HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



167 



be adduced, let us take an incident related by Mr. 

 Edward : he saw two birds vainly trying to turn over 

 a large fish on the sands to get the vermin beneath ; 

 after many futile attempts, extending over half an 

 hour or more, and after attracting a third bird who 

 helped them to no purpose, they stood together and 

 apparently by their noise were engaged in some 

 mysterious process of conversation and reasoning, 

 they again set to work eagerly, and dug a hole in the 

 sands from one side of the fish, even to undermining 

 a certain distance, and then, with evident expres- 

 sions of triumph, rolled it over with ease, and com- 

 menced the feast they had worked for. That fish 

 measured 3^ feet, being a fine cod, and those birds 

 undoubtedly used their reason to elaborate a scheme 

 to accomplish their object. Without running off into 

 Darwinian theories, I would remind Dr. Keegan, 

 seeing he lays so much stress on the capacity of the 

 brain, that one of our great physiologists tells us — 

 ' ' That every chief fissure and fold of the brain of 

 man has its analogy in that of the ourang :" and 

 Huxley adds, "Whilst in those things in which the 

 brains of men and apes do differ, there is also a great 

 difference among various men." It is true structure is 

 not all — the machinery may be perfect in every detail, 

 yet, if it lack the motive power, of what avail is it ? 

 Still, is it not reasonable to suppose that structure 

 being so similar, God intended the ape to use his 

 brain like man's, but in a less degree ? The chief 

 obstacle to belief in the reasoning power of animals 

 lies in the fear of what the admission may lead to, but 

 surely we need not grudge to these poor brutes the 

 possession of a feeble development of reason, when 

 man, and man alone, can thank his Creator for giving 

 him a hope of a future which no animal seems destined 

 to enjoy. — yohn H. Wilson. 



Intelligence in Animals. — I heard a singular 

 story of a Skye terrier, which was told me by a lady- 

 friend who knows the dog well ; it was a great 

 pet with its master. On one occasion its master 

 brought home a puppy of another breed. On its intro- 

 duction into the house, the Skye terrier appeared to 

 take no notice of it whatever. After a few days the 

 puppy could nowhere be found, and on making 

 inquiry, the gardener said he remembered seeing the 

 Skye terrier smoothing some earth down on the top 

 of a rubbish heap in the garden, and on examining the 

 said heap, the body of the puppy was found buried 

 some depth. The Skye terrier, being jealous of the 

 notice the puppy received from its master, had enticed 

 the puppy to the heap, killed and then buried it. — 

 Edmund Durrant. 



Sagacity of a Tree-creeper. — Anecdotes tend- 

 ing to show some sort of reasoning power in the 

 more sagacious quadrupeds are not uncommon, but 

 the following having reference to that diminutive 

 bird the common creeper ( Certhia familiaris) is in- 

 teresting as proving these faculties to be possessed 

 by others than dogs, horses, and animals of com- 

 paratively complicated brain-structure. Within the 

 last few days we have seen the nest of one of these 

 creatures very snugly placed within a hole in a wall 

 caused by the removal of an entire brick, the breach 

 being partially and to all appearance almost entirely 

 filled up by a portion of the same placed loosely in 

 front. As the movements of the small parents were 

 a source of interest to the proprietor, the loose piece 

 had frequently been removed, and the privacy of the 

 hen bird had been invaded by more than one pair of 

 curious eyes, until she was so far familiarised to the 

 intrusion as to remain undisturbed on her eggs while 

 under inspection. Her mate, however, does not 

 seem to have shared her confidence and determined 



to put an end, if possible, to these unwelcome visits. 

 He would fasten the half brick as other bricks were 

 fastened, and, failing mortar, placed in the crack as 

 much well-kneaded clay as he could accumulate. 

 This is the more remarkable as the bird uses no 

 cement of any kind in making its nest. The work 

 though small in extent was as well executed as though 

 a swallow had been the engineer. But alas ! it was 

 easily broken by human hands, and the work of the 

 architect must be recommenced. I grieve to add 

 that, after a second earthwork had in like manner 

 been constructed, the ingenuity and perseverance of 

 the bird could no longer be tried, for at this stage 

 some unknown person robbed the birds of the eggs. 

 J. J. Plummet: 



Can Worms crawl Backwards ? — My atten- 

 tion having been drawn to this subject by a note in 

 the May number of this valuable magazine, I have 

 experimented with the result that they can crawl 

 backwards, though very reluctantly. When experi- 

 menting, I tried to make a worm crawl along a narrow 

 path, and every time it turned its head from the 

 straight course, I gave it a gentle reminder on the 

 head with a piece of stick. After sundry knocks, it 

 came to the wise conclusion that it would rather 

 crawl backwards than be hit in this way. It then 

 crawled backwards about three feet. I have experi- 

 mented on other worms, and in different ways, always 

 with the same result, viz. : that they can crawl 

 backwards. — Percy A. Ramage, Stoneclough, near 

 Manchester. 



Snakes. — I caught an ordinary brown snake in 

 Epping Forest lately, and as it was rather longer 

 than ordinary (2 feet 6 inches) I determined to stuff 

 it. As I could not get any ordinary naturalist to 

 undertake it (!) I did it myself. After skinning it, I 

 threw the skin into some hot water with some wash- 

 ing soda in it to get off some of the fat adhering to it ; 

 immediately it was immersed, all the brown scales 

 changed to a bright light blue and the darker shades 

 to a beautiful black. How is this to be accounted 

 for 1 It was not the new skin, but a perfect change 

 of colour. — y. D. Hardy, Clapton. 



NOTICES TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



To Correspondents and Exchangers. — As we now 

 publish Science-Gossip a week earlier than heretofore, we 

 cannot possibly insert in the following number any communi- 

 cations which reach us later than the 9th of the previous 

 month. 



To Anonymous Querists. — We receive so many queries 

 which do not bear the writers' names that we are forced to 

 adhere to our rule of not noticing them. 



To Dealers and others. — We are always glad to treat 

 dealers in natural history objects on the same fair and general 

 ground as amateurs, in so far as the " exchanges " offered are fair 

 exchanges. But it is evident that, when their offers are simply 

 disguised advertisements, for the purpose of evading the cost of 

 advertising, an advantage is taken of our gratuitous insertion of 

 "exchanges" which cannot be tolerated. 



G. H. Steward. — You will find an outline of all the great 

 changes which our planet has experienced, physical and vital, 

 in Taylor's " Geological Stories," 4th edition, published by 

 Hardwicke & Bogue, 192 Piccadilly, W., price 4^. 



J. C. Glough. — Your plant is the beautiful Water avens 

 (Geum rivalej. 



J. W. and others. — Egg-drills, &c, may be procured of 

 Mr. R. B. Spalding, 46 High Street, Notting Hill, London, W. 



R. T. Lewis — Many thanks for your generous and prompt 

 answers. 



L. Hawkins. — We are always willing to assist students in 

 naming specimens, and it is a genuine pleasure to do so. The 

 remarks made were those of the gentleman to whom your speci- 

 mens were forwarded. 



