246 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



is generally of a straw-colour or pale yellow, oc- 

 casionally colourless and transparent, of chitinoid 

 membrane. It is a long oval, or retort-shaped shell, 

 with a cylindrical neck curving down to the mouth. 

 The fundus, or top of the shell is either evenly 

 rounded, or drawn out in the form of a nipple-like 

 prolongation. When the pseudopodia are extended, 

 and the animal is moving, the mouth is directed 

 downwards, and the body of the shell is directed 

 backwards and upwards, as in Fig. 205. Many of 

 the shells exhibit minutely hexagonal markings ar- 

 ranged in spiral rows ; others seem, even under high 

 magnification, entirely destitute of this ; while in 

 others again, the markings are so coarse as to appear 

 pitted. I have frequently dipped from my marine 

 aquarium, a Rhizopod in every point like the one 

 described, so I presume this species is both lacustrine 

 and marine. The sarcode does not ordinarily fill the 

 shell, though this is sometimes the case. There is a 

 large clear nucleus, generally visible and one or more 

 contracting vesicles. The pseudopodia are long and 

 delicate, often radiating from the mouth, for a dis- 

 tance equal or even exceeding the length of the shell, 

 in fine, thread-like branches. There is considerable 

 variation both in form and size ; average specimens 

 here are about 5^,3 of an inch in length, though I have 

 seen others as small as the 555 of an inch. 



Fig. 203. Empty, colourless test, showing mark- 

 ings. 



Fig. 204. Pale straw-coloured individual, with 

 sarcode encrusted. No pits visible. 



Fig. 205. Large yellow specimen, from Sphagnum, 

 with no visible pitting, showing nucleus and con- 

 tracting vesicle. Devouring a filament of conferva. 



J. E. Lord. 



Rawtenstall. 



THE SPARROW IN 1891. 



PERHAPS many will say after reading this paper, 

 •' What is the use of bothering about the 

 sparrows? Kill them all!" Others will say "Very 

 disgraceful taking sixty clutches of their eggs ! " I say 

 that sixty clutches are but a very small portion of 

 those annually destroyed in this locality by those who 

 consider them a pest. I have now for the sixth 

 season paid considerable attention to their nidification 

 and added another sixty clutches to my collection. 

 They have not been collected, examined and prepared 

 withdut considerable trouble, for which I have been 

 duly rewarded by thfir revealing some facts which I 

 believe have not been previously recorded. 



They began nesting about the usual time, but in 

 one locality they were quite ten days earlier than in 

 another three miles distant. 



Occasionally these birds produce some very beauti- 

 ful clutches of eggs, but this season none of particular 

 merit came to hand, except a clutch of six and a 



clutch of five. I give the measurement of the latter, 

 as I have never known it equalled — it being quite 

 the exception to meet with specimens fully an inch in 

 length — i*o by •65 — I 'O by *65— "98 by "62 — -98 by 

 •65 — '92 by '65. The clutch of six — the only genuine 

 clutch met with, which I have preserved — consists of 

 exceedingly fine eggs, with the "odd egg" very 

 pronounced. I must mention a clutch of five pyg- 

 mean eggs, two being infertile. I think they would 

 puzzle an old oological hand to recognize them. 

 The eggs of this season were as a whole much more 

 uniform in size than those of 1890. In that season 

 many of the clutches contained a small but perfect egg, 

 but this season this irregularity was quite exceptional. 

 The smaller end marking only cropped up in one 

 specimen, and that in the fourth clutch taken. I 

 thought by its appearing so early in the season that 

 more would be seen of it, but I have seen no further 

 trace of it in any of the specimens brought under 

 observation. There can be no doubt that the extreme 

 rarity of these specimens is owing to the eggs being 

 so large in proportion to the size of the birds. 



Having examined such a large number of these 

 eggs without meeting with anything like a double 

 one, I began to think the sparrow to be quite exempt 

 from this phenomenon ; however I am able to say it 

 is not the case, and I now place on record — I believe 

 for the first time — that an egg has been found con- 

 taining two chicks. The egg in question was one of 

 a clutch of five, very ordinary-looking, and very 

 uneven in size, so much so that had I not known 

 them to be a genuine clutch, I should have placed 

 them on one side. This egg having somewhat the 

 appearance of a double one, by its being so much 

 broader than the others at the smaller end, made me 

 examine it carefully. This I did by dividing the 

 shell, and found an embryo in each end. These I 

 removed, and by a little manipulation I placed the 

 pieces of shell together, which show a very good 

 specimen of a double egg, which I believe to be 

 unique. 



As this investigation was going on I occasionally 

 met with an egg in which the embryo was dead, 

 whilst the other eggs of the clutch contained healthy 

 chicks. I knew it to be impossible for eggs to get 

 chilled in such a warm nest as the sparrows generally 

 build, but I thought it quite possible that their sharp 

 claws might puncture the delicate shells. This I 

 found to be the case. Having no wish to give the 

 impression that I am shooting at these birds " with 

 a long bow," I have preserved some specimens to 

 corroborate the fact. It is curious that such a slight 

 injury should destroy the embryo in nearly any stage 

 of incubation, and also curious that these birds — con- 

 sidering the number of enemies they have — should 

 assist in destroying their own eggs, from what may 

 be called, hygienic neglect. 



At the commencement of the season I expected it 

 would prove a worse one than any I have recorded. 



