

 of many of the mediaeval saints). Hence it is protected in many 

 countries, particularly in Russia and in Egypt. Sir J. G. Wilkinson, 

 in his work on the 'Ancient Egyptians,' mentions an Arab legend 

 which relates that the dove sent by Noah out of the ark returned with 

 its feet stained with red mud, in memory of which all pigeons have 

 red feet to this day. 



Edward R. Alston. 



Slockbriggs, Lesmahagow, jj. [J^ 

 January, 1868. 



(To l>e continued.) 



Albino Shrew (Sorex arancus). — September 2, 1867. Observing a playful young 

 torn cat lhat we have, jumping and skipping about tbeyard with something alive that 

 he was playing wiih, evidently neither hird nor mouse, but something light-coloured, 

 I weut to him, and found it was a while shrew he was diverting himself with, which he 

 had caught in the field and brought home. It was running about before him, 

 apparently not hurt: having succeeded in rescuing it from him without further injury, 

 I permitted it to escape, of which permission it quickly availed itself, by making its 

 way down through the graliDg of the cellar-window and into the outlet drain from the 

 cellar to the wood opposite the house. The colour was rather a yellowish white, 

 entirely concolorous, without any spots or markings indicative of its normal colour. — 

 James Bladon ; Albion House, Pont-y-Pool, December 27, 1867. 



Albino Mole (Talpa europea). — A few years ago an albino mole was discovered, in 

 a very curious manner, in a cottager's garden at Pontrewynydd, near this town (Pont- 

 y-Pool). The owner was in his garden working, and observing a mole heaving the 

 earth near him, waited for some time until he thought he had nearly ceased, struck at 

 the hillock with a hoe he had in his hands, and actually cut the mole right through 

 across the middle of the body into two nearly equal portions: he skinned both parts, 

 filled them with cotton-wool, and kept them in a small paper box to show to his friend : 

 it was of the same yellowish white tinge as the shrew alluded to above. — Id. 



