880 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



MAMMALIA. 



The Serotine in Kent. — On August 1st Mr. George Dowker was 

 good enough to send me, in the flesh, a large Bat, which he -had just shot 

 at Wingham, in Kent, and which proved to be the Serotine, Vesperugo 

 serotinus. I at once forwarded it to Mr. G. E. Lodge to have its portrait 

 taken for ' The Zoologist ' ; and in view of an article on this species which 

 I am preparing, in continuation of the series commenced in ' The 

 Zoologist,' I shall be glad to receive any notes of the occurrence of this 

 apparently local species. — J. E. Harting. 



Habits of the Stoat. — On June 28th, hearing a rustling in a furze-bush 

 by a roadside, I struck the bush with my stick, when a large Rat ran out. On 

 the spur of the moment I struck at it, and rather unexpectedly killed it; and, 

 somewhat regretting that I had not let it alone, I laid it on the other side of 

 the road, and walked on a few paces, when a Stoat came and began carrying off 

 the Eat. On my looking back the Stoat disappeared, but shortly returned, and 

 began carrying the Rat away in the opposite direction. As I continued to 

 approach, it again ran off, but kept returning at intervals, and by circuitous 

 paths, to prevent my seeing its approach, — ridiculously fruitless efforts, 

 however, as a pair of Stonecbats had discovered it and followed it every- 

 where, keeping alongside of it with a courage that made it plain the little 

 animal was much too intent on his Rat to pay any attention to the birds, 

 which he could easily have got. At length it seemed to become quite 

 indifferent to my presence also, and a peculiar procession might have been 

 seen walking abreast along the road, — on the right, the Stoat carrying the 

 Rat ; on the left, myself; and in the centre, hopping along, regardless of 

 the two-edged danger, the hen Stonechat : the cock bird was keeping up 

 with us too, but using his wings and the tops of the furze-bushes in 

 preference to the path. The Stoat looked a beautiful object, with his long 

 neck perfectly erect, and the Rat almost lifted off the ground in his mouth. 

 This continued for some distance, till the Stonechats left us. Finally, the 

 Stoat made a sudden rush up the hedge-bank, his burden of course still in 

 his mouth, and being, I suppose, a little puffed with the effort, lay in hiding 

 among the bushes and grass at the top. Peering in, I failed to see the Stoat, 

 but saw the dead Rat lying by itself, so — thinking to prolong the interesting 

 spectacle a little — I put in my stick, and began drawing out the body of the 

 Rat, meaning to put it on the road again. Suddenly there was a spring; 

 the Stoat seized the Rat, and, though I resisted as well as I could, he pulled 

 it by main force from under my stick, and sprang down the other side of 

 the fence with his prey in his mouth, and I saw them no more. I believe 

 this determined little Stoat is several years old ; at least a pair have for 

 several years past, to my knowledge, frequented the part of the road at 

 which it disappeared. The second incident happened six days later, on 



