The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1871-05-23 00:00:00

tailusbire.

DEVIZES.

srgouttß INOIDIST AT A HOOICIUY.—A short dist-
ance from Mr. Coward's house at Roandway, near
Devises, there is a rookery, which this year promised a
superabundance of rooks, for the nest.' had before
been so numerous. About a fortnight ago, however, it
was noticed that the rookery seemed to be leu noisy
and the old birds lase !my than they had been. Still
the airottinstanoe wasi not thought of sullicient Import-
ance to induce more than more casual observation,
until • few cloys ago, some of the labourers upon Mr.
Coward's farm had occasion to remove a pile of thorns
which had been pitched in & meadow close to the
rookery. On going to this pile they were surprised to
find, upon the top of it, and among the thorns, a num-
ber of broken rooky' eggs, and on removing the thorns,
they discovered beneath them a quantity of straw and
other material, whioa had been brought there from a
distance, and woven into a nest, in and around which
were some 40 or 50 eggs, unbroken, and in different
stages of incubdion, showing that the thief had been
carrying on its plunier night after night, for some con-
siderable time. So effectually had the work of demoli-
tion progressed, that out of .4 100 4, it
hasbeen found that cionsparatively few are left in which
there are either eggs or young ones. The robber was
no doubt a polecat—indeed, a polecat has, gore the
removal of the thorns, been seen in the immediate
neighbourhood. But the strange part of the affair is
the care and ingenuity which mtut have been exercised
to get the eggs, whole and intuit, from nest. on the top
of trees some 70 or 80 feet high, to the ground; *spa-
' Melly as the polecat mast in some instanees have had
, to make a leap of nine or ten feet, some of the trees
being without even a twig about their trunks for that
• distance. That the thief will eventually be caught,
we have little doubt, as a reward has been offered for
his discovery.

SkLISBUItY.

SALISBURY AND SOUTH WILTS Wolllllll.—n. loin
oollection of Sevres porcelain of a very valuable and
Interesting character has just been opened to the
public at this institution, l'he oollection cionsists of
something like one hundred pieeekand from the beauty
of the colours and the admirable taste with which the
specimens have been arranged by Deputy-luspeotor-
General Read, the honorary curator, the general sp.
pearanoe of the display in She ease is most refreshing.
If we except Mr. K. Ford (Southeast), and Mr. Forbes
(Kerry Oak), the whole of the contributors are resi-
dents in the city or its immediate neighbourhood.
They are the Earl of Radnor, Sir F. H. Bathurst, But..
Dr. Blackburn, Mr. J. B. Nightingale, Mr. C. J. Haut,
Mr. W. D. Wilkes, Mr. A. B. Middleton, Mr. TiMn,and
the lion. curator. The specimens are all legibly labelled
and in moat eases the date of the picas and the name
of the painter are given, and, where practieable, the
name of the gilder also. The collection contains
examples extending from the Vincennes period,
prior to 1756, until 1832. It is therefore illustrative
and instructive, as all the principal colours for which
the factory is so justly renowned, are shown, and the
various kinds ef decorations of the several epoch. are
present also. For the formation and arrangement of
this most chaste and highly enjoyable exhibition the
public are indebted to Deputy-Inspeetor.General Read,
who, ea is well known, has taken a great deal of pains
In bringing together this and kindred collections for
the gratifleation of the lovers of art. The exhibition
is to remain on view (tree) until the end of August, or
thereabouts, and the museum being open every day
except Saturday. Any one paying it a visit will find
themselves abundantly repaid for the time spent in it.

ItitADFORD-ON•AVON.

A shooking discovery has been made at the residence
of • firm of wealthy manufacturers. The servant
attended the unmarried sister of the head of the family,
• lady between thirty and forty years of age, to her
bedroom in the evening, as she was poorly, and took
her soma brandy. The following morning about sin,
the SWUM wool to ne haw Mc Walrus wan and.