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NOTES AND QUERIES. 



MAMMALIA. 



Whiskered Bat in Somerset. — While searching the Cheddar Caves 

 on April 4th and 13th last, I took two specimens of the Whiskered Bat 

 (Myotis mystacinus). This Bat is not recorded in ' Millais ' for Somer- 

 set, though no doubt it has been taken there before, and not recorded. 

 I was informed that Barbastelles lived there too, and I obtained 

 Greater and Lesser Horseshoes and Long-eared Bats there myself. 

 The Whiskered Bat was reported for Wells Cathedral, as also the 

 Barbastelle, Greater and Lesser Horseshoes, Long-eared, and Pipis- 

 trelles. — P. Buxton (32, Great Cumberland Place, London, W.). 



AVES. 



The Dartford Warbler (Sylvia undata) in Hants. — It is with great 

 pleasure I have to record the reappearance in some of its old haunts of 

 this little, dark, short-winged, but long-tailed species. Some thirty 

 years ago it was not rare in several localities I used to visit — where the 

 Stonechat resided, and the Whinchat passed its summer stay — and, 

 being resident the whole year through, it was always an interesting 

 object amongst the furze-bushes. It is one of those species whose 

 acquaintance, once made, is not soon forgotten, for, although a poor 

 Warbler as far as scope or compass of song is considered, I know of 

 few more active and interesting, as it dives in and out of its much- 

 loved furze-bushes, and assumes the most grotesque attitudes — remind- 

 ing one of the Tits, flits and erects its tail like a Wren, or creeps away 

 like a Nuthatch — amongst the prickly stems ; often entering the bush 

 low down, and as quickly departs from a more elevated position, only 

 to go through the same performance in the nearest bush ; or at other 

 times I have watched it very closely as it collected the minutest insects 

 from the rough bark of the furze, keeping up a happy and continued 

 chatter as it did so. The severe winter of 1881-2 seemed to have 

 killed or driven away the whole community, and for many years my 

 friends have searched for it in vain. In some parts of the forest it has 

 always held its ground, perhaps in decreasing numbers, and of its 

 Zool. Mhser.vol. XL, May, 1907. q 



