﻿FIELD AND FOREST. IOI 



and pious pilgrims report that they find it growing on every spot 

 sanctified as the resting places of Joseph and Mary during their flight 

 into Egypt. The Arabs call it Kaf Marian or Mary's hand. They 

 declare that if a dry plant of it be immersed in water at the beginning 

 of parturition, it will develop its flowers at the very moment when the 

 new born child enters the world. It is on sale at some of the oriental 

 bazaars of the Centennial Exposition, but an incredulous correspon- 

 dent relates that he has watched a specimen in water for a long time 

 and was not so fortunate as to behold it unfolding its flowers. 



There is still another resurrection plant brought by the celebrated 

 botanical explorer Commerson, from Africa, and called Medusa's 

 head. It is a euphorbiaceous plant, and is known to botanists as 

 Euphorbia caput-medusa, having been first introduced into the Jardin 

 des Plantes in the time of the elder Jussien. It is not so widely 

 known, but it is said to exhibit changes similar to those above 

 described. 



E. Foreman. 



A Fly's Toilette. 



It is so rarely that a fly (even if it is in the habit of performing what 

 may be called its toilette operations in regular sequence) gives the 

 opportunity of observation, that a note of the whole affair in its regu- 

 lar progress may not be without interest. 



In this case the operation took about a quarter of an hour, and was 

 carried on in the most systematic way, beginning at the head, and after 

 being carried down the left side to the under surface of the wings, 

 starting again with a careful cleaning of the upper surface of the 

 wings and their front edges. 



The insect — a common house fly — began by brushing the head with 

 the two fore legs in the manner only too often noticeable in sum- 

 mer weather when the creatures are attracted by food. The front legs, 

 tibiae and tarsi, were most carefully rubbed and dressed, and (this 

 complete) the second leg on the same (the left) side was what might 

 be described as taken in hand, held well forward whilst it was thor- 

 oughly manipulated by the tarsi and tibiae of the front legs, aided by 

 very thorough applications of the proboscis. 



