202 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



.[Sept. 1, 1870. 



identify the animal if he catches one. As in the 

 case of Nymphou, little or nothing appears to be 

 known about them ; they are very numerous on our 

 coasts, and seem to be found all over the world. 



In fig. 189, a a denote the anterior lateral fins ; 

 b b, the posterior lateral fins ; c, the caudal fin ; 

 d, the eye-spots. In fig. 190, a denotes the oral 

 denticles ; b, the mouth ; c, the hooks. 



Last of all we notice a little eel-like thing, Syn- 

 gnathus ophidion — the Straight-nosed Pipe-fish. 

 Smaller than most of his allies, he is easily dis- 

 tinguished from all by the straightness of his nose s 

 and by the tip end of his tail being smooth and 

 round, and destitute of a caudal fin. The smallest 

 of all the British species is S. lumbriciformis, the 

 Worm Pipe-fish, which is comparatively rare ; like 

 S. ophidian, his tail is smooth and finless ; but he 

 has a little pug nose, which is bent up in the air 

 like the nose of a King Charles's spaniel. 



The other British species are : S. Acus, the Great 

 Pipe-fish ; S. Typhle, the Deep-nosed Pipe-fish ; 

 S. cequoreus, and S. anguineus, whose heads and 

 tails are given for identification. 



Fig. 191. Syngnuthus Acus, nat size. 



Fig. ]Q2. Syngnathits Typhle, nat. size. 



Fig. J 93. Syngnuthus rsquoreus, nat. size. 



We once kept S. ophidion for three months in an 

 aquarium ; he was particularly remarkable for per- 

 petually getting himself swallowed by the large ane- 

 mones. Whether his skin was too tough, or he 

 didn't agree with them, wc cannot say : but thev 



invariably " rejected " him after a few minutes, and 

 at last they ceased to pull him in, when his tail, 

 which hung dangling down, dragged across their 



tentacles. 



Fig. 194. Syngnathus anguineus, nat. size. 



"We have trespassed largely upon the limited 

 space afforded by the pages of this publication; but 

 we have only been able to draw attention to a few 

 of the many creatures that are certain to be caught 

 within the short space of one hour. There are 

 swarms of Cypridce and other entomostracans, and 

 larval forms of crustaceans without end. 



Perhaps some of our friends who are now rushing 



off to the seaside may think it worth their while to 



skim the surface of the blue water after sunset, and 



--to try what they can catch with a home-made 



towing-net. 



Bury Cross, Gosport. 



PLOP A L FINDINGS-SEPTEMBER. 



" Far and wide — 

 Nature is smiling in her loveliness." 



Street 



SEPTEMBER will have arrived in all its autumnal 

 ^ beauty before these jottings are seen in print, 

 consequently I trust that, although 1 do pen them a 

 few days in advance, I shall not be so severely taken 

 to task for the heading I have selected, as I was 

 when my last " Floral Findings " unfortunately 

 appeared in mid-winter. 



Every true lover of the country must acknow- 

 ledge the charm of September scenery; there is so 

 much to be studied and admired in this month : the 

 ever-changing foliage of the woods and hedgerows, 

 the wondrous skies, the golden cornfields, merry 

 reapers and busy gleaners, all attract us in turn. 



Have you ever noticed how softly the haze of a 

 September morning seems to blend in with the 

 entire landscape, or how strongly the rays of a 

 bright September sun throw out every feature in 

 the scene, whether it be ruined castle or ivy-man- 

 tled spire, tumble-down mill or fine old oak " han- 

 ger," russet-coloured fern-bank or heath-covered 

 moor? There is one dear, loved spot in South Wales, 

 a wild mountain waste, from whose summit six 

 counties are visible, always carpeted with the purple 

 ling bloom during the month of September, and 

 there, evening after evening in the days gone by, I 

 used to ride and watch the setting sun, my " fan- 

 ciful imagination" almost picturing heaven, with 

 its "gates ajar," behind those glorious broken 



