>02 



HARD Wl CKE *S S C1ENCE - G O SSI P. 



New societies should not aim too high. Let them 

 accept papers on any subject connected with natural 

 history, and endeavour to raise good discussions on 

 them. The subscription fee should not be too much — 

 never more than half-a-crown or five shillings a-year, 

 or the pocket will affect the members. We have in- 

 variably found the most prosperous societies and clubs 

 those which charged the smallest subscriptions. In 

 almost every village, to say nothing of towns, there 

 would be little difficulty in hiring, or even in obtain- 

 ing free, some school-room, either in connection with 

 church or chapel. Indeed, numerously attended 

 churches and chapels have started scientific clubs of 

 their own, so beneficial has it been found to found a 

 society that will find intellectual work for young 

 men. The rules of a young club should be as few 

 and simple as possible, and as free from penal 

 clauses. At first, it would be as well to think of 

 nothing but mutual instruction in scientific matters. 

 Afterwards, the careful study and cataloguing of the 

 plants, insects, birds, fossils, &c, of the neighbour- 

 hood might be considered. 



Some very young societies are ambitious early to 

 appear in print, and to publish their own "Trans- 

 actions" or "Proceedings." This is well enough 

 when there is anything really worth publishing, but 

 even then there are plenty of magazines willing to 

 publish such papers, and able to give them a wider 

 publicity than they could have obtained locally. 

 Young societies soon find printing and publishing 

 very expensive, and it is frequently a source of vexa- 

 tion to the members. This matter, therefore, should 

 be left out of consideration when it is intended to 

 start a new society. If there be any surplus money, 

 let it be spent in purchasing such high-priced stan- 

 dard books or magazines as would perhaps be beyond 

 the pockets of many members, and these could be 

 circulated in the usual manner. We have known 

 successful instances of members specially combining 

 to circulate such books among themselves, in addi- 

 tion to any which might be obtainable from the 

 society's library. The summer excursions should 

 not be numerous —not more than two or three during 

 the season. Half a day will be often found long 

 enough to do a great deal of real good work in. If 

 the society limits its members to the male sex, there 

 is no reason why they should not enjoy the pleasure 

 of ladies during the summer excursions. To con- 

 clude, the chief things to be considered are, (i) 

 earnest study (no matter by how few, for the 

 numbers will increase if the original members can 

 only "learn to labour and to wait") ; (2) an absence 

 of any pretension to intellectual superiority ; (3) 

 an endeavour to make the membership as cheap 

 and inexclusive as possible, so as to throw the 

 society open to all classes — the only specification 

 being a love for scientific subjects, even if there 

 be not always the means or the opportunity to 

 cherish it. 



"BRUCE," THE MANCHESTER FIRE 

 HORSE. 



AT the latter part of the spring of 1864 " Our 

 Bruce " was born ; he soon began to show 

 signs of a very promising hunter, of over sixteen 

 hands, and in due course commenced his training for 

 the chase. At five years old he had grown to a 

 beautiful animal, very docile and tractive — his mottled 

 grey coat the pride of the groom and the admiration 

 of his master. "Our Bruce," in the hunting-field, 

 once stumbled, and, in consequence, lost the con- 

 fidence of his master, who disposed of him to the 

 Manchester Carriage Company. In the early part 

 of the year 1870, he was sold by the Carriage Com- 

 pany to the Manchester Corporation for the fire- 

 engine department, and commenced his duties on 

 the 24th March. His general appearance, and kind, 

 tractable, willing ways were soon noticed by the 

 firemen, and in less than a month after he joined 

 the brigade he was the favourite of the whole estab- 

 lishment, having pretty well the free run of the yard, 

 in which he caused much diversion by his singular 

 and funny ways. He was always full of innocent 

 mischief, and one of his greatest delights was to 

 chase the men about the yard. It sometimes hap- 

 pened that he was let out for a gambol when the 

 children were playing. On such occasions it was 

 most interesting to notice how careful he was in not 

 going too near them. At other times, when the 

 engines were in the yard, he seemed not to forget 

 his early training as a hunter, and would amuse him- 

 self by jumping over the poles. When tired, lie 

 would lift the latch of the door and go into his 

 stable, and just as easily, after a rest, when the stable- 

 door was closed, he would let himself out again, or 

 knock loudly at the door to attract attention. Near 

 the stable-door there is a water-tap with a revolving 

 handle. "Our Brace " would turn the handle with 

 ease and help himself to a drink. It sometimes 

 happened that a hose-pipe would be attached to the 

 tap ; this would not cause him the least inconvenience ; 

 in such a case, after turning on the tap, he would lift 

 up the end of the hose-pipe with 'his teeth and hold 

 the end in his mouth until he had satisfied his thirst. 

 Many curious anecdotes could be told about our pet : 

 how on one occasion he picked up the end of the 

 hose and wetted one of the firemen who had offended 

 him ; how, at a fire, he would stand amidst the greatest 

 noise and excitement, with showers of sparks falling 

 around him, and on his beautiful coat, only to be 

 shook off ; and at other times completely enveloped 

 in smoke ; but there was no shying or fretting under 

 fire or smoke with "Our Brace." He seemed to 

 know that he had brought those who would fight 

 that ruthless tyrant fire, and he stood proud and 

 confident that before long he would return home 

 with the victors, when, after being refreshed and 

 groomed, he would again be ready, always first, for 

 the next " turn out." 



