NOTES — MAMMALIA. 



With regard to the time when the young Cuckoo moults : on 

 August 6th, 1885, I got a young bird in the usual dull-red and 

 barred plumage. It had flown against the light at the Souter Point 

 (Electric) Lighthouse, at 2 a.m. that morning, and had killed itself. 

 What was it doing there at that time of the day, if not migrating ? 

 The man at the Lighthouse said it was a Sparrow Hawk. 



NOTES— MAMMALIA. 



Badger in North Lancashire.— Some years ago it was said that a 

 badger was run over by a train on the Furness Railway between Broughton-in- 

 Furness and Foxfield. I do not recall any other instance in this part of North 

 Lancashire. — Edward T. Baldwin, Woodcroft, Ulverston, April 5th, 1886. 



Badgers in North Yorkshire.— Four Badgers, an old female and three 

 young ones, were captured at Ingleby, in Cleveland, last month. See my note on 

 'Badgers in North Yorkshire,' in the Natiwalist for May, p. 143. — T. H. Nelson, 

 190, High Street, Redcar, June nth, 1886. 



Captures of the Badger (Meles taxus) in Yorkshire.— 



Mr. F. Bartlett, of the Kennels, Wentworth, has kindly favoured me with the 

 following additional records: — 



One captured at the Mausoleum, while drawing for a fox, Nov. 19th, 1884. 



One dug out in Rainborough Park, Nov. 19th, 1884. 



One caught by the hounds at the Mausoleum, Dec. 19th, 1884. 



One in Cartworth Planting, Sept. 25th, 1885. 

 The above are all on Earl Fitzwilliam's estate. — T. W. Brewis, June 2nd, 1885. 



The Marten in Northumberland.— A beautiful example of the 



Yellow-breasted Marten {Mitstela martes) was captured by Mr. Tait, coachman to 

 Mr. J. Hedley, in that gentleman's grounds at West Chirten House, near North 

 Shields, on May 23rd, 1883, and came into my possession within a few days of its 

 capture. At first it was very fierce and intractable, burying itself among the hay 

 of its bed and refusing any food if looked at. It would generally lie curled up in a 

 corner of the cage during the day, but would become very active and restless at 

 night. However, after a few weeks' confinement it became more reconciled to its 

 captivity. Having kept this animal a while, I sent it to Mr. Bostock (Bostock 

 and Wombwell's menagerie) where it would be better taken care of than with me, 

 with the proviso that if it should die it was to be forwarded to me. After living 

 in the collection about a year and a half, its body was sent me the day after its 

 death. It is now stuffed and forms part of my small mammalian collection. This 

 animal was caught on May 23rd, 1883. The Alnwick Mercury of June 9th the 

 same year (or a fortnight later) contained the following: — 'A fine specimen of the 

 Yellow-breasted Marten, measuring 30 inches from nose to tail end, was captured 

 at Harehope, Alnwick, last week. This species has not been seen or heard of in 

 this district for at least 50 years. It is now in the possession of Mr. A. Hall, 

 Percy Cross, for preservation. ' These two animals, which were caught in North- 

 umberland within a week of each other, must have strayed away from their native 

 haunts, for, as far as I can learn, this species has not been seen in the county for 

 60 years at least, when a specimen had been killed in the neighbourhood of 

 Rothbury. A few still linger among the wild and mountainous parts of Cumberland, 

 and a chance pair or two may still exist among the rocky wilds of the Cheviot range, 

 but in these places the Marten is on the verge of extinction. They are yet to be 

 met with in the wilder districts of Ross, Sutherland, Inverness, and other parts of 

 the North-west Highlands, and also in Carmarthen, Merioneth, and other counties 

 of Wales ; and, according to Mr. John Cordeaux, in Lincolnshire, but now in 

 greatly reduced numbers.' — Wm. Yellowley, South Shields, May 25th, 1886. 



Naturalist, 



