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HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



GOSSIP ON CURRENT TOPICS. 



By W. Mattieu Williams, F.R.A.S., F.C.S. 



THE INCUBATION AND PRESERVATION 

 OF SOLES.— It is satisfactory to learn that 

 the reproduction of the sole is being energetically 

 carried on in France, where a laboratory was estab- 

 lished in 1 88 1 by Dr. Joussett, especially for this 

 purpose, and that the ova have been regularly incu- 

 bated with success. It would be still more satis- 

 factory to learn that the like is being done in this 

 country. But even if this were the case, we should 

 only have taken a preliminary step towards the 

 restoration of the supply of one of the best of our food 

 fishes. In spite of Dr. Huxley and others, who 

 maintain that the action of our fishing is barely 

 measurable in checking the reproduction of fishes, I 

 am convinced that trawling effects a positive devasta- 

 tion of every sole-bank to which it is applied. Any 

 of my readers who doubt this should take a trip in 

 one of our south-coast or other trawlers, and note 

 the efficient sweeping of the sea-bottom by the trawl, 

 which travels along a track as broad as the length of 

 the vessel. More than an acre per hour of the harvest 

 of the sea is thus mown down, and the number of 

 vessels doing this may be counted in thousands. I 

 only speak of the ordinary sailing trawlers. Where 

 steam is applied the effect is vastly magnified. A 

 convincing proof of this destruction is afforded 

 by the fate of the "Silver Bank," which was dis- 

 covered on our east coast about forty years ago. I 

 remember it well. Soles were retailed in London at 

 twopence per pound, and specimens of enormous 

 size were specially abundant. Gradually the size 

 diminished and the quantity declined ; finally the 

 harvest consisted -chiefly of "slips;" and now the 

 Silver Bank is practically ruined, and the price of 

 soles has risen about one thousand per cent, in the 

 market. The sole is a small-mouthed fish, with a 

 small stomach and temperate habits. It grows 

 slowly, is better protected against voracious enemies 

 than shoal-swimming fishes, but falls an easy victim 

 to the machinery of man. Therefore it needs 

 especial protection against man, and this might be 

 afforded by prohibiting the sale of slips under 

 a certain size, say six inches in length. All that are 

 smaller may easily be returned alive, as they live out 

 of water a considerable length of time. I have seen 

 them alive six or eight hours after being caught in 

 cool weather. 



The Electrical Eel. — In reference to the letter 

 of Mr. Jackson (page 71 of last number) I may add 

 to the testimony there given that I took a shock from 

 the electrical eel that was exhibited in the Adelaide 

 Gallery many years ago. I plunged both hands in 

 the water, intending to grasp the fish, but failed to 

 reach it ; received a very severe shock when at some 



distance, probably three or four inches, the sensa- 

 tional nature of the experiment rendering any ap- 

 proach to accurate estimation of the distance quite 

 impossible. 



The Mountains of Denmark.— Denmark is a 

 very flat country, as everybody knows, but a recent 

 discussion among Danish geographers concerning the 

 highest summit of the country indicates a moderation 

 in the matter of elevation which exceeds the esti- 

 mates of most of us, especially if we translate the 

 name of the Himmelbjerg, which has long enjoyed 

 the distinction of being the king of all the mountains 

 of Denmark. Himmelbjerg signifies the Heaven- 

 mountain, the hill whose summit tops the skies. 

 The Danes are evidently thankful for small mercies 

 in the way of mountains, this great enthroned 

 monarch having an elevation of 147 metres, i.e. 482 

 feet. It now appears that the Himmelbjerg must 

 abdicate in favour of mightier rivals — must take third 

 place — recent measurements having shown that in the 

 forest of Ky there are two that overtop the heavens, 

 one of them being 163 metres (535 feet) high. 

 "Nature" refers to these as "unnamed heights." 

 They may well be unnamed, as it would be difficult 

 to find a superlative to Himmelbjerg. 



Moss IN Deep Water. — The limits of life in dark- 

 ness have yet to be determined. The deep sea 

 explorations have revealed the existence of living 

 animals at depths where a priori reasoning had 

 previously led to the conclusion that such life is 

 impossible, and some have supposed that the dark- 

 ness at such depths is relieved by the phosphorescence 

 of the animals themselves. This, however, does not 

 appear to have been confirmed. These animate 

 probably feed chiefly on the sinking remains of 

 animals and plants that pass their lives near to the 

 surface. . M. Bocion, of the cantonal industrial 

 school of Lausanne, has found a bright green moss 

 growing on calcareous rock at the bottom 0/ the 

 Lake of Geneva, at a depth of 200 feet. Although 

 some sensible amount of light penetrates to this, 

 depth, the amount must be very small — far less than 

 has hitherto been supposed to be absolutely necessary 

 for the formation of chlorophyll. 



The Subjugation of the Phylloxera in 

 France.— Frenchmen of the old school are still 

 proud of the military achievements of their nation. 

 I say "of the old school," having found in the 

 course of my pedestrian wanderings in France that 

 " la gloire," etc., are sadly at a discount among the 

 majority of genuine Frenchmen, i.e. the French 

 peasantry. Parisians I don't count— Paris is not 

 France. A great battle has recently been fought in 

 France, and still rages. The enemy has invaded the 

 country, taken possession of the richest produce of 

 its richest provinces, has held them during about ten 



