300 



(Erratfttrjj of Natural H? 10 tori? ; 



animals. It also excavates holes in the nests 

 of a species of ant which are constructed 

 around the holes and dead branches of the 

 Eucalypti, feeding on the larva, a most fa- 

 vourite food. 



HALIBUT, or HOLIBUT. (Hippoglos- 

 sus. This is the largest fish belonging to 

 the Pkuroncctidoe or Flat-fish family, attain- 

 ing the length of six or seven feet in the 

 northern seas, and weighing from 300 to 

 400 Ibs. In shape and fins the Halibut is like 

 the Flounder ; and the lateral line is arched. 

 Its flesh is rather coarse and dry, but it ad- 



mits of being salted. In some of the smaller 

 species, which are found in the Mediterra- 

 nean, the eyes look towards the left side, 

 instead of towards the right, the latter being 

 the ordinary rule of the family ; and when 

 that happens it is said to be " reversed." 



HALICH.ERUS. A genus of Seals. [See 

 SKAL.] 



HALICHONDRIA. A genus of Sponges, 

 in which the cartilaginous skeleton is 

 strengthened by siliceous spieulae. See Dr. 

 Fleming's British Animals, and Dr. John- 

 ston's British Sponges, for an account of the 

 many entirely British species. 



HALICORE. A genus of Cetaceous ani- 

 mals, found in the Eastern seas. [See 

 DUGONG.] 



HALIOTIS: HALIOTIDuE. A genus 

 and family of Gasteropodous Mollusca, not 

 widely different from the Limpets, and hav- 

 ing the Haliotis or Ear-shell as the type. 

 These splendid shells are remarkable for 

 the pearly iridescence of the inner surface, 

 and the row of holes following the course of 

 the spine. [See EAK-SHELL.] 



HALMATURUS. A genus of Marsupi- 

 alia belonging to the Kangaroo family. As 

 an example we may give Parry's Kangaroo, 

 Ilalmnturus Parnji, a species familiar to the 

 colonists and natives of New South Wales. 

 It is very shy, escapes with great fleetness 

 from its pursuers, and inhabits the moun- 

 tainous parts. It is easily tamed, becoming 

 very familiar. The male measures five feet 

 from the nose to the end of the tail. The 

 body is bluish gray, whitish beneath ; the 

 head brownish ; a white streak on the face 

 below the eye, and a short one on each eye- 

 brow. Capt. Sir Edward Parry has given an 

 interesting account of its habits in confine- 

 ment. Those who wish to get further inform- 

 ation on this genus and its allies must consult 

 the noble monagraph of the Kangaroos, by 

 John Gould, F. R. S., where all the species 



are admirably figured and described. The 

 reader may consult also witli profit, Mr. 

 Waterhouse's History of Mammalia, and 

 the volume on Marsupialia in the Natural- 

 ist's Library. 



HALTICID^E. The scientific name 

 Ilaltica, derived from a word signifying to 

 leap, has been applied to a family of insects 

 allied to the Chrysomelidae, and popularly 

 known as flea-beetles. The following are 

 their chief peculiarities : The body is oval 

 and very convex above ; the thorax is short, 

 wide behind and narrow before ; the head 

 is pretty broad ; the antennae are slender, 

 about half the length of the body, and are 

 implanted nearly on the middle of the fore- 

 head ; and the hindmost thighs are very 

 thick, being formed for leaping. The sur- 

 face of the body is smooth, generally polished, 

 and often prettily or brilliantly coloured. 

 The claws are very thick at one end, are 

 deeply notched towards the other, and ter- 

 minate with a long, curved, and sharp point, 

 which enables the insect to lay hold firmly 

 upon the leaves of the plants on which they 

 live. These beetles eat the leaves of vege- 

 tables, preferring especially plants of the 

 cabbage, turnip, mustard, cress, radish, and 

 horse-radish kind, or those which, in bota- 

 nical language, are called cruciferous plants, 

 to which they are often exceedingly inju- 

 rious. The flea-beetles conceal themselves, 

 during the winter, in dry places, under stones, 

 in tufts of withered grass, and in chinks of 

 walls. They lay their eggs in the spring, 

 upon the leaves of the plants upon which 

 they feed. The larvae of the smaller kinds 

 burrow into the leaves, and eat the soft 

 pulpy substance under the skin, forming 

 therein little winding passages, in which 

 they finally complete their transformations. 

 Hence the plants suffer as much from the 

 depredations of the larvae as from those of 

 the beetles, a fact that has too often been 

 overlooked. The larvae of the larger kinds 

 live exposed on the surface of the leaves 

 which they devour, till they come to their 

 growth, and go into the ground, where they 

 are changed to pupae, and soon afterwards 

 to beetles. The mining larvae are little 

 slender grubs, which arrive at maturity, turn 

 to pupae, and then to beetles in a few weeks. 

 Hence there is a constant succession of these 

 insects, in their various states, throughout 

 the summer. One of the most destructive 

 species of this family is the Turnip-flea 

 (HaUica nemorum"), [which see]. 



HAMSTER. (Cricetiis frumcntarirts.) A 

 rodent animal, of the rat tribe, distinguished 

 by two enormous cheek pouches, which will 

 hold a quarter of a pint, and by its remark- 

 able instincts. It inhabits the sandy districts 

 of the north of Europe and Asia, Austria, 

 Silesia, and many parts of Germany, Poland, 

 &c., and is very injurious to the agriculturist, 

 on account of the quantity of grain it de- 

 vours. The general size of the Hamster is 

 nearly that of a brown or Norway rat, but 

 it is of a much thicker form, and has a short 

 and somewhat hairy tail. Its colour is a 

 pale reddish brown above, and black be- 

 neath : the muzzle is whitish, the cheeks 



