NA T URAL HIS TORY NOTES A ND Q UER lES. 243 
none since October 2nd. On October loth, a gold-crested wren flew in at the 
window, and remained quietly perched on the sash, making no effort to escape, 
and finally allowing himself to be caught and turned out of the window. They 
are very rarely seen here. 
Neston, Cheshire. Mary Rathmore. 
Bird Queries (pp. 217, 218). — The night-singing bird whose name your 
correspondent Jacey is anxious to know is evidently the sedge warbler, a most 
persevering little nocturnal songster during the spring and summer months. In 
answer to M. S. Y.’s query as to the habit of swallows departing in batches, I 
believe it is the usual thing for them to do so. The main body of the liirundines 
departed from this neighbourhood about the third week in September, but 
stragglers were to be seen up till October 7th. The short-tailed and late-stayiug 
swallows mentioned by F. M. Millard were undoubtedly young birds, which do 
not assume the distinctly forked tail of the adult until after the first moult, and 
are also always, I believe, the last to wing their way to the sunny south. 
Fyfield, Abingdon. \V. II. Warner. 
Water-rats. — Taking a walk through the lovely lanes that surround 
Totteridge, and passing down an alley path just by Tottcridge Church, I came 
upon a pond covered with weed, with several curious-looking balls upon its 
surface which drew my attention. Stooping down to get a closer inspection of it 
I was quite startled to hear a splash, and looking in the direction of the sound I 
saw a fine water-rat swimming rapidly across the pond. I therefore drew back, 
and taking up a position where I could not be seen, waited. I had not long to 
wait. They soon came back, and I had a most profitable hour, learning more 
than a dozen books could have done in a year’s study. I first noticed that they 
are entirely vegetable eaters, for they were eating the leaves and other decaying 
matter lying on the banks. They in eating sit on their haunches like the squirrel, 
using their front paws like a monkey. I also noticed that the oi>ening of the 
nest is invariably under the water. 
E. J. IIlGHAM. 
A Turkey Dance. — A few days ago we were much amused, in passing a 
field in which were some young turkeys, to see them getting up a dance. First 
two young “Toms” bowed politely to each other, then passed on with stately 
tread, skipped into the air twice in the most ludicrous manner, turned and 
repeated the same performance. Several others then joined, but we had to catch 
a train, and were obliged reluctantly to deny ourselves the amusement of seeing 
any more “ figures.” A labourer tells us he has seen young strong birds do it, 
but this sight was quite new to us, though we have lived in the country many 
years. 
North Moreton Vicarage, Wallingford. M. S. Young. 
A Friendly Landrail. — As the landrail is generally considered a shy and 
timid bird, I think the following account of one may be interesting. During the 
month of fitly last I had noticed one in a field near the house, and went daily in 
watch it, leaning on the gate within a stone’s throw of it, when it woulil walk 
about and look at me with quite a mutual interest ! It remained there for about 
three weeks, and one morning I was giving orders in the kitchen when I heard 
two loud taps on the window-pane, and looking towards it I saw the landrail 
sitting on the window ledge ; it gazed at me for about a quarter of a minute and 
then flew away, and I neither saw nor heard anything of it in the field from that 
time. Perhaps it came to say “ good-bye,” instinctively knowing that I took such 
an interest in it. The bird was a very fine specimen. The field lay to the north 
and the kitchen window looks south, and is some distance from the field. 
The Vicarage, Mydrim. Alice A. Britten. 
Dogs Communicating. — A friend of mine has two dogs, a retriever and a 
half-bred collie and staghound, a most extraordinarily intelligent animal. The 
retriever is so deaf that at a distance she can hear no word of command. On one 
occasion my friend had been walking along a straight road attended by both dogs. 
The retriever, Dora, had gone forward some distance so as to be quite out of 
reach of her voice, the collie was nearer to her ; she wished to turn back, so said 
