NATURAL HISTORY NOTES AND QUERIES. 217 
absence of pasture, we look in vain, even in that flowery land, for our rich 
meadows enamelled with flowers. This loss has been in some degree retrieved by 
the growth of some of our familiar wild flowers hitherto aliens to the far East, 
but which find a congenial home in the moist climate of Japan. Daisies, butter- 
cup and dandelions, regarded by us at home as homely flowers, may now be 
.seen on the railway embankments and will probably ere long spread farther afield. 
Such reminders of our native land are pleasanter subjects for contemplation than 
railways and telegraphs, or the aping of our costume by the modern Ja|)anese. 
Frank Dillon. 
Young' Martins. — In consequence of the late drought a martin’s nest 
crumbled to pieces. Consequently the young birds fell out on to a ledge on the 
wall below. They were quite neglected by their parents, but a hen sparrow, 
whose maternal instincts appear to have been strongly developed, perceiving the 
untoward event, used to come and feed them, apparently with caterpillars. 
When bread crumbs were put on the ledge she fed them with the crumbs. 
She used to try to teach them to fly by holding a big crumb in her bill, and after 
showing it to them would fly to a neighbouring tree to persuade them to follow ; 
but perhaps young martins cannot fly so soon as sparrows, for she never succeeded 
in her efforts. The great drought continuing too long, the young martins all 
succumbed to it and died. 
G. S. IIenslow. 
An Ingenious Rabbit. — A tame white rabbit kept in a covered place on 
a lawn tried to escape by burrowing under the wooden walls of its prison. 
Having succeeded once, its owner placed some heavy stones outside all round the 
hutch. Bunny burrowed a second time ; but unfortunately not being aware of the 
new obstruction, the stones fell upon its leg and broke it. He proved, however, 
to have a true surgeon’s instinct, for as the broken member began to unite, the 
rabbit by coustantly stretching its leg, has caused the fractured ends so to unite 
that the leg is now as nearly straight as it was at first. 
G. S. IIenslow. 
Bird Queries. — I want to ask if bullfinches have ever been known to eat 
their young? Two bullfinches built in an aviary and hatched one young bird, 
which, however, disappeared immediately out of the nest for twenty-eight hours, 
when it was found on the ground quite two feet away from the perpendicular of 
the nest. It was replaced in the nest by me, but less than two hours after had 
again disappeared and not a trace of it has been found since in the fortnight that 
intervenes. The bullfinches had the aviary to themselves with the exception of 
one hen chaffinch, with whom they were on friendly, though distant, terms. 
Nothing else had access to the aviary except myself and one or two mice, and I 
want to know who eat the bullfinch ? While I am writing, may I also ask if 
anyone can tell me the name of a bird that sings through the night from eleven 
o’clock, or later, and sings on still through the dawn all through spring and the 
early summer? I do not quite know howto describe the song, which has a 
strangely penetrating note — beginning soft as if from the far, far distance — 
crescendo, accelerando 1 till the trees close by seem to stir and open their leaves 
to the song, and did the bird not immediately start again in the far distance I 
should think the bird to be close at hand. Some nights it is an ecstacy of song, 
but it varies much in this, though the notes are at no time very varied. I think 
(if I may hope not to be taken too literally) I shill best describe the note in 
question if I characterise it as scintillating — it is moonlight on dancing 
waters converted into sound. I shall be disappointed if I am told it is a nightin- 
gale, because I live in Devon, and besides I know it is neither nightingale, 
blackbird, thrush, nor cuckoo, 
Jacey. 
Cat Killing a Squirrel. — I live in the midst of a big garden filled with 
fruit trees and shrubs. As no one everdisturbs them, living creatures are numerous 
and confident. My special delight has been a squirrel, who played about the gar- 
den last year and again this. Some weeks ago an evil-looking stranger, a yellow 
cat, appeared on the scene to disturb our Eden. On one occasion she chased my 
little friend into an apple tree. I rushed out from my study and drove her off ; 
