March 1, 1S6G.J 



SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



Gl 



It has been found also on the stickleback, carp, 

 roach, trout, perch, and even upon the tadpole of 

 the common frog. Not having space to enter upon 

 the description of this crustacean here, we must 

 refer the curious to a very interesting account in 

 Dr.Baird's "British Entomostraca," pages 242—256. 

 The microscopical student will find good employ- 

 ment for his instrument, not only in the examina- 

 tion of the Argidus, but also in the scales of the 

 pike, which, although not so attractive as those of 

 the sole and the perch, are yet well worthy of being 

 secured and mounted for the cabinet. The structure 



; 



■ ?=% /'ff'.i'i 1 





Fig. /l. Scale of Pike. 



is entirely different in its character, and whether 

 viewed by ordinary illumination or by means of 

 polarized light, is far more beautiful than any simple 

 woodcut, be it ever so truthful, can represent. "We 

 must now bid adieu to the august individual whose 

 portrait surmounts this notice, hoping, that when 

 next we meet, it may, for us, be under happier 

 auspices ; that, instead of the shadow, the sub- 

 stance, smoking and garnished, may appear on the 

 table which now supports the record of his name. 



EALLS OE THE ZAMBESI. 



AT the meeting of the British Association, Dr. 

 Kirk gave the following general account of 

 these falls. Compared with Niagara, the falls are 

 twice as deep, and, being a mile wide, are perhaps 

 grander even than those falls, but the mass of 

 water is much less. At the low season he had seen 

 natives wade from the northern side to the first 

 bank, but the remainder is always very deep. The 

 river rose 16 feet in the rainy season ; and seen at 

 that time, the cataract must equal in volume the 

 great Niagara falls, all the little rocks on the edge 

 being then wholly submerged. As the length of 

 the falling sheet of water in one place alone would 

 be more than a quarter of a mile, tumbling in one 

 unbroken mass, the sight must be of a most sublime 

 character. In the central island Dr. Livingstone 

 planted a garden ; there were some peach and other 

 trees ; but he could not find any remains of them 

 when he went to the spot, as the place had been 

 visited by a hippopotamus.— Hardtcicke's Report of 

 British Association. 



EEENS OE THE OOLITE. 



TN our last number (p. 37) we presented our 

 -*- readers with the characters and illustrations of 

 five genera of Eerns from the Carboniferous Lime- 

 stone. Through the kindness of Messrs. Chapman 

 & Hall, we are enabled to add thereto figures of 



/'m 



lit 'if'' ■/', vm 



Fig. J'2. Otopteris dabia. 



four species of ferns from the Lower Oolite, derived 

 from their excellently-illustrated edition of Figuier's 

 "World before the Delude." Although all the 



Fig. 73. Otopteris obtusu. 



present sketches are confined to one genus, several 

 others are found in the same formation. The Eerns 

 of this period are, however, inferior to those of the 



Fig. /4. Otopteris acuminata. 



preceding, but the genus Otopteris is well repre- 

 sented. This genus is " distinguished for its simply 



