32 



HARDWICKE'S SCIEN CE-GOS S I P. 



greatest coufidence and trust. "When busily bunt- 

 ing for food among the boughs of the pine and the 

 fir, the Gold- crest frequently repeats its shrill call- 

 note, which closely resembles the sharp squeak of 

 the Shrew. Its song proper is a sweet feeble little 

 strain, consisting of a few short notes — tweetie, 

 tweetie ! ending in a long-drawn twee ! This is 

 repeated while the tiny performer is swaying about 

 on the branches of the fir. It first begins to sing 

 in Eebruary (in mild seasons in January) and on 

 till August or September. 



At the end of April or the beginning of May, the 

 Gold-crest begins to exercise its skill as a designer 

 and weaver, and in this accomplishment it has but 

 three rivals among the British birds; viz., the 

 Chalfinch, the Goldfinch, and the Long-tailed 'J'it. 

 Early in May, 186S, I watched the progress of a 

 nest, which was built in a spruce-fir close to this 

 house. Noticing the tiny builders flying about M'ith 

 materials in tlicir hills, I watched them for some 

 time, and at length discovered the nest at the 

 extreme end of one of the fir boughs. The tiny 

 owners worked most industriously, and in the space 

 of a week the nest was completed, and two eggs 

 laid. The nest hung between two small end boughs, 

 to one of which it was attached by ropes of cocoon- 

 silk, and the other was woven in with the materials 

 of the nest. The nest was about four inches and 

 a half in length, and was moulded and woven in the 

 most neat and beautiful manner. It was open 

 above, and the opening abruptly narrowed as it 

 reached the top. The walls were composed of soft 

 green moss and wool, felted together and covered 

 OQ the outside with the webs of spiders, the cocoons 

 of insects, and a few shreds of bark. The inside 

 was small and plentifully lined with feathers, whicii 

 near the top were so arranged as to almost hide 

 the opening. In this soft bed the eggs were laid, 

 and from their diminutive size appeared almost 

 lost among the feathers with which the hoUovv was 

 so plentifully adorned. The eggs were of a delicate 

 cream-colour, with a pale brown zone or band at 

 the large end. 



In June tlie Gold-crest brings out its little family 

 into public life, and they hunt for food in company, 

 resorting frequently in winter to the hawtlioru 

 hedges, and often collecting into flocks of some 

 numbers. Selby affirms that this tiny creature 

 sometimes migrates, and says that in October, 1823, 

 after a very heavy gale and fog from the N.W., 

 thousands of these birds were seen to arrive on the 

 seashore and sandbanks of the Northumbrian 

 coasts. 



To conclude. Though not an advocate for keep- 

 ing birds in confinement, having always preferred 

 studying the really wild denizens of the woods and 

 fields, yet in deference to those who hold a contrary 

 opinion, I may as well give a few second-hand 

 hints as to the management of these tiny creatures 



in the aviary. Bechstein, that great authority on 

 such matters, says that the young Gold-crests may 

 be easily reared if taken hffore they are fully fledged. 

 He recommends as food, meal-worms cut small, 

 flies, ants'-eggs, and wheaten bread soaked in milk : 

 care must be taken to make the latter neither too 

 stiff nor too moist. He also says that insect food 

 is necessary to them and seeds injurious. These 

 pretty little creatures live and thrive well in a 

 warmed and ventilated greenhouse with a small pine- 

 tree in the centre, or a large cage in a moderately 

 warm room. 



Kingston, Abingdon. * 



PABASITIC FLIES. 



"O y this term I do «o/ mean the hosts of black 

 -L' flies, sand-flies, gnats, mosquitoes, et id genus 

 onine, which try men's patience and temper by 

 sucking their blood; but a still worse "crew," 

 whose mission it is to deposit eggs either upon or 

 within the human body. In these cases it is the 

 larva or grub which works all the mischief. The 

 period of occupancy occurs before the perfect insect 

 comes to light ; and therefore man's tenant, in the 

 instances to which I allude, is the grub, — not 

 the fly. 



t 



m 



Fig. 27. " Whorbles," or " Worm-holes," in hides of oxen. 



The last place perhaps in which one would look 

 for the larva of a flower-fly (I know no better 

 way of rendering the technical name, Anthomyid) 

 is the human stomach. Yet at least two species 

 {scalaris and canicularii) occasionally occupy this 

 singular locality. How can they get there ? is the 

 first and most natural question ; but one which it 

 is by no means easy to solve. The most probable 

 suggestion is that they are introduced with vege- 

 tables which have been standing for some time, and 

 on" which the mother-fly has,' in the innocence of 

 her heart, laid a batch of eggs, unwitting of the 

 evil consequences likely to follow. But in what- 

 ever way they have been brought into their tem- 

 porary lodgings, they appear to adapt themselves 

 readily to surrounding circumstances, and to make 

 themselves quite at home, clinging to the inner sur- 

 face of the intestine by means of minute spines 

 with which the back and sides are armed. While 

 there, they cause, as may be supposed, considerable 

 irritation. 



