I02 



NATURE 



{pec. 6, 1877 



especially if he had previously predicted the great tide of March i 

 of the same year, which rose to 3 feet 7 inches above the mark. 



With respect to the actions of the planets, I did not refer to the 

 ordinary tide-producing power, for on working that out some 

 years ago for one of the planets I was somewhat surprised to find 

 that the height was, I believe, a fraction of an inch, I referred 

 rather to the action of that storm-producing power which appa- 

 rently gives rise to the great atmospheric disturbances at certain 

 times (and, indeed, more or less at all times) in the sun, and 

 by sympathy, or even directly, in our atmosphere. 



B. G. Jenkins 



Diffusion Figures in Liquids 



Prof. Martini describes his diffasion figures as being "both 

 new and singular." In the Phil. Mag. for June and November, 

 1864, I have described and figured various examples of what I 

 call " the submersion figures of liquids " in continuation of a 

 series of papers commenced in 1861 on " The Cohesion Figures 

 of Liquids," or those assumed by liquid drops when delivered to 

 various surfaces. Some of these figures are identical with those 

 given by Mr. Worthington in the Proceedings oi the Royal Society 

 for 1876, and recently in your pages. C. Tomlinson 



Highgate, N., December 3 



Bees and Flowers 



In last Thursday's impression (p. 62) is a letter from Mr. H. 

 O. Forbes, referring to bees confining their visits to plants of 

 one kind during each excursion, and thus in a measure prevent- 

 ing hybridisation of plants, &c. 



This may be the general habit of bees, but it is not invariable ; 

 some bees, more especially their females, are to be found at 

 certain plants only, as Andrena hattorfiana, at the scabious 

 Colletes succincta, at the heath, and many others in like manner. 



I have collected bees for several years, and have often taken 

 them with the pollen-grains varying from orange-red to almost 

 white, and this mixtui-e on the same leg. I have inclosed a 

 slide of pollen-grains which I washed from the leg of an Andrena 

 nigro-anea, and mounted in balsam ; this shows several very 

 distinct kinds of pollen ; this was mounted in 1875, ^^^^ ^t the 

 time I gathered such of the wild flowers as were then in bloom, 

 and compared the pollen. I was able to identify several of 

 them, but as I made no notes I cannot say which. I would 

 advise such observers as intend investigating this very interesting 

 subject, to capture the insects and examine the pollen which may 

 be found on them ; this will be difficult in the case of the Bombi 

 and Apis, as they knead it into pellets, but with those which 

 collect on the belly or whole leg it will be easy enough. 



Norwich John B. Bridgman 



Hearing in Insects 



My daughter bred this summer a number of the larvse of 

 Sphinx ligustri and Metopsilus elepcnor, and I was much struck 

 with the extreme sensitiveness to the sound of the voice — 

 especially of the former. The child's treble 1 observed did not 

 affect them so sharply ; but at the first word I uttered they 

 invariably started, and remained some time motionless, with 

 head drawn back, after their manner, I was disposed to attribute 

 it to the vibration set up in objects around by sounds toward the 

 deeper end of the scale, as I have felt a form tremble under me 

 at the deep bass notes of a strong singer ; but it had all the 

 appearance and effects of hearing. Henry Cecil 



IJregner, Bournemouth, December i 



AZOOLOGICALSTATION FOR THE CHANNEL 

 ISLANDS 



C OME'definite prospect at length presents itself of the 

 ♦^ establishment within British waters of an institution 

 long recognised as a leading desideratum among our 

 Biologists, Museum-Conservators, and Natural History 

 Students, namely, a building with the necessary appur- 

 tenances suitably situated, and founded on a somewhat 

 similar basis to that of Dr. Anton Dohrn's noted Zoological 

 Station at Naples, or the Anderson School of Natural 

 History at Penikese Island, Buzzard's Bay, U.S. This 



long-felt need will be met by the proposed " Channel 

 Islands' Zoological Station and Museum, and Institute of 

 Pisciculture " described at some length in the advertising 

 columns of this journal, and the establishment of which, 

 or a similar institution, has been the guiding star and 

 main object of the writer's ambition during the several 

 years' " apprenticeship " spent by him as Naturalist and 

 Curator to the various leading public aquaria of England, 

 Successfully carried out, the more prominent features of 

 this undertaking will comprise, as at Naples, in addition 

 to an attractive public exhibition of the living inhabitants 

 of the surrounding waters, laboratories fitted with tanks, 

 tables, and^all the necessary instruments and apparatus 

 requisite for the satisfactory prosecution of marine 

 biological research, supplemented by a library replete 

 with the standard scientific works and serials mostly in 

 demand by those occupied in such investigation. Under 

 the same roof it is likewise intended to establish a natural 

 history museum accessible to the public, and more essen- 

 tially illustrative of the notably rich marine fauna and 

 flora of the Channel Islands. In connection with the 

 library and museum departments popular lectures upon 

 natural his! ory subjects will from time to time be given. 

 Following the system productive of such gratifying results 

 at the Penikese Island Station, it is further proposed foi 

 the full development of the scientific advantages of this 

 institution to institute summer classes for the attend- 

 ance of students, and to hold out sufficient inducements 

 for the most eminent authorities on various biological 

 subjects to deliver lectures and a course of instruction to 

 these classes upon that branch of natural history with 

 which their reputation is more especially associated. 



An entirely novel feature to be incorporated with the 

 Channel Islands' Zoological Station will be a department 

 relegated to the conduct of experiments associated with 

 the — in this country— little developed science of economic 

 pisciculture, and in which department it is proposed to 

 award a prominent place to the artificial rearing of 

 lobsters. Experiments made in this direction by the 

 writer some years since at the Manchester Aquarium 

 have decisively shown that the artificial culture of these 

 Crustacea on an extended and systematic scale might be 

 developed into a highly iniportant and remunerative 

 industry. In the experiments here referred to it was 

 found that the little lobsters occupied from six to eight 

 weeks in passing through those singular free swimming 

 larval conditions, known respectively as the "Zoea" and 

 " Megalops " stages, antecedent to their assumption of 

 the adult and ambulatory form, and during which short 

 interval they exuviated or cast their shells many times. 

 These initial metamorphoses safely past, their further 

 development to a marketable size, is a comparatively easy 

 task. The scientific culture of the oyster and other edible 

 species will likewise receive attention in association with 

 this undertaking. 



The appropriateness of Jersey as a site for this 

 intended Museum of Pisciculture and Zoological Station 

 is at once apparent, the variety and exuberance of the 

 marine fauna of the Channel Islands being such as to 

 assimilate it more closely to that of the Mediterranean 

 than any other one within British waters. The occur- 

 rence on the Channel Islands' coast of the Sea Horse 

 {Hippocampus), Urchin-fish {Diodon), Remora {Echencis)., 

 Electric Ray {Torpedo), and Lancelet {Amphioxiis), 

 among the vertebrate group ; and of the Haliotis, Scylla- 

 rus, Cojnattda, Physalia, Velella, Lncernaria, and many 

 others among the invertebrate section, are a few from 

 among many that might be named in demonstration of 

 this fact. The sponge-tribe and the division of the tuni- 

 cate might be likewise specially singled out. as attaining 

 upon the shores of these islands a development in both 

 numbers and variety rarely if anywhere else excelled. 

 Unprecedented facilities for the collection of all such ma- 

 rine productions are also afforded by the extraordinary 



