Scientific and General Memoranda, 237 



a bush over the stream, under which some chubs were swimming. 

 He watched the snake, and saw it fall or plunge into the water 

 from the bush, and seize a chub." 



We have a still more curious story on this subject. A friend, 

 who resides where he has constant opportunities of making ob- 

 servations, states that he one day observed a snake in the midst of a 

 schoole of these small fish ; and that as soon as he had seized one, 

 he directed his course to the land, and having, by a jerk, thrown 

 the fish there, he returned and repeated the operation several 

 times. — Ed. 



Maternal Tenderness in a Sparrow. — A sparrow, which had 

 built her nest on the thatch-roof of a house, was observed to con- 

 tinue her regular visits long after the time when the young birds 

 had taken their flight. This unusual circumstance continued 

 throughout the year ; and in the winter, a gentleman who had 

 all along observed her, determined on investigating its cause. He 

 therefore mounted a ladder, and found one of the young ones de- 

 tained a prisoner, by means of a string of worsted, which formed 

 part of the nest, having become accidentally twisted round its 

 leg. Being thus incapacitated from procuring its own subsistence, 

 it had been fed and sustained by the continued exertions of its 

 mother. — Raleigh Register. 



Mexican domestic Bees. (Melipona Beechei.)Some curious anec- 

 dotes are related by the possessors as to the manners of these 

 bees, one of which deserves to be recorded. They assert, that 

 at the entrance of each hive a sentinel is placed to watch the 

 outgoings and incomings of his fellows, and that this sentinel is re- 

 lieved at the expiration of twenty -four hours, when another 

 assumes his post and duties, for the same period. At all times a 

 single bee was seen occupying the hole leading to the nest, who, 

 on the approach of another, withdrew himself within a small 

 cavity apparently made for this purpose, on the left hand side of 

 the aperture, and thus allowed the passage of the individual en- 

 tering or quitting the hive, the sentinel constantly resuming his 

 station immediately after the passage had been eflfected. Many 

 attempts were made to mark him, by introducing a pencil tipped 

 with paint ; but he constantly eluded the aim taken. With the 

 paint thus attempted to be applied to the bee, the margin of the 



