248 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE- GOSSIP. 



[Nov. 1, 1S69. 



known walking-stick." A more important fact is, 

 that its various species abound in an acrid principle 

 which can be employed as a deadly poison. The 

 fruit of many of the Passifloras is highly esteemed. 

 From Urceola elastica, which sometimes reaches to 

 a length of four or five hundred feet in the islands 

 of the Indian Ocean, is obtained a large proportion 

 of the caoutchouc in use. Various species of Smilax 

 supply the world with Sarsaparilla, while Vanille, 

 so much employed in confectionery, is the produce 

 of an orchid which may fairly rank among tropical 

 climbers. 

 Havre. W. W. Spicer. 



PODURA 



WITHOUT doubt many Science - Gossipers 

 count among their treasures one or more 

 cages of Poduraj or Cheyleti ; but many may be 

 puzzled, as I was, to know how to secure the 

 former, and prevent them from springing away 

 when found. The general advice is, " spread oat- 

 meal on paper near their haunts, and when the 

 Podurse are attracted by it, secure them." Excel- 

 lent in theory, but by no means easy to practise. 

 If we bear in mind the well-known fact that no flea 

 was ever so agile; also, that even, when they do quiet 

 down for a rest, to pounce upon them with finger 

 and thumb would cause instant death, it will at 

 once be seen that it is no easy matter to catch these 

 " wee beasties," and land them safely iu the house 

 prepared for their reception. 



My modus operandi is simple and sure. A trap, 

 consisting of bread-crumbs sprinkled on a sheet of 

 white paper, is laid in a damp corner of the wine- 

 cellar overnight. I should say that where they 

 have not been disturbed for some time, Podurse may 

 generally be found in numbers on any bit of stick 

 which has been lying on the cellar floor ; but they 

 have a decided objection to being disturbed, and if 

 the reader possesses a voracious Cheyletus or two 

 that evince a partiality for Podurse for dinner, he 

 will soon find that constant hunting to meet con- 

 stant demands will cause them to be very chary of 

 any wood or trap which is often looked at. 



In the morning, if I have been successful, I cany 

 paper, bread-crumbs, and " springtails " into the 

 parlour, knock the Podura off with a sharp jerk, 

 on to a white cloth, and, before they have time to 

 recover their astonishment at such an unwonted 

 procedure, I place a tumbler over them. As soon 

 as they get quiet, I dip a small brush in chloroform 

 or methylated spirit, and raising the edge of the 

 glass, insert the brush, and damp the cloth with it, 

 instantly withdrawing, and pressing the tumbler 

 closely down. Eor a second or two the commotion 

 is intense, leap after leap being executed with won- 

 drous agility. In about ten seconds, but much longer 

 if methylated spirit has been used, they fall motion- 



less, their tails nearly always being stretched rigidly 

 behind them. In this condition they can be easily 

 placed in the cage. 



Sometimes they remain under the influence for 

 hours, but generally recover in from five to fifteen 

 minutes. After a dose of chloroform, they, in three 

 cases out of five, exhibit a peculiarity I do not re- 

 member to have seen noticed elsewhere. For some 

 days they seem to lose all power of muscular con- 

 traction in the tail, and it is really amusing to see 

 them walking about and feeding with their two- 

 pronged appendage trailing after them. 



I have one before me now which was captured 

 four days since. It remained for nearly three hours 

 in a state of torpor ; since then it has been running 

 about unable to double its tail under its body. As 

 far as I have observed, only the younger members 

 of my family are thus affected ; [the older and 

 stronger ones recovering the use of all their mem- 

 bers with their senses. 



These tiny creatures are easily get-at-able, living 

 as they do in almost every damp cellar, or garden- 

 house, among the sawdust or decaying bits of wood. 

 The delicate markings of many of the scales serve 

 as test-objects. Under a low power, either by day 

 or artificial light, the live Podura is a beautiful ob- 

 ject. Its scales reflect the light in exquisite hues. 

 As it moves along the cork sides of its house, the 

 changing play of light and shade is very fine, es- 

 pecially when the tail is expanded from the effects 

 of chloric ether ; for its silvery appearance con- 

 trasts well with the more gorgeous scales of the 

 body. 



The tail, or spring, is usually doubled under 

 the abdomen, and is of the same length. At the 

 tip it is divided into two prongs. When the Podura 

 wishes to .spring, it slaps the tail forcibly on the 

 ground, and thus jumps to an incredible distance. 



They are not particular in their diet. Bread- 

 crumbs, oatmeal, a grain of wheat or biscuit serving 

 them equally well. 



Where one is under the painful necessity of keep- 

 ing show objects for exhibition, nothing is more 

 sure of exciting interest. They are always at hand 

 ready to be placed on the stage. For the living 

 Podura only a low power can be used ; therefore 

 when self-confident, non-scientific friends who never 

 can be persuaded that you can focus better than 

 they, drop in for a microscopical (?) evening, you 

 may place your cage on the stage, pretty well 

 assured that neither objective nor object can sus- 

 tain much damage. M. Pope. 



Weymouth. 



Bees.— P. 238, column 1, line 35, read : " An un- 

 iinpregnated queen of either species lays only drone 

 eggs, like a semi-developed worker. Fecundation 

 alone, at the time of its deposit, appears to convert 

 the drone egg to a worker egg," &c. — /. W. S. 



