THE YOUNG 



NATURALIST 



23 



Strix brachyotos, Perm. Short-eared 

 Owl, does not build but is occasionally shot. 



Strix flammea, Penn. White Owl, not 

 uncommon. 



Strix fhidula, Penn. Tawny Owl, is 

 occasionally met with in Bretby and Ingleby 

 Woods. 



Order INCESSORES. 



Tribe DENTIROSTRES. 

 Family LANIADiE. 

 Lanius collures, Penn. Red-backed 

 Shrike, the eggs are sometimes taken, I have 

 never had the fortune to find the nest 

 myself. 



Family MUSCICAPID^E. 



Muscicapa grisola, Penn. Spotted Fly- 

 catcher, very common. 



Family MERULIDiE. 



Turdus cinclus, Penn. Water Ouzel, 

 occasionally seen at the junction of the 

 Dove and Derwent. We have a specimen 

 shot on the Derwent close to the town in 

 the winter of 1882. 



Turdus viscivorus, Penn. The Missel. 



Turdus pilaris, Penn. Fieldfare, com- 

 mon during winter. 



Turdus musicus, Penn. Song Thrush. 



Turdus iliacus, Penn. Redwing, of 

 frequent occurrence throughout the winter. 



Turdus merula, Penn. Blackbird. 



Turdus torquatus, Penn. Ring Ouzel. 

 One of a pair was shot at Newton Solney ; 

 occurs also at Dovedale, where, I believe, it 

 breeds. 



Oriolus galbula, Penn. Golden Oriole. 

 This rare bird occurred at Eggenton in 1841. 



FORMIDABLE FOES. 



Standard, 28th November, 1883. 

 Sir, — Whilst walking in the Park this 

 morning I witnessed a peculiar conflict, the 

 combatants being a common squirrel and a 

 wood pigeon. The former's efforts appeared 



to be centred in pinning his adversary by 

 the breast with his teeth, and the pigeon 

 endeavoured to pick its opponent's eyes out. 

 After watching the conflict for about four 

 minutes I approached the scene of action 

 thinking the pigeon was wounded ; but I 

 was mistaken, for it flew into an adjoining 

 tree and the squirrel ran up into another 

 tree. 



I have heard of many strange combats 

 between different kinds of animals, &c, but 

 this is quite a new incident to me. 



I should like to hear if any of your 

 readers have witnessed a similar encounter. 



I am, Sir, you obedient servant, 



F; MOORE-CLEMENTS. 

 Welshpool, November 26. 



NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS 



COLEOPTERA. 



During October last I took what seemed 

 to me to be an unusually large quantity of 

 Necrophorus ruspator, one of the burying 

 beetles. Every morning I went the round 

 of some traps set for catching moles, and it 

 was seldom that I turned up less than a 

 dozen beetles under the decaying animal 

 matter laying around the traps, more than 

 three-fourths of which belonged to this 

 species, the rest being odd examples of 

 JV. fespillo, Silpha Thoricica, S. Opaca, 

 Mister Cadaverinus, &c. All of these 

 appeared when disturbed to be quite dead, 

 but on finding themselves among the laurel 

 leaves, they rapidly exhibited signs of life 

 and were unceasing in their endeavours to 

 escape. Getting these beetles is not a very 

 pleasant occupation, as they emit a very 

 disagreeable odour, which lasts until death, 

 they are also infested by a kind of minute 

 parasite of a cochineal colour, several cf 

 which are found on each beetle. I do not 

 know the name of this insect, can any 



