46 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



flocks of Wood Pigeons, numbering many hundreds, iu Crohara Hurst and 

 the surrounding woods. They are much more numerous this year than 

 usual, and they have evidently been attracted by the abundance of acorns. 

 He was told by a keeper that he had never seen Wood Pigeons in such 

 enormous numbers. They do not appear to do any damage to the crops. 

 In all probability many have come over from the Continent. 



A few days ago the father of the late Richard Jefferies passed away at 

 Bath, where he had lived in retirement for some years. To his father the 

 author of 'The Gamekeeper at Home' owed much of his early intimacy 

 with Nature in all her various moods. Mr. Jefferies belonged to the sturdy 

 yeoman class, and formerly farmed Coate Farm, in Swindon, where 

 Richard was born and brought up. Adjoining the farm were the estates of 

 the Dean and Chapter of Westminster, which were full of ground game, 

 and over which the family roamed at pleasure. Stretching a few miles 

 distant stood the Downs, whose outlines and features became so familiar to 

 the author of ■ Wild Life in a Southern County ' ; while in another 

 direction a ten-mile walk brought one to Savernake. Amidst these natural 

 surroundings the father trained his boys' observant faculties in every 

 possible way. 



We have just heard from our friend and indefatigable collector, 

 Dr. Percy Rendall, whose African collections, made west, south, and east 

 of the Continent, have already borne good fruit, and are expected to produce 

 much more when his material is thoroughly worked out. His last letter 

 was from St. Helena, and he proposes visiting Trinidad, and perhaps 

 St. Lucia and St. Vincent, on his way home. Probably the Tring 

 Museum will be enriched thereby. 



How " legends " in British Zoology are reported abroad may be seen 

 from the following extract from ' The Two Republics,' published in the city 

 of Mexico. As may be noticed, it is again copied from one of the United 

 States journals : — 



u A queer story is told of an English naturalist, who died in 1860, and 

 was buried at Blankney, in Lincolnshire. Among his pets was a large 

 grey Bat. This Bat was permitted to enter the tomb, and was sealed up 

 alive along with the corpse of his dead master. In 1866 the vault was 

 opened, and to the surprise of all the Bat was alive and fat. On four 

 different occasions since, the relatives of the dead man have looked after 

 the welfare of his pet, aud each time it has been reported that the Bat was 

 still in the land of the living, although occupying quarters with the dead. 

 It was last seen in 1892." — (' Cincinnati Enquirer.') 



