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ludicrous affair which happened to me. I was strolling round the 
pool one fine evening in early summer, when something made a 
rush from some bulrushes and sedges growing in the water, and 
from where I stood I descried a curious nest, and so was deter- 
mined to make it out. Everything being quiet, I stripped off my 
clothes, and laid them under the shelter of a bush. Slipping 
quietly into the water, I swam to the spot, examined the nest, which 
‘turned out to be the prettiest I ever saw of the Waterhen ; the bird 
had interwoven the sword-like leaves of the Iris into a perfect 
basket. After observing the pretty sight, I swam slowly back 
again, when, to my astonishment, I found myself in rather a funny 
dilemma. In my short absence, a loving couple had seated them- 
selves just above the bush which hid my habiliments, and how to 
get out again was my puzzle, as the water being deep was very 
cold. However, I gave a great shout, throwing up my arms and 
splashing in the pool, when they disappeared, with a shriek from 
the female, no doubt alarmed at the unusual sight of the genus 
homo there. 
I have kept many pets in my time, lizards, toads, natterjacks, 
snakes, minnows, birds, squirrels, mice, and, strange to say, beetles 
and grasshoppers. Lizards are easily kept, their lithe, agile forms 
are very pretty in a fern case, they are also fond of music. The 
notes of a piano or violin causes them to listen attentively, with 
their heads turned in the direction from whence the music comes. 
The Natterjack is a handsome fellow, and soon becomes tame. At 
one of our field days at Bowness-on-Solway we procured several 
specimens for Canon Carr and family, who were of the party. 
They kept them for a long time, and I heard were much attached 
to them. In the year 1855 we had an aquarium, long before they 
_ became such a rage, and had it nicely stocked with fish, snails, 
plants, and beetles. We had no help from books, but only from 
our own experiments. We learned a good deal of the life history of 
different insects, having them under daily observation. If we had 
to tell all our observations of insect life in captivity, we are afraid 
it would weary you, although some of their lives read like fairy 
tales. About the same time we remember first noticing the Woody 
