236 



THE YOUNG 



NATURALIST. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



All communications to be sent to J. E. Eobson, 15, 

 Northgate, Hartlepool; or to S. L. Mosley Beau- 

 mont Park, Huddersfield. 



Subscriptions for Vol. III. are now due. 

 Weekly numbers or monthly parts, 6s.; 

 with plain plates ; or 8s. with coloured 

 plates. The latter cannot be obtained 

 through the booksellers, but any one can 

 have their plates coloured on application 

 to the Editors. 



Miss R. P-D. — We believe there are but 

 two British rats, the brown and black. 

 The former is said to be a recent immi- 

 grant, and is sometimes called the Hano- 

 verian rat. The latter is sometimes called 

 the Old English rat, but it is also or used 

 to be called the Norman rat, implying 

 that it came at the time of the Norman 

 Conquest. The black rat is rather darker 

 and smaller than the common species. 

 There are also three Voles, the common 

 water vole or water rat, the field vole, and 

 the bank vole. Of Mice there is the long- 

 tailed field mouse, the common, the 

 harvest mouse, and the dormouse. There 

 are also four Shrews inhabiting Britain. 

 We are unable to recommend a hand- 

 book on British Mammals, one is much 

 wanted, but if you send us a specimen or 

 a description, we may be able to name 

 yours for you. 



A. Davis, Jun., Gt. Marlow, must accept 

 our thanks for the nest and a beautiful 

 egg of the Lesser Whitethroat, sent for 

 figuring. The same is also tendered to 

 Miss Angelina Kerry, and to Mr. F. Kerry, 

 for the nest of the Nightingale. 



A.G.D. — Yes, quality is of much more imp- 

 portance than quantity, and we have fre- 

 quently to leave out, as unsuitable or not 

 interesting, items of news sent us. What 

 we want is matter oi general interest. 



Several Field Clubs are joining for a collect- 

 ing enterprize to the South of England, 



other Clubs wishing to join should com- 

 municate with F. Ellis, 32, Swallow 

 Street, Huddersfield; or J. J. Dixon, 

 Alliance Street, Hartlepool. The shares 

 will be 6s. each. 



CHANGE OF ADDRESS. 

 J, W. Baldwin, /row 143, Toppings Turton, 

 near Bolton, to 38, Dunscar Road, near 

 Bolton. 



NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS 



Birmingham Notes. — May 13th. Found 

 a sparrow hawk's nest, containing three 

 eggs. Saw several L. argiolus in Holly 

 Hurst. 



May 14th. — Found numerous nests of the 

 nettle creeper containing eggs, thrush and 

 greenfinch with eggs and young, and greater 

 spotted woodpecker building. Found several 

 nests of the ring dove. Note. — A ring dove 

 built a nest in a hedge and laid two eggs in 

 it, everything completed with six days. 

 Their nest is nothing but a few twigs placed 

 one upon another, yet they are almost strong 

 enough to bear the weight of a man. The 

 eggs can often be seen in the nest while 

 standing underneath. The old pigeon makes 

 a great noise when she flies off her nest, 

 which immediately leads to its discovery ; I 

 believe not half their nests would be found 

 if they sat as closely as many other birds. 

 Took L. viretata, T. Consonaria and Crepus- 

 cularia and 0. Bidentata, on trunks of 

 trunks, in Upper and Lower Nut Hursts. 

 L. argiolus plentiful in Holly Hurst ; the 

 males generally outnumber the females 

 considerably. Found several larvae of O. 

 potatoria feeding on grass on banks. The 

 holly trees are now full flower which attract 

 many butterflies, especially the Argiolus. 

 Saw a number of fresh red berries still on a 

 holly bush. Saw the first Pieris na^i and 

 IrassiccB in Holly Hurst this season. 

 Micro-lepidoptera very plentiful, there are 

 a number of moths with long antennae of an 



