Page:The Zoologist, 4th series, vol 1 (1897).djvu/503

Rh identified. I unfortunately spoiled the nest, thinking it belonged to Passer domesticus.— (Tostock Rectory, West Suffolk).

[Having opened our pages to the subject of "Garden Lists of Birds," and drawn attention to the interest attached to same, our space will not allow the insertion of further lists.—]

Smooth Snake in the New Forest.—I can confirm the experience of my friend Mr. Corbin regarding this interesting reptile. My house stands on the edge of Beaulieu Heath, in the Forest, and on July 6th, 1894, a beautiful specimen was caught crawling up a laurel bush in our garden. I intended to take it to the Zoological Gardens, but it escaped. It was freely handled, and made to exhibit itself on the dining-room table, but did not defend itself by stinking. Hampshire now claims all the British Reptiles and Batrachians excepting the Turtles and the Edible Frog, but the latter has been introduced into the marshes of the Itchen by Mr. T. A. Cotton, of The Mount, Bishopstoke.— (East Boldre, Southampton).

Thresher Shark and Angel-fish at Lowestoft.—During a recent stay at Lowestoft, on the morning of Sept. 11th, I saw a freshly-killed Thresher, Alopecias vulpes, which was landed from the smack 'Florence and May.' There had been an unusually large take of Mackerel during the previous night, and the fishermen told me that the shoals were met with about twenty miles from Lowestoft. The Shark measured 42 in. in the body, and the upper lobe of the caudal fin exactly another 42 in. There was quite an unusual number of Angel-fishes, Rhina squatina, also landed during the three weeks of my stay; I must have seen at least four or five. The fish-wharves at Lowestoft always repay a visit, and I have no doubt many rare and interesting marine forms could be found in the refuse of the trawlnets, as well as in the maws of the deep-sea fishes. On Sept. 29th the 'Hastings Girl' took a second specimen of the Thresher in her Mackerel nets, which was also landed at Lowestoft, and I believe sent to London; it was much larger than that previously taken, measuring 6 ft. in the body and the same in the whip-like tail, or 12 ft. in all.— (Norwich).

Wasp, Tipula, and Spider.—My attention was recently drawn to the struggles of a Wasp and a Tipula (Daddy Longlegs) in a Spider's web. I at first thought that they were fellow-captives, and that the Wasp had attacked the Tipula under the impression that he was the author of his