NATURAL HISTORY NOTES 
175 
peculiar to Madeira and the Canaries are included, though no pretence is made 
of treating the Micro-lepidoptera as a whole. We congratulate author and pub- 
lishers alike on a first-rate achievement. 
The Humane Review for July, with other interesting articles, contains a paper 
by Monsignor Canon John Vaughan, in which he corrects the defective logic of 
the Rev. Wilfrid Lescher, O.P., who argues that “if animals have no rights, it 
follows that there is no such thing as cruelty to animals, or that cruelty to animals 
is not wrong.” 
The Naturalist for July is a double number containing three portraits and 
two other plates. 
Received: Bird Notes for June; Board of Agriculture Leaflets, No. 85, 
Haymaking, No. 86, Brown Rot of Fruit, No. 87, A Fungous Disease of Young 
Fruit-Trees, and No. 88, Hop Aphis ; The Victorian Naturalist for June ; The 
Animal World for June and July; The Irish Naturalist, The Humanitarian, 
The Animal's Friend, Our Animal Friends, The Parents' Review, and The 
Agricultural Economist for July. 
NATURAL HISTORY NOTES. 
12. Is Nature Cruel ? — With reference to the interesting article in the 
June number of Nature Notes, “ Is Nature Cruel?”, I fail to see that in either 
of the cases noticed there is evidence of conscious cruelty on the part of either 
insect, bird, or animal. In each case it appears to me that the actor is only 
surely showing its natural instinct for self preservation, and for the preservation 
of its species. It may be, but it may not he, conscious of causing suffering in 
the earning out of its instinct. 
As to dogs biting and cats scratching — is not each action the animal’s way 
of showing its dislike to certain behaviour of either friend or foe, and as possibly 
indicating danger to it? 
35, Evelyn Gardens, S. W. Alice A. Howes. 
June 29, 1903. 
13. Sexes of White Stoats. — In reply to Mr. G. T. Rope in June 
Nature Notes, I, too, cannot see why the seasonable change of colour in this 
animal should be confined to one sex, as both equally need protection. The 
specimen I have appears to be a gill. A keeper who shot one here last winter 
is not able to determine the sex, but is inclined to think it a hob. 
Rhyl . F. L. Rawlins. 
14. Flycatcher. — In this district of Northants the flycatcher is very 
abundant ; there are always six, and sometimes seven, pairs in the churchyard 
and the rectory grounds alone, and that the same birds return is evident. For 
four years they have built over a mural tablet outside the church, and are at 
present sitting for their second brood in the same nest. 
For several years I noticed a clutch of abnormal pure blue eggs on the 
side of my house. One year (1898) they were absent, but Sir Charles Isham of 
Lamport Hall found them four miles off as the crow flies, and they returned here 
the next year (1899) and also in 1900 and 1901, and doubtless since then. 
Haselbeech. W. A. S. 
15 . Birds of Prey. I and two brothers were sitting on our lawn when 
we heard a sparrow screeching with terror in some shrubs near, and seeing a 
large bird fluttering there, 1 ran to see what was happening, when a jay flew 
up into a tree with what looked like a full-grown sparrow in its bill : the piercing 
screams had stopped. Hoping to make the jay drop the bird I frightened it, 
instead of which it flew away to enjoy its repast elsewhere. The shrubbery 
where this happened is within twelve yards of the house. Another day my 
brother saw a cuckoo chasing a chaffinch as if determined to catch it. Has the 
lack of insect food this year anything to do with this cannibalism ? 
