HABDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



177 



with this foundling as if it had been her real off- 

 spring." The head of some jackals is rendered 

 remarkable by the existence of a strange osseous 

 process on the super occipital, in the shape of a 

 small cone, about an inch or sometimes an inch and 

 a half, in length, and hidden from view by a tuft of 

 bristly hair. It is a general belief that it is only 

 to be found on the head of the leader of a pack, and, 

 as far as I can understand, is strictly confined to 

 the male sex. Amongst the superstitious natives 

 there is a belief that certain charms are efficacious 

 in protecting them and their property from dif- 

 ferent evils ; thus they are accustomed always to 

 carry a talisman, either tied round their arms or 

 enveloped in the folds of their long hair. They 

 regard the "jackal's horn" as the best talisman 

 that could be had, and think its fortunate possessor 

 becomes invincible in every lawsuit, and must irre- 

 sistibly triumph over every opponent, and that by 

 its instrumentality he could command the realiza- 

 tion of every wish. So that wheuever any jackals 

 are shot, they are always examined, to ascertain 

 whether they possess the precious horn, or narric- 

 combor, as it is called by the natives. Whatever 

 may be the supposed or real use of this horn, it 

 would be very interesting to know; also why it 

 should be confined to so few individuals, others not 

 having the slightest trace of it.— C. P. Ball, Wool- 

 icicli. 



THE NORTHERN HOLY-GRASS. 



{Hierochloe borealis.) 



IN the volume of Science-Gossip for the year 

 1S73, page 139, I was much interested in read- 

 ing a few remarks made by R. W. Westward, 

 Wigton, upon Hierochlce borealis, Northern Holy- 

 grass, and have been seeking from that time to 

 obtain specimens of this rare grass. 



My desire was abundantly gratified about a fort- 

 night since through the persevering endeavours and 

 search of a kind scientific friend living at Wick, 

 N.B., who, after much trouble, has obtained some 

 beautiful specimens for me of the II. borealis, 

 which were gathered from the banks of the river 

 Thurso. I now inclose three of them for you, also 

 a sketch of the grass, which I venture to accom- 

 pany with a few particulars respecting it, hoping 

 that perhaps they may not be uninteresting to some 

 of your numerous readers, as I do not find any 

 other reference made in the ten volumes of Science- 

 Gossip to the Holy- grass except that by R. W. 

 Westward, who in his paper wishes to know its 

 time of flowering. Bentham, Lindley, and Moore 

 speak of Hierochloe borealis as only being found, 

 in Britain, " near Thurso, in Caithness, where it 

 was first detected by Mr. R, Dick " ; while Babing- 



ton and Withering speak of it as being found in a 

 narrow mountain valley called Thella or Cully, near 

 the Spittal of Glenshe, in Forfarshire. Withering 

 calls it Angus-shire. The Holy-grass was dis- 

 covered there by Mr. Don, but has not been met 

 with there I believe since : it was called by Linnaeus 

 the IIolcus odoralus. 



h 



Fig. 116. Northern Holy-grass (Hierochloe borealis). 



This grass is a perennial, from f to li foot high, 

 with a creeping root-stock and flat leaves, usually 

 short. It has loose spreading or narrow crowded 

 panicles about two inches long, with slender 

 branches. Spikelets ovate, of a shining brown, the 



