Page:The Zoologist, 4th series, vol 2 (1898).djvu/127

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EDITORIAL GLEANINGS.
95

"Leprechaun," bred by him, was taken to the neighbourhood of Fort Calgary, to hunt the Wolves of that district, which were destroying calves and foals. The ranchman who took out his "Lep." also took with him two others, "Patrick" and "Sheelah." They killed forty Coyotes the first winter, 1888–89, and he wrote an account of a run they had with a big Grey Wolf. The Coyote is about the size of a Collie; the Grey Wolf may be anything, from that of a Stag-hound to a Boar-hound. His informant said that "Lep." ran into the Grey Wolf first and the pair rolled over; they sprang to their feet and stood up on their hind legs, tearing at each other, and trying to beat each other down with their fore feet. It was a terrific battle, and twice "Lep." threw the Wolf, and twice the Wolf got away only to be collared again. Then "Paddy" and "Sheelah" came up and joined in, and the three finished him off. The American Wolf is undeniably a very formidable foe, but that time he met his match.


At a January meeting of the Zoological Society of London, the Secretary exhibited, on behalf of Professor Collett, a specimen of a supposed hybrid between the Fieldfare (Turdus pilaris) and the Redwing (T. iliacus).


We have received the Annual Report (1896–97) of the Curator—Prof. Alex. Agassiz—of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard College. We learn some particulars as to the official arrangements made by Prof. Agassiz for his expedition during this winter to the Fiji Islands, for the purpose of studying the coral reefs of that group. He was to be accompanied by Dr. Woodworth and Dr. Mayer, as assistants.

"The steamer 'Yaralla' has been chartered in Sydney for the expedition, and she is to meet us at Suva late in October. The outfit for the expedition has been shipped to Sydney to be placed on board the steamer we have chartered. In addition to the usual apparatus, for photographic purposes, for sounding and dredging, and for pelagic work, we take a diamond-drill outfit, and hope to find a suitable locality for boring on the rim of one of the atolls of the Fijis. The boring machinery will be in charge of an expert sent by the Sullivan Machine Company from whom this machinery was obtained. The Directors of the Bache Fund have made a large grant toward the expenses of this boring experiment.

"I am also indebted to Professor Brandt, of Kiel, for superintending for me the construction of a deep-sea self-closing tow-net, such as was used in the 'National' Expedition. Dr. Richard, of Paris, sent me a modified Giesbrecht net, such as is used by the Prince of Monaco on the 'Princess Alice,' and Dr. A. Dohrn kindly deputed Dr. Giesbrecht to send me one