HARD WICKE'S SCIENCE- G OSSIF. 



■17.1 



Besides the Gavarnie locality C. viontana is also 

 to be found near Cauterets, on the right-hand side of 

 the road between the Pont d'Espagne and Lac Gaube, 

 but it is decidedly local in its habitats. 



The maidenhair fern abounds on the cliffs at 

 Biarritz in the direction of the lighthouse, and occurs 

 sparingly in several localities inland, near Eaux 

 Chaudes, by the roadside between Argeles and 

 Cauterets, and again on a stone wall in the neighbour- 

 hood of Luchon. This fern appears to be very 

 variable in size and form, the Biarritz specimen 

 differing very materially in both of these respects 

 from those picked at Luchon. 



CheilanfJies fragrans I found, in some abundance, 

 about halfway up the ascent to the little village of 

 Cazaril above Luchon. Gyinnogramma leptophylla 

 and Asplaiium lanccolatiim are said to occur there as 

 well, but I did not come across either of these species. 

 Aspleniiim fo)itaimin seems to be pretty generally 

 but sparingly distributed, often growing intermingled 

 with A. frichonianes, from which however it differs 

 very considerably in appearance. I cannot imagine 

 how it can be confounded with that species, or with 

 A. viride, it is so distinct from both, and I did not 

 see any intermediate forms. 



I was fortunate enough to discover three or four 

 plants of A. Gerinanicum near Cauterets, after a 

 careful search. They were the only specimens of 

 this rare fern I found at all. Its near relative A. 

 scpicntrionalc is certainly much more generally distri- 

 buted on these mountains than upon the Swiss Alps. 

 I 'do not suggest that the above forms anything 

 like a complete list of the ferns of the Pyrenees, but 

 think that, imperfect as it no doubt is, it will serve 

 to show that a visit to that region will amply repay 

 those who like to combine a little fern collecting 

 with the pleasures of healthful exercise and fine 

 mountain scenery. T. W. B. 



THE FRECKLED GOBY {.GOBIUS 

 AIINUTUS). 



THIS fish may be found in great abundance in 

 the shallow pools left by the retiring tide 

 where it swims about in company with the shrimps, 

 and very nuch resembles these last in colour, being 

 like them of a hue which renders it difficult to 

 distinguish it' from ^the sand, in which, like all the 

 gobies, being a ground fish, it delights to lie partly 

 buried. I find it a fish extremely well adapted for a 

 marine aquarium, as it is very hardy and so ex- 

 ceedingly tamable that it soon becomes a most 

 amusing pet. I have had the same individuals living 

 in my aquaria for many months — I had nearly 

 written for years — but, indeed, I have really kept 

 them for,' from twenty, to twenty-six months and 

 even longer. I have had one for three years. It 

 is a small fish, never exceeding four inches in length. 



but usually three inches is about the length of a 

 mature fish. I have had numbers of hardly more 

 than an inch, and have been much amused by the 

 intelligence displayed by such tiny creatures, for the 

 capacity for being tamed does certainly imply no 

 small degree of intelligence. They seem in some 

 sort to exercise a power of reasoning, extremely 

 minute though their brains must be. The same may 

 of course be said of all pet creatures, but it is most 

 astonishing to see the familiarity displayed by such 

 tiny creatures. 



See them, for instance, wriggling their bodies 

 up and down in the water, and flattening their mites 

 of noses against the glass, while they do their best to 

 attract the attention of the (to them) tremendously 

 big being of whom they were once in mortal dread. 

 No sooner do they catch sight of me than they make 

 every effort to get to me, and if I just touch the 

 surface of the water with my finger they are nibbling 

 at it in a moment. The mystery of mind in the 

 lower animals, but more especially in such tiny 

 creatures as these little gobies, is to me inscrutable. 

 It is certainly not hereditary instinct that teaches 

 them to look for food from my hands. What is it, 

 then? It is certainly some kind of intelligence.; 

 some exercise of reasoning ; and this in creatures 

 with brains no bigger than a pin's head. 



It is true, as the poet sings, that 



" There lives a soul 

 In all things, and that soul is God." 



Or is there anything of the nature of mesmerism in 

 the influence their owner exercises over the minds 

 of his pets, finny or otherwise ? I have had many 

 evidences that my gobies know me and discriminate 

 me from other persons. At the sight of strangers 

 they will often scuttle away in alarm, and hide them- 

 selves in the nooks and crannies of the rockwork, or 

 burrow in the sand. But I cannot discuss this 

 matter further now ; interesting — vastly interesting 

 though the subject is, or I shall take up too much 

 space. I may possibly revert to it again. 



Although they are pretty peaceable fish, and 

 capable of being kept for months in company, yet 

 they will sometimes fight, and it will be found that 

 they gradually decrease in number as the weaker get 

 killed off by the stronger. 



I feed them daily on tiny morsels of scraped beef, 

 and sometimes, in the case of the larger sized fish, 

 with small red worms. 



I find them even more tamable and hardier than 

 the common smooth blenny {Blauims pholis), also 

 most interesting little fish, and one well adapted for a 

 marine aquarium, of which, possibly, I may have 

 more to say another time. 



I have never had them breed, although they may 

 be found full of spawn in the summer. They are 

 susceptible of cold, and apt to die in severe weather. 

 Albert H. Waters, B.A. 



Camhridge. 



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