cold. He is so weak as to be unable to reach his 

 top perch. He eats well, and what passes from 

 him is healthy. What can I do for him ? — R. J. 



[We refer you for particulars of treatment in 

 this case, to page 58. Your bird has caught cold 

 whilst moulting, and we fear he is not kept in a 

 close cage. Open cages kill very many thousands 

 of birds in a year. You can write again, if you 

 wish further advice.] 



A White Blackbird. — A blackbird, nearly 

 white, has recently been shot in this neighbor- 

 hood, and is now in the hands of Mr. Evans, 

 bird-stuffer, of Bourn. The long wing and tail 

 feathers are milk white ; the rest of the feathers 

 are black and white — but principally the latter. — 

 B. S., Bippingale. 



[These birds are indeed very curious, but they 

 are frequently met with in various parts of the 

 country. We have a perfectly white linnet. It 

 was a splendid bird whilst living, and is very 

 handsome now that it is stuffed.] 



The Scales of Fish viewed by the Microscope.— 

 The scales of fish are beautiful objects for the 

 microscope. Those of the roach are inserted 

 half-way into the skin, with the round part out- 

 wards. They are perfectly transparent — the skin 

 being covered with minute spots which produce 

 the color of the fish ; and each scale is placed 

 underneath, almost in the same manner as a look- 

 ing-glass. Fishermen state that they at one time 

 sold the scales of roach and dace for ten shillings 

 per fin, and the scales of bleak for as much as 

 twenty shillings per fin. They were in demand 

 for the manufacture of imitation pearls, made by 

 running a composition from the scales into the 

 inside of hollow glass beads.— F. M., Abington. 



How can I tell the Sex of a Thrush ? — I pur- 

 chased one, two years ago; and never has it sung 

 a note, beyond a low twitter. Can you help me 

 in this matter ?— -J. T. W. 



[Your bird is a hen. Take it some distance 

 from town in the month of May, and let it fly. 

 No birds are more difficult to judge of than 

 thrushes. If, however, they be cock birds, they 

 will always open in spring. If you want a good 

 bird at a reasonable cost, apply to Mr. Clifford, 

 24, Great St. Andrew Street, Holborn.] 



Affection of a Hen Canary, in the Breeding 

 Season. — A hen canary of mine reared three 

 broods in the season. She laid a fourth batch of 

 eggs ; but fearing lest her strength should become 

 exhausted, these I removed. A fortnight subse- 

 quently, another canary was sitting upon four 

 eggs. Not being a good, mother, she deserted her 

 eggs after sitting on them a few days only. On 

 carrying the deserted nest-box and nest of eggs 

 past the cage in which the bird first spoken of 

 was kept, she appeared to look so wistfully at 

 them, and uttered such a succession of plain- 

 tive notes, that I at once committed the box 

 and eggs to her care. She immediately took to 

 the nest, sat her full time, and produced four 

 healthy offspring. This was in the month of 

 September, when the mornings and evenings were 

 getting dark. I therefore provided her early 

 and late with a lighted candle, and thus were the 



young regularly fed, and eventually reared. 

 Never, surely, was a happier mother seen. She 

 was " a pattern" for families. — Anne E. 



Bullfinch Kdled by Improper Food.-— Herewith 

 I send you a bullfinch ; and I wish you to tell me 

 the cause of his death. He was in high spirits, 

 and ate voraciously an hour before his death. 

 His usual food was rape and canary, varied with 

 lettuce and plantain ; and occasionally, as a treat, 

 two or three hempseeds. On the day he died, 

 he was given a piece of the enclosed shrub, the 

 leaf of which you will observe is just opening. 

 We lost a goldfinch about a month since, just in 

 the same manner. I should add, that a small 

 piece of Laurestinus was also given to the bull- 

 finch, to peck at. — M. L. 



[The bird is in such a healthy state, that his 

 death was occasioned, beyond all question, by the 

 green food so foreign to his stomach. It is highly 

 objectionable to administer any green food, other 

 than that in which these birds so much delight. 

 Groundsel, chickweed, and plantain (all fully 

 ripe), are amply sufficient for the purposes of 

 health all the year round. ] 



Moths and Butterflies.— Csm any of your readers 

 give me a receipt for attracting moths and but- 

 terflies?— C. M, 



The Antler Moth— The upper wings of this 

 sober-colored insect (charceas graminis) are of a 

 dull brown— a fit color for the month in which it 

 appears. Nearly parallel with the anterior edge, 

 and running along the centre vein, is a rather 

 broad line of a whiteish color, which reaches a 

 little beyond the middle. Traversing the outer 

 margin, is a row of seven or eight dark spots. 

 There are also two light-colored spots, of a cir- 

 cular form, placed near the middle of the wing. 

 The hinder wings are grey, gradually deepening 

 in color towards the outer edge ; the fringe of all 

 the wings is greyish white ; the thorax and abdo- 

 men are of a brownish tint. The antler moth is 

 of rare occurrence in this country. The periodi- 

 cal time of its appearance is stated to be June and 

 July ; but I possess a specimen that was captured 

 in the month of October. The caterpillar is said 

 to be of a greenish shade, smooth, and marked 

 with brown spots. It feeds on various kinds of 

 grasses, and is exceedingly voracious — oftentimes 

 proving a very destructive insect. "In 1759, 

 and again in 1802, the high sheep farms in 

 Tweedale were dreadfully infested with a cater- 

 pillar, which was probably the larva of this moth. 

 Spots a mile square were completely covered with 

 them, and the grass devoured to the root." I 

 can add no description of the Chrysalis.— C. 

 Millek, Hackney. 



The Goat Moth.— At page 110, your printer 

 has made two errors : Signiperda should have 

 been Ligniperda ; and Nocturga should have been 

 Nocturna. Please direct attention to these 

 corrigenda. — C. M. 



Migratory Butterflies.— There is something 

 very mysterious about the flight of butterflies 

 recorded in your Journal at page 58; and I 

 agree with " Bombyx Atlas," that some further 



