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128 suit. In the winter lie dozed away his time, within his father's house, by the fire-side, in a kind of torpid state, seldom departing from the chimney-corner; but in the summer he was all alert, and in quest of his game in the fields and on sunny banks. Honey-bees, humble-bees, and wasps, were his prey wherever he found them: he had no apprehensions from their stings, but would seize them nudis manibus, and at once disarm them of their weapons, and suck their bodies for the sake of their honey-bags.—Sometimes he would fill his bosom between his shirt and his skin with a number of these captives: and sometimes would confine them in bottles. He was a very Merops apiaster or bee-bird; and very injurious to men who kept bees; for he would slide into their bee-gardens, and, sitting down before the stools, would rap with his finger on the hives, and so take the bees as they came out. He has been known to overturn hives for the sake of the honey, of which he was passionately fond. When metheglin was making, he would linger round the tubs and vessels, begging a draught of what he called bee-wine. As he ran about, he used to make a humming noise with his lips, resembling the buzzing of bees. This lad was lean and sallow, and of a cadaverous complexion; and, except in his favourite pursuit, in which he was wonderfully adroit, discovered no manner of understanding. Had his capacity been better, and directed to the same object, he had perhaps abated much of our wonder at the feats of a more modern exhibitor of bees; and we may justly say of him now, 'Thou, Had thy presiding star propitious shone, Shouldst Wildman be.'

"When a tall youth, he was removed from hence to a distant village, where he died, as I understand, before he arrived at manhood."—''White's Natural History of Selborne: with Notes by the Rev. L. Jenyns. Van Voorst,'' 1843. p. 264.

Note on a Shower of Aphides.

Note on Fleas infesting the holes of the Sand-martin.