Mr. R. M. Christy, Natural History Notes. 67
diately killed by the springing of the trap. I never
remember having heard before of a similar incident, but in
all probability the weasel was hunting the rat at the time
they were both caught. Although ignorant keepers ruth-
lessly slaughter these animals, there can be no doubt, from
the frequency with which they, as well as stoats, are
found when corn stacks are thrashed out, that they do
considerable service in destroying rats.
This unusually cold winter has caused not a few of our
stoats (Mustela erminea, L.) to turn white, which is, I
believe, not a common phenomenon so far south as Essex.
Mr. Smoothy, of Galleywood, saw a pure white one on his
farm about a month ago ; and the local bird-stuffer has
one in his shop very nearly so. On the 4th instant a
stoat, mainly white, was put out of a barley stack that
was being thrashed at Chignell Hall; and a man told me
that he saw this particular animal catch and kill a rat
there only a day or two before. Three days later another
of our men saw one in a field near our house ; he described
it as being pure white without a spot. He is a somewhat
aged man, and appeared to be very pleased at his obser-
vation, saying that, although he had seen such a case
before, it was a long time ago.
R. M. C.
Feb. 14th, 1880.
II.
(Read June 26th, 1880.)
The question, How do wild ducks, moorhens and other
such birds introduce their young to the water, when their
nests are placed on a tree? is one that has been often
discussed, but, I think, never satisfactorily settled.
I have lately been fortunate enough to discover in this
neighbourhood two nests, one a wild duck's and the other
a moorhen's nest, both placed on trees at a considerable
height from the ground. The latter of these contained,
when I first found it, nine eggs very hard sat upon, and