30 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



[Feb. 1, 1S67. 



which has given rise to such a diversity of opinion. 

 It is for this reason that I have brought forward 

 these few observations, and also to give my own 

 experience in this matter. 



My first acquaintance with Atropos, or, as it is 

 generally called here, the wood-louse, commenced 

 about thirteen or fourteen years ago ; at that time 

 I lived in an old house in Brompton, near Chatham, 

 and in my bedroom, which was also my library and 

 museum, I had a very olla podrida of Natural 

 History hanging about the walls ; among the rest 

 was a honey-comb. It was soon after the introduc- 

 tion of this to my list of curiosities that the strange 

 ticking sound (which at the time sorely puzzled me) 

 commenced, and that led me eventually to the inves- 

 tigation of the cause. I soon found that the noise 

 proceeded from the comb, and on closer examina- 

 tion I saw a number of wood-lice travelling about 

 from one cell to another, and appearing very busy 

 in their explorations. After a while the ticking 

 commenced, which I quickly traced to a particular 

 cell, and by the aid of a common convex lens I could 

 perceive Atropos beating with its head against the 

 side of the cell, the noise produced being quite as 

 loud as the tick of an ordinary watch ; thus con- 

 firming Mr. Derham's observations, " and, viewing 

 them with a convex lens, I soon perceived some of 

 them to beat or make a noise with a sudden shake 

 of their body," &c. 



From this time the honey-comb, which perhaps 

 from its pecidiar sonorous nature, suited them so 

 well, became the head quarters' of Atropos, and 

 night after night, and sometimes by day, might be 

 heard the tick, tick, tick, by the hour together; 

 sometimes one, sometimes two or more, ticking 

 away with all their might, as if to out-tick each 

 other. At any time, by carefully approaching the 

 comb, and waiting a second or two quietly, they 

 might with the aid of a lens be seen at their peculiar 

 pastime. Since then I have lived in my present 

 house, a comparatively new one, for about twelve 

 years, and during that time have constantly heard 

 the familiar tick from time to time, twice during 

 this last week, October Sth and 10th. Atropos is 

 very numerous here, seeming to prefer the mantel- 

 piece, upon which are several vases filled with paper 

 artificial flowers, and any night they may be seen 

 by the dozen prying into any little crevice, or 

 minutely surveying petal after petal of their floral 

 habitation. 



I hope I have thus assisted to settle the much- 

 vexed question of Atropos pulsotoria. 



W. Chanet. 



Edible Larvae.— Dr. Livingstone states that 

 in the valley of Quango, South Africa, the natives 

 dig large white larvse out of the damp soil adjacent 

 to their streams, aud use them as a relish to their 

 vegetable diet. 



WHAT'S IN THE HONEY ? 



"jY/FK- E, GILL has called our attention to a 

 - L -' J - series of sketches, which he has made at 

 different times, of the objects found by him, not 

 only in Jamaica, but also in English honey. The 



Fig. u. 



Fig. 15. 



Fig. 16. 



Fig. 17- 



majority of these objects are certainly pollen grains, 

 and that our readers may have the opportunity of 

 forming their own opinion on the subject, we have 

 figured a number of those derived from English 



Fig. 18. 



Fig. 20. 



Fig. 21. 



Fig. 22, 



Fig. 23. 



honey. It is possible that duriDg the examination 

 of the pollen of various plants in the coming 

 summer, some one or other of our correspondents 

 may be able to identify these granules with the 

 plants from which they are derived. Mr. Gill [also 



