478 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



from its rest by the crying of a child, it was making for the sound with the 

 purpose of devouring its originator, when a Cat, with less discretion than 

 is usually displayed by this feline, flew at the intruder, but in the tussle 

 that ensued was torn limb from limb, and afterwards devoured piecemeal 

 on the spot. The subsequent proceedings I forget, but the " Wolf" appa- 

 rently continued to hang about the cottage, till some passing labourers, 

 apprised of its doings and probable intentions, attacked and killed it. The 

 alleged ferocity and unmistakable, albeit superficial, Wolf-like aspect of the 

 animal, coupled, may be, with the circumstance that it was not recognized 

 as the property of any of the farmers or Dog-owners of the neighbourhood, 

 seem to have been the considerations which led the good people into whose 

 hands the beast fell to settle offhand that it must be a " Wolf escaped from 

 a menagerie," the expansion of the predicate being only justified as a 

 corollary of the first part. Judging from the size of the teeth, the creature 

 was adult. It is rather larger than a Fox, and has a bushy tail and erect 

 ears. The legs and the head, so far as could be seen, except for a blackish 

 patch in front of the ear, are a rich fawn-colour ; the back is black, mottled 

 with dark grey, the tail being much the same shade on the back, and with- 

 out a white tip. Apart from its slightly superior size, it differs strikingly 

 from a Fox in having the ears and feet fawn instead of blackish, and in the 

 absence of white from the lips and throat. Of Wild Dogs, it is perhaps 

 the Black-backed Jackal that it most calls to mind, although much stouter 

 in build and smaller in the ears than that elegant species. It also 

 resembles a small cock-eared colley, and might pass muster as such amongst 

 a crowd of mongrels. A suspiciously " foxy " look about the beast, how- 

 ever, inclines me to the belief that it is the progeny of a Fox, and probably 

 some country Sheep-dog. It would be interesting to learn if there are any 

 authenticated cases of hybridism between the two species, and, if so, what 

 were the characters of the " hybrids." — K. I. Pooock (Nat. Hist. Museum, 

 South Kensington). 



[In 'The Zoologist' for last year (p. 240) an abstract was given of a 

 communication by the Rev. J. Conway Walter, which appeared in the 

 1 Naturalist ' for April of that year, on " Fox and Dog Hybrids near Horn- 

 castle." — Ed.] 



AVES. 



The Bearded Tit : a Correction corrected. — Mr. Ridsdale's note 

 upon this subject (ante, p. 422) is entertaining, but, if he wishes us to 

 believe that Gesner really figured the Bearded Tit, I am afraid he will 

 require to produce some further corroborative evidence. Belon figures the 

 Great, Blue, and Long-tailed Tits, and refers to the Marsh-Tit, but not to 

 any other that I can discover. Gesner, who comes next in chronological 

 order, figures the Coal, Crested, and Marsh-Tits, as well as those figured by 



