312 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



as if it had been her own kid. During the period of her suckling she 

 has a plentiful supply of milk sufficient for the wants of her foster 

 child ; indeed, in one year she had two lambs put to her, and evinced 

 great grief when one of them died. The most curious point, however, 

 is that she has never had any progeny of her own, and has never had 

 converse or association with any of her own species. I would be glad 

 to hear if any case of a similar kind is known. — J. MacNaught Camp- 

 bell (Kelvingrove Museum, Glasgow). 



The Harp Seal (Phoca groenlandica) in Great Britain. — In a 

 letter dated March 23rd, 1903, Mr. W. R. HallJordan, of Teignmouth, 

 informed me that on March 10th he saw a very large Seal being 

 wheeled about Teignmouth in a barrow by some fishermen. It had 

 been shot in the River Teign, where it had been seen for four days 

 previously. He describes the colour of the body as white, and the 

 muzzle and front part of the head as black. This was obviously a speci- 

 men of the rare Phoca groenlandica, Fabr., and it is unfortunate that 

 subsequent enquiries as to the disposal of the remains of this specimen 

 have hitherto proved unsuccessful. The ' Manchester Evening News' 

 of March 23rd, 1903, contains a paragraph stating that a Harp Seal 

 (P. groenlandica) was killed in the Firth of Forth near Grangemouth, 

 " a few days ago." Possibly the publication of these imperfect records 

 may lead to the discovery of fuller details respecting the occurrence of 

 this rare and interesting visitor. — Francis C. R. Jouedain (Clifton 

 Vicarage, Ashburne, Derbyshire). 



AVES. 

 Strange Nesting-place for a Mistletoe Thrush (Turdus viscivorus). 

 Referring to the note on this subject {ante, p, 226), if Mr. Whitaker 

 will refer to Messrs. Ussher and Warren's ' Birds of Ireland ' he will 

 find a couple of instances where this bird built on the ground. I found 

 one nest this year in a tuft of bent-grass at the edge of a sand-bunker 

 on the links of the Co. Lough Golf Club at the mouth of the Boyne. 

 There were four eggs in the nest, and the bird was sitting on it. Un- 

 fortunately the caddies robbed it. This was about June 19th, so it was 

 probably a second laying. There are plenty of trees within easy reach. 

 The Mistletoe Thrush is supposed to be well able to defend its nest 

 against other birds, but I saw a Rook this spring deliberately devour 

 the newly-hatched young of a pair of Mistletoe Thrushes which had 

 built in an apple-tree in my orchard. The parents were dashing about 

 in great distress, but the Rook paid no attention to them. — G. H. 

 Pentland (Black Hall, Drogheda). 



