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in a doctor immediately; but already the malady had made such progress, that in spite of the most energetic means employed the patient soon died.—Petit Journal, 29th March.

Thrush and Frog.—R. H., in p. 85, says he can see no reason why, on the principle that similia similibus curantur, a frog should be sought as a remedy for the childish disorder which is commonly known as the thrush. In this part of the country the disorder is sometimes called "the frog."—Humber.

Rosy Feather-Star.—W. W. S., in his interesting account of the larva of the Comatula, as observed by him near St. Malo, asks "if this form of the feather-star has been found on the English coast?" I have no doubt that Dr. Carpenter has had the satisfaction of procuring specimens of this form of the Comatula since he discovered a habitat for the perfect animal in the Bay of Lamlash, off the Isle of Arran. Several years since, during a tour in the west of Scotland, I was busily engaged dredging in Lamlash Bay, and frequently I was delighted to find this beautiful star-fish among the numerous "treasures of the deep" which we hauled into the boat, and I fondly imagined, at the time, that I had been the fortunate discoverer of this very rare star-fish, little knowing that Dr. Carpenter was before me. One of my specimens was unusually large, being several inches in diameter, and of a find dark red colour. Being very anxious to preserve him, it occurred to me that I would mount him as a sea-weed, on paper, well knowing that any attempt to dry the creature, out of his native element, would end in disappointment; so, having cautiously placed him in a deep dish of sea-water, I gently slipped a piece of drawing-paper under him, and raising my hand quickly out of the water, I had the satisfaction of seeing the extended arms of the comatula fixed to the paper, so securely, that notwithstanding the efforts of the creature to free itself, it was unable to detach any portion of the arms, except a few joints near their connection with the disc-like body of the animal, and this was accomplished only in consequence of those portions of the arms being elevated above the surface of the paper. The self-mutilating propensity of these irritable creatures is well known, and I therefore considered myself very fortunate in havin secured so much of a genuine specimen of Comatula rosacea. The star-fish is now in the possession of my friend Mr. S. Highley, of Green-street, Leicester-square, who would, doubtless, be happy to show it to any one interested in this class of marine animals.—W. H. Grattann.

Otters.—Otters are very plentiful this year in the Teme (a tributary of the Severn), as many as five being seen together. A friend of mine started one which turned up an opening for a drain; he followed, and hit it on the head with a spade, and now has it stuffed; it is a fine specimen of a dog.—M. J. B.

Coral Reefs.—Captain Flinders, in the Gulf of Carpentaria, held his course by the sides of limestone reefs, five hundred miles in extent, with a depth irregular and uncertain; and more recently, Captain King seven hundred miles, almost a continent, of rock, increasing and visibly forming; all drawn from the waters of the ocean by a minute creature, that wonderful agent in the hands of Providence—the coral insect.—Knapp's Journal of a Naturalist.

Deer Poisoned by Yew-leaves.—A number of the deer in the park of the Duke of Beaufort, at Badminton, have been poisoned in a singular manner. There is a large yew-tree in the park, the branches of which are some feet from the ground. The late snow bore down the branches until they were within reach of the deer. The animals nibbled the leaves, and between thirty and forty have died, and a number are still suffering from the effects of the poisonous juice of the leaves.—Herts and Essex Journal.

Sparrows on the House-top.—At the house of Lady Soame, in Herefore-square, Brompton, is a Corinthian column reaching to the top, in the capital of which, as long ago as last spring, a pair of sparrows built their nest. About the time the young birds were hatched Lady Soame had a cage or covering of wire-work placed over the capital, one top of which came just under the nest; and it happened that shortly afterwards two of the young birds fell through. The meshes or openings of the cage were just large enough to admit them, as they then were, but not the old ones; and as they had not strength, probably, to force their way out as they came in, there they had to remain. The consequence was, that in their progress to maturity, they also became too large to pass through their prison-bars; and there they have remained, imprisoned but alive, from that time to this. The most extraordinary part of this story is, that the old birds not only continued to feed the young ones through the wires of the cage while they remained unfledged, but they have done so ever since. They have been seen, from day to day, to bring them food; indeed, had they not done so, it is plain the young ones could not have been, as they now are, alive, and, to all appearance, well. Could the old birds have managed by any means to give them water? or could the young ones have obtained a supply from the eavesdroppings, or in any other way? Or can birds really exist without water?—Edward Morton, in the Field.