40 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



•distinguishes Eylais from all other mites ; the hind 

 tarsi also have claws. The differences between these 

 mites are therefore sufficiently marked and numerous. 

 They differ in the shape of their bodies, in the texture 

 of their skin, in the position of the eyes, in the form 

 ■of proboscis and palpi, and notably in the structure 

 of their hind legs. The genital plates of Limnesia are 

 also very characteristic ; they differ in the various 

 species, and will no doubt, when better known, be 

 aids of great value in their discrimination. 



When Eylais extendens is kept in an aquarium, or 

 even in a wide-mouthed bottle, it lays large quantities 

 ■of eggs of a brilliant scarlet ; these produce a minute 

 six-legged larva, not in the least like the parent mite ; 

 they are very active, running about apparently with 

 equal ease on the glass or on the surface of the water, 

 and no doubt become parasitic ; but I have not yet 

 discovered what is the host, although I have had 

 scores of the eggs hatched at various times. With 

 regard to the parasite of Dytiscus, I have been able 

 to keep the beetle in an aquarium until the mite 

 reached the next stage, when it detached itself from 

 its host : it belongs to the sub-family Hydrachna, 

 which is distinguished from all other Hydrachnidre 

 by having a long proboscis, almost, or quite, as long 

 as the palpi. 



C. F. George. 



THE FOUR-SPINED STICKLEBACK. 



ALTHOUGH it is well known that the four- 

 spined stickleback, as well as many other 

 fresh and salt water fish, is in the habit of building 

 nests, it may interest some of your non-scientific 

 readers if I give a short account of one which I have 

 in an aquarium. Before I begin, I may mention that 

 the individual to which I refer is darker in colour, 

 and has the lower jaw. more elongated than any of 

 the others I have, and I believe is a male fish. He 

 had not been twenty-four hours in the tank before he 

 began to collect the finest fibres of roots, and to 

 weave them among the fronds of a small hart's-tongue 

 fern, and, after incessant labour for two days, he had 

 constructed a beautiful nest about the size and shape 

 of an elongated walnut. Having made the exterior, 

 he then lined it with still finer material, until it was 

 quite opaque, and at length put the finishing touches 

 to it by crawling (I can call it by no other term) all 

 over the outside until it was perfectly smooth. 

 Having finished it to his satisfaction, he sallied forth 

 to seek for a wife, and having set his affections on a 

 female heavy with spawn, he chased her for half an 

 hour, when having succumbed to his attentions, they 

 swam quite slowly together up to the nest. Here 

 they remained for a minute or two, when he put his 

 mouth to her gill, and he appeared to lead her to 

 the entrance, into which she went, and settled down 

 into the nest. How long she would have remained 

 there I know not, but, unfortunately, he bit her tail 



which was projecting out, and she left the nest ; and 

 although he has been incessant in his attentions to 

 others, he has not again been able to induce another 

 one to enter. His time is occupied when not chasing 

 other fish, in repairing the nest, constantly pulling 

 bits out, and taking fresh material to it. Whenever 

 he has been inside himself, his whole body stiffens 

 and quivers with excitement. He is very pugnacious 

 and jealous, and if an unfortunate caddis-worm or 

 "boatman" comes near, he carries off the former 

 bodily, and generally manages to frighten off the 

 latter. Two stone loaches are objects of his par- 

 ticular hatred. If this simple account is worthy of a 

 place in your valuable journal, I shall feel obliged if 



you will insert it. 



A. H. Smith. 



IN MONTIBUS SANCTIS.* 

 John Ruskin— Loquitur. 



TIS strange my form of scientific thinking 

 Upon the public fails to bite or hold ; 

 My name with Art it ever will be linking, 

 Obdurate, deaf, to other truth, it's told. 



Oft have I sought the Geological Society, 

 Of which I've been a Fellow for so long. 



My great discoveries shook its cold propriety, 

 It treats me with neglect — 'tis shameful — 

 wrong. — 



For with a little clay, and sand, and sugar, 

 The earnest student soon may make a trial ; 



And, in two jiffeys with some lugger mugger, 

 Learn geologic truths unknown to Lyell. 



Oh, vain and foolish men, they cannot tell 

 How grew the stone on aklermanic finger, 



Yet on "catastrophes of chaos" dwell 

 Or on the earth's creation longer linger. 



For one and sixpence spent upon my teaching, 

 They'd, learn how mountains crystal folds 

 enclose. 



How grew the faults, — a theory far reaching — 

 Like crystals how contortions first enclose. 



How folds in agates do those truths express, 

 Which rub so much 'gainst geologic grain ; 



How all creation beauty doth impress, 

 While mine it is to make that beauty plain. 



A Conifer. 



At the monthly meeting of the Geologists' Associa- 

 tion on Tanuary 2nd, Dr. Hicks (President) read a 

 paper on "Some Recent Views Concerning the Geology 

 of the North-West Highlands ; " and Mr. J. Allen 

 Brown, another on "Paleolithic Man of the Thames 

 Valley in North-west Middlesex." 



* Part I. " Of the Distinctions of Form in Silica." 



