beginning of March: many of them live through the winter; but during
that time, to avoid the frost, they bury themselves deep in dust.

Mr. T. Carpenter (of whose paper in _Gill's Repository_ we have
already availed ourselves) tells us that these insects are excellent
anatomists: in order to render them useful in making some delicate
dissections for his microscope, Mr. Carpenter placed a few of the
insects within a pill-box, with the heads of three dead flies. He found
some time afterwards, that they had cleared the interior of some of the
eyes completely from all the blood-vessels, leaving the lenses in the
cornea beautifully transparent.

* * * * *


BIRDS' NESTS.


The structure of the nests of birds affords, perhaps, one of the most
agreeable lessons in Natural History.

Among the most curious nests of our _English_ birds may be named
that of the _Wren_, the _long-tailed Titmouse_, the _Thrush_,
the _Goldfinch_, the _Chaffinch_, the _Magpie_, and the _House
Sparrow_; to these may also be added the _Swallow's_, the _Martin's_,
the _Wood Pigeon's_, and the _Wood-Pecker's_. Of the nests of _Rooks_,
it may be sufficient to observe, that they are often found to the number
of six, or even more in a cluster. _Crows'_ nests are always
solitary; they are similar in structure to those of the rook.