Page:The Zoologist, 1st series, vol 4 (1846).djvu/35



— In mild, open weather, we occasionally hear the song of the thrush (Turdus musicus), and of the missel thrush (T. viscivorus), during this month ; and the hedge-sparrow (Accentor modularis), wren (Troglodytes Europæus), and a few more of our resident songsters also enliven us with their notes. The golden plover (Charadrius pluvialis) is to be met with in immense flocks on commons and open fields in all the southern counties of England. Although great numbers of these birds breed in the northern counties of England, and in Scotland, it is probable we have a large addition to our native birds from those which have been bred in still more northern latitudes, and travel south at the approach of winter, to escape the rigours of a polar clime.

— Although but a few insects are stirring at this early season, yet many Coleoptera may be found under the bark and at the roots of trees. Towards the end of the month, if the weather is mild, some Lepidoptera begin to appear. The first moth is usually Cheimatobia rupicapraria; the males may be found flying at dusk by the sides of hedges, and the wingless females sitting on the twigs, but the latter are more frequently to be met with just before daylight in the morning. The spring usher moth (Anisopteiyx leucophearia) and the pale brindled moth (Phigalia pilosaria) may be found resting on the trunks of trees in woods during the day ; in some seasons in great plenty, in others in far less numbers. Several of the minute moths may also be found, but most of these are species which have emerged from the chrysalis in the autumn, and survived the winter in the perfect state ; among these may be mentioned several Depressariæ, and some of the beautiful Peroneæ, or button moths. — Henry Doubleday, in Naturalists' Almanac for 1845.

On the varieties of the common Dog. Since my last communication to you (Zool. 1159), on the subject of the diff'erent varieties of the dog, I have employed a considerable portion of my time in the consideration of this most curious subject. It seems to me that there are two diff'erent methods by which varieties may arise. First, by constantly preserving those of a litter which shew the peculiarities which we wish to perpetuate. In this way we shall gradually increase the peculiarity ; for instance, taking one peculiarity alone, say in the case of rabbits, I breed a litter two or three iiii