HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



101 



of numerous large scales, renderiug it a less gor- 

 geously iridescent creature than the ordinary Lepi- 

 docyrtus ; there being fewer angles of incidence for 

 the decomposition of the light on its exterior than 

 when the scales are small. 



Fig-. 66. Head of Test Podura (Lepiduryrlus curvinoUh). 

 A. Tuft of cilia. 



As the structure of all Lepidocyrti scales is 

 pretty much the same, I will lay down, as a sug- 

 gestion, some data for a really fioe test-scale. The 

 scale should be about "007 of an inch long in the 

 longest, and about "0025 wide in the widest part ; 

 and in the portions where the markings are best 

 developed there sliould be not more than six or 

 seven of these in the ywots of an inch linear, mea- 

 sured longitudinally. The markings should more- 

 over be clear and distinct ; and if this latter re- 

 quirement is satisfied, the size of the scale is of 

 less importance. The markings of some very few 

 scales exceed the dimensions I have given, but 

 such scales are of extreme rarity, and it will be 

 found sufficiently difficult to come somewhat near 

 the requisites named above. 



During the whole of last summer I kept five test 

 insects in a cork cell together, in the hope of their 

 laying eggs, as by this sign I should know if they 

 were a distinct species by following up the inquiry ; 

 but the summer passed, and when the cold weather 

 set in, my five pets died off one by one, without 

 leaving a vestige of eggs. This fact, as well as the 

 general [strong resemblance to the ordinary Lepi- 

 docyrtus which the test-insect bears, strengthens 

 my suspicion that the test characteristics are merely 

 those of the male insect in certain localities. 



I have never been able to distinguish the sexes, 

 nor yet have I ever seen copulation, though there 

 is no difficulty in obtaining eggs, or rearing the 

 young, if the colony originally obtained is numerous. 

 I have never obtained eggs from a solitary podura, 

 however long it may have been in my possession. 



The test-insect has to my certain knowledge been 

 obtained at Theale, about the rockwork of a green- 

 house, and in the ale-stores, localities abundantly 

 inhabited by the ordinary Lepidocyrtus,* but always 



See Science-Gossip, 186;, p. 55, figs, ag and 40. 



with great rarity. In my last hunt I only cap- 

 tured one in a take of about forty Lepidocyrti. 



The above hints may lead to the discovery of the 

 insects in other localities, and I shall be glad to 

 hear what success attends the search. 



S. J. McIntiue. 



PASSAGES IN THE LIFE OF "PHARAOH." 



T SAW him first " that night in June." We had 

 -■- friends to dinner. Some of the guests had 

 arrived. I was sitting quietly all ready-dressed, 

 and doing my duty in the drawing-room. The win- 

 dows opened on to our suburban lawn. My brother, 

 just arrived from his office in the City, beckoned me 

 mysteriously from the room. "I have a wild animal 

 for you," he said, and led the way to a little place 

 where the coats were kept, and where a small fish- 

 basket stood on the table. Wonder and joyful an- 

 ticipation took possession of my mind, but my 

 brother endeavoured to induce me to exercise re- 

 straint and caution. 



" It is a savage creature and will bite. You had 

 better take care how you touch it." 



I accordingly peeped cautiously into the fish- 

 basket, and there I saw a mass of yellow furry 

 down. "A young gosling!" was my first thought, 

 but only for one instant, for two large brown eyes 

 and an old sad face with a hooked beak were turned 

 up towards me. There was no mistaking the little 

 owl. We carried him down into the kitchen. I 

 found he only bit at me because he was hungry, and 

 that he was too young to feed himself. 



He had the air of a very wise, sad, old man. No 

 feathers showed as yet, nor could his wings be seen 

 when closed. He stood like a little triangle on his 

 two little feet, his head (looking very much too 

 large) being the base of the triangle. His melan- 

 choly was deep and settled; it made the tears 

 almost come into one's eyes to look at him ; but as 

 he grew older a certain dignity and philosophic 

 placidity of demeanour gradually replaced this look 

 of unutterable sadness. He set to work at once to 

 walk all over the kitchen floor, and stare at every 

 one and everything. He showed no fear, but seemed 

 totally unlike a bird in his ways. 



I was quite unaccustomed to owls, and how to 

 feed him properly was a great anxiety to me. I 

 looked into our natural-history books and did the 

 best, I could; if he had been older, I might have 

 managed better; but as it was, I very much doubted 

 whether I should rear him. My brother had 

 bought him for half a crown in Leadenhall Market. 

 The young owl had three little brothers with him. 

 I got a large airy basket with a lid for his cradle ; 

 I cut up some raw meat and tried to feed him ; he 

 seemed to have no notion of eating. I used to have 



