234 
NATURE NOTES 
and geographical range : of its sixteen whole-page illustrations, one is a coloured 
portrait of the Bee-eater and several others afford means of comparing the ancient 
representations on the monuments with the birds of to-day ; while the notes them- 
selves are a pleasant ornithological diary kept mainly at Aswan. 
Horniman Museum. Handbook to the Vivaria and Fresh IVater Aquaria. 
Price id. 
Again the London County Council has placed the general public, and especially 
visitors to the Horniman Museum, under an obligation. It is difficult to imagine 
anything that could well improve upon this penny guide, for which, we presume. 
Professor Haddon is responsible. It contains concise directions for keeping an 
aquarium, a classification of the animals so kept, tolerably full, perfectly accurate, 
but simple descriptions of each, from Spongilla and Hydra up to the Grass Snake 
and the Viper, and a classified list of the many standard works on the subject in 
the Museum Library. Perhaps more indications of the occurrence of such forms 
as the Bullhead, Crayfish, P'dible Snail, Teslacella and Cyclostoma in Surrey 
might be added. 
The Field Naturalist' s Quarterly for September is as good as ever, dealing, 
inter alia, with the acquisition of Gowbarrow F"ell, Greensted Church, and the 
Earthworm. 
Notes and Comments for September, the “processed” organ of the Norwood 
Natural Science Society, which has issued an excellent syllabus for its session, 
though only eight quarto pages, contains some interesting notes on “Tiddlers,” 
Wimbledon Common, St. Ives, &c. 
Bird Notes and Nevus for October contains, with other notes, a useful list of 
feathers offered for sale which should be especially shunned by everyone interested 
in the preservation and protection of wild birds. 
Received : The Wilson Bulletin and The Victorian Naturalist for September ; 
Bird-Lore for September — October ; and The Naturalist, The Irish Naturalist, 
Nature Study (Lockwood), The Animal's Friend, The Animal World, The 
Humanitarian, The Agricultural Economist and The Commonwealth for 
October. 
PsTATURAL HISTORY NOTES. 
182. Rabbit Taking to Water. — I know an old moat near Uttoxeter, 
surrounding what is now plain grass land, inhabited by rabbits. One corner of 
the moat gives plain evidence by the footmarks on either bank that the rabbits 
are in the habit of crossing the water to and fro to the adjoining fields. 
With regard to a weasel taking to water, I believe both weasels and stoats will 
not uncommonly do so. I have seen, when fishing on the river Tenie in Wor- 
cestershire, a stoat take to the river with apparently no better object than that of 
stalking a bird on a bush on the river bank. 
Eastcote, Middlesex. Herbert J. Rodgers. 
October 9, 1904. 
183. — On the banks of Chichester Harbour, near Old Park, it is not unusual 
to see rabbits and hares swimming back to shore as the clumps of sea lavender 
get submerged by a high tide. A year or two back I was fishing in Bolterbrooke 
Park, Northants, when a great squealing and scullling came from a rabbit burrow 
on the opposite side and a three-quarter grown rabbit fell into the water with a 
large rat hanging on to its hind quarters. On touching the water the rat relaxed 
its hold, but swam after the rahbit and seized it again. I threw a brick at the 
pair but just missed them. The rat, however, again let go, and the rahbit landed 
and ran back to the burrow, closely pursued by the persistent rat, which followed 
it to earth. 
IJaselbeech Rectory, Northampton. W. A. Shaw. 
Northants Nat. Hist. Soc. 
