FACTS I\ XATtjRAI. HISTORV. 23 



Mr. Asahel Foote in the "Albany Cultivator," and reprinted in the seven- 

 teenth volume ot" the "New England Farmer." After liaving lost more 

 than a tenth part of the corn in his field, he "ordered his men to prepare 

 for war, to sharpen their finger ends, and set at once about exhuming the 

 marauders. For several days it seemed as if a whole procession came 

 to each one's funeral, but at length victory wreathed the brow of perse- 

 verance; and, the precaution having been taken to replace each foe dis- 

 lodged with a suitable quantity of good seed-corn, he soon had the plea- 

 sure to see his field restored, in a good measure, to its original order and 

 beauty, there being seldom a vacancy in a piece of four acres." Mr. 

 Footers statement, founded on an estimate of the time employed in dig- 

 ging up and killing the cut-worms, and the increased produce of the field, 

 is conclusive in favor of this mode of checking the ravages of these 

 insects." W. M. R. 



MISCELLANEOUS FACTS IIST NATURAL HISTORY. 



A Surprise. Some time ago I was on a collecting expedition in the 

 woods, and verj'" soon captured a small lizard ( Salamandra Glulinosa) 

 wiiich I put into a bottle used for such purposes. I had not proceeded 

 lar before I took a beautiful snake ( Coluber Punctatus) and deposited it 

 in the same bottle as a companion for the lizard, of course, both animals 

 were living, and I thought they might amuse themselves as they pleased, 

 until my return home, when ] would make a different disposition of them. 

 A few hours after, when I emptied my pockets, hat and boxes of the 

 various objects I had captured during the tour, I came to the bottle con- 

 taining my two reptilian friends whom I had introduced to each other. 

 The lizard was invisible! I knew he could not have escaped, for the 

 bottle was tightly corked, but still I felt in my pocket and looked again 

 and again, but he was gone. In examinirg the snake, I thought I observ- 

 ed a sensible expansion in his abdominal regions since his capture. I 

 was on the scent now; I took the serpentine gentleman out, who kindly 

 pemiitted me to handle him ; I gave him a gentle squeeze on the stomach 

 below the protuberance, I felt something move — 1 gradually worked llie 

 moving substance towards his mouth, and lo! the lizard came forth! I 

 did not intend on their first introduction to each other, that they should 

 become quite so intimate^ but I presume the snake said, "I'll take you 

 under my protection in adversity," and — swallowed him. 



Rattle Snake and Rats. A gentleman of my acquaintance a few 

 weeks ago received a large living rattle snake (Coluber Durissus) from 

 Missouri. The animal was confined in a wire cage. It had not taken 



