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HABDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



[Feb. 1, 1S68. 



One was destroyed by getting its string entangled 

 ia crossing the hearth, and the other died from 

 sympathy, as it was supposed. They never draw 

 water from a vessel, so the plants in their stand 

 were plentifully sprinkled daily with water. The 

 contrary motion of their eyes has been frequently 

 observed. Their tongues are five or six inches long 

 and forked at the end. — Maggie Lawrence. 



Nais and Syllis. — I cannot accept as true 

 philosophy the teaching|of the Rev.W.W. Spicer in 

 your January number, to the effect that there exist 

 animals who need not to die. In ancient times a 

 naturalist said, " there is one event common unto 

 all," and during the twenty-eight centuries that 

 have since elapsed, the closest searching has failed 

 to discover a single instance in the history of plants 

 or of animals where death, that one event common 

 to all, has failed. The Nais and Syllis referred to by 

 Mr. Spicer, have the faculty and do propagate by the 

 process of self-division. This appears to be a process 

 closely allied to budding, and has been styled 

 by able physiologists internal budding. The part 

 of the body from which the new animal arises, is 

 endowed with a power similar to that inherent in 

 buds, by virtue of which a second body is produced, 

 which is more or less similar to that of the parent. 

 The Syllis is a good instance of " alternate gene- 

 ration ;" from a true ovarian germ there results only 

 a sexless worm or neuter ; by fission this gives rise 

 to one that is perfect. I am not willing to suppose, 

 with Mr. Spicer, that this self-division may go on 

 for ever, "that is to say, throughout all genera- 

 tions ;" on the contrary, there is every reason for 

 believing a limit is set to this fissiparity in the 

 multifid individual. The spread of the species is 

 provided for by division, but its permanence is only 

 ensured by the normal method of reproduction by 

 germs. The life history of these humble animals 

 has not been completely studied, but if we go to 

 those plants which have long been raised from slips 

 or buds, we will get a full account of the final 

 result of this method of propagation. Without 

 doubt, the power of reproducing by means of a bud 

 or a branch, does prolong the life of an individual — 

 but not indefinitely. We know that a vegetable 

 variety can only be maintained and propagated by 

 slips or buds from other plants, which were derived 

 in the same way from the original stock, and it is 

 well known that in course of time these varieties 

 wear out ; they cease to be productive and have to 

 give place to others more recently raised from the 

 seed. Hailing from Ireland, I will be privileged to 

 refer to facts that are well known here regarding 

 the potato. Before the breaking out of the potato 

 disease, the favourite root in the north of Ireland 

 was the " black seedling ;" this, owing to its fine 

 llavour, had been in favour for some twenty years. 

 But very shortly before the outburst of the disease, 



it appeared to be failing both in quality and in 

 produce, and a young and vigorous rival known 

 as the "cup" potato was supplanting the old 

 favourite. Now the " black seedling " has totally 

 disappeared, and I don't believe that the offer of 

 a sovereign would secure a single tuber. The in- 

 dividual from which it sprang is defunct. The 

 " cup " potato has gone the same way, so that the 

 "red rose," the "apple" potato, the "lumper," 

 and several others which are replaced by a new set, 

 the "white rocks," "skerries," &c. If, then, we 

 regard varieties of the potato as individuals, we 

 shall find that these varieties die out. The indi- 

 vidual perishes, no matter how widely his members 

 have been disseminated. The same rule holds with 

 regard to fruits. Pomologists understaud it and 

 endeavour to get from the seed good varieties to 

 supersede those that are becoming effete ; and was 

 the fate of the generations of Nais and Syllis, suffi- 

 ciently known, doubtless they would be found to be 

 no exceptions to the common law. Being creatures 

 of a higher organization than the plants referred to, 

 "somatic" death would be seen to overtake them 

 in a much shorter time than it does the vegetable.— 

 S. A. Stewart, Belfast. 



Flycatchek's Nest. — During a recent visit to 

 Warwickshire, I observed the nest of some small 

 bird in a very singular position, and on inquiry was 

 informed that it had been built by a pair of " fly- 

 catchers," who, not being themselves of nervous 

 temperaments, andj apparently regardless of those 

 of their offspring, had there fixed their nursery. 

 The nest is placed upon a wooden peg projecting 

 about three inches from the external wall of the 

 vicarage of Burton Dassett, at a height of 8 or 9 

 feet from the ground ; in the end of the peg is fixed 

 the spiral spring carriage of a bell used for summon- 

 ing the residents of the vicarage from the garden; 

 the upper curve of the spring rises a few inches 

 above the peg, and the bell itself hangs just below, 

 the whole being protected from the weather by a 

 small gablet roof. The nest is placed between the 

 upper part of the spring and the>all, and is moved 

 slightly by every vibration of the former. It seems 

 singular that the sudden jerk imparted to the nest, 

 accompanied by the clang of the bell whenever it 

 was used, did not effectually deter the birds from 

 building there, but these disturbing influences really 

 had so little effect as not even to cause the sitting 

 bird to quit the nest, and so far as is known, the 

 young family was reared and launched on the world 

 without mishap. — E. S. 



Extinct British Pelican.— At the meeting of 

 the Zoological Society of London, held January 9th, 

 18GS, Professor Newton exhibited the humerus of 

 a large species of extinct pelican from the] Cam- 

 bridgeshire Fens. 



