98 
NATURE NOTES. 
London Birds (pp. 33, 57). — A pair of dabchicks (wild birds) nested last 
year in one of the small lakes in Clissold Park, Stoke Newington. The birds 
were first noticed in the middle of June by Sergeant Charles Kimber, of tbe 
London County Council Police, who is a keen observer — having had many years 
experience as a gamekeeper — and takes considerable interest in natural history. 
After building two nests, which were discarded, the dabchicks constructed a third, 
close to an island in the centre of the water, in which two eggs were laid. The 
position chosen was near to where a boat is moored which is in daily use, and 
whenever this occurred, the old birds hurriedly covered the nest with leaves and 
weeds so that the eggs were concealed, and then withdrew to a safe distance. 
Eventually, about the end of July, two young ones were hatched and duly reared. 
H. Chipperfield. 
Naturalizing Squirrels. — Can any of your readers tell me from experi- 
ence if it would be possible to naturalize squirrels in a neighbourhood where there 
are no beech trees ? We have no large trees in our garden, but in a meadow 
adjoining there are several oaks and some magnificent elms. Do squirrels eat 
the fruit of either of these? I would not keep them if -they had to depend 
entirely on a daily feeding of nuts, &c. Are they easy to tame ? There is a nice 
little wire house in this garden, which has evidently been used as an aviary. I 
think it might be possible to keep a pair of squirrels in there for a time until 
they were sufficiently familiar with their surroundings not to get lost, but of course 
I want them to be free eventually. Would they do any damage to the fruit, or 
gnaw the bark of apple and pear trees ? 
Julia C. Tebb. 
A Grateful Dog. — If gratitude were banished from mankind it would yet 
be found in the canine race. “A student of the third year at the Faculty of 
Medicine in Nancy, born at Plombieres les Bains, saw lately passing before his 
door a big dog, walking painfully upon three feet, the fourth being broken and 
hanging above the ground. Moved with pity the young man tended the poor 
beast, which readily allowed him, and, with the paw enveloped in bandages, the 
dog, hobbling along, took the road home, where his master was much astonished 
to receive him in this sad plight. The dog recovered, and mindful of this kind 
action never failed, each time that he met the student, to run to him and bestow 
upon him many caresses, to the great astonishment of his friends. Ill fate un- 
fortunately attended the poor animal. One day when the student was at the 
civil hospital, he had to go to the kennel where are generously housed wandering 
dogs put by for experiments by the faculty, and what was his surprise to recognize 
amongst the bow-wows of all sorts and sizes, his dog of the broken foot. He 
hastened to request his liberation of the head doctor, who granted this with 
very good grace, and the young student became the object of the joyous demon- 
strations of the poor animal, so happy to testify to him by his bounds and caresses 
the gratitude that he felt for his benefactor.” The above is from a recent number 
of the Independance Beige. 
Giles A. Daubeny. 
Single Rooks’ Nest. — Probably the observation is not worth recording, 
but I observe that Gilbert White in Selhorne remarks: — “If a pair (of 
rooks) offer to build on a single tree, the nest is plundered and demolished at 
once.” We have lived here now two springs and have a small rookery at back 
and front of the house. There are four separate trees, three on one side, one on 
the other, and e.ich with one .solitary nest in it. The adjoining trees have many 
nests, one I believe fourteen in it and others a good many. 'I'he nests are all, I 
believe, occupied, and two families appear especially vigorous and flourishing, and 
as far as I can see the others are active and busy. 1 have not observed any desire 
on the part of other birds to molest them. 
Baldock, Herts. Soi’iiiA G. Newman. 
[Please read Rule 4.— Ei). N.N.'\ 
Another Note on Rooks. — I should like to mention a .souiewhat singular 
occurrence which has just taken pl.ace here. Some forty years ago Southampton 
was noted for its splendid avenue of noble elm trees, which rc.ached for nearly 
half-a-mile from the Ordnance .Survey Office to what was known as the first 
Common Gate. Since then, owing, I believe, to laying down gas pijies, the roots 
