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HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE -GOSSIP. 



[June 1, 1867. 



beasts are crowding together like sheep when 

 scared by a dog. The Indians give a piercing 

 whoop, and we dash wildly after the now rapidly 

 retreating herd, their tails upheaved and their 

 horns rattling noisily against one another. The very 

 plain seems to shake, clouds of blinding dust, 

 raised by thousands of hoofs, nearly hides the 

 hunters from each other/whilst a rumbling noise, 

 like subdued thunder, seems to absorb and swallow 

 up all other sounds. I soon overtake the rearmost 

 animals, and singling out a young cow, drop her in 

 her tracks ; recharge my gun, and single out this 

 time a fine old bull. He seems to roll rather than 

 gallop along, his nose nearly touching the grass, 

 and his shaggy brown mane tossing wildly in the 

 breeze. My horse, though thoroughly up to his 

 work, appears to know by past experiences that it 

 is no mean foe he has to deal with ; laying back his 

 ears, and pushing out his nose, as if to make the 

 most of every breath of air, the gallant mustang 

 thunders on at such a pace that I find myself side 

 by side with the shaggy bull before I have time to 

 think of my position in reference to the other 

 stragglers of the herd. Now or never I must fire, 

 or lose my chance. Lowering my gun, I pull the 

 trigger. 



" It appeared to me that the cap had hardly ex- 

 ploded ere my mustang wheeled short about with 

 such startling velocity, that it was with the utmost 

 difficulty I contrived to retain my seat ; but as if the 

 fates were against me, two other buffalos were 

 directly in the way, and for a few seconds prevented 

 the horse from galloping away from the bull, which, 

 turning nearly as rapidly as the horse, charged, and 

 striking the horse on the point of the shoulder sent 

 us both rolling on the plain. I was terribly 

 frightened and shaken, but adopting Ealstaff's 

 maxim, ' that the better part of valour is discretion,' 

 I lay still to await the issue of events. The mus- 

 tang had by this time regained his legs, aud was, 

 with evident difficulty, limping away as fast as his 

 damaged shoulder permitted. That the bull was 

 badly wounded I could see by his rolling gait, 

 heavy breathing, and the bloody froth besmearing 

 his nostrils and lips. I do not think he saw me, 

 for his glaring eyes were directed towards the horse, 

 which he made a vigorous attempt to follow ; but it 

 proved a signal failure. The wounded beast seemed 

 to be perfectly aware that if once he fell to the 

 ground all hope for him was at an end, so bracing 

 his muscles firmly, and planting his massive legs 

 wide apart, the powerful animal seemed determined 

 to stand up to the last. Hurt and frightened as I 

 was, I felt sorry for him ; the eyes lost all their fire, 

 and a saddened expression took its place. He tried 

 to get glimpses of his comrades, by this time nearly 

 lost in the distance ; and I know that dying buffalo 

 was quite aware that he should never see them 

 again. His great chest was heaving convulsively, 



and low plaintive sounds, more resembling sobs 

 than anything else I know of, told in language plain 

 as printed words how terrible were his sufferings. 

 The head dropped, until the nose was nearly 

 touching the grass, the ponderous body rocked like 

 a storm-tossed ship from side to side, a gurgling 

 sound replaced the stentorous breathing ; then 

 suddenly the muscles seemed to lose all further 

 power, and with a heavy crash the king of the plain 

 fell dead amidst the grass and wild flowers. The 

 Indians soon recovered my lost steed, for his 

 shoulder was so much injured that he could only 

 contrive to limp slowly away." 



Of course every wanderer in the future will 

 read this book before he starts on his travels, 

 and so should every one who stays at home, unless 

 his home is a wilderness, and he desires to make it a 

 desert. 



SOCIABLE MITES. 



UNDER the name of " Sociable Mites," I am 

 desirous of interesting those who have oppor- 

 tunities for observing the small organisms which 

 make their appearance during the summer months, 

 on behalf of a little known group of Acari, which 

 are associated by naturalists under the generic 

 name of Tetranychus. Scattered notices occur of 

 the appearance of some of these minute visitors in 

 immense numbers in former years, and now, being 

 forewarned, it is hoped that some of the readers of 

 this journal will be prepared to add a little to our 

 knowledge should they encounter any of the little 

 creatures about to be alluded to, during their 

 summer rambles. 



There are probably about twenty different species 

 of this genus described, and a few only of them 

 have as yet been certainly known to inhabit the 

 British Isles. Several have the singular habit of 

 living in very large communities, and the history of 

 one species, as described by Dr. Milner Barry in a 

 letter read before the Entomological Society of 

 London in 1855, will serve as an introduction to 

 the rest. 



"When strolling across Rusthall Common this 

 afternoon, I noticed some red powder lying in thick 

 cobwebs entangled in the furze. I took up some of 

 the powder, and found it was living and moving, and 

 consisted of myriads of vivacious red insects, 

 resembling Acari." When the mass reached my 

 hands, it was of the size and shape of a sparrow's 

 egg, the Acari running over it in all directions, and 

 each adding to the bulk by leaving behind him a 

 continuous thread of the finest conceivable silk. 1 

 subsequently sent the mass to Mr. Meade, the 

 Arachnologist, who has carefully examined it, and 

 kindly sent me the following information :— " The 

 minute animals inhabiting the curious cocoon you 

 sent me are Acari, belonging to the genus Tetrany- 



