Quadrupeds. 789 



amphibia and riparia, for I have never seen an example of the latter ; 

 and my attention not having been directed to the subject till very 

 lately, I have not had an opportunity of examining specimens of the 

 former. I strongly suspect that, as with the common shrew, it is a 

 sexual distinction, and will be found to hold good with all three British 

 voles. Further examination is desirable. I am indebted to Mr. Gray's 

 incredulity respecting my supposed example of A. ripariafor directing 

 my attention to this point, as well as to another, viz. the variation in 

 the length of the tail itself in the common field vole (A. agreslis), which 

 Professor Bell has stated to be " not more than one-third the length 

 of the body," whereas in some of the specimens I forwarded to Mr. 

 Gray the tail was nearly, if not quite, half its length. I propose 

 it, then, for the examination of the prosaic students of the works of 

 Nature, whether the gentlemen of the genus Arvicola have not longer 

 and more hairy tails than the ladies of the same genus. 



The Hare is seldom met with in the UnderclifF, though numerous 

 enough throughout the rest of the island. I was not aware till this 

 year that the hare, in its natural state, is subject to variation in colour. 

 I obtained from R. Loe, in the month of September, the skin of a 

 leveret, which he denominated " a white hare." The peculiarity con- 

 sists in those hairs and portions of hairs which, in the ordinary exam- 

 ple, are of a rich yellow brown, being in the variety nearly white, 

 slightly tinged with ochreous yellow, giving to the entire animal a pale, 

 faded appearance. This variety is no rarity at Newchurch ; It. Loe 

 has seen one or two " most years ;" and there are two or three about 

 this season. He has seen them of all sizes, from a month old to full 

 growth. Loe has also killed one or two hares with the face pure 

 white, the rest of the animal of the usual colour. 



The Rabbit abounds, and, as might be expected, breeds very early 

 in the season. I have more than once seen half-grown young ones in 

 the month of March. 



At Swainston, the seat of Sir R. Simeon, Bart., a black variety 

 exists in considerable numbers ; and at Wacklands, the property of 

 W. Thatcher, Esq., numbers of nearly white rabbits may be seen. These 

 were originally turned out ; but I am disposed to think that both 

 black and white varieties sometimes occur among those that are 

 strictly wild. I have seen both where it was the wish of the proprietor 

 to destroy every rabbit on his estate ; and on St. Boniface Down also, 

 where it was hardly likely to have been turned out. 



The fishermen of Bembridge employ an ingenious method of fer- 

 reting rabbits. On the back of one of the small species of crab, 



