﻿NOTES 
  AND 
  QUERIES. 
  

  

  MAMMALIA. 
  

  

  Varieties 
  of 
  Polecat 
  and 
  Badger. 
  — 
  "When 
  visiting 
  Aberystwith 
  a 
  few 
  

   weeks 
  ago, 
  I 
  saw, 
  at 
  the 
  shop 
  of 
  Mr. 
  Hutchings, 
  the 
  taxidermist, 
  a 
  curious 
  

   variety 
  of 
  the 
  Polecat. 
  It 
  was 
  entirely 
  of 
  a 
  very 
  light 
  brown 
  colour, 
  and 
  

   devoid 
  of 
  the 
  usual 
  facial 
  markings. 
  It 
  was 
  killed 
  on 
  the 
  edge 
  of 
  Tregaron 
  

   Bog 
  in 
  March, 
  and 
  about 
  twelve 
  months 
  earlier 
  another 
  exactly 
  similar 
  

   specimen 
  was 
  obtained 
  on 
  the 
  opposite 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  same 
  bog. 
  I 
  may 
  

   mention 
  that 
  Polecats 
  are 
  still 
  numerous 
  in 
  the 
  locality. 
  Early 
  in 
  May 
  

   I 
  saw, 
  at 
  Mr. 
  Coolse's, 
  Shrewsbury, 
  a 
  half-grown 
  Badger, 
  just 
  received 
  

   for 
  preservation 
  from 
  Worcester. 
  It 
  was 
  a 
  most 
  peculiar 
  colour 
  ; 
  all 
  

   those 
  parts 
  which 
  are 
  usually 
  grey 
  or 
  black 
  (including 
  the 
  eye- 
  stripe) 
  

   were 
  of 
  a 
  fawn 
  or 
  light 
  brown 
  hue, 
  and 
  even 
  the 
  white 
  parts 
  were 
  

   slightly 
  suffused 
  with 
  the 
  same 
  tint. 
  The 
  Badger 
  is 
  so 
  little 
  subject 
  to 
  

   variation 
  that 
  this 
  example 
  is 
  specially 
  noteworthy. 
  — 
  H. 
  E. 
  Forrest 
  

   (Hillside, 
  Bayston 
  Hill, 
  Shrewsbury!. 
  

  

  AVES. 
  

   Early 
  Nesting 
  of 
  the 
  Lesser 
  Whitethroat 
  in 
  Surrey. 
  — 
  On 
  May 
  

   8th, 
  in 
  a 
  lane 
  not 
  far 
  from 
  Leatherhead, 
  I 
  found 
  two 
  nests 
  of 
  the 
  

   Lesser 
  Whitethroat 
  (Sylvia 
  curruca) 
  with 
  the 
  full 
  complement 
  of 
  eggs, 
  

   viz. 
  five 
  each. 
  I 
  also 
  found 
  in 
  the 
  same 
  lane 
  three 
  nests 
  ready 
  for 
  eggs. 
  

   My 
  previous 
  earliest 
  note 
  is 
  May 
  16th, 
  with 
  five 
  eggs. 
  In 
  each 
  case 
  

   incubation 
  had 
  not 
  commenced. 
  I 
  am 
  pleased 
  to 
  say 
  that 
  of 
  late 
  years 
  

   this 
  bird 
  has 
  increased 
  considerably 
  both 
  in 
  Kent 
  and 
  Surrey. 
  I 
  may 
  

   mention 
  that 
  the 
  hedges 
  of 
  a 
  neighbouring 
  lane, 
  which 
  these 
  birds 
  also 
  

   frequented, 
  have 
  been 
  cut 
  down, 
  consequently 
  they 
  have 
  been 
  driven 
  

   to 
  the 
  lane 
  mentioned. 
  — 
  P. 
  F. 
  Bunyard 
  (57, 
  Kidderminster 
  Road, 
  

   Croydon). 
  

  

  White 
  Wagtails 
  on 
  Bartragh. 
  — 
  It 
  may 
  interest 
  some 
  readers 
  of 
  ' 
  The 
  

   Zoologist' 
  to 
  learn 
  that 
  Motacilia 
  alba 
  has 
  paid 
  its 
  usual 
  spring 
  visit 
  to 
  

   the 
  island 
  of 
  Bartragh 
  this 
  season, 
  my 
  friend 
  Capt. 
  Kirkwood 
  having 
  

   observed 
  a 
  little 
  flock 
  of 
  six 
  birds 
  on 
  May 
  10th 
  ; 
  but 
  these 
  remained 
  to 
  

   rest 
  for 
  only 
  a 
  few 
  hours, 
  and 
  then 
  resumed 
  their 
  northern 
  flight. 
  On 
  

   the 
  13th 
  he 
  saw 
  a 
  solitary 
  bird, 
  which 
  he 
  kindly 
  shot 
  for 
  me, 
  as 
  I 
  required 
  

  

  