S80 MISCELLANY. 



E., York, Aug. 8, 1837. £The swarms — the myriads — of insects we more than 

 once noticed in Doncaster and elsewhere last summer, were certainly very ca- 

 pricious in their times of appearance. And so rapidly did they arrive in certain 

 spots, that you would suddenly find yourself entirely covered with them, and 

 then, after a time, they would as abruptly disappear. The insects never at- 

 tempted to sting us, and they appeared to live but a little time, many dozens of 

 them falling dead in our carriage in a short period. — Ed. J 



Number of Eggs of the Long-tailed Tit (Varus caudatus). — I have 

 more than once found the nest of the Longtailed Tit containing as many as 

 sixteen eggs. Still I consider twelve the more usual number. — J. D. Salmon, 

 Thetford, Norfolk, July 11, 1837, in a letter to the Editor. 



Sir J. E. Smith on the Importance of Facts in Natural History.— 

 The slightest piece of information which may tend to the advancement of the 

 science, we should thankfully receive. However trifling in itself, yet, combined 

 with other facts, it may become important. Whatever relates to the' determi- 

 nation of species, even in the lowest, and seemingly unimportant tribes of Na- 

 ture's works, ought never to be neglected. Nor let the humble and patient stu- 

 dent of this very difficult part of Natural History be discouraged by the sneers 

 of the supercilious coxcomb, or of the ignorant vulgar. He who determines with 

 certainty a single species of the minutest Moss, or meanest insect, adds so far to 

 the general stock of human knowledge — which is more than can be said of many 

 a celebrated name — no one can tell of what importance that single fact may be 

 to future ages ; and when we consider how many millions of our fellow-creatures 

 pass through life without furnishing a single atom to increase this stock, we shall 

 learn to think with more respect of those who do. — Sir J. E. Smith's Introduc- 

 tory Discourse before the Linnean Society* 



Interesting Habit noticed in the Whin Chat. — In one of my walks I 

 met with a Whin Chat (Sazicola rubetra) perched upon a little tree, and he 

 turned round to look at me as I trespassed upon his domain, following me with 

 his eyes till I had passed, turning round his body as on a pivot, with every ad- 

 vance of mine, and stooping down his head and body in a very curious manner. 

 No doubt he had a nest near. Nothing is more interesting than to watch the 

 various ways in which the instinct of birds displays itself in the care of their 

 expected or nearly-born progeny. — F. 0. Morris, Doncaster, June 18, 1837. 



Aporus bicolor. — Mr. Shuckard mentions this insect as a variety. I have a 



* This is extracted from A Brief Memoir of the late Dr. Latham, printed for private circula- 

 tion, and with a copy of which we have been favored by the author. The greater part of this 

 memoir will be found in The Analyst, No. xx., for July, 1837. Our quotation is made with the 

 view of impressing on the beginner the importance of facts— a circumstance of which every ac- 

 complished naturalist is fully aware Ed. 



