440 NATURAL HISTORY MISCELLANY. 
ing the tuft with one claw, dragged the roots up, and shook off the adhe- 
rent earth, very much as a man would pull and shake a radish or turnip. 
bunch of roots pua. be on one side and the blades of grass on the 
other of the notch. When thus arranged to the bird's satisfaction, it 
again took up the grass in its beak, and giving it a sudden jerk broke 
the roots ati the blades. It then flew to its nest. — CHARLES C. AB- 
BOTT D. 
HENOGENESIS IN A Wasp. — Professor von Siebold has discovered 
unfertilized eggs. It will be remembered that in the honey bee the drones 
are also developed from unfertilized eggs laid by the queen. — Siebold and 
Külliker's Journal of Scientific Zoology 
List or New ENGLAND LEPIDOPTERA. — Mr. S. H. Scudder has published 
a very valuable and complete list of the butterflies found in New E ngland. 
ropose to prepare for publication a similar list of the larger Heterocera 
(Sphingide to Phalenide inclusive). Any information relating to the 
tim he i 
rare moths or those not strictly part of the New England fauna, and lists 
of the species — in ies one locality, would afford most important 
assistance. It w be a great convenience if any one wishing to aid 
would Seiten any NE to me as early as possible.— CHARLES S 
MINOT, 39 Court Street, Boston. 
IMPROVING INTELLIGENCE IN BIRDS AND Insects.—M. Pou , the 
Director of the Museum at Rouen, and a well known voit bii 
discovered that the new school of swallows are improving their style of 
architecture, building their nests with more regard to sanitary principles, 
as ain more room and admit more light air 
the nest is, we infer, more nearly that which will include a maximum of 
inhabitable space; and, besides this, and still more impo , the en- 
it been changed from a small round hole into a long slit, a 
sort of baleony, from which the young swallow may look out upon the 
world and breathe fresh air. What is more, the new scho all 
hitects appear to prefer the new streets, while the old school still 
build the old nests on the cathedrals and older houses; perhaps from 
some sense of artistic fitness, which scruples at any change of style in 
adding extensions to monuments so venerable. If this last fact could be 
satisfaetorily established it would furnish a complete answer to the Dar- 
doubt migrating birds are of all others least likely to be the slaves of 
