NATURAL HISTORY NOTES 
225 
with a brick (to prevent the earth from entering) and some turfs. In the 
morning digging was begun and caused some excitement among the rustics, who 
did not believe that the poison would work. One old farm hand who assisted, 
incidentally remarked that “he and whopses was bad vrens.” 
The nest in the wheat-field, which was perfectly spherical in shape, was removed 
intact and measured thirty inches in circumference. Afterwards the corn which 
had surrounded it was cut without further trouble. In the bank of the orchard 
Photograph by IV. Lawrence.) 
A Wasp’s Combs. 
a very beautiful nest was unearthed, which is shown in our illustration. It had 
a large root running nearly through the centre, and the original entrance in the 
bank can be seen in the picture, a little above the nest. Our second illustration 
displays a number of the combs (in section) as they were built, and part of one 
removed so as to show the cells, of which some are capped over (with a white 
covering) and contain “ brood,” or wasps in the chrysalis stage. 
Wii.liam Lawrence. 
447. The Coursing of Hares. — As an instance of the influence of 
Nature Notes for good in the treatment of the lower animals, permit me to 
say that a couple of years ago, a letter by a “ Naturalist ” appeared in its pages, 
complaining of the unfair conditions to which the hares were subjected at one of 
the great coursing meetings. That letter was from my pen. Not wishing to be 
personal, I refrained from giving names or places. 1 did, however, take a friend 
into my counsel, and copies of Nature Notes were distributed in this locality. 
One day, when lunching with one of the stewards of the meeting. Nature 
Notes was produced, which contained the letter ; and my host plumped out as 
a random shot “did you write it?” “Yes I did, and now you know the 
‘ Naturalist,’ let me ask if my complaints are just or not? I am not an enemy 
to the Nation’s sports : but woe betide any of them, if they are blown upon, and 
voted tame or unfair.” In reply to this he owned that what I complained of 
was justified, and should be remedied. At the meetings since that time, quite 
a diffeient state of things has prevailed. 
November , 1906. Edmund Thos. Daubeny. 
We must congratulate Mr. Daubeny and ourselves on the result of his letter, 
and in this connection we may mention that Mr. Nichobon has sent a cutting 
with regard to the deer turned out by the Berks and Bucks Hunt, in which the 
writer says “The instincts of these park-bred creatures have been so perverted by 
their captive life that it becomes unsportsmanlike to hunt them.” There is no 
doubt but that the deer have a chance of escape if they are able to take advantage 
