1885.] Zoology. 193 
ception of a single case which came under his personal observa- 
tion, and which he relates in full, he has searched in vain for the 
record of an instance where a woodchuck (Arctomys monax) has 
been known to swim voluntarily. An instance somewhat similar 
to the one mentioned came under my own notice in the early part 
of July, 1877, whilst camping within a few miles of the village of 
Kempville, some thirty-two miles south of Ottawa. In company 
with Mr. P. B. Taylor, of the post-office department, I was row- 
ing up “the Branch,” a small tributary of the Rideau, when we 
noticed a large woodchuck come down the bank and take boldly 
to the water, with the evident intention of crossing to the other 
side. The stream was at this point about 30 or 40 yards wide, 
and we pulled hard in order to come up with the animal before 
he could reach the opposite shore. As soon, however, as the 
woodchuck saw us he appeared to take in the situation, and made 
vigorous efforts to escape; and as he could change his direction 
much more quickly than we could, he succeeded for some time 
in eluding us. But we finally managed to get within reach of 
him and I lifted him into the boat by the back of the neck. He 
shivered a good deal and looked intensely uncomfortable; but 
his long swim did not appear to have tired him much, for he 
struggled violently to free himself, and when subsequently re- 
leased he leaped over the side of the boat and swam back to the 
shore from which he had come. He swam low in the water, pro- 
gressing but slowly and with evident exertion—W. L. Scott, 
Ottawa, Canada. 
Nest oF NEOTOMA FLORIDANA (identified by Dr. Coues, with 
question)—While hunting, the other day, my attention was 
called to a singular nest of some animal, made on the ground, 
just in the edge of a clump of mesquite brush. It was in the 
form of a pyramid or rather oval, about two feet and a half high, 
and four feet in diameter at the base, constructed of cow chips, 
stones, sticks, lumps of dirt, and every imaginable light substance 
that could be collected in the vicinity. There were two holes for 
entrance in the nest, on opposite sides, about the size of one’s 
coat sleeve. A large thick cactus leaf near one of the orifices 
had been partly eaten recently. As far as we could ascertain, 
without destroying the nest, it was unoccupied at the time of our 
visit. My companion, the signal observer here, is very familiar 
about here, but this is the only nest of the kind he has seen. A 
gentleman, who has lived on the Rio Grande, says he has seen 
them. Can any one tell us what animal lives in this curious 
nest ?— Fon D. Parker, Fort McKavett, Texas. 
HAACKE’S Discovery OF THE EGGS OF- THE AUSTRALIAN 
Ecuipna.—It appears that on Aug. 25, a few days before the 
announcement (Aug. 29) by telegraph from Australia, of Cald- 
well’s discovery that a monotreme laid eggs, the telegram not 
YOL XIX,—NO, II, 13 
