NOTES AND QUERIES. 295 



Bat flying round an almost leafless oak near the river." We have several 

 times met with it near London, in localities to the north and north- 

 west. — Ed.] 



Pine Marten in Northumberland. — A fine specimen of the Pine 

 Marten, Martes abietum, was captured alive on May 23rd, in the grounds 

 of Mr. J. Hedley, near Chirton, in this county, and is now in my 

 possession. At first it was very fierce and untractable, burying itself in 

 the hay of its bed, and refusing to feed if looked at. It is now becoming 

 more reconciled to captivity, and I trust that by kind treatment I shall be 

 able at least partially to subdue its ferocity. The soft close fur of the 

 head, neck, body, and tail is of a rich chocolate-brown ; the ears, which are 

 rounded and about an inch in length, of a light brown ; the chin, throat, 

 and breast are yellowish white, with a few scattered brown spots. Martens 

 are now extremely rare in the North of England, but a few still linger in 

 the wilder parts of Cumberland and Northumberland. — Wm. Yellowly 

 (South Shields). 



BIRDS. 



Marsh Warbler at Taunton. — Through the kindness of Mr. John 

 Marshall, of Belmont, Taunton, I have just been able to add a clutch of 

 Marsh Warbler's eggs to my cabinet. The nest was taken near Taunton on 

 June 7th, and, like all previous nests obtained, was attached to stems of 

 meadow-sweet. It contained four very prettily marked eggs. — Murray A. 

 Mathkw (Stonehall, Wolfscastle, Pembrokeshire). 



The Ring Ouzel in Captivity. — Mr. J. F. Darling's remarks (p. 239) 

 remind me of a special favourite of my own, which reached me in January, 

 1881, in a cigar-box. Although it was 6 p.m. she took a bath at once by the 

 light of my reading-lamp. Subsequently she became much attached to me, 

 and, as I gave her the run of ray rooms pretty often, she became thoroughly 

 at home on my shoulder, and would peck the pen with which I might be 

 writing. She delighted to tear my blotting-paper into shreds ; but a great 

 amusemeut was to lift pens, pencils and sealing-wax in turn out of the 

 tray in which they generally rested ; dropping them on to the floor she 

 would hop away, to turn round with a look of surprise at the empty tray. 

 Any interference she received with mock ferocity, depressing the head to 

 attack my fingers, erecting also the feathers of the occiput and back in 

 manifest glee. Like Mr. Darling's birds, mine enjoyed black beetles 

 and bread and milk ; but she was partial to shredded meat, and wild berries 

 pleased her in the fall. Mr. Darling's remarks on the notes of the Ring 

 Ouzel, and the attitude in which a caged example sits, are so precise that I 

 need not add to them ; but I may say that my bird began to sing at 

 7 a.m., and sang from February to July. Latterly absence from home led 



