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The Museum Gazette 



well to keep in mind in oar ethnological investigations that 

 in all ages the Jews have been slave-dealers. During the 

 Saxon period of British History it was not uncommon for 

 parents to sell their children and Jews were the traffickers. 

 Eccleston writes, respecting British trade in these times : 

 " Horses also are supposed to have been exported and more 

 certainly slaves. Many of the slave traders were Jews who 

 found a good market for their victims amongst the heathen 

 Saracens in Spain and Africa. This gave rise to several 

 canons of the church against selling Christian slaves to Jews 

 or Pagans. Chester and Bristol were the great ports for 

 this abominable trade so far at least as related to Ireland, 

 where Saxon slaves were largely purchased, probably by the 

 Danish settlers." These facts ought to open our eyes to 

 possibilities as to admixture of blood in various directions. 

 Even into Semitic families there may occasionally have been 

 brought Teutonic or Celtic brides. 



Can any of our readers direct our attention to instances 

 of birds storing winter food? It is asserted that the nut- 

 hatch does so. Can the observation be authenticated and 

 can details be given? It is a bird of developed instincts, and 

 in its habit of fixing nuts in clefts of bark preparatory to 

 opening them it comes near to the use of tools. The common 

 shrike has its butcher's shop in which it hangs up its victims, 

 but this appears to be merely a matter of temporary con- 

 venience and not an instance of provision against future 

 want. The popular belief that the nuthatch sits upon nuts as 

 if they were eggs may possibly have its origin in its habit of 

 accumulating stores for winter use. 



We are glad to see that a complete skeleton of the Okapi 

 has, through the zeal of Major Morrell Cotton, reached the 

 British Museum. A good skin of an adult and a perfect skin 

 of a young animal have also been obtained, and will, doubt- 

 less, soon be exhibited in our national collection. 



