MISCELLAN-EA, 233 



swallowing its blanket. He also relates an anecdote, for tlie acenracy 

 of which he can vouch, of a large Frog, in Ceylon, which, reversing 

 the usual order of things, attempted to avenge the wrongs of its race 

 by trying to swallow a Duck. Both were found dead, the head of the 

 Duck in the gullet of the too ambitious Frog. 



In further support of the opinion that the Yiper may on occasion 

 commit infanticide, Dr. Davy notices an interesting account of the 

 Slow Worm {A. frarjiJis) given by D. Eankin, Esq. in the 5th volume 

 of the Edinburgh New Philosophical Journal. In speaking of the 

 food of this Reptile, Mr. Eankin remarks ; " I have good grounds 

 for belie^dng that its own young are not rejected." and gives an 

 instance of his having witnessed the deed. " Of a brood," he says, 

 " during tlie first day one was no doubt devoured by its parent, for I 

 found half the tail unconsimied, which the little creatiu'e had, in all 

 probability, wriggled olf in an instinctive struggle. The parent and 

 young ones were confined in a box." Now, if the Slow- Worm, Dr. 

 Davy pertinently asks, " occasionally devours its young, why should 

 not the Yiper ?" 



On Collecting and PKESEuyiNG Specimens or Fishes 



AND Eeptiles. 



Through the zealous efibrts of the present able head of the Zoolo- 

 gical department at the British Museum, the series of specimens of 

 cold-blooded Yertebrata preserved in spirits has of late years re- 

 ceived very considerable accessions. From one of the most indiffe- 

 rent in Europe, our national collection is, as regards this class of 

 zoological preparations, now become one of the finest, if not the very 

 best, in the world, embracing as it does about 7000 specimens of 

 Eeptiles and 20,000 of Fishes. A well known and accomplished 

 Grerman naturalist. Dr. A. Gilnther, has been engaged for these last 

 three years in arranging and cataloguing this vast mass of materials. 

 Dr. Giiuther has abeady prepared and published catalogues of the 

 SatracMa saJientia and the Colubrine Snakes, and is now engaged in 

 working; out the extensive series of Fishes, of which he has already 

 issued three thick volumes, relating to the Acauthopterygians. But 

 although so much has ah'eady been done towards the investigation 

 of these exteusive departments of the Animal Kingdom, still more, 

 we may safely say, remains to be done. The Eej)tilian Faunas of 

 many parts of the globe are as yet comparatively but little known, 

 and in the class of Fishes still larger discoveries remain to be made. 

 So little trouble is involved in the preparation of this class of Zoolo- 

 gical Specimens, that it is easy for any person resident abroad, how- 

 ever little leisure he may have, to give imjiortant assistance to science 

 in this matter. For the following directions how to set about this 

 in the most simple way, we have to thank the kindness of one of 

 our correspondents who is greatly interested in the subject. We 



N. H. K.— 1862. R 



