NOTES AND QUERIES. 153 



of rare occurrence, have been identified by Rev. A. M. Norman, and I leave 

 it to that gentleman to make them known. We hope to obtain many good 

 things during the coming season.— W. S. M. D'Ueban (Albert Memorial 

 Museum, Exeter). 



ANNELIDES. 



Subcutaneous Worms in Short-eared Owl.— I send you herewith a 

 portion of the neck of a Short-eared Owl, which Mr. Bartlett, taxidermist, 

 Banbury, has handed to me. You will observe that the surface is infested 

 with what appear to be subcutaneous worms. When extracted they are 

 nearly white in colour, and Mr. Bartlett found that one measured three 

 inches in length. As I do not know anything about these curious animals 

 I have forwarded the neck to you as it is, in order that you may, if you 

 think it worth while, make some mention of the circumstance in ' The 

 Zoologist.' — Oliver V. Aplin (Great Bourton, near Banbury). 



[These parasitical worms (FUaria-) appear to be not uncommon in the 

 neck muscles of birds (see ' Zoologist,' 1881, p. 309 ; 1883, pp. 382, 383), 

 and in some cases attain a considerable size. FUaria attenuata, from the 

 lung of the Peregrine Falcon, is as much as a foot long ; F. horrida, from 

 the thoracic cavity of the American Rhea, more than four feet long ! The 

 specimens sent had unfortunately been kept too long dry. It would have 

 been better to have placed the neck which contained them in a small phial 

 of spirit. — Ed.] 



ARCHEOLOGY. 



Origin of the name " Lobster " applied to the Stoat.— I have heard 

 it suggested that the above name is a corruption of " leapster," and has 

 reference to the leaps or bounds by which the Stoat frequently progresses. 

 As this is the only explanation which I have met with, I communicate it for 

 what it may be worth, in reply to the inquiry on the subject at p. 112. — 

 J. H. GuRNEY (Northrepps, Norwich). 



Origin of the name "Lobster" applied to the Stoat. — In 'The 

 Zoologist ' for March the Editor asks the origin of the word " Lobster " as 

 applied to the Stoat. The subject, received some attention last year in 

 ' Science Gossip,' from which I have taken the following notes. They were 

 in reply to a query by Mr. John Hawell, Ingleby, Northallerton, in the 

 April (1883) number. He says :— " The Stoat is in this neighbourhood 

 called the ' Clubster.' Is this a mere local name ? And why has this 

 name been given to the Stoat ? " (By a printer's error the word was spelt 

 Clubste/. This was corrected in a subsequent number). The May number 

 contains the following reply from Mr. T. Southwell, of Norwich ;— " In 

 Norfolk the Stoat is known amongst the country people as the 'lobster ' or 

 lobstert, which is said to be derived from old Norse lopi, a lump or swelling, 

 and stertr (Danish {stcert, a tail. Probably Mr. Ingleby 's 'clubster' [the 



ZOOLOGIST. — APRIL, 1884. N 



