HARD WICKE 'S SCIENCE - GOSSIP. 



"3 



Dunkirk U.S. Microscopical Society (published in 

 the Anwrica n Journal of Microscopy for March), 

 makes the following remarks : — " We often hear the 

 diatomists spoken of in terms of contempt. They 

 are now regarded by the histologist as a class of 

 observers who use the microscope as a mere play- 

 thing, and the fact that diatomists are not altogether 

 agreed as to the structure of these favourite shells is 

 often used as an argument to show the folly of 

 studying diatomaceoe at all. All this, my friends, 

 is sheer sophistry. The study of the diatomaceas is 

 as legitimate as that of any other branch of the 

 science of Biology, and the labours of the diatomists 

 have not been for nought : it is to them, and to 

 their constant demands on the optician, that we 

 are indebted for the wonderful improvements which 

 have been made in object-glasses ; and I am bold 

 enough to tell you that skilful diatomists can tell 

 you as much about the structure of a diatom as 

 can the pathologist equally skilled inform you as 

 to the structure of a blood-corpuscle. But to the 

 student, to those who desire to prepare themselves 

 for advanced work, the study of the diatomacece 

 cannot be neglected. No line of practice has yet 

 been discovered that will teach the student the use 

 and management of his tools that can at all com- 

 pete with the superior claims of these minute 

 organisms. It is said that ' adversity tries us, and 

 shows up our best qualities.' The little shells, too, 

 will try the would-be manipulator, and, like the 

 country judge, show up his worst qualities." 



ZOOLOGY. 



The Literary and Philosophical Society 

 of Liverpool. — The "Proceedings" of this well- 

 known society always contain welcome matter. The 

 thirty-first volume is now to hand, containing a mas- 

 terly address by Mr. A. J. Mott on Haeckel's " His- 

 tory of Creation," in which the writer opposes the 

 evolutionistic view. Mr. J. A. Picton, a well-known 

 antiquary, and president, publishes his presidential 

 addresson "The Present State of Linguistic Science"; 

 Mr. Edward Davies has an essay concerning " Popu- 

 lar Errors about Poisons "; Mr. George Morton one 

 on "The Introduction of Geological Maps"; Mr. 

 Alfred Morgan another on " The Origin and Progress 

 of the United States Geological and Geographical 

 Survey of the Territories"; the Rev. H. H. Higgins 

 one on " The Liverpool Museum Reports," &c. 

 Besides the above there are numerous papers on 

 purely scholastic and literary matters. A handsome 

 and bulky volume is thus compiled. 



Natural History Societies. — We have received 

 the eighth annual report of the Wellington College 

 Natural History Society, and are pleased to find indi- 

 cations of increased vigour on the part of the members. 

 It is an excellent thing to find natural science culti- 



vated for its own sake by the students of our public 

 schools, and still more so to find, as this and other 

 reports give evidence of, that the students are doing 

 actual field work, and thus contributing to the solid 

 stores of scientific information. The present report 

 shows that in addition to various papers read and 

 excursions made, the botany and ornithology, &c, of 

 the district has been worked, collections and observa- 

 tions made, and lists published of the results. We 

 wish the Society continued success in its ardent and 

 praiseworthy labours. The Huddersfield Naturalists' 

 Society, established in 1847, for the promotion of 

 knowledge in various branches of Natural History, 

 have issued their list of members, &c. ; each member 

 has the special study to which he is attached placed 

 after his name. Curators are appointed for the 

 departments of conchology, botany, entomology, 

 zoology. The report of the Chichester and West Sus- 

 sex Natural History and Microscopical Society, just 

 issued, shows that the Society is in a healthy con- 

 dition. At no previous period has the number of 

 working members been so great as at present. 

 Eighteen papers on various natural-history subjects 

 were read during the session just terminated. 



Toad and Goldfish. — -The incident which Mr. 

 Horace Pearse relates (p. 94) of his Goldfish being so 

 tenaciously embraced by a toad, is easily explained 

 by a knowledge of the habits of toads and frogs. At 

 this season of the year, or a little earlier, when their 

 generative instinct is intensely strong, the male clasps 

 the body of the female with his fore-legs in order to 

 fecundate the ova as they are emitted. To enable 

 him to do this the more firmly, a small digit or warty 

 protuberance is temporarily developed in the thumbs, 

 and the hold is thus rendered so secure that it requires 

 considerable force to effect a separation. It was in 

 obedience to this strong instinctive impulse that the 

 toad in question grasped the goldfish "firmly by 

 the head in his front legs." That male frogs should 

 attach themselves to the surface even of large fishes 

 is not an unfrequent occurrence, and old Izaak Walton 

 referring to a fact of this kind, attributes it (erro- 

 neously of course) to a "great antipathy betwixt the 

 pike and some frogs." — Ed. Hart Vinen, M.D. 



The "Harvestmen." — Mr. J, H. Cary, in his 

 interesting observations on the Harvestmen or Pha- 

 langiida?, desires to have further information on the 

 subject. The monograph on the British species by 

 Mr. R. H. Meade, F.R.C.S., in the Annals and 

 Magazine of Natural History for June, 1855, is 

 excellent, and I think the only one in the English 

 language. For the anatomy of Phalangium Opilio 

 there is a paper by Mr. A. Tulk in the same magazine 

 for October, 1843. Mr. Cary has fallen into some 

 errors regarding the true spiders. He seems to imply 

 that the palpi are the reproductive organs of the male 

 spider ; which is hardly the fact, for the male has a 

 complete generative system in the abdomen, and the 



