310 



EEOEEATIVE SCIENCE. 



of butterflies and moths, seeking tliem espe- 

 cially among the foliage of the oak, from the 

 branches of which it is frequently shaken by 

 collectors. 



Some of the exotic species of the burying- 

 beetles are very much larger than the Eu- 

 ropean kinds, especially the NecropJiorus 

 grandis of North America, which is four 

 times as large as the N. ruspator engraved 

 above, but so like it in form and markings 

 that it might be taken for a magnificent 

 specimen of that species. The Necrodes 

 giganteus, found near Sarawak, in Borneo, is 

 very much larger than any of our European 

 Necrodes, and is very remarkable on account 

 of the different character of the thorax in 

 the two sexes, that of the male being light 

 brown and velvety in texture, while that of 



the female is darker brown and brightly 

 polished. 



A peculiarity of this kind of beetle which 

 I have not referred to, is the squeaking noise 

 which they are enabled to make by rabbing 

 the joints of the abdomen against the inside 

 of the wing-cases. When held in the closed 

 hand near the ear, this sound appears as loud 

 as the squeaking of a mouse. They are also 

 enabled to emit a foetid smell, which serves 

 them as a defence, and which is very per- 

 manent on any substance which has been 

 affected by it. 



Several writers have mentioned the im- 

 mense swarms of beetles belonging to this 

 class, which are sometimes observed in Eus- 

 sian graveyards. 



H. Noel Htjmphbeys. 



MICEOSCOPICAL POND-LOEE. 



HuNDEEDS of persons now purchase micro- 

 scopes from the force of imitation, and a laud- 

 able desire to obtain an insight into the won- 

 ders of creative skill, which are, perhaps, 

 more astounding in the apparently boundless 

 regions of the minute, than even in the un- 

 fathomable depths of celestial space; but 

 they are apt to be discouraged by the tech- 

 nical difficulties in the way of collecting and 

 preparing materials for investigation or re- 

 search. 



" The Wonders of a Stagnant Pool," by 

 Mr. Tuffen West, in a former number, will 

 lead many to such small patches of tranquil 

 water, and we now propose to notice a few of 

 the interesting objects which a beginner can 

 easUy find. We will take the result of an 

 actual experiment, made on a rather. cold, 

 clear, January morning, which had been pre- 

 teded by one or two days of rather mild wea- 

 ther for the season, but which had not been 

 warm enough to call forth the mass of life 

 hat makes its appearance in early spring. 



The pond selected was a small one, at the 

 back of St. Alban's Villas, Highgate Eise, 

 and which had proved a good hunting-ground 

 in the summer of the previous year. It lies 

 in a high, airy situation, and a pond so 

 placed is always promising to the microscopic 

 naturalist. 



On reaching its margin, it was plain that 

 vegetable life was still in abeyance, so far as 

 related to the principal plants which delight 

 in such localities ; but there was a green mass 

 floating in the water, shining in the sunlight, 

 like entangled skeins of silk. This afforded 

 a tolerably certain prospect of microsco- 

 pic game, and accordingly it was hooked 

 up, and small portions put into two wide- 

 mouthed, two-drachm bottles, which were 

 filled up with the pond-water and carried 

 home. 



A word here about bottles. Larger sizes 

 are absolutely necessary, for many purposes ; 

 but a great deal is to be done with the small 

 size specified. They have the advantage of 



