2 22 
MISCELLANY. 
Zoological Lecture at Thorne, —Mr. Edwin Lankester delivered a lecture 
on Zoology at Thorne, Yorkshire, on the 14th of December.— Ed. 
Singular Instance of Fidelity in the Feathered Tribe. —About a month 
ago, iron gratings were repaired so as completely to prevent JackdaWs from enter¬ 
ing the chimnies of Kirkbean Manse. Ever since that time, unwonted noises 
have been occasionally heard in the stillness of the night; and during the day 
nondescript objects have astonished the inmates by emerging from the grating 
and suddenly disappearing. In short, in times not long gone by, much less would 
have afforded foundation for a very creditable ghost-story. The truth, however, 
unhappily for the interest of the narrative, was at length surmised: and upon the 
removal of the grating, a Jackdaw was taken from one of the vents, so little 
injured by his long and dreary imprisonment, that he shewed flight in very good 
style from his deliverer, and flew off with his wonted vigour, having, no doubt, 
been well supplied with meat and drink by his partner during the whole of his 
captivity. The notes with which he hailed his restoration to liberty were thought 
much to resemble the well-known air—“ Well gang nae mair to yon towny — 
Dumfries Herald , July, 1838. 
Prolific Canaries. —I have in my possession a pair of Canary-birds which 
have already this season produced, in the short space of two months and six days, 
seventeen young ones, sixteen of which are now living, and the youngest a 
fortnight old. Perhaps this is the greatest number of young birds ever produced 
by one female Canary in so short a time; and what is still more rare is, that 
twelve of the young ones were all hatched in one month and two days, say from 
the 25th of May to the 27th of June.— Correspondent of the Liverpool Mercury , 
July 13, 1838.—[[The Editor of the Mercury states that he is in possession of the 
name and address of his correspondent.— Ed. Nat.~\ 
Persia, the Place for Entomologists. —Then we had the insects, hideous and 
fearful of aspect—countless in multitudes, to contend with; Flies of every sort 
and size, Slaters of extraordinary plumpness, Beetles as large as Humming-birds, 
Ants and Spiders in myriads, with clouds of Grasshoppers, assaulted us in every 
possible way. Attracted by the lights at night, they entered the open tents 
jumping into our sherbet and pillaws at dinner, drowning themselves in our tea, 
and entering our very mouths as we opened them to drink it. They crawled all 
over us in thousands, and made their abode in our garments. But worst of all 
was that enormous Spider to which I alluded just now, and which in Persia is 
called the Rooteil or Shutoorzeen (Camel-stinger). Some of these are yellow, 
some black, and of an immense size—perhaps, including legs, not less than five 
inches of spread, and, the latter particularly, hirsute and hideous of aspect. Now 
as the carpets of the tents are spread on the bare ground, there is no manner of 
preventing the ingress and egress of these monsters, and we were frequently more 
