Quadrupeds. 6913 



Distance Stvurn hj Red Deer. — On the 27th of October last a red-deer stag, of four 

 points, landed ou the north side of the Island of Muck, one of the Inner Hebrides, 

 belonging to H. Swinbourne, Esq., R.N. The shepherd's family were startled by bis 

 belling. Unfortunately his dogs broke out, and chased the poor animal all night. In 

 the morning he was found dead, though warm, his gallant heart being, as it was expressed, 

 broken. He must indeed have been a noble animal to face the swim he so success- 

 fully, though unfortunately, accomplished. The nearest places on which red deer are 

 kept are — the Island Rum, belonging to the Marquis of Salisbury, about ten miles 

 distant ; and Arasaig, belonging to Mr. Astley, about twelve miles distant. There are 

 also red deer in the Island of Mull, more than twelve miles distant ; but he could not 

 have come from thence, as there was a strong wind right against him. From either 

 Rum or Arasaig he might have shortened the distance by landing on the Island of 

 Eigg ; but Muck is two miles from Eigg, and Eigg is six miles from Rum and eight 

 from Arasaig, and from either he must at all times have had a strong side-tide against 

 him. The distances are local estimates, the existing charts being considered incor- 

 rect, aud since hearing of the above I have had no opportunity of consulting them. 

 I should be glad to learn well-authenticated instances of the distances stags have been 

 known to swim. The late Colin Campbell, of Jura, mentioned to me that he believed 

 there was a well-authenticated tradition of a stag having swum from Jura to the 

 mainland, a distance of seven miles. The above I had from Mr. David Thornbum, 

 the intelligent tenant of the island, — William Robertson ; Kintockmoidart, Inverness- 

 shire. — From the ' Field.'' 



New Mode of preserving Fossil Elephants' Tusks. — In No. 366 of the 'Field' 

 there is mention made of the common occurrence of elephants' tusks, in all parts of 

 England, in a fossil state ; and a lamentation that only portions of tusks are seen, as 

 the workmen in moving them break them to pieces, they being so brittle on account of 

 a great portion of their animal constituents having been destroyed by the action of air 

 and moisture, and only the mineral remaining. Now, if any of your readers should 

 find a fine tusk, he may restore its hardness, partially, by pouring upon it a solution 

 of glue (which the ivory sucks readily up), and by repeating this process the tusk will 

 be most wonderfully restored both in appearance and strength. — R. H. T. Gilbert ; 

 Kensington. — Id. 



[The exquisitely-carved ivory tablets obtained in a crumbling state from the ruins 

 of Nineveh were perfectly restored and preserved, at the suggestion of Prof. Owen, by 

 soaking them in a solution of gelatine at a temperature of 120°. They have thus 

 become hard and perfect ivory again. — Edward Newman.'\ 



The Stoat in Winter Dresss. — At the last meeting of the Zoological Society, Dr. 

 Crisp exhibited a stoat in perfect winter dress. It bad been killed in SufiFolk. The 

 change of colour here was more complete than in Mr. Bell's specimen, but the animal 

 bad been captured in a more northern county. — E. W. H. Holdsworth ; March 7, 

 1860. 



Birth of two Bears at the Zoological Gardens^ Regent's Park. — It is a very rare 

 thing indeed that bears breed in captivity ; and it is therefore with great pleasure 

 that, through the kindness of the energetic and able Secretary of the Zoological 

 Gardens, I am enabled to place on record the birth of two young bears on the 

 Society's premises. In the bear-pit at the Zoological Gardens there are three bears, 



XVIII. R 



