438 



THE ZOOLOGIST. 



Notes on Mammalia of Northamptonsliire.— The Polecat, Mustela 

 putorius, though formerly very common in this neighbourhood, has become 

 so rare therein of late years that I consider the capture of a pair during 

 the past winter as worthy of record. I was laid up and unable to write at 

 the times of capture, which occurred with an interval of several weeks 

 between them, and regret that I have not an accurate record of the month 

 or day ; but my impression is that the first of these two animals was 

 trapped about the beginning of this year in a plantation which has been 

 hitherto the place of execution of almost all of the few Polecats that we 

 have taken in this neighbourhood during the last twenty-five years ; this 

 individual was a female, and not a very large one; the second, a very fine 

 male, was caught— I think in March — at an old stone pit just outside our 

 deer park. My neighbour, Mr. G. Hunt, of Wadenhoe, found the head of 

 a Pike, Esox Indus, recently killed by a small Otter, Lutra vulgaris, whose 

 tracks were quite fresh, on March 2ud. I record this, because Mr. Hunt 

 assured me that this Pike's head weighed three pounds. May 31st, one of 

 our people brought in an orange-coloured Mole, Talpa europaa, var., aUve 

 and uninjured, but it declined food, and died in a few days. — Lilford 

 (Lilford Hall, Oundle, Sept. 14, 1884). 



BIRDS. 



Hoopoe in Sussex. — I learn from a friend in Sussex that during the 

 first week of September a Hoopoe, Upupa epops, was shot at Alfriston, and 

 is in the hands of Mr. J. Balcombe, Southover, Lewes, for preservation. 

 Many persons regard this as a rare British bird, but the regularity with 

 which it makes its appearance in spring and autumn, shows that it would 

 be very much commoner if people would only abstain from shooting it 

 whenever it appears. In France, wliere it is common in some parts, 1 have 

 seen it strutting about on the grass within sight of the windows, raising and 

 depressing its crest, and uttering its singular note " hoop-hoop," " hoop- 

 hoop." A more curious and attractive bird on a garden lawn can scarcely 

 be found. — J. E. Hartino. 



Food of Sparrows. — Having been asked to collect information on the 

 food of Sparrows for the Norwich Chamber of Agriculture, I should feel 

 extremely obliscd to anyone who, having kept dated dissections, would allow 

 me a sight of them. Capt.E. F. Becher sent me two of the larvje (from apple 

 trees) on which Sparrows were recently feeding in Nottinghamshire (Zool. 

 p. 342), and I forwarded them to Mr. C. G. Barrett, by whom they were 

 identified as Tei-as contaminuna, Hiib. Instances of adult Sparrows eating 

 any insects except small beetles, in the summer months, are rare. Nor 

 are the young habitually fed on caterpillars. Far from it ; I have opened 

 several which contained none, and many in which corn largely prepon- 

 derated. There is no doubt that the good which Sparrows do has been 



