112 



HARDWICKE'S SCIEN CE -GO S SIP. 



ZOOLOGY. 



A Pakasitic Rotifer? In some water taken 

 from ajpond near this place last Cliristmas, I found 

 a few days ago several specimens of Daphne covered 

 with a species of Rotifer, of which the following is 

 a sketch. The power used was a quarter-inch. If 



Fig. "4. Parasitic Rotifer (?) on Daphnia, 



you or any of your correspondents can enlighten 

 me as to the name and habit of this rotifer, I 

 shall be much obliged, as it is quite new to me, and 

 I can find no mention of it in any work on Infusoria 

 which I have at hand. 



A British Turtle. — A young Hawksbill 

 Turtle (Chelonia inibricata) was a few days ago ex- 

 hibited in the streets of Hastings. It had been 

 cauglit by a fishing-boat thirty miles off Beachy 

 Head. The occurrence of this turtle in British 

 waters is of very rare occurrence. The carapace of 

 this individual was about a foot long.— ^. W. L. 



Reptile Hygroscopy.— Toads have a fine appre- 

 ciation of moisture in the air. Near the writer's 

 residence is a sheet of water, situated on the top of a 

 hill. In spring great numbers of toads come from 

 the fields around and make for the pool, no doubt 

 made aware of its proximity by their hygroscopic 

 sensibility, and designing to deposit their ova at its 

 margin. Unfortunately for themselves, they are not 

 able to ascend the fence in question, and so fall 

 victims in numbers to thoughtless boys.— i2. G. 



Popular Science.— The last number of tlie 

 Popular Science Beview contains several capital 

 articles, from the pens of some of our most eminent 

 scientific men, all of which will be read with great 

 interest. Among them are papers "On the Struc- 

 ture of Camerated Shells," by H. Woodward, 

 P.G.S. ; another on "The Temperature and Move- 

 ment of the Deep Sea," by Dr. Carpenter ; one on 

 the " Physiological Position of Alcohol," by Dr. 



Richardson; and the last "On the Nature of 

 Sponges," by H. J. Slack, P.G.S. In addition to 

 the above are other articles by R. A. Proctor and 

 S. J. Mackie, on the " Eclipse of last December," 

 and"TheLithofracteur." 



Marine Aquaria. — The success which has at- 

 tended the foundation of a marine aquarium in the 

 Crystal Palace has induced a number of gentlemen 

 to start a company for the purpose of establishing 

 one in Manchester. A site has already been ob- 

 tained in the vicinity of Alexandra Park, and the 

 aquarium at Sydenham will be taken as a pattern. 

 It will be a promising feature in the future educa- 

 tion of youth, when one of their amusements in 

 every town and city will be an introduction to the 

 many strange forms which inhabit the dark caves 

 of ocean. 



North American IIymenoptera.— Mr. E. T. 

 Cresson has commenced, in the Pebruary number 

 of the Canadian Entomologist, a series of descrip- 

 tions of North American Hymenoptera. The first 

 part begins the family Ichneumonidse, with the 

 genus 3Iesochorns. By the statute of incorpora- 

 tion, the Entomological Society of Ontario is 

 required to furnish the Commissioner of Agri- 

 culture with an annual report of insects noxious or 

 beneficial to agriculture, and the last report of this 

 kind is now announced as ready. 



New Species of Sericoris.— Mr. C. G. Bar- 

 rett has described, in the Entomological Magazine 

 for March, a species o{ Sericoris, allied to Cespitana, 

 which is new to science. Its habitat is in Ran- 

 worth Pen, Norfolk, in July. Mr. Barrett has named 

 this new species Bouhkdayana, in honour of Mr. 

 Doubleday, the well-known entomologist. 



Saw-flies and Water.— A communication has 

 been made to the Entomological Society by Mr. P. 

 Cameron, to the effect that the gall- making saw-flies 

 avoid those parts of willow-trees that overhang 

 water, on account of the impossibility of tlie larvae 

 descending for the purposes of pupation in the earth. 

 A similar fact has been recorded with regard to 

 the American plum-weevil. 



Fresh-water Polyzoa.— Mr. Stewart recently 

 explained to the South Loudon Microscopical and 

 Natural History Club that he had succeeded in 

 killing Polyzoa with the tentacles expanded, by 

 adding a few drops of the best French brandy to 

 the water in which they were living. He supposed 

 they were overcome by the liquor before they could 

 draw in their tentacles. 



" The name ' Lory ' has been given to this tribe of 

 Parrots because they have the habit of saying the 

 word 'Lory' over and over ngu'm"—" Beaittifnl 

 Birch in Far-off Land-i." 



