MISCELLANEOUS NOTICES. 167 



("Weetien,) Mr. Shepherd witnessed a curious incident in insect life. He 

 found a cockroach on his coat, (one of those, no doubt, which had crept 

 into our pockets while we slept in the Kaffir hut two nights before,) and 

 flipped it oflf upon the ground. Presently a large ant came up, and nibbled 

 at him, and then ran oflF, post-haste, to its hole. In an instant it came 

 speeding back, with a troop of its companions, who seized on the unfortunate 

 cockroach, which had hitherto been lying without motion in a state of 

 stupid unconcern; but now, becoming aware of its danger, began to struggle 

 violently with its assailants; — but all in vain; the ants, with might and 

 main, pulling ^one and all' together, carried off the poor wretch for their 

 prey." Ants are particularly partial to sweets, for I have seen them swarm 

 round a jar of treacle, and many venture in, to their death. I remember 

 hearing of a person once pouring hot water on an ant's nest to destroy 

 them, and more than half of them escaped, for they slowly crawled away 

 from "their deluge." My informant was not so much surprised at the cruelty 

 displayed, as the rashness, for to disturb ants in any way, was always 

 attended with ill-luck. — G. R. Twinn, The Elms, Birmingham, May 2nd., 

 1856. 



Method of Blowing Eggs. — The instruments I use are a steel drill and 

 glass blowpipe, both of which may be procured from the Repository, 30, 

 Tavistock Street, Covent Garden, London. Before blowing an egg, I always 

 cleanse it thoroughly with soap and water, and afterwards wipe off the 

 moisture with a small piece of sponge, otherwise the shell would become 

 so slippery that the risk would be great of letting the egg slip whilst 

 blowing it. Then grasping the egg firmly, I, with a fine needle, pierce 

 one side of it, as nearly the middle as possible; if the colour be uniform, 

 of course it is immaterial at what point the puncture be made^ if, however, 

 the reverse, the needle should be introduced at the place where the marking 

 is least characteristic. Taking now the drill, I introduce the point of it 

 into the hole already made, and by working it backward and forward be- 

 twixt the forefinger and thumb, giving it a semi-rotatory motion. In a 

 very few turns, if the egg be moderate in size, a hole sufficiently large to 

 admit of the contents being extracted by means of the blowpipe, will be 

 the result. Next placing the thin end of the glass-pipe opposite the orifice 

 in the egg, and blowing sharply, the contents will speedily escape. The 

 egg should now be thoroughly cleansed from any matter on which mites 

 can feed, by several internal applications of cold water, and being then 

 cautiously dried with a silk handkerchief, is ready for the cabinet. I ought 

 to mention that with eggs less in size than those of the Dipper, great 

 caution should be used in the application of the drill, and that the blow- 

 pipe would be improved by being constructed of brass. — H. Smurthwaite, 

 Richmond, Yorkshire, March 20th., 1856. 



