316 THE NATURALIST, 



" not uncoremoiily in newly cut woods, probably a mere accidental varia- 

 tion, produced by cutting sti'ortg plants down to the ground." In the 

 Fhi/tologist as previously quoted, Mr, F. Walker writes of a honeysuckle at 

 Southgate which, growing at the root of an Oak, exhibited a great many 

 sinuate leaves, and he seems to infer that this is in someway owing to 

 the influence of its neighbour, a stippositiou which is not borne out by 

 facts. The variety is not, I think, really a constant one. 1 have gathered 

 on Wimbledon Common, Surrey, a branch of Honeysuckle bearing both 

 sinuate leaves, and those with the ordinary unbroken margin; and suspect 

 that a careful observer would find specimens partaking more or less of tliis 

 peculiarity in most districts. The corresponding variation in the Snow- 

 berry is very common ; but I have never observed it in Leycesteria (not 

 Legusteria, formosa. The Oak-leaved Woodbine is frequently mentioned 

 in horticultural works, and in catah gues of shrubs, Ac. 



High Wycombe, February 22nd, 1866. 



Affection in a Dog. — When the mother 

 «f the present Robert Burton, Esq., of Fall- 

 gates, Linton-on-Ouse, died, they were in 

 possession of a setter dog. This was not 

 present at the funeral, but for seven years 

 after, every night he was in the habit of 

 going to the churchyard, a distance of two 

 and a half miles from the house, to mourn 

 at the grave . The affectionate beast went 

 to mourn its loss as long as he was able to 

 scramble over the wall. — John Ranson, 

 York. 



An Early Hare. — A yoimg hare was 

 killed by accident on the Farnley Tyas 

 Estate on the 21st instant : it was about a 

 month old, and m very good condition. — 

 G, Wilson, Thurstonland. 



A Happy Family of Cats. — Kot a hun- 

 dred miles from Thurstonland might have 

 been seen a few weeks ago a kitten sucking 

 its mother, and said mother sucking the 

 kitten's grandmother at the same time, — 

 G, Wilson, Thurstonland. 



Variety of the common Mouse (Mus mus- 

 cuius). — Last week I caught ^^a singular 

 variety of the common mouse. It was con- 

 siderably larger than two others caught at 

 the same time, and also different in having 

 the under surface, forelegs, and front part 

 of the head perfectly white. Upon each side 

 were two patches of greyish white. As 

 several of the inhabitants of this island 

 have assured me that "ill luck " invariably 

 follows the capture of a piebald mouse, I 

 presume that other examples have occurred. 

 — Heney L. Saxby, Baltasound, Shetland, 

 February, 7th, 1866. 



Destructivcness of the Blachhird. — In an 

 old paper which fell into my hands a few 

 days ago, I read a letter purporting to be 

 written by a blackbird to the owner of a 

 garden. The bird pleads innocence to the 

 charge of pilfering cherries, and suggests 

 that a change of gardeners would*^ remedy 

 the evil. Any person writing such non- 

 sense ought to have a well-laden cherry- 

 tree, and encourage these innocents. Now, 



