ON THE WOOD-CHAT. 



169 



ing measured the body with a pair of semicircular compasses, cut the 

 cork nearly to the proper dimensions ; then take a rasp, and having 

 removed all the unevenness occasioned by the knife, so as to make the 

 artificial body exactly of the same size as the real one, insert a wire 



at the shoulder (a), and bring it 

 out at the breast (6), and bend 

 the end into the cork (c), so as 

 to make it steady ; then apply 

 the compasses to the neck, and 

 having measured it, take some tow 

 (d) and twist it round the wire (e) 

 till it is exactly the proper size ; 

 so that no difficulty will be found 

 in the stuffing, and the sewing 

 may be drawn quite tight, without any danger of destroying the shape 

 and proportion of the bird. Should the cork be found not to be thick 

 enough, place one piece above the other, and drive a small wooden peg 

 in at each end, and proceed as before. Although it is hinted by T. C. that 

 the young of the starling may be the solitary thrush ( Turdus solita- 

 rius), perhaps he is not aware that its plumage is tinged with blue, 

 and in France goes by the name of Le merle solitaire, ou bleu. 



I had almost forgot to mention, that when stuffing a bird with cork ? 

 the precaution should be taken to damp the skin well with wet tow, in 

 case it should become too dry. 



A friend of mine informs me, that while taking a walk on Sunday 

 the 12th, which was remarkably close for the season of the year, he was 

 very much surprised at seeing (between the hours of three and four in 

 the afternoon) quantities of midges and small flies, which were dancing 

 about in their aerial sports, though frequently annoyed every now and 

 then by the appearance of their great enemy the bat, who seemed to be 

 making a luxuriant feast, flying and darting about as if it had been the 

 middle of summer ; a circumstance which perhaps you may think 

 worthy of a place in <c The Field Naturalist" 



January 14$, 1834. 



