512 Light from Burning Corallines. 



lypus was again formed, but with twelve feelers instead of 

 forty ; but in every respect adapted to perform its functions 

 of expansion and contraction, &c. 



Between the central process and the feelers of the circum- 

 ference, are a number of small cells: these were enlarged 

 when I first saw the specimen, and had the appearance of a 

 bud. I should be inclined to fancy that the way in which 

 the young of this Polypus are produced, is this : these cells 

 enlarge, and after a certain time their contents either become 

 matured and fall off, like a flower, or they burst, and let out 

 either an egg or a Polypus, if the young be hatched alive be- 

 fore expulsion. My reason for supposing that this enlarge- 

 ment of the cells upon the body of the Tubularia, is their 

 mode of propagation, is strengthened by the fact that none of 

 those which I last found had their cells in this state, their 

 bodies being scarcely half the size of the former ones, as you 

 will see by the specimens which accompany this description. 

 — J. B. Harvey. — Teignmouth, Devonshire, July 20th, 1838. 



Notes on Birds. — The carrion crow was observed, last sum- 

 mer, in the grounds of Sir Walter Carew, at Haccombe, to 

 steal a young duck; which it pounced upon while in the pond, 

 and carried off in its bill. The crow did not drop the duck 

 in order to kill it, but laid it down on the ground, walking 

 backwards and forwards and treading upon it, until it was 

 dead, when it was taken to the nest. 



Mr. Wingett, Steward to Mr. Templer, of Lindridge, re- 

 marked, in various years, that certain trees were not built up- 

 on by the rooks, and if one built a nest, the others destroyed 

 it. He invariably found that such trees were decayed, and 

 were generally blown down during some storm. 



Miss Kingston, of Islington, assures me that she has very 

 frequently seen the cuckoo fed by the wryneck. The latter 

 would lay down a worm, and the cuckoo, before picking it up, 

 fluttered its wings like a young bird while its parent is feed- 

 ing it. — Idem. 



White Light from burning Corallines. — An intelligent 

 friend, Mr. Burnett, lately directed my attention to the very 

 beautiful white light produced by holding pieces of Coralli- 

 na officinalis close to the flame of a candle. I have not yet 

 had sufficient time to make many experiments with the dif- 

 ferent corallines found near us. I have tried the Sertu/arice, 

 but it appears that they do not contain sufficient phosphate 

 of lime in their composition to produce the light. Upon a 

 hasty consideration, it appears to me to be a very beautiful 

 practical illustration of the hydro-oxygen light ; the hydro- 

 gen being evolved by the candle, and the oxygen contained 



