SELBORNE SOCIETY NOTICES 
19 
eggs of various species of ducks cosily lying in their nests of down. This down, 
plucked from the breasts of the female, fells together in the breeding season so 
that Hakes cannot be blown away by the wind. In the winter season, however, 
it entirely loses its felling or clinging properties, and the least puff of air will 
scatter it in every direction. The reason for this has engaged Mr. Read’s 
attention for a long time, and he has photo-micrographs of the down of various 
species taken at different times of the year, and other material still under 
observation, which will throw some light on this matter. 
Mr. Read, who has collected in various countries in Europe, pointed out 
that the nests of Meadow Pipit and Reed-bunting from Norway always contain 
six and sometimes seven eggs, whilst five is the usual maximum in this country. 
Nests of the Robin and Hedge Sparrow from Sweden, where they are scarce 
woodland birds, contain seven and six eggs, whilst six and five are the usual full 
sets in this country. A fine nest of the Honey Buzzard which he found in 
Sweden was made almost entirely of green twigs and leaves of the oak and black 
poplar. This partiality for something green in the nest was shared by other 
large birds of prey. Nests of the Rough-legged Buzzard from Norway and the 
Common Buzzard from Scotland contained small tufts of wood-rush (Luzula 
sylvalica), whilst two nests of the Booted Eagle from Spain contained green 
pine-needles and a spray of white poplar respectively. P'rom the nest of a Black 
Kite in Spain he took a cuff from a blue shirt and other “ lesser linen,” a large 
chip of wood and two match boxes with humorous Spanish pictures on them. 
He pointed out a set of eggs of the Great Tit from Spain, which were far more 
handsomely marked than any he had found in England. He had found eggs of 
the I.ittle Ringed Plover in Sweden and Spain, and observed it in Denmark, 
where it also bred, yet in England, which lay almost midway between Scandinavia 
and Spain, it was an exceedingly rare straggler and had never been known to 
breed. 
At the end of the demonstration Mr. and Mrs. Read kindly invited the 
Selbornians to tea, after which a hearty vote of thanks was passed to them on 
the proposition of Mr. Wilfred Mark Webb, F.L.S., seconded by Mr. Hugh 
Boyd Watt, M.B.O.U. 
Saturday, December 8. — By the kind invitation of Mr. C. M. MUhlbeig, a 
very pleasant afternoon was spent by some sixty members of the Selborne Society 
and their friends in inspecting a fur and skin warehouse, and in listening to an 
interesting account of its contents. On their arrival the visitors were conducted 
over the five floors of the warehouse, where the various skins had been laid out 
in their raw, dressed and dyed states, and afterwards Mr. Miihlberg gave a 
demonstration, which he illustrated with examples of the skins of the fur-bearing 
animals of commerce, which were passed round and much admired. 
For this purpose the skins were divided into eleven classes as follows : — 
The Skins of Fur-Be.sring .Anim.vls of Co.mmerce. 
Classijication according to Similarity 0/ Furs. 
(1) Seals .. Fur Seals — human haHts, Pela- 
gic Seals, process of dressing 
and dyeing. Hair Seals, White- 
coats, Saddlers, &c. 
(2) Otters . . Se.a Otters, River Otters. 
Beavers. 
Nutrias .. (Familyr Octodontidse.) 
Mink . . Amphibious. 
Platypus (Ornithorhynchus) 
Musquash Black, Brown, and Russian 
Silver Musquash. 
(3) Martens.. Sables, Baum, Stone, and 
Japanese, Kolinsky. 
Fisher .. Largest of Martens — finest tail. 
Skunk .. or Black Marten. Civet Cat. 
Fitch . . or Polecat. 
Hares . . Rabbits, Marmots, H.amsters. 
(4) Fo.xes .. White, Red, Grey Blue, Silver 
Foxes and real Black Foxes, 
dyed Foxes. 
5) Coinchillas. 
Ermines.. Royal Robes: («) as head of 
State; (^)as Head of Churoh, 
Miniver. 
Squirrels., and Squirrel Linings. 
Moles. 
(6) Lambs . . Persian, Astrachan, Broadtail, 
Grey Crimean, White Lambs, 
Moufflons. 
(7) Lynx, Leopards, Lions. Tigers, Cats, Wild, 
House, Genet. 
(8) Bears, Wolverines, Raccoons, Wolves, 
J ackals. Ponies. 
(gy -Australian -Animals : Oppossums, Grey, 
Black. Kangaroos, Mai- 
lables, M'ombats. 
(10) Japanese .Animals : Tanuki, &c. 
(11) Chinese .Animals : Thibets, Kids. 
