248 



HARDWICKE'S SCI E N C E -G O S SIP. 



full stature and dimeusions of a well-to-do house- 

 sparrow. The anxious inquiry then arose — what 

 to do with it ? To keep it in confinement would 

 have been both useless and cruel. It was then 

 determined to place its cage on the ground, leaving 

 the door open, that it might go in and out at its 

 I)leasure. Although there were very many sparrows 

 in the garden, none deigned to notice the forlorn 

 one, save another of about the same age. This for 

 several days was employed evidently iu teaching 

 the " adopted " how to make its entry into the busy 

 world, and singularly enough, having done so, it 

 suddenly died. After a while our nursling finally 

 deserted its cage, and took upon itself the duties 

 and responsibilities of sparrow life. But to this 

 day it remembers her who so carefully tended 

 it. If my servant is in the garden, the little 

 creature will at once fly to her, perch on her head 

 or shoulder, and eagerly eat from her mouth, retain, 

 taining its position when she is walking or gathering 

 flowers or the like. It is perfectly at home with all 

 the household ; and if I hold a small piece of bread 

 between my lips, it will fly a distance of many yards, 

 and without erring, take it from my mouth. For 

 the general amusement I have had a small pane in 

 the window of the kitchen hinged, for the admis- 

 sion of our now interesting pet. With the time of 

 the meals it is perfectly acquainted, and does not 

 fail at breakfast, dinner, and tea, to announce its 



.presence, by knocking with its beak at the window 

 until it is opened for its entry. It then perches 

 upon the shoulder of its foster-mother, and is fed 

 as usual from her mouth. During the interval of 

 more than three years, it has reared several broods 

 of now well-to-do and respectable sparrows. On 

 one of these occasions the number of its visits to 

 the food left for it at its window in the kitchen, 

 was no less than 237 in one day. During the 

 recent season the little creature has reared tioo 

 broods, and it appeared to encourage omnivorous 

 appetites in its progeny. One day it eagerly seized 



. a large prawn which was on a plate, and forthwith 

 bore it off in triumph to its nest. A full-sized moth 

 was treated in the like manner, and an unsuspecting 

 wood-louse was ruthlessly pounced upou. Only a 

 sparrow ! Two hundred and thirty-seven visits in 

 one da}-, and probably many more, to procure food 

 for its young. Beautiful obedience to a marvellous 

 ■instinct. Only a sparrow ! In our gardens it is 

 looked on as a pest, and has to creep here and there 

 to escape persecution. 



Sidmouth. N. S. Heineker. 



Pike.— A pike was caught in the Isis a short 

 time since, weighing about 2 lb., and, singular to 

 say, was in the act of gorging a relation which 

 weighed 1^ lb.— TT. H. Warner. 



THE ANATOMY OF A CATERPILLAR. 



rpHE accompanying figure represents half the 

 -*- interior of a caterpillar when cut open. Only 

 half is given, so as to prevent confusion. The 

 interior will be first explained, and then the details 

 of the outside surface. The dark space in the 

 centre, marked a a, represents the digestive appa- 

 ratus, consisting of throat, stomach, the intestines, 

 &c. Along the centre of the digestive apparatus is 

 the nervous system, analogous to the human brain ; 

 it is marked by dark lines in the cut. At different 

 portions there are large protuberances called the 

 ganglia. These form centres to carry smaller 



Fig. 1/0. Anatomy of a Caterpillar ; a a, digestive apparatus; 

 BB, trachea; c, silk gland; d, liver; e, salivary gland. 



nerves to different parts of the body. If these 

 nerves are examined by the microscope, they will 

 be found to consist of two tubes lying side by side. 

 If the head of an insect is cut off, it lives a long 

 time, because of the brain extending through the 

 entire length of the system. On the right hand 

 there is a curious, twisted organ marked c. This 

 contains the silk with which the caterpillar con- 

 structs its cocoon. If this organ is opened, there 

 is seen a curious kind of gum, partly tough and 

 partly brittle. Tliis substance is worked through 

 the small tubes at the end of the organ, and passes 

 then to a smaller tube called the " spinneret," which 

 opens in the mouth, from whence it issues in a fine 

 thread. There being two of these organs leading 

 to one spinneret, the good silk has a double thread 

 instead of a single one, causing the silk to be 

 stronger and better. Just before the time for 

 spinning comes on, this organ is a great deal 



