195 
NATURAL HISTORY QUERIES. 
29. Holm-screech. — Can anyone tell me what kind of bird is a Home- 
screech?” The first syllable perhaps is “ Holm” or “ Hone.” I am told it is 
not any sort of owl, and that it builds in a tree. 
A Village in So.merset. 
[The Missel-Thrush (Turdus viscivorus) is known as Holm-screech. — 
Ed. N.N.] 
30. Glow-worm. — Chancing to wake in the darkest hours one night in 
June, I saw a tiny but brilliant spark on my bedroom floor. I struck a light, 
when of course the spark disappeared, but I found a little brown creature lying 
on its back, and put a glass shade over it. How a glow-worm should have 
managed to get there I could not think. In the morning the creature had turned 
over, and I saw a pair of dark, soft, helpless-looking wings. I carried it into 
the garden, laid it on the grass, and it ((uickly hid itself under the blades. I 
looked for it the next evening, but I have seen no more of it. What was it ? 
A Village in So.merset. 
[I know of no luminous winged insect indigenous to Britain. The female 
glow-worm, which glows, has no wings, but might be carried into the house on 
someone’s dress ; the male glow-worm, which has wings, does not glow. 
—Ed. N.N.] 
31. Cockroaches. — May I ask if there is any particular method of pre- 
venting black beetles and cockroaches locating themselves in a new house? 
In what way do they first come, as a general rule ? Are they specially connected 
with coals? S. I. 
[The Cockroach (Periplaneta orientalis ), though commonly called a “black 
beetle,” is neither black nor a beetle. It likes warm places such as kitchens and 
laundries, is entirely nocturnal in its habits, and, therefore, seeks concealment 
among coals ; and it will eat animal or vegetable refuse, paper, leather, cloth, 
or almost anything. Though of some use as scavengers and enforcing care on 
the part of housewives, they may be introduced into new houses in nrany ways 
without the fault of the human occupants, as in clothes. baskets, packets of 
groceries, or perhaps coals, and are apt to be unpleasantly numerous, 
imparting an unpleasant odour to whatever they touch. They may be captured 
by floating a piece of wood smeared with treacle on a wide basin of water, or 
may be poisoned with phosphor-paste on bread. Holes whence they emerge 
should be filled with quick lime and some can be strewn on the ground. They 
are so far connected with coals that closely related forms have been found fossil 
in the Coal Measures.— Ed. N.N.'\ 
SELBORNE SOCIETY NOTICES. 
Council Meetings. — The next meeting of the Council will be held on 
Tuesday, September 27, at 5.30 p.m. The Publications Committee will meet on 
Monday, September 12, at 5.30 p.m. 
New Members. — W. Leonard Wills, Esq., and Mrs. W. Leonard Wills, 
Barnt Green ; Miss Emily H. Wellington and Miss A. M. Wellington, South 
Hampstead. 
The Council begs to acknowledge with thanks the following subscriptions 
over 5s. : W. Leonard Wills, Esq., los. 6d. ; Mrs. W^. Leonard Wills, los. 6d. 
NEWS FROM THE BRANCHES. 
Birmingham and Midland. — The last excursion of the season took 
place on Friday, July 22. The party, consisting of members and friends, pro- 
ceeded by train to South Yardley and then walked to the village of Yardley to 
inspect the old Church, in which were some interesting monuments. Thence by 
