MISCELLANIES. 103 



with the young ones. How disheartening it is for the naturalist to be so 

 continually annoyed by these callous bird-nesters. I was [in hopes, when 

 the brood had left the nest, to have preserved the latter as a most interesting 

 specimen ; but, alas ! all is, as usual, frustrated. I should add, that the inten- 

 tion of the parents was, obviously, to have preserved their young from the scorching 

 heat of the sun. —Edward Blyth; Tooting, Surry, July 4, 1836. 



The Italian Glowworm. — The Italian Glow-worm appears to be different 

 from ours, for, according to M. Carrara, it has a bag or sack full of air, reaching 

 from the mouth to the abdomen. By means of this the phosphorescent matter is 

 put in contact with the atmosphere, without the aid of the respiratory organs. 

 It is used at the pleasure of the insect, and causes a combustion of the phosphorus, 

 which renders its light bright and sparkling, while that of our Glow-worm is 

 dull and steady. 



The Burrowing of the Mole. — In a memoir communicated to the Society of 

 Natural Sciences at Neufchatel, a curious fact is stated respecting the Mole. As 

 it burrows under ground it always turns its back to the sun, proceeding from 

 east to west in the morning, and west to east in the evening. 



A New Species of Oniscus. — A new species of Woodlouse COniseus, Linn.^ 

 abounds in Cuba, the characters of which have been determined by M. Guerin. 

 This naturalist, suspecting that they might not be similar to the European species, 

 although reported as such, procured several from that island, and found that they 

 differ in the form of the head and antennae, and more especially in the six anterior 

 feet, which are furnished underneath with brushes of spines, club-shaped at the 

 end, which serve to fix them upon polished and perpendicular surfaces ; hence 

 their frequent occurrence in the houses of the Havanna. — Athenaeum. 



The Spring Oatear (Budytes verna) in Norfolk. — The few pairs of Spring 

 Oatears (or " Green Wagtails") that visit this neighbourhood, resort to the imme- 

 diate sides of the river, which is bordered by grass lands and uncultivated wastes ; 

 it is only in this locality that they are to be seen. I have repeatedly noticed 

 them running upon the weeds on the surface of the water, catching insects, &c. — 

 I have found its nest among the Ling (Calluna vulgaris), which grows close to 

 the water. The old birds express considerable anxiety when you approach within 

 the vicinity of their nest, hovering with their peculiar undulating motion whilst 

 on the wing over your head, or alighting upon a bank or any other convenience 

 on the ground, at the same time incessantly uttering their note of alarm. — J. 

 D. Salmon, Tket/ord, Norfolk, July 28, 1836. 



The Common Crossbill (Crucirostra vulgaris). — The Crossbills are still with 

 us, and I saw one yesterday. About a week ago, I shot a male and female. The 

 former repeatedly made use of a cry I never before heard, and which, I presume, 

 was the love note of the species. — Prideaux J. Selby, Twizell House, Northum- 

 berland, May 19, 1836. 



