HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



261 



liowever, remained motionless. On stooping down 

 to find out the reason, I saw that a large grey slug 

 had seized him by the middle and was holding him 

 fast. This proves, I think, that certain slugs are 

 •decidedly predaceous in their habits, since there 

 were juicy young seedling plants all around the 

 scene of action, upon which tha slimy aggressor 

 .might have feasted if so disposed. It is somewhat 

 surprising that so wary and so comparatively swift a 

 creature as an earth-worm should allow itself to be 

 ■seized by so slow-paced an enemy. Whilst on the 

 ■subject of slugs and snails, I may remark that I have 

 often found them feasting heartily upon the leaves of 

 the foxglove. This is not merely a good example of 

 the specific character of pqisons — what is deadly to 

 one animal being innocent to others — but may 

 deserve the consideration of persons who use snails 

 for food.— y. IV. Slater. 



Brevipennate Birds. — I was reading over some 

 back volumes of Science-Gossip the article headed 

 Brevipennate Birds. The author says : "On Jan. 8, 

 1755, by an order of the vice-chancellor and his co- 

 trustees, it was ordered to be burnt, the head and 

 foot alone escaping destmction." Will you have the 

 kindness to inform me, through the "Notes and Query" 

 column, why this was done ? You do not get many 

 queries from so far, I suppose, but I think Science- 

 Gossip is splendid, and a fellow-botanist of mine 

 here thinks the same. Its special merit is its use to 

 amateurs. — yas. A. Sandford, Toledo, Ohio. 



The Veteran Eel. — Your correspondent 

 ** E. L." will perhaps be interested to learn that the 

 eel which has lived twenty-two years in my aquarium 

 died on ist August, I think of old age. It began to 

 show signs of uneasiness about fourteen days ago, wan- 

 dering about in a strange, unusual manner in the day- 

 time ; but as it managed to eat a loach about three 

 inches long I thought it would be all right in a day or 

 two ; instead of which it became worse, seemed more 

 languid and restless, would not bury itself in the 

 shingle, and looked paler than usual. I gave it three 

 small worms, which it ate greedily but did not revive ; 

 it did not show signs of distress, as fish usually do 

 when dying, such as gasping, rising to the top of the 

 water to breathe, and turning on their backs, but 

 breathed slowly and regularly, not vigorously. I 

 took it out gently and put it in a bowl, and let fresh 

 water run on it for about fifteen minutes, but it had 

 no effect. I then tested the water ; it was as pure 

 as a streamlet, and at a temperature of 65 deg. Fahr., 

 which is not warm for water in summer. 1 put it 

 into the aquarium again and it swam slowly and 

 gently about, and then resting on the shingle lay still. 

 So it remained for three days, getting paler and 

 breathing slower ; its eyes which were so bright and 

 quick, became slimy and dim, I could see that it was 

 all over, in a few hours its life was gone, yet it lay 

 •on the shingle in an ordinary way as if resting. It 

 had been a pleasant companion for me for twenty-two 

 years, had witnessed'the death of many of his order, and 

 had seemed to learn how to meet the inevitable with 

 a calm philosophy which would have done credit to 

 a higher order of vertebrata. — Ben Plant. 



PoLYZOA IN Aquaria. — I should be much 

 obliged if some of your readers would kindly give 

 their experience in keeping alive fresh-water Polyzoa 

 in aquaria. I have endeavoured to keep several 

 liinds, Plumatella repens, Lophopus oystallinus, Fredi- 

 sella and Pahidicella, but invariably with the same 

 result, — they died in a few weeks after being placed 

 in the aquarium. My microscopic aquarium is but a 

 small one, and that probably may have something to 



do with it. That it is possible to keep them appears 

 from Mr. Taylor's book on the aquarium, and from 

 several writers in former numbers of Science-Gossip. 

 I trouble you with less hesitation, as I know I am not 

 alone in my hitherto fruitless attempts. On what 

 and how should they be fed ? I should like to know, 

 too, the shape and size of any aquarium in which they 

 have been successfully kept, and how long they have 

 lived. — A. Solicitor. 



Blister-Beetle {Cantharis vesicatoria). — In the 

 July number of this magazine, Mr. G. O. Howell 

 wishes to know whether this insect has ever been 

 taken in Britain : it may interest him to know that 

 I possess a specimen which was brought to me alive 

 this summer, found in a garden near this city. — 

 R. Laddiinan, Upper Hellesdon, N'orwich. 



Holes in the Head of Pike. — What is the 

 use of the holes all about the head of the pike {Esox 

 luciiis) ? Mr. Frank Buckland, in his " Curiosities 

 of Natural History," third series, vol. i. p. 151, 

 says, referring to the holes, " I do not think anybody 

 knows." Perhaps some of your numerous corre- 

 spondents can throw some light on the matter. — 

 Co)yhcs. 



The Petrel Species of Sea Birds. — Allow 

 me to correct a typographical error which appears in 

 my paper in the September No. on "The Petrel 

 Species of Sea Birds." I am there represented as 

 affirming that the Stormy and Wilson's Petrel possess 

 t7ao gizzards. What I said in my MS. was, that the 

 stomachs of those birds were tnie gizzards furnished 

 with scattered glands. The lower part of the 

 oesophagus, which is called the proventiculus, is 

 enormously dilated, and lavishly provided with 

 organs secreting gastric juice. The stomach itself is 

 very small, but the duodenum is peculiarly arched, 

 and the remaining portion of the intestine, where 

 the chyle is absorbed, is long and narrow. In every 

 respect, therefore, it will be seen that the Petrels are 

 amply provided with organs suitable to the digestion 

 of fishy material. I may also mention that these 

 birds sometimes follow in the wake of small fishing- 

 boats, and even, it is said, that they hover in the 

 vicinity of stranded hulks, or about where the masts 

 of a ship indicate the vicinity of a sunken wreck. 

 These facts would seem to demonstrate an innate 

 partiality for the very body or appurtenances of a 

 ship ; and the numerous little acrobatic feats (such as 

 hopping for a distance with the feet closely joined, 

 &c. ) which they execute upon the storm- vexed ocean, 

 apparently for sheer sport and exercise, evince a liveli- 

 ness of temperament which would specially relish the 

 buoyant, bending, ever-moving vessel. — P. Q. Reegan, 

 LL.D. 



Arsenicated Wall-paper. — "Gerion" should 

 varnish the green marble paper if afraid of poison, but 

 there is little or no danger to be apprehended from 

 wall-papers, as in nearly every case wc^/^-arsenical 

 colours are used in the manufacture. It is only the 

 bright emerald-green papers (such as are used in 

 chemists' shops) that can be considered injurious if the 

 colour rubs oft" easily. Many celebrated analysts, after 

 testing samples, are of opinion that the majority of 

 paper-hangings containing green are not in the least 

 injurious. — Papersiainer. 



Birds of Lincolnshire. — Will any corre- 

 spondent kindly give me (by letter or otherwise) a list 

 of the common species of birds which are found on 

 the coast of Lincolnshire in the winter months ? Any 

 hints as to the time of their appearance and habits 

 will also be gladly received. — Henry Turner, 

 90, Albert-road, Heeley, Sheffield, 



