HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



239 



especially the domestic species, are well versed in the 

 art of reading the human countenance and of inter- 

 preting the full force of human tones, gestures, and 

 sometimes even words. And even when a decided 

 emotion is not fully expressed by, but as it were " hangs 

 about," the master or mistress, these favourite animals 

 •can, we believe, thoroughly ferret it out, or scent it in 

 the air. They are excellent physiognomists. They 

 have been accustomed from birth to the society and 

 influence of men, and they keenly observe the ever- 

 changing play of the most expressive organism in 

 creation, viz., the human countenance. We all know 

 the effect of a scowl or of a laugh upon a favourite 

 dog or cat; and the grand secret of taming lions, 

 tigers, &c., is to maintain a firm command over the 

 countenance, ever keeping it in full view of the animal. 

 In the case before us, the special service at church 

 in the afternoon was no doubt productive of that 

 solemn aspect, tone, and gesture among the boys 

 which are so becoming to such occasions. The dog 

 had, we may be sure, watched on several previous oc- 

 casions their comportment when about to go to church, 

 and had become very skilful in descrying the approach 

 of any unusual emotion, or of a period of organic 

 quietude on their part, such as would be uncongenial 

 to him. Hence he scented something in the air, he 

 readily foretold that the boys were not going to have 

 an outing at that particular time ; and the reverse of 

 all this occurred on the occasion of the unusual walk 

 in the evening. So that we may conclude that this 

 school dog, in the case under review, actually acted 

 from impulse, i.e. (to quote from my note in Science- 

 GossiP, Sept. 1879) "from strong special sensibilities 

 directing as it were inevitably the native life-energy," 

 &c. And on the whole, without seeking to re-open 

 the discussion, we may decide that the apparently 

 rational conduct of insects and other invertebrates has 

 been amply elucidated by anatomical researches upon 

 the nervous system ; and the wondrous doings of the 

 vertebrata below man in the scale of animal life may 

 be expounded by observation, association of ideas, and 

 imitation. No animal other than man can speak, or 

 does possess the power of thinking about absent 

 objects by means of signs. Hence, general notions 

 cannot possibly be formed by them, and hence 

 reasoning in its higher senses or conscious con- 

 structive ingenuity is with them utterly impossible. 

 With respect to the theory that man's moral nature is 

 merely the result of a powerful development of the 

 sensori-motor ganglia, it may be observed that the 

 great enigma of our moral nature is to explain, with- 

 out resorting to physics and chemistry, the un- 

 doubted fact that man can consciously so train his 

 emotions or motives as to subordinate one entirely to 

 another according to his choice. And it is the opinion 

 of many eminent living biologists that " matter and 

 its ordinary forces and properties belong to one 

 category or order ; creative power, and will, design 

 and mind ought to be included in a very different order 

 indeed. — P. Quia Kcegaii, LL.D. 



Sheep worried by a Donkey. — One frequently 

 hears of sheep being worried by dogs, but I think it is 

 a very remarkable circumstance to find these worried 

 by a donkey. But such a case has really occurred in 

 the village of Hayton, in West Cumberland. A 

 donkey strayed from the village green and got into a 

 field where some, lambs were grazing, and worried 

 two of them , I am not aware whether there were any 

 more than those two in the field. The owner of the 

 lambs claimed three pounds as their value, and brought 

 an action in the county court, held at Wigton ou the 

 1 2th inst. (July), against the owner of the donkey, 

 and there being no question as to the facts, a verdict 



for the full amount claimed was given by the judge, 

 Mr. Ingham, against the owner of the donkey. I 

 should be glad to learn if any of the correspondents 

 of Science-Gossip have heard of a similar case. — 

 Diptoii Biij-n. 



Natural History Notes. — About three years 

 ago, I caught a fine male Apollo butterfly in Devon- 

 shire ; at that time I did not know its rarity, so I 

 did not take any notice of it ; I have it now in my 

 possession ; it was sitting on a wild rose, and I easily 

 caught it with my hand, having no net. At least 

 four smooth snakes have been caught this year around 

 Bournemouth ; I hope the search will not exterminate 

 them. I have two of them. A white pheasant has been 

 shot in Kent; and I saw a variety of the shrew mouse, 

 which was dark chestnut above, and white beneath. 

 It was so far decomposed I could not preserve it, but 

 it was certainly a shrew. The nest of the hawfinch, 

 three eggs, was taken a month ago in Kent ; I hear 

 it is rare in the south of England, Can any corre- 

 spondent tell me where I can get a live bat, or 

 weasel ? — U. C, Brooke. 



Herons' Nests. — Some of your correspondents 

 writes to say the herons sits astride their nest during 

 incubation, but I cannot see the possibility of such 

 a position ; having seen a good many nests, not only 

 from a distance but have climbed the trees. I always 

 found them of so large dimensions as to complete 

 upset such a statement ; " the nests are seldom under 

 three feet across, and sometimes so large that one 

 cannot reach the eggs without getting on the top, 

 or else tearing down part of the structure ;" the same 

 nests will serve their purpose (with additions yearly) 

 any number of seasons, the accumulation of material 

 will sometimes bend a strong tree. Some ornitho- 

 logists however says the heron builds a small nest to 

 its proportion while others says they build a verv 

 large one. I quite agree with the latter, and I think 

 your correspondents have been deceived as to their 

 position when hatching. — W. Sim, Fyvic. 



NOTICES TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



To Correspondents and Exchangers. — As we now 

 publish Science-Gossip earlier than heretofore, we cannot 

 possibly insert in the following number any communications 

 which reach us later than the 8th of the previous month. 



To Anonymous Querists. — We receive so many queries 

 which do not bear the writers' names that we are forced to 

 adhere to our rule of not noticing them. 



To Dealers and othei>s. — We are always glad to treat 

 dealers in natural history objects on the same fair and general 

 ground as amateurs, in so far as the " exchanges " offered are fair 

 exchanges. But it is evident that, when their offers are simply 

 disguised advertisements, for the purpose of evading the cost of 

 advertising, an advantage is taken oi our £ratuiious insertion of 

 "exchanges" which cannot be tolerated. 



W. Hambkough. — Your insect is a species of sawfly ( 7Vzc/i/<7- 

 soma l!tcoru7n). See notes on the same in this month's Science- 

 Gossip. 



M. G. (Lewisham Hill, S.E.}— No. i. Brittle Fern (,Cystopte7-is 

 dcntata. Hook.) a very rare form, and No. 2, Asplenimn 

 Adiantum-nigrum, var. acuizmi, Bor., also a good find. 



J. E. (Steeton).— It is the upper part of a frond of the Shield 

 Fern (Nepkrodium spbi-ulosiuii), ;;;~ 



T. J. (Whitby). — A very pretty autumnal flower, the Golden 

 Rod {Solidago Virga-aurca, Linn.). 



J. S. (Bolton). — It is difficult to name fern varieties, the 

 Athyrium however is A. rhaticnm. Roth ; another, Blechmnn 

 dcpaupcraitiiii. Send them to Mr. P. Neill-Fraser, Canonmills 

 Lodge, Edinburgh, he would be glad to see them. 



