FRAGMENTS. 381 



consuming so many gnats and midges. I have sometimes 

 knocked one down with at least half-a-dozen in his raven- 

 ous maw. The strength of the wasp is even greater. 

 After holding down and biting to death a fly nearly as 

 big as himself, I have seen him fly away with his burden 

 quite easily. The mason-wasp, also, after constructing 

 its cylinder, will carry a caterpillar as large as itself, and 

 deposit it above its egg, for food to the young grub when 

 it emerges. As great a feat for an insect, as the carrying 

 off an ox for a lion or a tiger. 



SOME curious and interesting anecdotes of the nightin- 

 gale and other soft-billed birds, during the nesting-time, 

 were mentioned to me in conversation, and I begged 

 the kind narrator to commit them to writing. His high 

 standing is sufficient guarantee for their authenticity. 



" We never had the nightingales so near the house as 

 this year. It was about the middle of May when, from 

 hearing them sing constantly, and one of them almost 

 at the door, we were led to look about for their nest, and 

 soon found it close upon the ground, in a Virginian rasp- 

 berry bush, most skilfully fenced about by the canes. 

 It was within a very few yards of the house not more 

 than ten. At first we were very cautious, and looked 

 at it but seldom, and at a distance ; but we soon found 

 that we might be bolder, and, in fact, came to look at 

 the bird as she was sitting, as near and as often as we 



