188 Retrospective Criticism. 
Museum, Royal Naval Hospital, Hasler. (Vol. 1. p. 191.) —The rooms should rather be said to 
be appropriated than erected, as the small building dividing the left wing, now adopted for this 
purpose, is part of the original edifice. — J. H. Davies. 
Portsmouth Philosophical Society. — Vol. 1. p. 190., line 18., for “* Branden” read “ Brander.” 
Gustavus Brander published, in 1766, a small volume, with figures and descriptions in Latin, of 
the fossils of the Hordwell Cliffs. ‘These cliffs extend along the sea-shore from Lymington to 
Christchurch, Hants, and are divided by two chasms, called Beacon and Chewton Bunny’s, into 
three portions, named Hordwell, Barton, and High Cliffs. It was from the second of these, 
abounding in fossils of the London clay formation, that Brander collected his specimens, which, 
by the titlepage, he appears to have deposited in the British Museum. ‘The work is now scarce, 
but the fidelity of the figures renders it valuable. He appears to have made an accurate research 
at this locality, as subsequent observers have added but few to his list. He followed the Linnean 
classification, but was singularly unhappy in discriminating his genera: thus many of his Murices 
are Volite; and his Hélix mutabilis, a very characteristic shell of this formation, is an umbili- 
cated Nerita, and very nearly approaching to the N. glaucina of our shores. The work is entitled 
Fossilia Hantoniénsia, and the figures of the shells have certainly never been surpassed. Mr. 
Webster has since given a very accurate and interesting description of the cliffS alluded to, in the 
Geological Transactions, 2d series, vol. i. part i. p. 90.; in which he has identified in the Hordwelk 
Cliff a fresh-water formation, analogous to those existing on the opposite shores of the Isle of 
Wight. — 7d. 
Mermaids. — A few years back a mermaid was shown in London, very like that figured by Con- 
chilla (Vol. I. p 106.), except that it had arms, and was not quite so large: it is, I believe, 
now travelling the country. This specimen also was said to come from Japan. I can aver that 
it came from the East Indies; for, being at St. Helena in 1813, I saw it on board the ship which 
was bringing it to England. The impression on my mind was, that it was an artificial compound 
of the upper part of a small ape with the lower half of a fish ; and being allowed to examine it as 
closely as I pleased externally, my attention was directed, by the aid of a powerful glass, to ascer- 
tain the point of union between the two parts. I confess I was somewhat staggered to find that 
this was so neatly effected, that the precise line of junction was not satisfactorily apparent. I 
speak of it in its best state of preservation: perhaps now the imposture can be more easily 
detected. A short time back the skeleton of a mermaid, as it was called, was brought to Ports- 
mouth, which had been shot in the vicinity of the Island of Mombass. ‘This was allowed to be 
submitted to the members of the Philosophical Society, when it proved to be the Dugong. The 
anatomy and natural history was illustrated by some of the members present, and briefly noticed 
in the Annewal Report for 1825-7, p.21. To those who came to the examination with precon- 
ceived notions of the fabulous mermaid, it certainly presented, as it lay on the lecture-table, a 
singular appearance. It was, if I recollect right, about 6 ft. long: the lower dorsal vertebra, with 
the broad caudal extremity, suggested the idea of a powerful fish-like termination ; whilst the fore 
legs, from the scapula to the extremities of the phalanges, presented to the unskilful eye an 
exact resemblance to the bones of a small female arm. ‘The cranium, however, had such an 
outré brutal form, that even the most sportive imagination could never have supposed it to have 
borne the lineaments of the ‘ human face divine.” It is now, I believe, in London. — Id. 
The Chameleon. — This animal does not take hours to effect its change of colour, as stated by 
S. R. A. (Vol. I. p. 192.): its changes are often instantaneous, and frequently repeated, according 
as the animal is situated. I have a live one at this present time: it is the favourite pet of my 
youngsters, delighting to crawl about their persons, and take its food from their hands ; and, if 
desirable, I will draw you up a notice of its habits for a future Number, — Zd. 
We shall be happy to receive such a communication, and take this opportunity of expressing 
our regret at having so long neglected to insert our valued correspondent’s remarks. — Cond. 
A Water Shrew, similar to the one described in your Magazine, was seen 
lately at noon in a pond near Somerton, in the county of Somerset, and 
appears not to be at all uncommon here. — 1. January, 1830. 
The Goatsucker, and Mr, Harvey's Camelopardalis. — Sir, Mr. Dillon’s 
theory as to the use of the goatsucker’s serrated claw is so ingenious, that 
I think it worth noticing. Among numerous reasons which could be 
brought against it, I shall merely inferm him that there is an American 
group of this family, which have no bristles round the bill, and yet have 
serrated claws; and another group in Australia having bristles, and yet with 
the claw smooth and simple. The Heron tribe, in like manner, have the 
rictus smooth, but have the claw serrated: finally, the bristles round the 
bills of a// the purely insectivorous birds I have seen (and they are not a 
few) are capable of bemg diverged and contracted. The philosopher of 
Selbourne, I suspect, is right in his conjecture. 
Your scientific readers must be anxiously expecting a description of the 
new species of Camelopardalis figured in your frontispiece, distinguished 
from that already described, by having, like the camel, a lump upon its 
shoulders. Mr. Harvey is an artist of much promise: he is young, I 
believe; so much the better. Let him study nature more, and effect /ess, 
and his career will be successful. — 8S. W. Jan. 12. 1830. 
The Biscacho and Coquimbo Owl. — In Vol. I. p. 285. of your Magazine is 
an extract from the entertaining travels of Captain Head. With the rough 
notes of this galloping adventurer in, my hand, I am led to suppose that 
some mistake must have been made by the copyist. The Biscacho and 
