Notes and Observations 11 Part 1

NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS POISONOUS BITE OF WATER SHREW (Neomys

fodiens bicolor, Shaw). In September, 1958, at Judas' Gap on the Stour below Fiatford Mill amongst reeds and Agropyron I caught three water shrews, and at the same place a pigmy shrew and a field vole. One of the water shrews, a female weighing 13.5 grammes, is completely black apart from a narrow smoky grey stripe extending from the chin down the centre of the ehest and belly. The underside of the chin has a few white hairs and the ears have white tufts. The other two were normal in colour. When weighing the water shrew I got well bitten on thefingers,in two places to the extent of drawing small drops of blood. I thought no more about it except that I noticed that my fingers tingled but that night I woke up tofindmy han-d smarting where the shrew had bitten it: the effect had passed off by the morning. C. J. Maynard reported more serious and lasting results following a bite from the American shrew Blarina brevicauda (Contr. Science I. 57-58 1889.) while recently M. Pucek (Bull. Acad. polonaise Science V. 9. 301-306. 1957) has recorded the presence of a poisonous substance in the sub-maxilary gland of the European race of the water shrew (Neomys fodiens fodiens, Schreber) and that on a human being its bite produces " itching and burning and a slight swelling and reddening of the skin ".

There do not seem to be any records of painful after effects from the bite of the British race of the water shrew. P. JEWELL. FIELD VOLE (Microtus

agrestis). An immature albino Field Vole was caught here in October, 1955.

SAXMUNDHAM COUNTY MODERN SCHOOL.

(Sciurus vulgaris). In May of this year, I found in a red squirrel's drey the bones of pig trotters which showed obvious signs of having been gnawed by an animal with incisor teeth of the size of those of a squirrel. MRS. BARTON, Blakenham.

RED SQUIRREL

COYPU (Myocastor coypus).

In August, 1958, while bird watching in the centre of Westwood Marshes between Walberswick and Dunwich, I had a good view of an adult coypufirstswimming and then feeding at the edge of the reeds. R. W. HAYMAN. British Museum (Natural History).

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NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS

(Lutreala, sp.). A female mink pregnant with 6 young was caught here in April, 1958. Though one killed at Earl Soham in 1957 was said to have killed some poultry, the one caught here did no noticeable damage. There are also reports of a mink on Glevering fish ponds, so it would appear that a number are established in this district. W. KERR, Letheringham.

MINK

On December 22nd, 1957 and again on March 23rd, 1958, there was a seal in the river off Woolverstone.

So far as could be judged, they appeared to be about half-grown.

On March 26th there was a dead seal in one of the old oysterbeds near Walton Battery. It had evidently been washed over the now partly broken-down outer sea-wall in the February storms and high tides, and had clambered out of the water, but could not climb the steep slope above. It was over five feet in length.

All were doubtless Common Seals.

SEALS IN THE ORWELL.

As these are almost the only times I visited the Orwell this winter, and as the presence of a seal in the Channel can easily be overlooked, it would appear that the occurrence of this animal in our estuaries is quite common. A. C. C. HERVEY, Felixstowe.

In May and September of 1948, I visited Scroby Sands at Yarmouth where there is a large colony of Common seals (Phoca vitulinä). On each occasion there were a few adult Grey seals (Haiichoerus grypus) as well, possibly summer visitors from the breeding colony on the Farne Islands. T h e Grey seal has only once been recorded from Suffolk, (Trans. S.N.S. X. pt. 11, p.171) and that a pup, but having reached Scroby adults may well come farther south. Fully grown adult can be distinguished in the field by the profile. T h e head of a grey seal has a distinctly aquiline face when seen from the side, like a Suffolk sheep : that of the common seal is more retroussd, like a retriever. T h e skulls are easily identified and I should be grateful if any member finding a dead seal could send me the head. CRANBROOK.

Fallow deer are well established in the Nacton area. They are of the non-spotted variety. They do not show themselves much, but may occasionally be seen, moving about in parties of, usually, from three to six. They are occasionally shot, to prevent them from becoming too numerous.

MAMMALS AT NACTON.

Red squirrels are numerous. I have seen more during the past year than ever before. There are also good numbers at Foxhall and Butley. No Grey Squirrels have been seen.

NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS

89

In the early part of last year rabbits increased at Nacton at a prodigious rate, and many of the old burrows were re-opened.

On May 28th, in a short walk round the Decoy ponds, I counted eighteen rabbits. T h e keepers had to go out ferreting again.

But in late summer myxomatosis again broke out, and killed them off just as effectively as before. I have not seen a single rabbit there this year, though the keepers say there are still one or two about. A. C. C. HERVEY.

SMALL MAMMALS ON HAVERGATE ISLAND. There were two shorteared owls' nests on Havergate Island in 1958 with broods of eight and five, and probably another nest as well. T h e Warden teils me that though these occasionally visit the mainland marshes they do most of their hunting on the island, so it would seem that the field voles have made a good recovery since the 1953 flood.

He saw also three long-tailed field mice near some of the avocets' nests. It does not seem likely that either of these two small mammals would swim the river or be carried from Orford in a boat so some must have survived the flood, possibly in air pockets in burrows in the banks. H. BROWNLOW, Alderton.

T h e Warden at Havergate Island kindly sent me 22 short-eared owl pellets. Of these 17 contained only mammalian remains, amongst which could be identified 29 Field Voles (Microtus agrestis), one young rat (Rattus) and one common shrew (Sorex araneus) : two mixed, a single Field vole in each with feathers and birds' bones : three, bird bones and feathers only, with no remains of mammals. CRANBROOK.

of Apodemus flavicollis. T h e following have kindly been identified by Mr. R. S. George.

PARASITES

From Great Glemham, 30th December, 1954, a female Ctenophthalmus nobilis, the common flea of small rodents—sub-specific identity only determinable in males.

From Stowmarket, 16th March, 1958, the following mites.

One female Eulaelaps pachypus

(Koch).

One female Laelaps muris (Ljungh).

One female Haemogamasus (E) ambulans (Thorall).

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NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS

D U C K PARASITE N E W TO SUFFOLK. Miss Beverley-Burton describes {Journal of Parasitology 44, No. 4, 412-415, Aug., 1958) a new trematode, Uniserialis gippyensis gen. et sp. nov., from mallard caught at Nacton Decoy.

RINGLET. On 19th July, 1958,1 caught a fine female ab. lanceolata of the Ringlet (Aphantopus hyperanthus L.) at Bentley Woods.

According to Dr. E. B. Ford, this variety is a simple recessive, so the captured insect was kept for eggs in the hope of rearing more of the variety in the F2 generation. Although many eggs were laid, they were all infertile. S. BEAUFOY.

PROLIFEROUS

OR

PINK. Kohlrauschia prolifera prolifera (L.) in Bentham and Hooker.

CHILDING

(L.) Kunth =Dianthus

We must congratulate Mr. Boreham on finding this tiny inconspicuous pink, not hitherto recorded for Suffolk, though it has been found in Norfolk. It is native but rare anywhere in the Br. Isles. Mr. Boreham has a keen eye for anything rare or new.

He pointed out to me a single plant growing on an old wall in Bury St. Edmunds last September. If anyone eise sees it, he should on no account pick it and lose a very rare plant to Suffolk, probably the last survivor of a former small colony. J. C . N . W .

" TOMATO M O T H " strikes at Orford.

One of several fat caterpillars, each head first in a green tomato, proved on keeping to emerge as the Pearly Underwing Moth (Peridroma saucia, Hübn.).

This moth is stated to feed on " most low plants ", hardly a tactful description in this case ! W . S. GEORGE.

CAMBERWELL BEAUTY. Mrs. Dorothy Jay reports the presence of a Camberwell Beauty (Nymphalis antiopä) in her garden in midAugust, 1958. This was, no doubt, an immigrant from N. Europe.

A few come over each year and reports are always welcome.

QUEEN HÖRNET. My sister had a Queen Hörnet alight on her kitchen table one day last September, but she had scooped it up and put it in the fire before I could see it. She said it was as big as a mouse, N A N C Y CRACKNELL, Mariesford,

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