s of them,
packed in baskets through which the air circulates freely and each
contained in a paper wrapper. They are in a state of perfect
preservation, complying with the most exacting demands of the kitchen.
I congratulate the nameless shipper who conceived the bright idea of
clothing his Blackbirds in paper. Will his example find imitators? I
doubt it.

There is, of course, a serious objection to this method of
preservation. In its paper shroud, the article is invisible; it is not
enticing; it does not inform the passer-by of its nature and qualities.
There is one resource left which would leave the bird uncovered: simply
to case the head in a paper cap. The head being the part most menaced,
because of the mucous membrane of the throat and eyes, it would be
enough, as a rule, to protect the head, in order to keep off the Flies
and thwart their attempts.

Let us continue to study the Bluebottle, while varying our means of
information. A tin, about four inches deep, contains a piece of
butcher's meat. The lid is not put in quite straight and leaves a
narrow slit at one point of its circumference, allowing, at most, of
the passage of a fine needle. When the bait begins to give off a gamy
scent, the mothers come, singly or in numbers. They are attracted by
the odour which, transmitted through a thin crevice, hardly reaches my
nostrils.

They explore the metal receptacle for some time, seeking an entrance.
Finding naught that enables them to reach the coveted morsel, they
decide to lay their eggs on the tin, just beside the aperture.
Sometimes, when the width of the passage allows of it, they insert the
ovipositor into the tin and lay the eggs inside, on the very edge of
the slit. Whether outside or in, the eggs are dabbed down in a fairly
regular and absolutely white layer.

We have seen the Bluebottle refusing to lay her eggs on the paper bag,
notwithstanding the carrion fumes of the Linnet enclosed; yet now,
without hesitation, she lays them on a sheet of metal. Can the nature
of the floor make any difference to her? I replace the tin lid by a
paper cover stretched and pasted over the orifice. With the point of my
knife I make a narrow slit in this new lid. That is quite enough: the
parent accepts the paper.

What determined her, therefore, is not simply the smell, which can
easily be perceived even through the uncut paper, but, above all, the
crevice, which will provide an entrance for the vermin, hatched
outs