66 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



not think the hard-and-fast colour test, as laid down by Bell, to be of 

 much assistance." The external points which struck me as of importance 

 are: — (1) Tail of greater length than in the common Field Vole, Arvicola 

 agrestis, being about one half the length of the body ; (2) Tail more hairy 

 above and whiter below than in A. agrestis; (3) The paws are whiter, or not 

 so dusky, as those of A. agrestis; the bare parts around the mouth are also 

 a little whiter, or purer in tone, and of greater extent; (4) A slightly 

 purer, or more silvery grey tint (certainly not white, as stated by Bell) 

 pervades the abdomen, than in A. agrestis; and, lastly, the fur is every- 

 where longer, and a trifle finer, than in A. agrestis, but the chestnut colour 

 on the back is not so marked a difference between the two species, as stated. 

 Internally, all is perfectly clear, and if the greater length and less breadth 

 of the skull is not quite so easily seen, the presence of double roots to the 

 molars — leaving out the pattern of the cusps — distinguishes it at once from 

 A. agrestis, in which, as with the Water Vole, the molars have single 

 roots. — Montagu Bkowne (Leicester). 



BIRDS. 



Long-tailed Duck and Common Skua in Dorset.— During the month 

 of November several Loug-tailed Ducks frequented Poole Harbour, five of 

 which were shot. One was a fine adult male in full plumage, which is a 

 rare occurrence so far south ; the other four were birds of the year, and 

 therefore in more sombre plumage. A Common Skua was shot by a gunner 

 in Poole Harbour on November 19th, and is now in the possession of 

 Mr. Robert Burns, of Wimborne. This bird when first observed was in 

 company with a lot of Wigeon, one of which it had struck down, when the 

 gunner, firing into the flock, killed the Skua as well as several Wigeon. — 

 J. C. Mansel Pleydell (Whatcombe, Blandford). 



The Long-tailed Duck.— In my note on a Long-tailed Duck with a 

 curiously spotted breast (p. 31) I omitted to state that the bird was a young 

 one, with dark scapulars, and the trachea of the female. This prevents me 

 from accepting your suggestion that the bird was a male of the second year. 

 In point of fact, the variation I allude to seems to occur at intervals among 

 young Long-tailed Ducks, for Temminck seems to hint at it, though neither 

 Yarrell nor Seebohm do so. Judging from my experience of Long-tailed 

 Ducks, the variation can hardly occur in any high percentage, but I should 

 be glad to hear from others. Amongst forty-two birds killed during the last 

 few months, and since examined by me, the majority were females, but the 

 specimen under discussion was the only bird spotted on the breast. I may 

 add that the spots extend over quite half of the inferior surface of the body. 

 No doubt the variation is due to immaturity ; but as it stands unnoticed iu 

 the text-books above mentioned, your readers will forgive this second 

 reference to the subject. — H. A. Macpherson (Carlisle). 



