55 
NATURAL HISTORY QUERIES 
It is only found on the upper side of the leaves of trees, being the side exposed 
to the rays of the sun. It is found on only a few kinds of trees, and most especi- 
ally on the maple, which contains a large quantity of sugar. Last summer there 
was an extraordinary attack of “honeydew,” the pavement in the road I live 
in being stained quite black under the great maple trees. It was stained to 
a lesser extent under the lime trees. Its attack never comes more than once 
in a summer, and never in a summer when there is no excessive heat. 
PKTER 1 1 ASTI e. 
221. Earwigs and the Death’s Head Hawkmoth.— Mr. Whiting’s 
reference (Nature Notes for February, p. 33) to the latter insect being made 
by the Devil (like the wolf in Esthonian legends) reminds me of a saying of my 
eldest grandson, then about 4 or 5 years old. One day I received some separate 
copies of papers on earwigs, by post, containing figures of the insects, and the 
little boy turned them over, and apparently did not much like them, for presently 
he said, “ Mr. God doesn’t make earwigs.” 
Chiswick, W. h. Kirby. 
February 4, 1 905. 
NATURAL HISTORY QUERIES. 
44. Joint Nesting. — When I was in Scotland (Stirlingshire) last May, I 
noticed a hen blackbird sitting on her eggs, and in the same nest (by her side) a 
hedge-sparrow. After looking some time to make quite certain, I put them off 
the nest, and found that all four eggs were those of a blackbird. On taking 
some friends to see this curiosity next day, I was asked if there were any 
other similar cases in the neighbourhood, and, on looking in the same garden 
hedge, we discovered another hedge-sparrow sitting on a clutch of well-grown 
“mavises,” or song-thrushes. Can you explain this, or give any similar cases? 
1 have never heard of it before. 
The School House, Highgate, N. D. C. G. Ballingale. 
45. Fowl Language. — Referring to the article on “ Fowl Language ” in 
your current issue, I am often interested to hear the cocks in this neighbourhood 
giving their challenging crow to one another. The interest is in the fact that the 
“challenge” or exchange of courtesies occurs invariably every night between 
1 1. o and 12.0, and is always started by one particular bird at a farm near by. 
The challenge is taken up first by immediate “ residents,” and gradually by 
distant birds whose crow can only just be heard in the distance. 
The answering from one to fthe other goes on perhaps seven or eight times, 
and one cock after another gradually withdraws from the concert as he 
entered it. 
I have not any doubt this is quite a common fact, but I am interested to know 
what, if any, known reason is assigned to this midnight procedure. 
Eastcote, Herbert J. Rodgers. 
February 7, 1905. 
46. Crocuses and Bees. — Will any reader of Nature Notes tell me 
how to protect crocuses from bees. I have a row of blue and white crocuses 
which are in flower during March. But the bees always spoil them before they 
are out more than a few days. Can I syringe them with anything that will not 
harm the crocuses, but, at the same time, will keep off the bees. I do not keep 
bees, but a villager some way off has some hives. I conclude it is these bees that 
trouble my crocuses. I may add my St. John’s Wort, suffers in the same way 
later on in the year. The yellow crocuses now in flower are not troubled by 
them. 
IVest Monkton, Taunton. 
J. K. Brinkley. 
