202 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



The third portion consists of a series of hood- 

 shaped vesicles, and these (I observed while sketching 

 the animal) maintain a gentle waving motion to and 

 fro ; their use, besides being probably branchial, 

 being thus evidently to cause a flow of water through 

 the tube in which the animal dwells, and which will 

 be described immediately. 



The last portion of the worm, comprising about 

 half of its entire length, consists of twenty segments ; 

 each bearing a pair of appendages of a tapered 

 tubular form, and each containing a bunch of bristles 

 arranged as in the ninth pair. 



These segments and their appendages gradually 

 diminish in size towards the end of the worm, ending 

 in a point. 



The tube formed and inhabited by Chsetopterus 

 is about twenty-four inches long, and from three- 

 quarters of an inch to one inch in diameter. In the 

 species described, it is always fixed in the sand in the 

 form of the letter "U." It is open at both ends, 

 and with its ends projecting about two inches above 

 the sand some seven or eight inches apart. 



(In the other species which I have alluded to, the 

 tube is horizontal, adhering to the under side of 

 stones, in the same manner as that of Terebella 

 nebulosa. ) 



A curious feature in the tube is that there are 

 always one or two "tail pieces" at one end pro- 

 jecting at about right angles from the main tube. It 

 is difficult to conjecture their purpose, as they do not 

 always communicate with the tube internally. 



The tube is of parchment-like consistency, very 

 smooth within, and coated externally with sand and 

 broken shell. 



Although this animal is very local, and by no 

 means common in the littoral region, and also very 

 seldom taken with the dredge, it must be fairly 

 abundant in deep water, for portions of its tube can 

 be seen among the weed washed up after every 

 storm. And every observant visitor to the shore 

 must be familiar with them — perhaps taking them for 

 the hollowed out stems of Laminaria, which, when 

 denuded of their coating of sand, &c, by the sea, they 

 closely resemble. 



A very beautiful worm, allied to the familiar 

 Polynoe, with a double row of iridescent pearly 

 scales along its back, inhabits the same tube as the 

 Chsetopteruso This is Hermothoe malmgreni, Lank. 



Jersey. J. Sinel. 



Extinction of the Primrose. — Referring to 

 the remarks in your current number on this subject, I 

 think " Amat or Naturae " need have no fears that this 

 favourite spring flower is becoming extinct. it 

 certainly in this district appears in greater profusion 

 than ever. During my experience of about twenty- 

 five years in this vicinity, I have never seen such a 

 display as we were favoured with during the past 

 spring.— 7. IV. C. 



ASTRONOMY AND METEOROLOGY. 

 By John Browning, F.R.A.S. 



THE partial eclipse of the moon was well seen, at 

 least from my house at Bromley Common. It 

 amused me to find that most persons thought for the 

 first half-hour, that a peculiarly dense cloud had 

 formed, and was stationary in front of the lower 

 edge of the moon. I observed the eclipse through a 

 powerful binocular field glass. This instrument, for 

 the particular purpose, gives better results than a 

 large astronomical telescope. The eclipse began at 

 7 hrs. 36 min. aft., and finished at 10 hrs. 2 min. aft. 

 At about nine o'clock p.m., the copper colour so 

 frequently seen in a lunar eclipse was clearly visible. 



Professor Tacchini states that the solar spots 

 observed at Rome in the first quarter of the present 

 year, were fewer, smaller and less active than those 

 observed in the latter part of the year 18S6. There 

 was, however, an outburst of solar activity in June, 

 and one solar spot appeared on the 8th of June, 

 which was visible for several days to the eye without 

 a telescope. 



The Royal Astronomical are in vacation ; as the 

 majority of the Fellows are men exceptionally active 

 in their business or professional occupations, they are 

 doubtless enjoying their well-earned leisure. Until 

 we have news of the observations of the Solar Eclipse 

 of Aug. 19th, it is not probable there will be much of 

 astronomical interest to chronicle. 



In September there will be no occultation of any 

 star above the fifth magnitude. 



Mercury will be a morning star early in the month, 

 and an evening star towards the end. 



Mars will be a morning star in Cancer till about 

 the 19th, when it enters Leo. 



Jupiter will be an evening star, and will be found 

 between Virgo and Libra. 



Saturn will be in Cancer throughout the month. 



Meteorology. — In September the temperature be- 

 gins to decline on an average three or four degrees. 

 The average temperature on the South coast for 

 September is 59 . Across England from the Bristol 

 Channel to Norwich it is 58 . From the Mersey to 

 the Humber it is 57° From Lancaster to Flam- 

 borough Head it is 56 , and from Wigtown and 

 Kirkcudbright through Jedburgh, it is 55 . 



At the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, the highest 

 reading of the barometer for the week ending 23rd 

 July was 30.11 in. on Tuesday evening, and the 

 lowest 29.82 in. on Friday evening. The mean 

 temperature of the air was 63.4 deg., and 0.2 deg. 

 above the average. The general direction of the 

 wind was N.E. Rain fell on Sunday to the amount 

 of 0.48 of an inch. The duration of registered 

 bright sunshine in the week was 76.8 hours, against 

 74.3 hours at Glynde Place, Lewes. 



