152 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



EDITORIAL GLEANINGS. 



Part III. of 'The Vertebrate Fauua of Bedfordshire,' by J. Steele- 

 Elliott, has reached us. The publication has hitherto been slow, but the 

 author hopes to accelerate it in future. Of the Jay (Garrulus glandarius) 

 we read that in northern Bedfordshire this bird is particularly abundant, 

 and its depredations noticeable. " In Angers Wood during the present 

 year (1899) I was particularly struck with the innumerable nests of Black- 

 birds and Thrushes, none of which contained eggs, and in all probability 

 had been robbed by these • avian birds'-nesters.' " 



"The Caradoc and Severn Valley Field Club" have issued their 

 ' Transactions ' for 1899. In the account of a half-day excursion to Bir- 

 mingham, which was principally undertaken to see the collection of British 

 Birds in the possession of Mr. R. W. Chase, many interesting jottings will 

 be found by the British ornithologist. "There are three specimens of 

 Richard's Pipit, two of them obtained near Birmingham ; and the only 

 specimen of the Siberian Bunting obtained in Britain, taken at Flam- 

 borough Head." 



The military correspondent of the ' Westminster Gazette' has brought 

 the teachings of zoology to the aid of practical warfare. " I have a theory 

 on this subject which 1 should much like to see practically tested. My 

 readers will doubtless have noticed that the coats of all animals which 

 depend for their existence on their comparative invisibility in their ordinary 

 surroundings shade off to a lighter colour — usually white — underneath. I 

 believe that, following this hint from Nature, our troops would become 

 infinitely less conspicuous if their coats were of the ordinary shade of khaki 

 or drab, their breeches somewhat lighter in tone, and their putties or leg- 

 gings lighter still. At present, when men are dressed in one uniform tint 

 of khaki, the lower limbs, being in shadow, appear very much darker, and 

 consequently add to the conspicuousness of the soldier. This will be 

 speedily noticeable if the photographs from the seat of war are studied. It 

 will then be noticed that in many cases the upper halves of our troops are 

 barely distinguishable, but that their lower limbs, much darker than the 

 remainder, stand out quite sharply, though the colour of the clothes and the 

 colour of the background are in each case the same." 



