10 



HARD WICKE ' S S CIE NCE - G SSI P. 



them to remember that the cotton hair is one long 

 cell, 1200-1500 times as long as broad. The method 

 of growth is by the successive linear development of 

 cells at the apex of the fibres, the cell-wall at the 

 point of juncture being gradually absorbed until an 

 exceedingly elongated cell isjproduced, which consti- 

 tutes the cotton hair. 



Whilst growth is progressing the fibre preserves a 

 hollow cylinder, in which the vital fluids of the plant 

 circulate, and so deposit material on the inner 

 surface of the cell-walls. In this way the cell walls 

 increase in thickness. When maturity comes, the sap 

 is gradually withdrawn into the seeds, and a vacuum 

 is formed, commencing at the apex of the fibre, at 

 which point it begins to collapse, following the 

 retreating fluid down to the base of the fibre. The 

 consequence is that the apex of the cotton fibre is 

 twisted upon its own axis a number of times. Thus 

 it is we have the cotton hair, a twisted ribbon-like 

 hair, with corded edges so admirably fitted for the 

 purpose for which it has been adapted by man. 

 These corded edges are caused simply by the binding 

 of the cell walls upon themselves in the action of 

 collapsing, and are found on every perfectly developed 

 fibre. 



I have made a number of observations to see 

 whether these twists are regular in the same class of 

 cotton, and also to find the average number of twists 

 per inch. As to the former, I find that in ripe 

 cotton the twists are regular, but there is so much 

 cotton received in England that is unripe, or only 

 half-ripe, that the number of twists vary much when 

 taking an average of the bulk of the cotton. Below 

 I give the number of twists per inch in several kinds 

 of cotton : 



Class. 



Sea Islands . 

 Orleans (America) 

 Egyptian 

 Broach (E. India) 

 Persian 



No. of twists 

 per inch. 



225-275 



110-244 



160-200 



90-210 



90-165 



Average. 



No. 



245 

 175 

 175 

 144 

 120 



It has been thought this twist was the result of 

 cultivation, but it has been found in the wild cotton 

 of Africa, though very irregular. Cultivation has, 

 however, much improved the cotton fibre, both in 

 length, strength, and regularity. 



{To be continued.') 



Mimulus luteus.— In August, 1884, 1 found this 

 plant growing abundantly on the banks of the river 

 Marau in Hertfordshire. The Marau is a stream 

 which runs through Penshanger Park, and also forms 

 Tewin Water, and in several spots between these 

 two, the mimulus was flowering freely in large 

 golden masses, together with mint, forget-me-not, 

 &C. — A. Warner, Hoddesdon, Herts. 



ENTOMOLOGICAL LITERATURE. 

 (MUFFET'S THEATRUM IXSECTORUM.) 



ONE day, some little time ago, as I was turning 

 over a pile of old books on a street stall, I 

 came upon a small Latin folio, of ancient ap- 

 pearance, containing a number of woodcuts of 

 insects. It bore the following inscription on its 

 title page, viz. : — 'Tnsectorum sive Minimorum 

 Animalium Theatrum. Olim ab Edvardo Wottono, 

 Conrado Gesnero, Thomaque Pennio inchoatum. 

 Tandem Tho. Moufeti Londinatis opera sumpti- 

 busq. Maximis concinnatum, auctum, perfectum, 

 etc. etc. Londini, 1634." I recognised the name 

 of Muffet at once, and proceeded to strike a bargain 

 with the vendor, the result of which was, that for a 

 trifling sum, I became the owner of the interesting- 

 looking volume. Arrived at home, I made a minute 

 inspection of my purchase. It was, as above 

 mentioned, a small folio in Latin, closely printed, 

 and rather profusely illustrated, wtth crude, but 

 somewhat striking, woodcuts of the various species 

 of insects, arranged pretty regularly, according to 

 their different orders. It was printed in London 

 in the reign of Charles I., A.D. 1634, just two 

 centuries and a half ago. Subsequent investigations^ 

 revealed the fact that I had come into the possession, 

 not only of a copy of an early work on Entomology, 

 but of a much more important production, and, 

 indeed, the very first book ever published on all 

 orders of insects as a separate volume. Although I 

 call it the first important book on Entomology, it 

 must not be supposed that there was nothing written 

 about insects previously. The fact is, several works 

 prior to this treated of them amongst other things, 

 but were not devoted wholly to them ; others, again, 

 were published, wholly devoted to certain species, 

 such as hive bees, silkworms, &c. ; but this 

 was the first book which treated of Entomology 

 exclusively, and which also described all orders of 

 insects. The unexpected acquisition of this inter- 

 esting work induced me to devote some little time to 

 " hunting up " the early literature of Entomology; 

 and I now propose to give some notes, which I 

 have collected on the subject, shewing its progress 

 from the first notices we find of insects in any 

 writings, till the science arrived at the dignity of a 

 whole Latin folio to itself. 



Entomology is, comparatively speaking, a young 

 science, and was not esteemed of much consequence 

 till, we may almost say, the commencement of the 

 present century. Botany, no doubt, on account of 

 its close connection with medicine ; and mineralogy, 

 linked as it was with chemistry (whose great theme 

 was to find out the far-famed "philosopher's stone," 

 which was to turn everything it touched into gold) 

 were both studied all through the middle ages, while 

 hardly anyone took any notice of Natural History*. 



