13S 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



[Jlne 1, 1868. 



animals coming under the influence of the venom 

 undergo true narcotic poisoning, soon followed by 

 convulsions and death." Now it is a most remark- 

 able circumstance that the experiments made by 

 English chemists differ toto ccclo from this sweep- 

 ing observation — in fact, they run in an exactly 

 opposite direction. The names of Davey and Raines 

 command at least as much respect as those of 

 Gratiolet and Cloez ; and their testimony goes to 

 show that the toad's secretion (though bitter to 

 the taste, and very acrid — even to the extent of 

 causing a smarting sensation when applied to the 

 hand) is nevertheless perfectly innocent of any 

 death-dealing properties. Dr. Davey tried it on a 

 chicken without any injurious effect. Raines went 

 more deeply into the matter. Having soaked pieces 

 of thread in the secretion, he passed them through 

 the ears of mice and kittens, without causing either 

 animal the slightest inconvenience. Mr. Raines 

 adds the valuable remark that " analogy is in favour 

 of the comparative harmlessness of the toad's secre- 

 tion. It is diffused over a large part of the surface 

 of its body ; whereas in all auimals provided with a 

 specific venom, and not a mere irritant, the ap- 

 paratus which produces and supplies it occupies, 

 as is well known, a very confined locality." (The 

 above, with a great deal more information of a 

 similar kind, is to be found in the Transactions of the 

 Microscopical Society. I have not them by me at 

 the moment, and cannot name the volume.) As to 

 the supposed effect of the venom on the mouths of 

 dogs which attack toads, I cannot help thinking 

 that it is greatly exaggerated. That the fresh 

 matter is acrid and unpleasant is certain, and no 

 doubt it was given as a direct means of defence to 

 the much-persecuted animal; but I can hardly 

 believe that "on examination it is found that the 

 palate and tongue are swollen, and a viscous mucus 

 is exuded." Nor does the circumstance of " some 

 savages in South America using the acid fluid of 

 the cutaneous glands of the toad, instead of the 

 curara"— (is it certain, by the way, that they do ?)— 

 carry much weight with it. We all know that 

 many reptiles are poisonous : the question is 

 whether the English toad is so. However, as an 

 ounce of fact is worth whole reams of paper 

 argument, perhaps some correspondent may be able 

 to produce instances of positive poisoning by 

 contact with the living toad ; for the subject, though 

 not one of deep importance, is still of considerable 

 interest to lovers of natural history.— W. W. Spicer, 

 Clifton. 



Ants at the Crystal Palace.— A most inte- 

 resting addition to the attractions of the Crystal 

 Palace has just been made by an ant's nest, found 

 within the last few weeks by Mr. Robert Holt, 

 under the floor of his house at Lower Norwood. 

 Mr. Holt, who is the lessee of the French Court in 



the Crystal Palace, has taken care to preserve this 

 nest in its integrity as found, and it is now placed 

 on a marble pedestal in front of the French Court, 

 where it attracts great attention. The nest, which 

 appears to have been formed of masticated wood, is 

 about twelve inches square, and is full of perforations, 

 as the nests of other insects ; and the ants who have 

 created it may be seen swarming in and out of the 

 nest, and up and down the pedestal with their pro- 

 verbial activity. The base of the column is 

 immersed in a shallow tank of water, which 

 effectually prevents the escape of the insects from 

 the nest and column to which they are confined. 

 Food for the thousands of ants now occupying this 

 nest is of course provided. Within the last few 

 days they have reduced the carcase of a sparrow to 

 a skeleton, and nothing can be more interesting 

 than to witness the avidity with which a lump of 

 moistened sugar is sucked so dry by the thirsty 

 insects that they arc at last fain to carry off the solid 

 remains, as a provision for the future, to the inmost 

 recesses of the nest. Under the genial warmth of 

 the Crystal Palace, the ants, thus carefully tended, 

 set a daily example of activity and providence, and 

 are likely to prove a permanent attraction. — The 

 Standard, May 13th. 



What's in a Name?— A querist, at p. 119, 

 desires the etymology of Poll, as applied to the 

 parrot. This bird, called ^ittukoc by Plutarch, 

 was known to the ancients after the Eastern con- 

 quests achieved by Alexander the Great ; this name, 

 I fancy, means the "chatterer," from ipiGi'poc, to 

 chatter. With us moderns, the name of parrot is a 

 term of endearment, from Pierre, Peter, hence 

 Pierrot, Perroquet. Premising this, I may remark 

 that there are three plausible explanations of the 

 word Poll, or Polly:— 1, it may mean the well- 

 known diminutive of Mary, as applied to the female 

 bird. 2, it may refer to the poll, or head of this 

 bird, which in some species is distinguished by a 

 prominent crest, or cockade, hence cockatoo : domes- 

 ticated birds continually protrude this part, to solicit 

 the well-known salutation called " Scratch a poll, 

 Polly ! " 3, which I incline to myself, viz., Poll for 

 Paul, which, like Pierrot for Peter, is of apostolic 

 celebrity. Paul, or Paulus, is the diminutive of 

 Pauxillus, "very little;" I should fancy it might 

 very well be a pet name for this favourite bird ; and 

 coming to us from the French, would receive their 

 pronunciation of Pol. — A. H. 



Fan-tailed Carp. — I have a very peculiar 

 Golden Carp, which I purchased of a man who 

 hawked them about ; it is about four inches long, 

 and has a very peculiar tail, or more proper two 

 tails, , which instead of being perpendicular, are 

 horizontal. The man had another like it, and called 

 them fan-tails. — T. E. Clephan. 



