2098 
logical Gardens are fed with their usual meal of small 
fishes. 
The Darters usually exhibited in the Society’s Gardens 
are of the South American species (Plotus anhinga), 
which, it seem, is the most easily obtained alive. But in 
1878 an example of the African form Le Vaillant’s Darter 
(Plotus levaillanti)* was received, and lived for some 
time in the Gardens, where it exhibited the characteristic 
mode of feeding previously observed in its American 
brother. In April last an example of a third species of 
this genus—the Indian Darter (Plotus melangaster) was 
obtained in exchange from the Zoological Gardens of Cal- 
cutta. After living for many months in excellent health 
this bird died suddenly on the 21st of December last, ap- 
parently froma sudden shock produced by feeding too 
rapidly. 
in captivity the Indian Darter does not deviate as regards 
habits from the species previously received. “Ina state 
of nature,” as Dr. Jerden tells us, “this beautiful diver is 
found throughout all India, Ceylon, Burmah, and Ma- 
layana. It is exceedingly numerous in some parts of the 
country, especially in Bengal; hundreds are often to be 
seen on a single jheel. They hunt singly in general, or in 
scattered parties, but often roost in company, both at 
night and in the middle of the day, when numbers may 
be seen perched on the trees overhanging some tank or 
river. They float low on the water, often with nothing but 
the head and neck visible, and swim and dive with rapidity. 
After feeding for some time they perch on the bough of a 
tree or on a pole or stone, and spread their wings out to 
dry as the Cormorants do.” 
The Darters present some very abnormal features in 
the structure of the stomach and in the mechanism of 
the vertebra of the neck. These have been elaborately 
described by the late Prof. Garrod from the specimens 
that have lived in the Society’s Collection (Proc. Zool. 
Soc., 1876, p. 335, and 1878, p. 679. 
THE LICK OBSERVATORY 
ke) esteemed American correspondent has sent us the 
following information on this remarkable observa- 
tory :— 2 
In December, 1874, Mr. James Lick determined to erect 
“the most powerful telescope in the world,” somewhere 
within the boundaries of California, his adopted State. 
Various sites were proposed and considered, the first 
being Observatory Point on Lake Tahoe, which was soon 
abandoned on account of the severity of the winters at 
this place, and especially on account of the great snow- 
fall. Mr. Lick’s original idea was somewhat crude and 
unformed, but it took shape after consultation by letter 
and otherwise with various men of science in the East 
and elsewhere, and also with gentlemen of scientific 
tastes in California. Monte Diablo (3856 feet high), 
Mount Helena (4343 feet high), and other points, were 
successively proposed and, after examination, rejected, 
Finally, Mr. Lick sent Capt. Fraser, his man of business, 
to examine Mount Hamilton (4440 feet), an easily acces- 
sible peak some thirteen miles east of San José, in Santa 
Clara County. The first examination was made by Capt. 
Fraser, in August, 1875. 
In most respects this site was found to be satisfactory, 
but the chief objections to it were found to be important, 
if not vital. The cost of constructing a road to the 
summit would certainly be very great, and the summit 
itself was a sharp point of very hard trap rock. To make 
a level space here for the reception of the necessary 
buildings would be a serious matter. Finally, no water 
was known anywhere near the summit. The last objec- 
tion was disposed of by the discovery of two springs, only 
* The discovery recently made by Canon Tristram of the occurrence of this 
Darter Sate Bee colonies on the Lake of Antioch is very remarkable, 
he species not having been previously known to occur north of Sennaar. 
NATURE 
| narrow saddle some 50 feet below the summit. 
¥ 
[ Fan, 26, 1882 
4300 feet distant from the summit and 300 feet below it. 
Mr. Lick then announced that if Santa Clara County 
would build a suitable road connecting San José with the 
top of the mountain, he would establish and suitably 
endow an observatory on Mount Hamilton. After various 
changes in his plans Mr. Lick made a deed of trust (dated 
September 21, 1875), which gave a very large amount of 
real and personal property to five trustees to be by them 
expended for various purposes. The observatory was 
provided for as follows :—The trustees were authorised to 
expend the sum of 700,000 dollars for the purchase of 
the necessary land and for putting up on that land “a 
powerful telescope, superior to and more powerful than 
any telescope ever yet made,’’ with the necessary ma- 
chinery, &c.,, “and also a suitable observatory connected 
therewith.” As soon as these objects are satisfactorily 
accomplished the observatory is to be turned over to the 
Regents of the University, of California, to become a 
department of the University, and any surplus left over 
after paying for the land and observatory is to be invested 
in safe bonds. The income from these bonds is to be 
devoted to “the maintenance of the said telescope and of 
the observatory connected therewith, and shall be made 
useful in promoting science.”’ 
A grant of land was obtained from the United States ; 
the proposition of Mr. Lick to Santa Clara county was 
accepted, and the road to the top of Mount Hamilton 
was built during 1876. It was formally accepted by the 
Trustees in January 1877. It is now maintained by Santa 
Clara county as a county road, and it is quite likely that 
it will soon be extended by Alameda county over the 
range into the San Joaquin valley. Probably no more 
magnificent mountain road exists in the United States, 
when one considers all the circumstances of fine sur- 
rounding scenery, excellent road-bed, and commanding 
views. Some idea of the engineering difficulties over- 
come can be had from the cost of constructing this high- 
way twenty-six miles into the heart of the mountains, and 
with a rise of 4000 feet in twenty-two miles. Such a pro- 
ject would appal the average county surveyor of New 
England, but it was here accomplished at the large cost 
of 78,000 dols. 
The maximum grade is 6 feet 6 inches in roo feet, or 
about 343 feet in the mile. Most of the road, however, 
is materially less steep than this. The first four miles is 
a fine level avenue, laid out in a perfectly straight line in 
the Santa Clara valley. The ascent of the foothills is 
then commenced, and the road begins a series of turnings 
and twistings which are of course necessary to keep the 
gradient low. Toward the end of the route the road 
winds round and round the mountain itself and overlooks 
one of the most picturesque of scenes: the valley of 
Santa Clara and the coast range to the west, a bit of the 
Pacific to the south-west, the Sierra Nevadas with count- 
less ranges between, to the south-east the San Joaquin 
valley, and the Sierras beyond to the east, while to the 
north on clear days you plainly see Mount Shasta (14,000 
feet) 175 miles away. The bay of San Francisco lies 
open before you, like a child’s dissecting map, and at the 
end of it Tamalpais, the mountain near the entrance to 
the Golden Gate. 
Mount Hamilton has, properly speaking, three sum- 
mits. The east peak is 4440 feet, the middle peak is 
4350 feet, and the third, the observatory peak (originally 
4256 feet), has been cut down to a level surface just large 
enough to contain the neeessary buildings for the instru- 
ments. The dwelling-house and workshops are on a 
To gain 
the level surface some 29 feet of rock has been removed 
from the peak ; in all about 40,000 tons. A level site is 
thus provided, and this is perfectly accessible from San 
José. With a light waggon one may trot the horses all 
the way. The springs have also been connected with 
“the hill,” as it is called by the inhabitants, by a good 
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