NOTES AND QUERIES. 135 



tail, 1 ft. 9 in. ; weight, 2 lbs. 10 oz. The fur in fine condition. — Francis 

 R. Rodd (Trebartha Hall, Launceston). 



Number of Dogs in the British Islands. — I observe in * The 

 Zoologist' for January last that, speaking of the number of dogs in the 

 British Islands, you say that the Dog-tax for the United Kingdom is 7s. Gd. 

 I write to point out that in Ireland the Dog-tax is only 2s. 6d. for each 

 dog, with a 6d. stamp for the license ; that is, for one dog we pay 3s., for 

 two 5s. 6d., for three 8s., and so on. Will this not make an alteration in 

 your figures? — Robert Patterson (1, Windsor Park Terrace, Lisburn 

 Road, Belfast). 



Mus alexandrinus and Mus hibernicus.— Having in my possession 

 several rats which differ from both the Brown Rat (Mus decumanus) and the 

 Black Rat (Mus rattus), I am inclined to think that I can throw some light 

 on the questions discussed by Mr. Southwell and others in your pages last 

 year. The rats in question were caught in Mr. Jamrach's well-known 

 establishment in East London, wherelhere are many, both black and brown. 

 Three are brown, but have the long muzzle, ears, and tail of M. rattus: 

 surely these are the M. alexandrinus of writers. Another is black (male), 

 with white throat and feet, but the short ears and tail of M. decumanus, — 

 however, its muzzle is long, as in M. rattus : is not this the so-called M. 

 hibernicus ? Lastly, I have a pure M. rattus (female), with long muzzle, 

 ears, and tail, from the same place. My friend Mr. Kelsall, who suggested 

 this letter, has received both white-throated and pure black specimens from 

 Mr. Jamrach, and was told by his neighbour, Mr. Abrahams, of a whole 

 family of Black Rats with white throats. Surely both M. alexandrinus 

 and M. hibernicus, as briefly described above, are hybrids between M. decu- 

 manus and M. rattus, each showing some peculiarities of both parents. I 

 have thirteen young rats, out of brown and white and black and white does, 

 by the white-throated male above-mentioned : ten of these are black, with 

 white bellies and feet, three are brown similarly marked. — Maurice Stubbs 

 (Wavertree, Liverpool). 



BIRDS. 



Wild Hybrid between Goldfinch and Greenfinch. — I have lately 

 obtained full particulars of the curious bird, supposed to be a hybrid 

 between Goldfinch and Greenfinch, which was lately exhibited at the 

 Crystal Palace, and is referred to in the last number of « The Zoologist ' 

 (p. 106). The exhibitor, Mr. Waterman, has also kindly furnished me 

 with a detailed description of its plumage to supplement the hurried note 

 I was obliged to take at the show. The bird was caught in the month of 

 November, three years ago, by an amateur bird-catcher named Richard 

 Brown, at Hackbridge, in Surrey, with two others supposed to be examples 

 of the same cross, but of the opposite sex. This bird, believed to be a 



