

NATURAL HISTORY MISCELLANY. 215 
nary occasions they do, as every one has seen them, descend to the ground, 
emitting the thread as they advance, and pulling in the slack before 
attaching it to the desired point. But the former method enables them 
to cross water and to pass from ea to tree; while the well-known buoy- 
ancy of the silk permits them (or at least the smaller species) to sail 
— og water, hanging at the lower end of a line whose upper end is 
invisi 
- In vo to this subject, see Kirby and Spence’s Entomology, Mo- 
tions of Insects, and Manner in which they take their Food.” —B. G. 
WILDER. 
THe WoLvERENE. — The Wolverene follows the Beaver and preys upon 
them; in northern latitudes, the wolverene is almost always present 
Where the beaver is abundant. The beaver has a beaten path on the 
bank of the stream near his lodge. There the wolverene lies in wait 
for king often cuts short his career. Ah alf-breed Frenchman here 
force 
THE adie NG Fes —I observe that while all the other song-birds 
are silent in our Southern forests and groves, the Mocking-bird is quite 
` aS musical as during g the spring and summer. Several of them are sing- 
ing on the topmost twigs of the oaks — y house most of the day. 
T ANo the pdinsediiig of the pena , the parent birds, as if tei 
by experience, rw built on trees, peath-Aidel siento preferred. aaa 
oldly to e house, and even into the rooms where we were sitting, 
to feed the tha we had taken from them.—D. H. Sahas 
Tue Drag GON FLY. — Three years ago, in the middle of the summer, I 
pan sitting in my tent, in camp, on the old battle-ground below New 
€, and o observed tl that in that ve short time the creature had bitten 
be Part he had bitten through. The head, thorax, and legs retained 
Struggling and kicking vigorously during several hours I had the 


