Mr. Rennie on the Cleanliness of Animals, 



25 



A, side view of the last joint of the leg of the blue-bottle fly (musca vomitoria.) 

 B, do. of the fever fly (bibio febrilis.} Both figures magnified 100 times. 



three such combs on each foot. It may be remarked, that the 

 insects in question are pretty thickly covered with hair, and the 

 serratures of the combs are employed to free these from entangle- 

 ment and from dust. Even the hairs on the legs themselves 

 are used in a similar way ; for it may be remarked, that flies not 

 only brush with the extremities of their feet, where the curious 

 currycombs are situated, but frequently employ a great portion 

 of their legs in the same way, particularly for brushing one 

 another. 



Birds are peculiarly distinguished for their cleanliness, which 

 appears to be instinctive ; that is, it becomes apparent very 

 soon after they are hatched, at least in those nestlings which 

 are at first blind ; the others (Gallina, &c.) do not so much 

 requireit, from their running off immediately out of the nest 

 after their dam. The parents of blind nestlings are particu- 

 larly careful in watching, after feeding, till they moot, car- 

 rying it off in their beaks, an office which they even perform 

 for the female while she is hatching. I have particularly re- 

 marked this in the common starling (Sturnus vulgaris), a 

 thing the more necessary, from the bird nestling in the holes 



