







NATURAL HISTORY MISCELLANY. 391 
turely brought forth through the excitement incidental to capture, as 
these animals are usually very shy, going abroad mainly during the night. ' 
A curious fact in reference to these young marmots is, that one of them 
were fully three inches in length, and I should judge from their size. 
weighed about an ounce and a half. — S. S. Ratuvon, Lancaster, Pa. 
Lake EPnypRa.—In the April number of ‘ Hardwicke’s 
Science-Gossip," is figured an “animal from Salt Lake," which the corres- 
pondent and editor seem unable to identify. It is undoubtedly the larva 
of Labrador and Massachusetts, where it lives in salt or brackish water. 
—A. 8. P. 
RS iR AND Mup-wasr.— Mr. Thomas Affleck, of Ingleside, Mis- 
Sissippi, in a letter to the late Dr. T. W. Harris, dated July 20th, 1848, 
other day, confirming a strange fact (to me) in the insect world. A very 
TEe spider was attacked by one of the small blue mud-wasps, or dirt- 
daubers, not half its size, and on the ground. The spider seemed much 
alarmed, and managed to fend off his antagonist and escaped at a rapid 
pace, doubling and winding. The wasp seemed to have lost him for sev- 
eral pasti. but presently: it circled round like a well-trained fox-hound, 
g triking the trail ran it closely through all the doublings and 
windings of the spider, overtaking and attacking him again. This was 
a capital fight ensued, lasting at least a minute. The spider had no 
chance with his enemy, who soon stung him to death, losing a leg o only 
during the fight. After resting a few moments the wasp circled around 
again, evidently selecting a smooth path, along which he dragged with 
much difficulty his bulky prey. The moment he met with an impediment, 
dropping the spider, he circled round again, and invariably chose a 
Smooth path. Where did instinct cease, and reason begin here? Were 
you aware that insects followed a trail, from the scent, in this way? 
SSVARILTION OF BLUEBIRDS' Mer found on the 17th of May a nest 
was hunting 
& 
out. Iam certain that be was a female bluebird, but every one of the five 
eggs was pure white. I also noticed that, unlike the woodpecker’s = 
bottom of the uy was well bedded with grass; strictly a bluebird's 
