Jan. 1, 1S67J 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



11 



Guano, the dry excrement of sea-fowls, is very 

 rich in objects. One, the Arachnoidisacs, is like a 

 small and perfect spider's web (whence its name), 

 with all the colours of the rainbow condensed in it. 

 A large variety, or indeed two or three varieties, of 

 the Coscinodiscus are present in considerable num- 

 bers ; and the Zygoceros rhombus is a miniature 

 shepherd's purse, such as is found on the sea-shore, 

 only covered with dots. The Actinocyclus is the same 

 kind of thing as the Heliopelta, only without the 

 marginal spines. The earth of Oran contains the 

 same Diatoms as guauo. The'guano* and the earths 

 mentioned are to be prepared in the same way as 

 the sediment from the weeds from Southend, only 

 they should be well washed in water first (the guano 

 more especially). The modus operandi is to shake 

 up the earth or guano with water in an oil flask, 

 and then allow it to settle : this is to be repeated 

 until the water is no longer coloured. It is then to 

 be treated as before directed. Most writers recom- 

 mend the use of hydrochloric acid first, and secondly 

 nitric acid, when the former ceases to act. 

 With large quantities this would be more econo- 

 mical ; but it necessitates the purchase of a second 

 stoppered bottle. 



The reader exclaims, " Well ! Now I have found 

 these things, what are they ? " The writer answers, 

 that is a subject of dispute, some claiming them for 

 the animal world and others for the vegetable. The 

 chief argument for their belonging to the animal 

 kingdom, is their voluntary motion; but that is 

 possessed by undoubted plants, so that is not con- 

 clusive. On the other hand it is asserted that they 

 resemble plants in decomposing carbonic acid and 

 liberating oxygen, whilst animals do the contrary. 

 This to me seems to settle the question, but every- 

 one had better judge for himself. Again, the reader 

 may say, "You tell me of things that are covered 

 with round dots, what are those dots ? raised knobs, 

 little pits, or only surface markings ?" This, too, 

 like most things connected with them, is a bone of 

 contention. Some will have it that they are pro- 

 minences, others depressions ; but my impression 

 is that it is sometimes one and sometimes the other ; 

 for some break in such a manner as to lead to the 

 idea of their being indentations, whilst others break 

 in the contrary direction. And if you happen to 

 get some of them on their edges and look along 

 their surfaces, some exhibit spikes, others not ; and 

 the mode in which shadows fall when they are 

 viewed by oblique light leads now to one and then 

 to.the other conclusion. 



Finally, I may state that the reason I have made 

 so many comparisons is, that the reader may recog- 

 nize the forms when found. Andrew Waine. 



* The guano can be had for 4d. the lb. at Butler's, in Covent 

 Garden. 



PINE-APPLE. 



(A?ianassa sativa.) 



" T3INE-APPLE, a penny a-slice!" is a sound 

 - 1 - familiar to cockney ears, whilst the variation 

 indulged in by the more learned itinerant vendor, of 

 "Here's yer fine West Injun pines!" localises the 

 product, and contributes a trifle to street science. 

 It must not be taken for granted, however, that the 

 West Indies is the only great centre of pine-apple 

 growth, or that "Pine-apple Rum " is the distilled 

 spirit from the juice of this fruit. That " partickler 

 wanity " of Mr. Stiggins, as immortalized by " Boz," 

 does not absorb our Christmas .thoughts, and we 

 have ever been innocent of any hankerings after the 

 " Genuine Pine-apple Rum." If any sceptic should 

 inquire at our office, he may procure " Social Bees," 

 " Lissom Pingers," and such like " Curiosities of 

 Civilization," but as for the other article, the only 

 reply will be, "Wery sorry to say, sir, that they 

 don't allow that partickler wanity to be sold in this 

 here establishment." 



That we may begin early in our history of this 

 plant, we quote from Father Kircher, as translated 

 in 1669. " They have in China a tree called Eagin, 

 yielding fruit twice a-year, which, j by inversion, 

 thrusts forth the seeds or kernels, the werts, or 

 such excrescences, on the outside of the fruit, and is ' 

 in common to the East and West Indies, who call it 

 Ananas; but the Chinese call.it Fan-polo-mie j it 

 groweth in the provinces Quantung Kiangsi and 

 Fokien, and is supposed to have been brought from 

 Peru ; the tree on which it groweth is not a shrub, 

 but an herb like unto Carduus ; they call it Car- 

 triofoli, on whose leaf a fruit groweth sticking unto 

 its stalk, of so pleasant and exquisite a taste that it 

 may easily obtain the pre-eminency amongst the 

 most noble fruits of India and China ; the sperma- 

 tick faculty is innate in all the parts thereof, for not 

 only the seeds shed on the ground, but its sprouts 

 and leaves being planted, produce the like fruits." 

 Our opinion of pine-apple, whilst derived only 

 from an experience of imported West Indian speci- 

 mens, was by no means so flattering as that of the 

 learned Father. In fact, it remains doubtful, though 

 some may regard it as heresy, whether, since we 

 have deliberately tasted of fine varieties ripened at 

 home by experienced growers, that our opinion is 

 much altered for the better and in favour of the 

 pine. Our depraved tastes would lead us to pro- 

 nounce in favour of a rich mellow pear, or a dish of 

 strawberries and cream, against a dozen pine-apples. 

 But we are wandering again, and who can blame 

 us?— even editors and authors are but "men" at 

 Christmas time, and cannot help thinking about the 

 good things which comfort the inner man, and for- 

 saking the " midnight oil " for— some other " par- 

 tickler wanitv." 



