THE BLUEBOTTLE 109 



nitely to attain the degree of ripeness required by the 

 epicure's palate. 



Stuffed with olives and myrtleberries, the Corsican 

 Blackbirds are exquisite eating. We sometimes receive 

 them at Orange, layers of them, packed in baskets through 

 which the air circulates freely and each contained in a 

 paper wrapper. They are in a state of perfect preserva- 

 tion, complying with the most exacting demands of the 

 kitchen. I congratulate the nameless shipper who con- 

 ceived the bright idea of clothing his Blackbirds in paper. 

 Will his example find imitators? I doubt it. 



There is, of course, a serious objection to this method 

 of preservation. In its paper shroud, the article is in- 

 visible ; it is not enticing; it does not inform the passer-by 

 of its nature and qualities. There is one resource left 

 which would leave the bird uncovered : simply to case the 

 head in a paper cap. The head being the part most men- 

 aced, because of the mucous membrane of the throat and 

 eyes, it would be enough, as a rule, to protect the head, 

 in order to keep off the Flies and thwart their attempts. 



Let us continue to study the Bluebottle, while varying 

 our means of information. A tin, about four inches 

 deep, contains a piece of butcher's meat. The lid is not 

 put in quite straight and leaves a narrow slit at one point 

 of its circumference, allowing, at most, of the passage of 

 a fine needle. When the bait begins to give off a gamy 

 scent, the mothers come, singly or in numbers. They 

 are attracted by the odor which, transmitted through a 

 thin crevice, hardly reaches my nostrils. 



