328 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



RODENTIA. 



Bank Vole in Denbighshire. — As little appears to be known of the 

 distribution of the Bank Vole in Wales, it may be well to record its occur- 

 rence at Colwyn Bay. Early in May last I trapped two in a roadside 

 hedge on the borders of the Pwllycrochon Woods. Colwyn Bay is in an 

 isolated portion of Carnarvonshire, but for distributional purposes should 

 be considered as part of Denbighshire.— Chas. Oldham (Sale). 



Black Rat in Bedfordshire.— I was recently shown, by Mr. Wright, 

 taxidermist, of Clifton, two Black Rats, Mns rattus (male and female), which 

 he received on Dec. 9th last. Mr. Bowman, to whom they belong, informs 

 me that they were caught at Stotfold, near Shefford, and that he believes 

 there are still a few left in that locality, one or two having been previously 

 taken. I should be pleased to hear of any additional information respecting 

 this Rat in that locality or other parts of the country.— J. Steele Elliott 

 Dixon's Green, Dudley. 



AVES. 

 Honey Buzzard in Staffordshire.— I should like to suggest, in the 

 interests of our rapidly vanishing Accipitres, that idiotic and wanton 

 massacres such as from time to time are recorded in the ' The Zoologist ' 

 and elsewhere as having taken place on this, that, or some other estate, 

 should be promptly, when possible, brought to the notice of the proprietors 

 of such estates. The present generation of country squires are not without 

 an intelligent appreciation of what tends so immeasurably to the varied 

 natural attractions of their woodlands, and a continuance of the senseless 

 slaughter by ignorant and irresponsible keepers of Common and Honey 

 Buzzards, Kites, and Hobbies — not to mention the more familiar Kestrels 

 — would in many instances doubtless receive a very summary check could 

 those in authority be made acquainted with the murderous proclivities 

 of their underlings the moment they espy a rare and harmless bird upon 

 their beat. To quote a case in point : in the October number of * The 

 Zoologist' for 1895 was recorded the attempt of a pair of Honey Buzzards 

 to breed during the summer of that year at Bishopswood, in Herefordshire. 

 The nest was found, the eggs taken, and both birds fell victims to an 

 undiscerning keeper's gun. Mr. Harry M'Calmont, the owner of Bishops- 

 wood, happened to be a friend of mine, and I at once notified him of the 

 occurrence, of which he knew nothing until the receipt of my letter. The 

 upshot of my mediation resulted in the keepers at Bishopswood receiving 

 strict injunctions to henceforward protect and preserve all the rarer Acci- 

 pitres seeking to establish homes on the estate. The communication from 

 Mr. E. Baylis in the May issue (p. 232) of ■ The Zoologist' has reawakened 

 ray active sympathies for a beautiful, inoffensive, yet much persecuted 



