Reptiles, 8fc. 2789 



Toad immured in a Wall. — " 1809. On opening a gap in a wall at Bamborough, 

 [Northumberland], for the passage of carts, a toad, which had been incarcerated in 

 the centre of a wall, was found alive, and set at liberty. A mason, named George 

 Wilson, when building this wall, sixteen years before, had wantonly immured the 

 animal in a close cavity formed of lime and stone, just sufficient to contain it, and 

 which he plastered so closely as seemingly to prevent the admission of air. When 

 discovered, it seemed at first, as must naturally be supposed, in a very torpid state ; 

 but it soon recovered animation and activity, and, as if sensible of the blessings of 

 freedom, made its way to a collection of stones, and disappeared." — Richardson's 

 ' Borderer's Table Book,' iii. 92. 



Curious Fact in the History of a Salamander (Salamandra terrestris). — Whilst 

 staying at Dresden for a few days, last year, in the month of July, we took an excur- 

 sion to Thorant, a picturesque little village and watering-place, a few miles distant. 

 It was a splendid evening, after a very showery morning. Whilst walking through a 

 wood I found two salamanders, which I took back with me to Dresden, and put them 

 in a small box, which I procured for the purpose. We went out for a three days' excur- 

 sion into Saxony and Switzerland, leaving them on the window-sill. On our return 

 I found one of them dead (from the box having been exposed to the heat of the sun), 

 and the other nearly so : it, however, soon revived on being sprinkled with water, and 

 it was our compagnon de voyage till our return home, where I kept it for some months 

 in a glass fish-bowl, with some mould and moss, which was kept slightly moist. My 

 gardener used occasionally to give it a worm, though it seemed to thrive just as well 

 without being fed. I presented it to the Zoological Gardens in January : a few days 

 afterwards it produced some young ones, and in the course of a week or so it had 

 brought forth thirty-two, most of which soon died, but six of them survived nearly a 

 fortnight. — Samuel Gurney, Jun. ; Carshalton, March 26, 1850. 



[See some curious remarks on the salamander, Zool. 1033. — E. Newman.'] 



Occurrence of the Boar Fish (Zeus Aper) in the Bay of Portland. — A specimen of 

 the boar fish was taken in the west bay of Portland, by the trawl, a day or two since, 

 alive. I have this day seen it, not yet dry : the fishermen had not seen one before. 

 It is now in the hands of Mr. Damon, naturalist, of this place, by whom it will be con- 

 signed to the British Museum. Length 6 inches. — William Thompson; Weymouth, 

 March 30, 1850. 



Extracts from the Correspondence of Mr. H. W. Bates, now forming 

 Entomological Collections in South America. 



(Continued from page 2719). 



"Para, June 15,1848 [?]. 

 " The country is quite level for hundreds of miles : the river oppo- 

 site the city is studded with lovely wooded islands, leaving a free 

 VIII x 



