]00 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



remark that one John Heckewalder was much exercised to know 

 why an American Grey Shrike impaled its prey. He came to 

 the conclusion that the object of its impaling grasshoppers was 

 to bait the twigs for smaller insectivorous birds, on which the 

 Shrike himself might subsist in turn. 



But it must not be supposed that Shrikes always impale their 

 prey. As I have mentioned, in Pidsley's 'Birds of Devon,' 

 I once watched a family party of L. collurio glutting themselves 

 with caterpillars, which they picked off the nettles at the roadside 

 near Brixham and swallowed whole. In the same way precisely, 

 I have watched wild Grey Shrikes picking beetles to pieces, 

 holding the insect between the toes of one foot, while resting on 

 the tarsus of the other foot. 



Should anyone wish to really understand the habits of this 

 handsome Shrike, he must be content to spend plenty of time in 

 the observation, for it is naturally suspicious, and generally on 

 the alert ; at least in those districts in which it has found, by sad 

 experience, that every man's hand is against it. 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



MAMMALIA. 



Hybernation of Squirrels. — I am pleased to see that Mr. A. Lister 

 (p. 61) has raised this interesting question. Bell states that the Squirrel 

 " remains during the great part of the winter in a state of almost complete 

 torpidity, coming abroad, however, on the occurrence of a fine day." This, 

 I think, states the real case fairly, and certainly does not imply " hyber- 

 nation," which I take to mean lying up in a completely torpid condition 

 during the winter months. I have seen Squirrels abroad on fine days in, I 

 think I may say, every one of the winter months ; and while Pheasant- 

 shooting near here on a sunny day, the 6th January last, which was about 

 the middle of the most severe frost we have had for many years, with 

 several inches of snow on the ground, T saw a Squirrel jumping from tree 

 to tree, before the beaters, in the most lively condition. As to a case of total 

 hybernation I am afraid I cannot supply Mr. Lister with one, as all my 

 observations and enquiries would tend to show that the Squirrel only 

 partially hybernates during the coldest dull weather. — John R. B. j 

 Masefikld (Rosehill, Cheadle, Stafford). 



I am glad your correspondent, Mr. Lister, has drawn attention to 

 this subject (p. 61), for the information and evidence in support of 





