20 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



[Jan. 1, 1867. 



GEOLOGY. 



Sandstone Markings. — At the meeting of the 

 British Association, held at Leeds on September 22, 

 1858, a paper was read by Mr. Albany Hancock of 

 Newcastle, on certain vermiform fossils found in the 

 mountaiu limestone of the North of England, and 

 which afterwards appeared in the " Transactions of 

 the Tyneside Naturalist Eield Club," vol. iv., with 

 elaborate illustrations. Your correspondent will find 

 in this paper a different solution for these mysterious 

 markings to the prevailing opinion that they are 

 " worm borings " or " worm casts." Mr. Hancock 

 was struck with the appearance of some track-like 

 markings on the sand of the sea-shore, which, after 

 patient and careful investigation, he discovered to 

 arise from the borings of a small crustacean — one of 

 the Amphipoda — something like a common sand- 

 hopper, but not quite so long. He watched the 

 whole process of the little creature's operations, 

 and saw the sand rise on its being pushed upwards 

 by the animal's back, while the arch or tunnel thus 

 formed partially subsided as it passed onward, and, 

 breaking along the centre, a sort of median groove 

 was produced. This crustacean has been named 

 Suleator arenarius. The fossil markings seen on 

 the carboniferous slabs have exactly the appearance 

 and structure of the galleries made by arenaria, or 

 such as might be expected to result from similar 

 operations in a more coherent substance than plain 

 sea-sand, and Mr. Hancock concludes " that if the 

 tunnel-tracks were formed in a tenacious material, 

 their walls would not entirely collapse, but the 

 cylindrical form would be more or less retained. It 

 is, therefore, fair to suppose that the sedimentary 

 matter, as it was being deposited, would gradually 

 find its way into these lengthened tunnels or burrows 

 afler their submergence, and ultimately fill them 

 up; but the particles of such infiltrated matter, 

 having a different arrangement from those forming 

 the general mass of the rock, the phenomenon pre- 

 sented on breaking it up into slabs would neces- 

 sarily occur — the casts of the tracks would become 

 isolated, like the fossil remains of any organic body, 

 or might be left in relief in either the upper or the 

 lower slab." This very plausible theory seems to 

 answer your correspondent's inquiry, and accounts 

 for the character he alludes to, viz., "being in bas- 

 relief," and that a " broken line should show at the 

 point of fracture a compressed circle" — A. W. D., 

 Seaham. 



Clays are largely derived from felspars, and 

 felspar itself has perhaps been originally derived 

 from still older clays. Granite, gneiss, basalt, 

 clay-slate, and some other metamorphic and igneous 

 rocks yield clay soils on decomposition. This is 

 owing to the facility with which the sand and other 

 minerals mixed with the clay are carried away on 

 disintegration, leaving the clay behind. 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



Self-Denial of Cats.— In answer to "W. P.," as 

 to the self-denial of cats in abstaining from taking 

 young birds from the nest until they are ready to 

 fly, I could give him many instances noticed by 

 myself. I have a large cat, which I have very 

 frequently seen in this particular most self-denying. 

 I have noticed this cat attend regularly many nests, 

 beginning his attentions soon after their commence- 

 ment, and continuing it (and that most regularly) 

 both during the time occupied in building, and also 

 that of incubation ; and having carefully noticed the 

 cat during that time, I never once have known him 

 to satisfy his murderous appetite until the young 

 were just about to quit the nest ; and then, one by 

 one, the unfortunate fledglings have been carefully 

 abstracted and devoured with the most self-satisfied 

 air. Not only in one case, but in numberless cases, 

 have I watched this cat, and with exactly the same 

 result ; and have upon many occasions (upon dis- 

 covering the placing of the first few twigs of a nest) 

 been obliged to tie brambles round the trunk of the 

 tree to prevent the attentions and active inter- 

 ference of "Peter."— W. A. S. 



Carmine foe Injections. — Let " J. B. B." try 

 the following receipt (Dr. Carter's), taken from the 

 third edition of Dr. Beale's excellent book, " How 

 to Work with the Microscope : " — 



Pure Carmine 1 drachm. 



Liq. Amnion, fort 

 Glacial Acetic Acid.. 

 Solution of Gelatine 

 (1 to 6 of water) . . 

 "Water 



2 drachms. 



1 drachm 26 minims. 



2 ounces. 

 1* ounces. 



Dissolve the carmine in the solution of ammonia 

 and water, and filter if necessary. To this add an 

 ounce and a half of the hot solution of gelatine, aud_ 

 mix thoroughly. With the remaining half ounce of 

 gelatine solution mix the acetic acid, and then drop 

 this, little by little, into the carmine solution, stirring 

 briskly during the whole time. — J. /. R. 



Skipjack (Science Gossip, vol. i. p. 69) is the 

 Gasterosteus saltatrix, Linn. 



War-Bird (Science Gossip, vol. ii. p. 46). — 

 Major Ross King, in a recently-published work, 

 " The Sportsman and Naturalist in Canada," 

 bestows this name upon the Scarlet Tanager (Pij- 

 ranga rubra, Swains) ; but I think that the descrip- 

 tion extracted from the " Backwoods of Canada " 

 can hardly apply to this bird.— H. 67. 0. 



Grand Lory (Science Gossip, vol. ii. p. 213).— 

 I am convinced that the bird inquired about was 

 the Psittacus grandis, Linn. — H. G. 



Pagoda Thrush (Science Gossip, vol. ii. p. 213). 

 — This is the Tardus pagodarum, Linn., called by 

 Jerdon Temenuchus pagodarum. In Madras it is 

 called the "Brahmin's Myna," or "Black-headed 

 Myna," and I have also heard it called " Rajah 

 Myna."— H. G. 



Athela of Babylon (Science Gossip, vol. ii. 

 p. 214). — The ancient tree alluded to is Tamarix 

 orientalis, Eorsk. The Egyptian name is said to be 

 Athle. It is known to the Arabs as "Asul;" but 

 Burckhart, Lynch, and others give the Arabic name 

 as turf a or turf a. — Bangalore. 



