NOTES AND QUERIES. 241 
very distinct view of the animal. We never heard of its being caught or 
killed. ‘This is all the information I have been able to obtain about Martens 
in Herefordshire.—F’. Artwoop-MarueEws (Pontrilas Court, Hereford). 
The past Winter and the Rabbits.—The protracted severity of the 
late winter has sadly punished the Rabbits in this district. Young ones 
were seen early in January, as is usually the case, but none appear to have 
survived. ‘The second litter met with what I consider an unusual fate, for 
during March scores of newly-born young were found on the snow, in most 
cases dropped singly; in others four or five were laid together, but in no 
instance had the doe attempted to make a nest. Thus the first two litters 
perished, and at the present time—middle of May—iustead of there being 
a good stock of half-grown young, only a very few, about a month old, can 
be seen. The old bucks appear to have fared better than the does, at any 
rate, the number of the former is about double that of the latter, as we 
have found when catching a few to turn down in some of the cloughs on 
the borders of the moors, where the snow was so deep, and lay for such a 
length of time, that almost every Rabbit died in the bnrrows.—Roserr J. 
Howarp (Blackburn). 
Destruction of young Rabbits by Rats.—Some of your readers have, 
I dare say, in the course of their summer walks, occasionally come across 
young Rabbits, dead or only wounded, with their hind-quarters paralysed 
from the effect of a deep incised wound at each side of their loins just 
before the hip-joints. Having frequently found young Rabbits in that 
state I for a long time felt greatly puzzled as to what animal attacked and 
wounded them: and what puzzled me more was the fact that, often hearing 
young Rabbits screaming under bushes and briers, yet when I hurried up 
to the bush the screaming always ceased—no enemy was in view, though 
the disabled Rabbit remained in a helpless state. This state of things 
continued for some time, until one day I heard a young Rabbit screaming 
under some briers, and on approaching cautiously without noise I saw a 
great Rat at the mouth of a hole, having hold of a young Rabbit across the 
loins, trying to drag it back into the hole; but on seeing me the Rat 
retreated into the hole, leaving the unfortunate Rabbit in such a helpless 
state that I was obliged to kill it to put an end to its sufferings. This 
solved the puzzle as to what animal was attacking the Rabbits, and since 
then I have frequently rescued young Rabbits from the Rats, and have 
been much surprised at the size of the Rabbits attacked, and at the great 
strength shown by the Rats in holding their victims. About two years ago 
when in one of my fields sowing turnips, my attention was attracted by the 
loud screaming of a Rabbit in a ditch close by, and on running up and 
looking into it I saw an old mangy-looking Rat having fast hold of a half- 
grown Rabbit across the loins, and struggle as he did most violently, he 
ZOOLOGIST.—JUNE, 1886. T 
