NOTES AND QUERIES. 491 
Brighton, about the beginning of October last. They were all secured by 
the same bird-catcher at the same place on different days. On October 14th 
a Citril Finch was caught near the race-course. This bird is still alive, in 
the possession of Mr. Swaysland, Upper Russell Street, Brighton.— 
Hersert Laneton (115, Queen’s Road, Brighton). 
A White-tailed Robin.— On the 18th of October last I saw a Robin 
with a completely white tail. The bird was tame enough to allow mea 
fairly long and close inspection, and with the exception of the tail, every 
feather of which appeared to be white, the colour of the bird was normal.— 
E. P. Larxen (Gatton Tower, Reigate). 
MOLLUSCA. 
Experiments to test the Strength of Snails.—Perceiving a Common 
Snail (Helix aspersa) crawling up the window-blind one evening, it occurred 
to me that I would try what weight it could draw after it perpendicularly. 
Accordingly I attached to its shell four reels of cotton which happened to 
lie on the table, fastening one after another, until I ascertained that a 
greater load would exceed the limit of its strength. I then weighed the 
entire load and found it to be two ounces and a quarter, while the snail 
itself weighed only a quarter of an ounce. Thus it was able to lift 
perpendicularly nine times its own weight! I then made an experiment 
with another and somewhat Jarger snail, which weighed about one-third of 
an ounce, the load being composed chiefly of the same materials as the last, 
but so placed as to be drawn in a horizontal position on the table. Reels 
of cotton to the number of twelve were fastened to it, with the addition of 
a pair of scissors, a screwdriver, a key, and a knife, weighing altogether 
seventeen ounces, or fifty-one times the weight of the snail. The same 
snail, on being placed on the ceiling, was able to travel with four ounces 
suspended from its shell I next tried it on a piece of common thread, 
suspended and hanging loose, with another snail of its own weight, which 
it carried up the thread with apparent ease. After this I tried it on a 
single horse-hair strained in a horizontal position, but it had then enough 
_to do to crawl over this narrow bridge without a load.—K. Sanprorp 
(The Gardens, Dale Park, Arundel). 
ARCH Z OLOGY. 
A Christmas Bill of Fare in 1800.—lIn a collection of miscellanea 
relating to inns and their signs, formed by a certain Mr. G. Creed, and 
now preserved in the British Museum, I found a curious document headed 
“ Bush Inn [Bristol], Bill of Fare for Christmas, 1800.” It is, I think, well 
worth reproduction, as showing the variety of fish, game, and wildfowl which 
was procurable during the winter months at the commencement of the 
