5° 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



stunted, scattered, and torn, and as a lower point is 

 approached, not only greater variety, but more 

 perfect specimens are discoverable, although the 

 delicate genera thrive in deep waters unaffected by 

 rough tidal influences ; many depending for favour- 

 able development on comparative darkness, and con- 

 tinuous immersion, may be found in rock pools, and 

 this condition is essentially the habitat of the 

 polysiphonia. 



Specimens of ceramium, lithothamnion, ptilota, and 

 many others (exquisite objects under low powers) 

 may be arranged or disposed for future examina- 

 tion by floating in a shallow vessel of fresh water, 

 lifting them on conveniently-sized pieces of stout 

 cartridge paper, and after superfluous water drained 

 off, drying in beds of blotting-paper under gentle 

 pressure. But for microscopic observation a selected 

 portion may be at once placed in a shallow cell, in 

 glycerine jelly covered and cemented by the usual 

 methods. Growing specimens thrive for a consider- 

 able time in small glass vases, or test tubes ; success 

 depending on placing them in moderate darkness, 

 and even temperature. 



A very simple and useful addition to the " material" 

 of a microscopist are pieces of ordinary glass (not too 

 thick), three and a half inches square ; between such 

 plates, specimens capable of being dried and 

 flattened without injury, as portions of fronds of 

 ferns, zoophytes, wings and parts of insects, sea- 

 weeds, and many various objects may be temporarily 

 stored, and thus protected from dust, or fracture. 

 The glasses are held together by strips of gummed 

 paper bordering the edges ; the advantage being they 

 can be examined on the stage of the microscope when 

 it is desired to select any part for a permanent 

 mount. 



Crouch End. 



NOTES ON MUSICAL MICE, &c. 



MICE to which is given the characteristic term of 

 "musical," or sometimes "whistling," or 

 " singing," because of a peculiar sound that certain of 

 them make, are known to the scientific world, as well 

 as to many others. I have had one of these mice in 

 my possession for some time, and the following are 

 observations made on it. The scientific world, it 

 would appear, is divided in opinion as to the music of 

 the musical mice, whether it is the effect of disease, 

 or a voluntary act. The property in which I dwell is 

 new, and when I took possession of it in May last the 

 tradesmen were not through with it, and then mice 

 were not to be expected in the house, neither did I 

 observe any in it, but from the 9th to the 16th June 

 a flock of mice took up their abode in the house, 

 probably driven hither by the taking down of an old 

 property near by. The musical mouse did not make 

 its appearance till 23 July, when, towards midnight, 



it came from under the grate, having probably made 

 its way to the top of the third story behind the ceiling 

 or in holes in the wall. I was at once attracted to 

 the mouse by its cry. The mouse wandered from the 

 fire-side and took up its abode below a chest of 

 drawers — its wherealiouts being well made out by its 

 incessant music or cry. I drove it from this retreat ; 

 and got it into the dark lobby, where, in pursuing it 

 with a lighted taper, I caught it with my hand. I 

 may mention that I believe this to have been the 

 mouse's first visit to this house, for, in moving through 

 the house it looked so like a stranger, yet when they 

 are suddenly exposed to light they get somewhat 

 bewildered. Of this I have often taken advantage 

 where they are numerous, as, for example, in a press 

 or cupboard. I have quietly but suddenly brought a 

 light into their presence, and in their bewilderment 

 have taken them with my hands, either to get rid of 

 them, or to have them for investigation. I put the 

 musical mouse into a cracked water carafe, in the 

 bottom of which was a small hole. To this new 

 situation it soon became reconciled. In it it slept 

 and ate, and when not sleeping it spent much of its 

 time in dressing itself, which it did with great activity 

 — sitting on its hind legs, with its tongue, like a cat, 

 but double as quick, it licked the fur on its belly, and 

 other parts, then licking its fore paws with its tongue, 

 it would dress the fur on its face and its ears. During 

 all these movements of itself, the music was kept up, 

 which, as I observed at the time, and entered in my 

 observation book as a " round-squeaking sound." 

 The only time I ever observed the music stopped was 

 when it got into a very deep sleep. Even when 

 pursued to be taken, its musical cry was kept up, but 

 only somewhat more rapidly, being caused, no doubt, 

 by the greater frequency of its breathing through 

 exertion, a fact that would seem to point to the cause 

 of the music as some disease of the respiratory organs. 

 In this water carafe it remained for over a week, and 

 became a favourite with the children — it taking frag- 

 ments of meat from their fingers, and, it may be added, 

 drank from a teaspoon — lapping with its tongue like 

 a cat, but much more rapidly. The children made 

 somewhat free with the mouse, and took it from the 

 water carafe in feeding it, when it made off, yet it 

 never left the house. After its escape from the water 

 carafe its cry or music became much changed, its note 

 was not the same, and was over a double louder, so 

 that its whereabouts behind the ceiling or otherwise 

 was known. I often went and surprised it and others 

 from the cupboard, from which it would jump making 

 a dull thud on the floor, but the others darted 

 timorously about to make off. After the mouse had 

 been some time at liberty, I got a box trap and set, 

 and after taking several other mice in it, the musical 

 mouse was secured — and at its music as usual even in 

 the trap. It was transferred from the trap to the 

 water carafe, which it seemed to remember ; and as 

 the carafe was on the floor it had to be removed, and 



