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HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



American Mummies. — There is now at San 

 Francisco a collection of newly found mummies, 

 forming one of the most remarkable discoveries ever 

 made in America. The mummies differ from 

 Egyptian ones in that they are generally quite naked, 

 only a few having a loose covering, and they have 

 evidently undergone no process of embalming. The 

 flesh is so thoroughly dried that it resembles parch- 

 ment, and the corpses are very light. The mummies 

 were found by a party of American goldseekers in one 

 of numerous branches of the Sierra Madre Mountains, 

 near the Gila, in Arizona. One day the goldseekers 

 discovered a cave, the entrance to which was closed 

 with a kind of cement very hard to break. Forcing an 

 entrance, the men found themselves in a kind of ante- 

 chamber, 30ft. long, hewn out of the living rock. 

 This led into a large hall, in which were lying a 

 number of dried up corpses. The discoverers at once 

 set to work to transport the mummies to the nearest 

 railway station, in spite of the opposition of the Apache 

 Indians, who soon heard of the discovery, and con- 

 sidered the remains to be those of their gods. All 

 the mummies were safely removed to San Francisco, 

 where they excite great interest in scientific circles. 

 The most remarkable among them is that of a mother 

 with her child, which lie together in a loose covering. 

 Another is the corpse of a woman with small feet, 

 arched insteps, long shapely hands, and the whole 

 figure of a different type to that of the modern 

 Indians. The hair of this mummy is long, black, and 

 not in the least spoiled. The remains of its covering 

 is of a blue colour, and quite different in material 

 from the cloth that covers other mummies. Very 

 interesting is the mummy of a man in a sitting posture. 

 It is of gigantic proportions, with broad and power- 

 ful chest. The grisly parts of the ears and nose are 

 quite recognisable, and the head is covered with 

 bushy black hair. The eyebrows are sharply defined, 

 and the dry and hard tongue protrudes between the 

 teeth. The members of the Scientific Society of San 

 Francisco unanimously believe these mummies to be 

 those of the ancient Aztecs. The corpses of the women 

 and of the young man shew all the physical peculiari- 

 ties said to have distinguished that once numerous race. 

 The high cheek bones and slanting eyes, thick skin, 

 and black hair, and general size (about 5 ft. 3 in.) all 

 agree. The mummies will shortly be forwarded to 

 the eastern States. 



Cuckoo's Note. — The cuckoo's note, as described 

 by W. E. Windus, is perfectly correct, but generally 

 to be noticed later on than June, never returning to 

 its original note. In its passing skimming flight 

 it would appear to be the male. I suppose it is 

 known this bird's peculiarity, in selecting a bird's 

 nest, generally the hedge sparrow, for deposit of its 

 e 2R s ) with the result of the insufficiency of room and 

 largely required nourishment, the almost total eviction 

 of the sparrow's offspring, and great exhaustion to the 

 foster-mother by their immense appetite. The nest 

 of the water-wagtail, " Yarrells," is said also to be so 

 appropriated. It may not have been observed that 

 there is a bird called the "cuckoo's mate" (so 

 named in Hertfordshire), which announces the 

 arrival, or quickly so, of the cuckoo; the colour of the 

 thrush, not so large, it usually sits on a bush by the 

 side of a path a little away from it and is not alarmed 

 at your presence nor moves when you throw a stone. I 

 have killed one by this means, and that was the name 

 given me, "cuckoo's mate." What is the origin of 

 " cuckoo, cherry-tree ?" Certainly it has a liking for 

 cherry-trees, and will perch on the top branches till you 

 C( me within one hundred feet, and then with a spring 

 and " cuck-cuckoo." They frequent the cherry-trees 



in Switzerland, is harmless and not destroyed — has a 

 large mouth which"aids its peculiar note — ravenous in 

 appetite.— Henry C. Russell. 



A Bee Story. — In 18S5 I was travelling on the 

 Assam Railway on my way to Sadiya, a political 

 outpost at the foot of the Abor Hills. The railway 

 only took me as far as a place called Talup, thirteen 

 miles to the right of which lay Sadiya. At one of 

 the intermediate stations a tea-planter got into the 

 carriage I was seated in, and after a very few minutes 

 we glided into conversation. In India, an introduction 

 is not always required. On hearing that I intended 

 proceeding to Sadiya the same evening, as there is no 

 rest-house at Talup, my newly-made friend (whom I 

 will call L.) very kindly offered me dinner and a bed 

 for the night, at the same time informing me that the 

 Brahmapootra river, which I had to cro-s on my way 

 to Sadiya, was in full flood, and that the crossing 

 could not be accomplished in less than two hours, by 

 which time it would be quite dark, also that the four 

 miles of road on the other side of the river was 

 dangerous, owing to the presence of tigers and wild 

 buffaloes. On hearing this, I thankfully accepted 

 his offer, and on arrival at Talup proceeded with him 

 to his bungalow. The bungalows in Assam are 

 almost all built on piles to keep them from being 

 flooded. They are usually constructed of wood and 

 the roofs thatched. L.'s bungalow was no exception 

 to the usual style of architecture, and after mounting 

 the wooden staircase leading from the porch, and 

 crossing a small verandah, the main portion of which 

 was occupied with baskets of oranges, pruning knives, 

 hoes, &c, I found myself in the central room, which 

 served both as dining and sitting-room. I took a 

 seat next the table facing the window, and with my 

 back to an almiratt (store, or linen cupboard), placed 

 against the wall near the door by which I had entered. 

 I had not occupied this seat many minutes before I 

 became aware of a buzzing sound close to my ear, 

 followed by an irritating feeling of being crawled 

 over by wasps or bees. L., seeing my discomfort (I 

 had begun to fling my arms about rather wildly), 

 suggested my taking a chair in one of the corners 

 near the window, which was, he said, free from 

 annoyances of this sort. He then pointed out that 

 the chair I had originally occupied was in a direct 

 line between the almirall and the window, and 

 informed me that a large swarm of bees occupied the 

 almirall, and had done so for three years, despite his 

 attempts to get rid of them. He had twice smoked 

 them out, and taken all their honey, but they returned 

 each time, and now he had given in to them. I then 

 noticed for the first time that a continual flight of 

 bees took place between the almirall and the window, 

 passing right across the length of the table. The 

 window was hung with chicks (blinds made of thin 

 laths or sticks strung together), but the bees appeared 

 to find no difficulty in squeezing their way in or out. 

 The floor was also covered with bees which had 

 fallen, overladen with honey or pollen. I am fond 

 of bees, but I prefer them at a distance ; so, in my 

 present position, felt anything but comfortable until 

 the sun went down and the bees went to bed. I then 

 emerged from my retre it, and on tiptoe approached 

 the almirall, the door of which I opened wide. 

 Underneath the lower shelf the bees had attached 

 their comb, and very happy and busy they seemed. 

 It was a large swarm of the larger kind of Indian 

 bee. I was surprised to observe that a lizard and a 

 couple of cockroaches occupied the same almirall, 

 and that the bees appeared to treat them amicably. 

 Whilst I was watching, one of the cockroaches 

 approached the apex of the comb, walking, with 



