64 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



a terrier was sent up an artificial earth wHich sometimes holds a fox, but it 

 shortly emerged, bearing signs of having come off second best in an under- 

 ground conflict. A second terrier was then procured, and both went up the 

 earth. A confused scuffling was heard, and soon both dogs appeared, 

 having been unable to dislodge the occupant. Spades were now brought 

 into requisition, when to the astonishment of all present a fine Badger 

 bolted, passed right through the pack standing round, and escaped in tlie 

 surrounding cover, the hounds not owning the scent. It is many years 

 since a Badger has been seen in the neighbourhood, though they were once 

 plentiful. — Thomas Carteu (Burton House, Masham). 



The Depredations of Squirrels. — Wliilst walking through an old 

 plantation here a few days ago my attention was directed to a couple of 

 Squirrels busily engaged in depriving a cluster pine of its cones. As the 

 cones were quite green aud hard, I was determined, if possible, to find out 

 their reasons for taking the cones. This, however, was apparent, for lying 

 at the bottom of the tree were several cones gnawed to the heart and all the 

 seeds extracted. The cones were gnawed -through at the base and carried 

 by the Squirrels to a neighbouring spruce tree, under the dense shade of 

 which they greedily devoured the seeds from the cones. Some of the cones 

 were too heavy for them to carry, and these they let fall to the bottom, 

 where, no doubt, they were feasted on at leisure. Here the Squirrels are 

 very destructive to the young buds of the horse-chestnut, indeed to such an 

 extent that we have several times had to put a stop to the mischief. Lime 

 trees often suffer severely by having the bark torn from their branches, 

 evidently as material for nest-making, and the holly occasionally is treated 

 in a similar manner. — A. D. Wkbster (Llandegai). 



Black Rat in Devon. — During the last week of December I found a 

 specimen of the old English Black Rat, Mus rattus, lying dead in the street 

 at Devouport, which I secured and took to the taxidermist for preservation. 

 Besides the difference uf colour, the ears aud tail of this species are much 

 larger and longer, in proportion to its size, than those of the now much too 

 common Brown or Norway R&t, Mus decumaiius. — John Gatcombe (Stone- 

 house, Devon). 



Destruction of Trees by Hares and Rabbits.— A writer in the new 

 weekly journal ' Woods and Forests,' lately started by the accomplished 

 editor of 'The Garden,' remarks: — "It is difficult to get two people to 

 agree as to the trees with which Ral)bits and Hares meddle. Some 

 experienced planters say that Rabbits and Hares cut Pinus laricio very 

 much if planted small, but do not touch P. austriaca. Now, as for the 

 latter, I can confidently assert that they cut it more than any other of 

 the pine tribe. With me they have attacked and thoroughly destroyed fine 

 plants of it four feet and five feet high. A neighbour who has planted 



