458 



FIELD SCRAPS. 



gardener at Laytonstone, who was quite unaware of this being a 

 matter upon which all heads are not agreed, and who consequently 

 could have no object in telling me an untruth, he assured me that he 

 knew of an instance of a cuckoo being found in the hollow of a tree 

 during a severe winter in Dorsetshire, and that it was apparently 

 lifeless, until restored to active animation by artificial warmth. 



I think it is stated in books that none of the swallow- tribe ever 

 perch upon trees *, but an instance to the contrary came under my 

 notice some weeks ago, when walking in a garden I observed a 

 chimney-swallow (Hirundo rusiica), resting upon a dead branch at the 

 top of a walnut-tree. It now and then left its station to take a short 

 flight, but it returned again and perched upon the same branch to which 

 it seemed to have taken a fancy. Speaking of swallows, I cannot 

 refrain from returning to the subject of their attacking the owl, the 

 truth of which I have called in question at page 358, where in a note 

 you tell me that if I try the experiment I shall be convinced of the 

 correctness of the assertion. The result of the experiment, in a case 

 like the present, would not satisfy me. I must see the occurrence 

 happen in nature, and that more than once before I shall alter my 

 opinion, and conclude that the swallow and the owl are natural foes, 

 the one having cause to fear the other. It may be, however, that the 

 owl being a night-bird, is so rarely seen by the swallow during the day, 

 that when he does appear among them, his nature not being familiar 

 to them, they look upon him as a suspicious character, and treat him 

 as alleged. The appearance of a camel or a dromedary in our streets 

 from a similar cause of unfounded apprehension, will excite fear among 

 horses, although naturally they are not enemies. 



Since my mention of Hipparchia mcegera (at page 360) being scarce 

 about London, I have taken some specimens near Belsize-house 

 Hampstead, yet they are but partially distributed about the fields, for, 

 although where one is found there are numerous others, yet their 

 localities are wide apart. 



At Hampstead, about three weeks since, I observed one of the common 

 nettle-butterflies {Vanessa Urticct) upon a flower, off which I several 

 times pushed it by means of a blade of grass, but it as often alighted 

 upon it again, and had not an impudent wasp appeared and rudely 

 turned it away, I dare say that she would have stood her ground for 

 some time. 



* Nothing is more common than the perching of Swallows-'. —En. 



