﻿190 
  THE 
  ZOOLOGIST. 
  

  

  NOTES 
  AND 
  QUERIES. 
  

  

  MAMMALIA. 
  

  

  Pigmy 
  Shrew 
  (Sorex 
  minutus) 
  at 
  Rainworth. 
  — 
  A 
  Cat 
  brought 
  one 
  

   of 
  these 
  little 
  animals 
  into 
  the 
  house 
  a 
  short 
  time 
  back, 
  and 
  from 
  what 
  I 
  

   I 
  hear 
  this 
  is 
  the 
  first 
  time 
  it 
  has 
  been 
  recorded 
  for 
  the 
  county. 
  — 
  

   J. 
  Whitaker 
  (Rainworth, 
  Notts). 
  

  

  Colour 
  Variety 
  of 
  the 
  Common 
  Mole 
  (Talpa 
  europsea). 
  — 
  I 
  have 
  in 
  ! 
  

   my 
  collection 
  a 
  pretty 
  colour 
  variety 
  of 
  the 
  Mole, 
  which 
  I 
  think 
  is 
  worth 
  

   recording, 
  as 
  it 
  is 
  uncommon. 
  The 
  colour 
  is 
  an 
  iridescent 
  "mouse- 
  

   grey" 
  (description 
  from 
  Ridgway's 
  'Nomenclature 
  of 
  Colours'). 
  The 
  

   fur 
  is 
  somewhat 
  coarse, 
  and 
  has 
  not 
  the 
  soft 
  feel 
  of 
  the 
  ordinary 
  Mole. 
  

   The 
  specimen 
  was 
  taken 
  at 
  Milford, 
  Surrey, 
  in 
  May, 
  1902. 
  — 
  Gordon 
  

   Dalgliesh 
  (29, 
  Larkfield 
  Road, 
  Richmond, 
  Surrey). 
  

  

  Winter 
  Whitening 
  of 
  the 
  Stoat 
  in 
  Britain. 
  — 
  There 
  seems 
  to 
  be 
  

   some 
  evidence 
  that 
  winter 
  whitening, 
  when 
  it 
  takes 
  place 
  in 
  the 
  Stoat 
  

   in 
  Britain, 
  is 
  more 
  prevalent 
  amongst 
  females 
  and 
  males 
  of 
  less 
  than 
  

   average 
  size 
  than 
  amongst 
  large 
  males. 
  If 
  any 
  naturalist 
  can 
  kindly 
  

   add 
  to 
  the 
  evidence 
  which 
  I 
  already 
  possess 
  upon 
  this 
  point 
  I 
  should 
  

   be 
  extremely 
  grateful. 
  — 
  Gerald 
  H. 
  Barrett- 
  Hamilton 
  (Kilmanock 
  

   House, 
  Arthurstown, 
  Ireland). 
  

  

  AVES. 
  

  

  Robin 
  nesting 
  in 
  a 
  Tree. 
  — 
  On 
  March 
  28th 
  last 
  I 
  saw 
  a 
  Robin 
  

   [Erithacus 
  rubecula) 
  carrying 
  nesting 
  materials 
  in 
  the 
  churchyard 
  here, 
  

   and 
  watched 
  it 
  to 
  its 
  nest, 
  which 
  was 
  in 
  the 
  top 
  of 
  a 
  young 
  cypress 
  

   tree. 
  The 
  tree 
  is 
  a 
  thick 
  and 
  luxuriant 
  one, 
  about 
  seven 
  feet 
  high, 
  and 
  

   stands 
  close 
  to 
  the 
  edge 
  of 
  a 
  path, 
  and 
  about 
  fifteen 
  yards 
  from 
  a 
  side 
  

   door 
  of 
  the 
  church. 
  The 
  nest 
  was 
  in 
  the 
  centre 
  of 
  the 
  top, 
  between 
  

   the 
  two 
  leading 
  stems, 
  and 
  nearly 
  five 
  feet 
  from 
  the 
  ground. 
  It 
  was 
  

   well 
  concealed 
  by 
  the 
  thick 
  fronds 
  of 
  the 
  cypress, 
  but 
  fully 
  exposed 
  to 
  

   the 
  action 
  of 
  the 
  wind, 
  which 
  causes 
  the 
  tree 
  to 
  sway 
  considerably. 
  

   The 
  nest 
  was 
  completed 
  a 
  few 
  days 
  later, 
  but 
  was 
  unfortunately 
  

   destroyed 
  before 
  eggs 
  had 
  been 
  laid. 
  The 
  village 
  youngsters 
  search 
  

   the 
  trees 
  in 
  the 
  churchyard 
  for 
  nests, 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  rarely 
  that 
  one 
  can 
  

  

  