NOTES AND QUERIES. 353 



found this mass of coral lying side by side with the boreal fauna of the 

 Polar area.— H. W. Fetlden (West House, Wells, Norfolk). 



MAMMALIA. 



The Vole Plague in Scotland. — The daily papers announce that the 

 doubts expressed by the Vole Commission as to the efficacy of Professor 

 Loffler's bacillus typhi murium in destroying the vole plague in Thessaly 

 are, in part at least, confirmed by the experiments of Dr. Lupke. This 

 bacteriologist finds that it is potent only where weakly voles are concerned. 

 The robust ones not only resisted its action, but were actually rendered 

 immune by the inoculation they had undergone. A new specific has, 

 however, been brought out by Herr Laser, of Konigsberg, which, he 

 affirms, is much more potent than the Loftier bacillus, and is, moreover, 

 said to be quite innocuous to horses, guinea-pigs, pigeons, cats, and other 

 domestic animals. We are enabled to add upon the best authority that 

 in Scotland the voles have now 7 almost entirely disappeared from the 

 affected area, and that notwithstanding the fears of the farmers in certain 

 districts that their pastures were ruined, there has not been such a crop 

 of grass for years. So good, indeed, are the pastures, that large drafts 

 of lambs have been for some time sent direct off the hill to the fat market, 

 a most unusual event on such high farms. Doubtless the excellence of 

 the pastures may be attributed by some to the favourable season; but it is 

 a remarkable fact that the areas which were most affected by the voles 

 have the best crops of grass, and the lambs are in better condition and are 

 fetching higher prices than those from any other district. 



Swimming Cats. — Apropos of Mr. Southwell's communication (p." 302), 

 I may state that I have at various times had three cats at my fish-farm 

 that have been not only good swimmers, but also good fishers. Everyone 

 knows that cats are fond of fish, but it is generally supposed that they will 

 not enter the water to catch them. I believe any cat brought up amongst 

 fish-ponds, where fish are in the first instance occasionally easy to capture, 

 will soon cease to be afraid of the water. I have seen a cat sit on the 

 cover of a raceway where the water entered, and regularly take trout-fry 

 with her paw. The act was performed with the greatest ease, the animal 

 always securing a fish. I have seen the same cat sit crouching on the 

 bank of a pond, and when a trout rose within a yard of her spring upon the 

 fish. I never saw her succeed in catching one, but she would swim quietly 

 across the pond and walk out at the other side. Another cat I had several 

 times succeeded in catching trout of 1 lb. or so in the raceways. The 

 common Brown Rat, Mus deciimanus, also takes fish whenever he can get 

 them, though I believe he is not often suspected. — J. J. Armistead (Solway 

 Fishery, Dumfries). 



ZOOLOGIST. — SEPT. 1893. 2 E . 



