NATURAL HISTORY MISCELLANY. 437 
attaches itself by the curious apparatus on the crown of its head. 
M. Van Beneden finds that the common sucking-fish (Hcheneis 
remora) feeds upon small fishes. From an examination of the 
contents of the stomach in several examples of the pilot-fish ( Nau- 
crates) —it would appear that this fish is omniverous — the food 
consisted of portions of fishes, crustacea, fucoid plants, and, in 
one instance, parings of potatoes. These observations have been 
communicated to the Royal Academy of Belgium.— The Academy. 
AFRICAN Ant Cats.—The plains of South Africa are character- 
ized by numerous, animals generally known to the Boers as ‘‘ mier- 
katjes,” or ant cats. Most of these are Viverra, Herpestes, 
Luricates, etc., and all have nearly similar habits. Early in the 
morning these pretty animals may be seen in numerous groups 
sitting upon their hind legs warming themselves in the sun, and 
when startled, scampering away to their holes, with their tails 
cocked high up in the air. They all feed on mice, small rep- 
tiles, grasshoppers and locusts. They likewise greedily devour 
birds’ eggs. They are more or less colored like the Karoo soil. 
Mr. Weale also gives in the same letter to ‘‘ Nature,” an interest- 
ing account of the protective resemblances of animals in that part 
of the world. 
American Birps 1x Great Brrrary.— Mr. H. E. Dresser ex- 
hibited to the Zoological Society a specimen of the American Yel- 
low-billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus Americanus) recently killed in Eng- 
land, and Sir Victor Brooke a specimen of the Raninin Curlew 
(Numenius borealis) lately killed in Ireland. 
Witp Rassrrs.— Seventy years ago some domestic rabbits were 
introduced upon Sable Island, a small, sandy islet lying about a 
hundred miles off the Nova Scotia coast, and being left alone and 
not crossed in breeding, they have entered their feral state in 
liveries of beautiful silver grey, with white collars, intimating some 
remote affinities with bygone races. 
Two ORNITHOLOGICAL Irems.—On the twelfth of last January 
I shot here a female Evening Grosbeak, out of a flock of about a 
dozen individuals which was observed several times at Ann Arbor. 
On the fifteenth of April following, I found the young of the Shore 
Lark already fledged.—B. Watxer, Detroit, Mich. 
[Although the Hesperiphona is usually quoted as a western bird, 
