Notes and Observations 11 Part 6

NOTES AND

OBSERVATIONS

PIPISTRELLES IN CIIURCH. Pipistrelles were again found to be behind two panels in Snape Church on January 29th, 1960, none having been heard there since the winter of 1959/60. Sixteen (all found) were taken away on February 14th.

MRS. HARRISON, Snape.

FEEDING HABITS OF BATS. It is now well established that some bats somelimes use wings and interfemoral membrane to catch their prey and pictures of bats doing this have been on Television.

While watching noctule bats ( Nyctalus noctula) feeding during summer of 1960 we threw pebbles into the air which the bats chased, presumably taking them for insects. Sometimes when the bat caught a pebble we would hear a " click " after which the pebble would immediately fall to the ground. On other occasions we would hear a " thud " after which the pebble would be carried for three or four yards before dropping. We think that the first noise was caused by a bat catching the pebble in its mouth, dropping it immediately it realized that it had been deceived, the second by a bat catching the pebble with its wings or interfemoral membrane and not realizing that it was not an insect until it. put its head down to seize it. One of us (C.) has kept several Daubenton's bats (Myotis daubentoni) in captivity and has noticed that they not infrequently strike with a forearm at an extra large meal worm which they have difficulty in mastering when sitting in a feeding dish. This suggests that Daubenton's bats may use their wings to capture their prey.

H. G. BARRETT, CRANBROOK.

YELLOW NECKED MOUSE (Apodemusflavicollis)has been reporte from Stratford St. Andrew (eight in a box room in a house in December, the only other mice caught being house mice and thosin the larder. The nearest wood is \ mile away).

G. PENDLE.

A.flavicolliswith a number of A. sylvaticus in the farmhouse of Street Farm in February, also some distance from a wood.

H. G. BARRETT, Gt. Glemham.

COYPU (Myocastor coypus). A coypu was killed in November, 1960, at Gables Farm on the Gosbeck road a long way from anv river and where the only available food would seem to be sugar BEETLORD TOLLEMACHE, Helmingham.

NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS

529

Another in March. 1961, well away from a river on a pond at Great Lodge, Framlingham.

C. PRYOR. STOATS AND WEASELS SINCE MYXOMATOSIS. In December, 1960, of eighteen Suffolk landowners who replied to a questionnaire the majority (fifteen) said that stoats had decreased in numbers while weasels had increased. Several people said that stoats were formerly caught mainly in gin traps set in rabbit holes and that owing to the abolition of the gin trap and decline in rabbit trapping they would not expect to catch the few stoats left. One keeper thought that the preponderance of weasels was more apparent than real, as weasels hunted field mice and voles in hedges and roadside verges and were therefore more often seen. The general opinion seems to be that stoats have gone with the rabbits but weasels continue living on field mice and voles and are incidentally one of the best friends of farmer and forester. CRANBROOK. CHINESE MUNTJAC DEER IN SUFFOLK. A Muntiacus reevesi was killed at Elvedon in January, 1961. Two others were killed in Norfolk at about the same time, at Holkham Park in December, 1960, and at Cantley in January, 1961. It looks as though it has really advanced into East Anglia this winter.

Miss R. M. BARNES, Castle Museum, Norwich.

Two muntjac were seen near Leiston in 1953 (Trans. S.N.S., VIII, p. 177) but the actual species of these small deer cannot be distinguished in the field. Both Chinese and Indian muntjac were introduced at Woburn in Bedfordshire many years ago and are now relatively common in Beds. and the adjoining counties.

About 2 foot high at the Shoulder, foxy red in the summer, olive brown in the winter they seem to feed largely on grass, shrubs, ' etc., and have not so far been reported as harmful to either agricultuw; or forestry.

ED.

A BEETLE PARASITE ON A BAT. Mr. K. H. Hyatt kindly identified three mites taken from a noctule bat in October, 1960, as two Spinturnix myoti, Kolenati, and a deutonymph of Poecilochiru necrophori, Vitzthun. The former are very common parasites of bats, the latter commonly associated with ground beetles. It seems probable that the bat had caught beetles infested with Poecilochirus and that one of the beetle mites was transferred to the bat and remained on it for a time.

CRANBROOK.

530

NOTES A N D

OBSERVATIONS

BRITTLE STARFISH. Early this year I picked up, between Dunwich and Minsmere, three Brittle Starfish (Ophiuroida) which I do not think are very often found on this coast. Mr. H. C. Grant writes that " they live in shallow to deep water off sandy shores and are active at night ; they feed on molluscs, etc., and are eaten by fishes. The arms either break or can be cast off easily.

Movement is rapid and snake-like, holding to objects by one or more arms and pushing with the others. In the dry State they are pretty things, off-white in colour, very brittle and about 2 ins. in diameter. The five rays are relatively long and slender and beautifully marked with a small fancy button in the centre, the whole like a piece of delicately carved ivory ".

DOROTHY

JAY.

Lord CRANBROOK writes that Mr. W . S . G E O R G E has identified a parasite found on a Daubenton's Bat captured at Bury St. Edmunds as Nycteribia kolenatii Theodor which is a wingless parasitic fly belonging to the Family Nycteribiidae.

B A R O N DE W O R M S .

A M A R A N T H U S B O U C H O N I I Thell.

This was wrongly described in Transactions XI part 5 as A. buckmanii. In a 20 page monograph in 'Watsonia April 1961, on the Amaranths (some 25 species have been found as aliens in Britain, including A. caudatus, Love Lies Bleeding), Mr. J. P. M. Brenan says " This species, A. bouchonii, has been found only twice in Britain—by N. R. Kerr at Brantham in 1959 as a weed on a farm, and by E. L. Swann at Hilborough, West Norfolk, in a crop of annual blue lupin.

It was first described from France and has become common round Paris and northwards and also round Bordeaux, Toulouse and Perigueux.

It is also in Germany and Switzerland.

But its origin is unknown."

I referred Mr. Kerr to 'Watsonia ' and he teils me that two ladies came down from Kew fĂźll of excitement to see this plant growing.

T h e following year, 1960, Mr. P. R. Peecock found the plant again at Brantham in a sugar beet field and sent a specimen to Kew. Both finds were reported in Transactions XI part 5 as A buckmanii, a bad example of relying on word of mouth and telephone. We do not know which of us was the bad listener and invented a species.

V J. C . N . W I L L I S .

NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS

531

DO IT NOW, NOT after the new list of members is published next January or after October when the new list will have gone to the printers.

If you have removed or are about to do so, let the Hon. See. know at once. If you mean to resign at the end of the year let the Hon. Treasurer know now.

Look at your name in the January 1959 list or in laterlistsof new members and see if you omitted to give your initials, special subjects, degrees or honours perhaps acquired later.

Above all don't complain to friends that you are not reeeiving the circulars and Transactions at a new address. Each half year three or four Transactions are returned to the Hon. See. marked bv a careful postman 'Gone Away ' Address not known.' Of cรถurse this stops our sending anything further, but it is not a satisfactory way of intimating that you have resigned. Do not continue to aeeept our circulars and Transactions for a further three years without notifying us of your resignation.

All this gives a lot of trouble besides unnecessary cost to the Society.

Make a mighty effort and send a post-card.

Blessings on the many who do all these things without any urging.

Hon. Secretary.