190 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



considerable number of the grey gurnard (Trigld). 

 There was a small well in the after-part nf our boat, 

 in which the fish were put, and we observed that 

 the gurnard kept up, at intervals, a hoarse croaking 

 noise for some time after they were caught. This 

 species is known among the fishermen of the north 

 of Ireland as the "Nowd." — H. Allingham, Bally- 

 shannon. 



Slug-threads.— Last summer (Sept. 29th) I 

 met with the following unusual fact. In a green- 

 bouse from a vine-leaf which was within a few inches 

 of the glass and about 4 feet from the surface of the 

 water in a tank, a slug was hanging by a thread, 

 which was more than 1 feet in length, not unlike 

 a spider's web, but evidently much stronger. The 

 slug was descending by means of this thread, and as 

 the glutinous matter from the under-part of the body 

 was drawn out by the weight of the creature, it was 

 consolidated into a compact thread by the slug 

 twisting itself in the direction of the hands of 

 a clock, the power of twisting being given by the 

 bead and the part of the body nearest the head 

 being turned in the direction of the twist: there 

 was no tendency to turn in the contrary direction. 

 Evidently the thread became hard as soon as it was 

 drawn away from the body. By wetting the ends 

 of slips of glass I secured two specimens from the 

 thread ; in one of these, part was stretched and part 

 quite loose, the latter appearing flat when seen 

 through a microscope. Tne thread, which was 

 highly elastic, was increased about 3 inches in 

 a minute. The slug was white, and about 14 incb 

 in length. — B. S. T., Surrey. 



Martins. — Some martins for the last three years 

 have built under the eaves of my house, and each 

 year I bave remarked three birds are employed 

 regularly, and apparently alternately, in bringing 

 the materials for the formation of the nest. I 

 never saw, in 'other cases, but the pairs of birds 

 occupied in building, and should like to hear if this 

 is a peculiarity attached to the martin, and if it has 

 been remarked before. — 31. A. JF. 



Dredging ope the Devonshire Coasts. — 

 Dredging will be carried on to some extent in the 

 neighbourhood of Teignmouth in July, August, and 

 September. If our scientific friends will visit us 

 they will be able to get dredges, yachts, and boats 

 of all sizes. The yachts have every accommodation 

 even for ladies ; they are decked, have good cabin 

 and bed or sofa berths, a good fore-cabin for cooking, 

 &c, and a well where you can sit or stand, and view 

 the curiosities that the dredge-net brings up from 

 the bottom of the sea. The dredging- ground is 

 Dawlish Bay, and as far as the Exeter rocks, and 

 near the Sidmouth coast; also off Teignmouth, 

 Babbicombe Bay, Torbay, and Start Bay. The 

 dredging-ground is rich in all kinds of things 

 required by a collector. A good yacht can be had 

 for a party at four or five pounds per week ; a good 

 sailing boat at ten shillings per day ; and a boat fur 

 a few shillings. The ledges and benches of rocks 

 are very rich in all kinds of sea-anemones, and other 

 marine animals, particularly the Dawlish rocks, 

 Shaldon rocks, Amstie Cove, and the mouth of the 

 Dart river. On laud there is the fossiliferous 

 district of llaldon Downs. Again, there are the 

 Bradley woods, where the beautiful feather Madre- 

 pore is found {Favosif.es Forbesi), and Bamsley 

 rocks, where the rare angle-star Madrepores are 

 found (Cyathophyllum hexagomim, Acervularia 

 limitata, Smithii, &c. &c). Near again are the 



Barton rocks, where the Madrepores are found, 

 known here by the name of Barton stars. The 

 Hallia Pengeltyii, and the Acervularia carinafa, are 

 very beautiful amongst them. On the JNess side of' 

 tho Teign river Madrepores can be found on the 

 beaches at any time of tide. But the rarest and 

 most beautiful varieties are found at the Parson and 

 Clerk rock, Teignmouth. They come out of the 

 red rock as rough stones, and get washed on the 

 beach as pebbles ; they are generally tinged in _ the 

 centre, or all over, with red oxide of iron, derive&i 

 from the red rock. The flush of red makes them 

 look very beautiful, and the Madrepores after being 

 polished two or three days, will show themselves 

 very distinctly. There has been lately a sreat fall 

 of the cliff, and collectors are very busy with their 

 hammers breaking the stones for Madrepores. I 

 have seen some lately found worth ten pounds each. 

 I shall be glad to give your readers of Science- 

 Gossip any information on the subject of dredging, 

 &c, if they will send a stamped envelope to A. J. B. 

 Sclater, Teignmouth, Devon. 



Cat's Tails.— The uses of these organs are very 

 varied. On reading the interesting article on animals' ' 

 tails in a late number, with reference to that, of the 

 cat, a young naturalist observed that the weather 

 leads to its different uses of diverse benefit. Our 

 puss uses her tail, like the somnolent feline gentleman 

 spoken of, as a muff or boa in cold weather. She 

 now makes use of it as a p'aythiug to amuse, or more 

 probably to educate, her kitten. — F. H. Arnold. 



The Cuckoo and the Wagtail. — 1 have just 

 witnessed a curious and ridiculous spectacle, the 

 feeding of a young cuckoo by its foster-mother,, 

 a water- wagtail. It was enacted on my lawn this 

 morning, at breakfast-time, and I watched it through 

 a powerful telescope. The cuckoo (whose weak 

 little whistling voice contrasted curiously with its 

 great bulk) had been sitting on, or rather clinging to, 

 a hanging poplar-bough, but came down on the 

 lawn, and squatted down on the approach of the 

 wagtail, clamouring for the food which the latter 

 had brought. The wagtail ran up to her relatively- 

 gigantic adopted child, which opened its mouth 

 widely, and inserting her head into its enormous 

 gape, put the insect which she had caught down the 

 cuckoo's throat. This was repeated some eight or 

 ten times. The whole performance was so absurd, 

 and so highly suggestive of a pantomime, that I was 

 rather disappointed that it did not conclude by the 

 foster-mother herself jumping down the cuckoo's 

 throat. 1 really think that she would not have had 

 much difficulty in doing so.— William Noble. 



Aspen. — The tradition is that the wood of the 

 cross of Christ was the aspen-tree (Populus tremata), 

 and that, the tremulous motion of the leaves is a 

 perpetual horror at the purpose to which the tree 

 was applied. What better than a sacred aspen 

 stake to "drive into the dead body of a witch" 

 or other associates of the Devil ? — IF. Budden, . 

 Ipswich, 



Natural History in Novels. — Carlyle, the 

 well-known author, tells an "almost similar story con- 

 cerning the goose— not the barn-door fowl, as in the 

 instance quoted (p. 113) by " if. S. T." In one of his 

 works he compares the smpidity of certain bipeds of 

 the genus Homo, to that ofagouse, which if you place 

 it on the ground, and place its bill in the ground, 

 and draw a circle round it with a lump of chalk, 

 will remain motionless until it starves, rather than .. 



