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NOTES AND QUERIES. 



MAMMALIA. 



In the British Gallery of the National Museum the Harvest Mouse 

 {Mus minutus) is at present unrepresented, on account of the lack of speci- 

 mens. I therefore venture to ask the kind assistance of readers of ' The 

 Zoologist ' in remedying this deficiency. 1 may add that specimens of all 

 the British Bats, with the exception of the Noctule and the Long-eared 

 species, are likewise wanted for the same gallery. Specimens should be 

 forwarded to me at the Museum. — R. Lydekker (British Museum (Natural 

 History) London, S.W.). 



AVES. 



Mistle-Thrush attacking Squirrel.— On April 27th last I was noticing 

 the nest of a Mistle-Thrush (Turdus viscivorus) in an oak tree, when a 

 Squirrel by chance passed along the branch on which the nest was ; the 

 female (I presume) left the nest and attacked the Squirrel violently, darting 

 furiously at it and screeching loudly, until it had passed on to the uext tree ; 

 she then squat upon a limb for a few moments, with wings partly extended 

 and drooping, again taking possession of the nest a few minutes afterwards. 

 — Stanley Lewis (Wells, Somerset). 



Crossbills at Shrewsbury.— On June 24th and 25th a number of 

 Crossbills [Loaria curvirostra) visited my garden. I counted seventeen in 

 one place, and there were others in different parts. As most of them were 

 young birds, I imagine they have been bred in the neighbourhood. They 

 were wonderfully tame, feeding close to the windows on the seeds of the 

 wych-elm, with which the lawn was covered. I may mention that a pair of 

 these birds frequented my garden in Jauuary aud February of this year. 

 Probably they had a nest, but I could never find it. — R. H. Ramsbotham 

 (Merle Brace, Shrewsbury). 



Early Appearance of Swift. — The arrival of our summer migrants has 

 in almost every instance been unusually late, and now (May 15th) the 

 Swallow and the two species of Martin are not abundant ; but this need not 

 be wondered at when we consider the wintry weather that has prevailed. 

 The Swifts (Cypselus apus) seem to have come in fair numbers, and, strange 

 to say, I saw two on April 26th, which was a very early date, especially 



Zool. 4th ser. vol. IV., July, 1900. z 



