140 General Notes. [February, 



six miles in a bag behind me on horseback, under a blazing hot 

 sun, and kept them five weeks in a tub of water without a morsel 

 to eat, and when I came to put them in alcohol they seemed 

 almost as fresh as ever. During their confinement in the tub, 

 two of the females deposited a large amount of spawn. This 

 spawn was something similar to frog spawn in its general appear- 

 ance, but the mass had not the dark colors of the latter. The ova 

 were exuded in strings and were much farther apart than frog 

 eggs. They were of a yellow color, while the glutinous mass 

 which connected them had a grayish appearance. The spawn 

 seemed to expand greatly by absorption of water. It lay in the 

 tub among the animals for a week but was not disturbed by them. 



The Menopona, here called "alligator" and "water dog," is an 

 exceedingly voracious animal, feeding on fish, worms, crayfish, 

 &c. Some of those taken by me disgorged crayfish shortly after 

 being caught. Its large mouth which literally stretches " from 

 ear to ear," takes in almost any bait not too large to be swallowed. 

 May it not be a sort of scavenger of the water ? It inhabits the 

 Mississippi and Ohio rivers and their tributaries. — Ckas. H. 

 Townserid. 



The Sparrow Pest in Australia. — Through the kindness of 

 a correspondent I have received an interesting official document 

 showing that Passer domesticus has proved not less obnoxious in 

 Australia than in this country. It is a folio of eleven pages, being 

 the progress-report of a commission appointed by His Excellency, 

 Sir W. F. D. Jervois, Major-General, &c, to inquire into and re- 

 port upon the " alleged injuries by sparrows " together with an 

 analysis of correspondence and minutes of proceedings of the 

 commissioners, published in September, 1881, at Adelaide by 

 order of the House of Assembly. "The commissioners appointed 

 to inquire into the alleged damages caused by sparrows to horti- 

 culture and agriculture in South Australia, and into remedial 

 measures, and to report thereon, having proof of the evil existing 

 in great force, and over larger districts of country, and being con- 

 vinced that their suppression is urgent before another harvest and 

 fruit season sets in, and before another nesting season (now 

 beginning) shall swell their numbers, beg to present a progress 

 report," &c. 



The analysis of correspondence on the questions of inquiry 

 shows: 1. That the sparrow is established over an immense area 

 in South Australia. 2. That sufferers in such area " cry for relief 

 from sparrow depredations as if from a pest." 3. That the 

 sparrows are increasing at an astonishing and alarming rate, their 

 work being " done under conditions despairing to the cultivator, 

 and under conditions that he cannot control ; for the seed is taken 

 out of the ground, the fruit-bud off the tree, the sprouting vege- 

 table as fast as it grows, and the fruit ere it is ripe." 4. The cul- 

 tivated plants attacked are apricots, cherries, figs, apples, grapes, 



