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NOTES AND QUEEIES. 



MAMMALIA. 



Disappearance of a local form of Squirrel. — Referring to the 

 disappearance of my Squirrel, Rotufa dedlbata, Blanf. (Journ. Bomb. 

 Nat. Hist. Soc. xi. p. 299 (1897) ), I may state the " Dangs," where I 

 found it, is a small area (say six hundred or seven hundred square 

 miles) at the foot of the Western Ghats between Surat and Khandesh. 

 I have travelled all over this area several times, but only found this 

 Squirrel in the northern end of it, and I doubt if the whole habitat 

 was more than one hundred square miles. Blanford said he never 

 saw it in the Rajpipla Hills, just north of the Tapti, and where I found 

 it was about ten to fifteen miles south of that river. After Blanford's 

 paper, I managed to secure four more young ones with great difficulty, 

 three of which I brought home and gave to the " Zoo " about 1897-8. 

 They are all dead, and never bred. Lately I heard that in the famine 

 of 1900 the whole stock was killed and eaten by the jungle tribes, so 

 the three skins in the South Kensington Museum are all that exists of 

 this form. — R. C. Wkoughton. 



AVES. 



The Red-backed Shrike (Lanius collurio) and its prey. — Having 

 read with interest the note on this subject by Mr. Steele-Elliott 

 (ante, p. 309), I am induced to ask if the species in question has been 

 commoner than usual during the summer, as I have had an unusual 

 number brought for identification ; for, although a common summer 

 visitor, it seems to be a stranger to many people. Amongst those I 

 saw were a pair, in a very mutilated condition, brought by a bee-keeper 

 in the neighbourhood. He informed me two pairs had nested within a 

 hundred yards of each other, very near his hives, and the depredation 

 they had caused amongst his bees was considerable, especially those 

 from one nest where the young were hatched before he discovered 

 their whereabouts ; and if I may judge from the crops of the birds 

 he brought his story was not exaggerated, for they were full of their 

 stinging prey. He also said the attack was oftenest made when the 

 bees returned laden from their journey. Of course it is well known 



