HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



iG5 



Gold fish. — There being a considerable sale of 

 these fish here, and consequently a system of rearina: 

 I find from inquiry that the difficulty experienced 

 by "T.D.," from the cannibalism of the seniors, 

 is thus obviated: — On the surface of the water lay 

 a trellis-work of reeds, upon which place a suffi- 

 cient quantity of fine grass taken fi-om a pond or 

 river-bank, to protrude about two inches below. 

 The sjiawn will adhere to this, and must be removed 

 by lifting the frame, and gently shaking it over the 

 top of another receptacle, where tliey are hatched 

 and kept till strong enough to fight their own bat- 

 tles. Should no grass be obtainable, carefully pulled 

 tow can be used. — F. B. B., MaUn. 



Marine Aquaria (p. 112).— As stated in last 

 month's Science-Gossip, a marine aquarium is to 

 be established inMaucheste". It will be very simi- 

 lar to the one at the Crystal Palace, but with such 

 improvements as experience has shown to be ndvis- 

 able. The building will measure 120 ft. by 70 ft., 

 and will be divided into three ; viz., two side galle- 

 ries, each 120 ft. by 15 ft., and a grand saloon 

 120 ft. by 40 ft. There \yill be about forty tanks 

 iu each side gallery, ranging in capacity from 300 

 to 3,000 gallons, whilst the grand saloon will con- 

 tain two tanks — the largest vet constructed, — each 

 30 ft. by 10 ft. by 8 ft., capable of containing 15,000 

 gallons apiece. In the grand saloon also will be 

 the tidal tanks, whicb will vary in capacity from 20 

 to 200 gallons. Lastly there will be table aquaria 

 provided for the smaller inhabitants of our ponds, 

 ditches, and streams, and an ever-flowing fountain, 

 or miniature lake, for the larger.— G'. //. U. 



The Parrot a Cuckoo. — Last spring our grey 

 parrot was hung up in his cage outside the kitchen- 

 door. He hung among shrubs thnt grew near the 

 woods where the cuckoos were calling all day long. 

 Of course the parrot learnt to imitate the sound, 

 and his "cuckoo" was as perfect as possible. 

 When the summer was over, Polly ceased to 

 cuckoo, and seemed entirely to have forgotten her 

 accomplishment. One day last February she was 

 hung out in the sun ; no cuckoos had arrived as 

 "yet to remind her with their voices, but she struck 

 up cuckoo of her own accord, as if the spring and 

 the warm sun had brought the idea back to her 

 memory. In consequence several people mentioned 

 as a fact that they had heard the cuckoo iu February. 

 Polly is cuckooing brilliantly now, and will evi- 

 dently take up the habit regularly every spring of 

 her own accord. — M. A. D. 



Extraordinary Tenacity of Life in Cater- 

 pillars. — In April I had in my possession several 

 larvae of tlie Tiger-moth _(^:f. Caja), which were then 

 about half-grown. While changing their food, one 

 of them without my perceiving him got out, and in 

 moving about I accidentally trod upon him, forcing 

 out the whole of the intestinal canal and digestive 

 apparatus which runs down the centre of the body, 

 through the anal aperture. I removed these parts 

 and placed the caterpillar on one side in a small 

 open box, and two days afterwards was astonished 

 to find that it had not only crawled out of the box 

 but a further distance of some two yards. On 

 taking th-e caterpillar up I discovered it to be still 

 alive, but died about ten hours afterwards ; so that 

 it lived some fifty-eight hours without food and 

 without intestines.— C. A. Byau. 



Curiosities of Bird Life.— At the end of last 

 March, a pair of Blackbirds built their nest iii a 



yew-tree, and in due time reared their brood : 

 after having turned them out on "the wide world" 

 to do the best they could for themselves, the parent 

 birds quietly ret_urned to the old nest, cleaned it 

 out, and re-lined it ; the hen bird then proceeded to 

 lay, and is again hatching. I know it is the same 

 pair of birds, from the fact of the hen having alight- 

 coloured brrast, and white feather in her tail: tliis 

 I should think is a verv uncommon case. — 

 Ralph II. lFestropp,A.B.,T.C.D. 



A Microscopical _ Difficulty.— Having some 

 spare time, and wishing to employ it in an intel- 

 lectual manner, I some time since purchased a 

 microscope, an excellent binocular instrument, with 

 a complete set of object-glasses, &c., and also 

 Carpenter, the Micrographic Dictionary, and several 

 other books, intending to devote an evening or two 

 a week to the study of the animal and vegetable 

 inhabitants of the ponds in my neighbourhood, 

 which are numerous and prolific in beautiful objects ; 

 but, at the outset, I encountered a difficulty which 

 nearly twelve mouths' perseverance has not enabled 

 me to overcome ; and I am sure that some of your 

 able correspondents, if they would give their 

 assistance by an article or articles in Science- 

 Gossip, would be conferring a great boon, not only 

 upon myself, but upon hundreds of others who are 

 similarly situated. My difficulty is this : having 

 collected my specimens, animal or vegetable, to 

 know how to set about examining them, and 

 especially how to find out their names. This latter 

 problem solved, books become really useful, but 

 they afford little assistance in attaining this object. 

 No doubt the best and easiest way of getting over 

 the difficulty, would be to obtain the aid of some 

 skilled microscopist ; but 1, like many other would- 

 be naturalists, reside in a country village, far re- 

 moved from the realms of Science, and where it is 

 utterly impossible for me to obtain, even at intervals, 

 such assistance. Under these circumstances I trust 

 you will pardon my trespassing on your space, with 

 the suggestion, that some of your correspondents 

 should take up the matter in your columns. — J.U.C. 



Golden Eagle in Somersetshire.— Mr. Gilford 

 would add to the interest of his communication on 

 this subject if he would kindly add some more 

 particulars, such as the date of the capture, 

 and a short distinctive description of the bird, 

 especially of the feathers of the tail, and also of those 

 of the tarsus, if any. This might give us some notion 

 as to the age of the birds, whether they were merely 

 young birds driven oft' by their parents, and wan- 

 dering about, or adult birds about to settle in the 

 Dooue valley. The question as to the feathered 

 tarsus would settle the question of identity, should 

 such questions arise. — C. S. 



The Woodpigeon's Cry.— Perhaps the follow- 

 ing very amusing incident, with regard to the Wood- 

 pigeon's cry, may not prove uninteresting to some 

 of your readers, whilst the facts are entirely new to 

 all. The circumstances happened some years ago, 

 at Narberth, S. Wales. It was nearly midnight, when 

 a thief made his way to a farmyard, in the vicinity 

 of the ancient town, for the purpose of helping 

 himself to a plump sheep. He reached the yard, 

 and was just iu the act of carrying off his booty, 

 when he thought he heard some one behind him 

 speak iu a subdued tone. He listened, and trem- 

 bled ; but all was still ; not a sound was to be ' 

 heard. But, presently, just as he was on the point 

 of moving, he heard the supposed voice again, this 

 time clearer, saying in lengthened sepulchral notes, 



