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THE EDINBURGH JOURNAL OF NATURAL HISTORY. 



cavitv ; and in this structure, combined with the loose granular composition of the 

 animal, we find an answer to the question. Water flows, let us say by suction, into 

 the stomach, through the oral aperture, whence it is forced by the vis a tprgo, or 

 drawn by capillary attraction, into the canals of the tentacula, and its current out- 

 wards is sufficient to push before it the soft yieldinj; material of which they are com- 

 posed, until at last the resistance of the living parts suffices to arrest the tiny flood, 

 or the tube has become too fine in its bore for the admission of water attenuated to 

 its smallest possible stream, — how inconceivably slender may indeed be imagined, but 

 there is no thread fine enough to equal it, seeing that the tentacula of Hydra fusca 

 in tension can be compared to nothing grosser than the scarce visible filament of the 

 gossamer's web." 



The Hydra, though usually found attached, can nevertheless move from place to 

 place, which it does either by gliding with imperceptible slowness on the base, or by 

 stretching out the body and tentacula to the utmost, fixing the latter, and then con- 

 tracting the body towards the point of fixture, loosening at the same time its hold 

 with the base ; and by reversing these actions it can retrograde. Its ordinary posi- 

 tion seems to be pendant or nearly horizontal, hanging from some floating weed or 

 leaf, or stretching from its sides. In a glass of water the creature will crawl up the 

 sides of the vessel to the surface, and hang from it, sometimes with the base, and 

 sometimes with the tentacula, downwards; and again it will lay itself along horizon- 

 tally. Its locomotion is always very slow, and the disposition of the zoophyte is evi- 

 dently sedentary ; but the contractions and mutations of the body itself are sufficient- 

 ly i-ivacious. While in seizing and mastering its prey it is surprisingly nimble ; seizing 

 a worm, to use the comparison of Baker, *' with as much eagerness as a cat catches a 

 mouse." It is dull, and does not expand freely, in the dark, but enjoys light, and 

 hence undoubtedly the reason why we generally find the Hydra near the surface and 

 in shallow water. 



The HydraB are very voracious, feeding only on living animals, but when necessary 

 they can sustain a fast of many weeks without other loss than what a paler colour 

 may indicate. Small larvcB, worms, and entomostracous insects, seem to be the fa- 

 vourite food, and to entrap these, they expand the tentacula to the utmost, and spread 

 them in every direction, moving them gently in the water to increase their chances, 

 and when a worm, &c., touches any part of them, it is immediately seized, carried to 

 the mouth by these flexible and contractile organs, and forced into the stomach. 

 " 'Tis a fine entertainment," says Baker, " to behold the dexterity of a Polype 

 in the mastering its prey, and observe with what art it evades and overcomes the su- 

 perior strength or agility thereof. Many times, by way of experiment, I have put a 

 large worm to the very extremity of a single arm, which has instantly fastened on it 

 with its little invisible claspers. Then it has afi'orded me inexpressible pleasure to see 

 the Polype poising and balancing the worm with no less seeming caution and judg- 

 ment than a skilful angler shows when he perceives a heavy fish at the end of a single 

 hair-line, and fears it should break away. Contracting the arm that holds it, by very 

 slow degrees, he brings it within the reach of his other arms, which eagerly clasping 

 round it, and the danger of losing it being over, all the former caution and gentleness 

 is laid aside, and it is pulled to the Polype's mouth with a surprising violence." Some- 

 times it happens that two Polypes will seize upon the same worm, when a struggle 

 for the prey ensues, in which the strongest gains of course the victory ; or each Po- 

 lype begins quietly to swallow his portion, and continues to gulp down his half until 

 the mouths of the pair near, and come at last into actual contact. The rest which 

 now ensues appears to prove that they are sensible of their outward position, from 

 which they are frequently liberated by the opportune break of the worm, when each 

 obtains his share ; but should the prey prove too tough, woe to the unready ! The 

 more resolute dilates the mouth to the requisite extent, and deliberately swallows his 

 opponent, sometimes partially, so as, however, to compel the discharge of the bait, 

 while at other times, the entire Polype is engulphed ! But a Polype is no fitting food 

 for a Polype, and his capacity of endurance saves him from this living tomb, for after 

 a time, when the worm is sucked out of him, the sufferer is disgorged with no other 

 loss than his dinner. This faot is the more remarkable when it is contrasted with the fate 

 which awaits the worms on which they feed. No sooner are these laid hold upon 

 than they evince every symptom of painful suffering, but their violent contortions are 

 momentary, and a certain death suddenly follows their capture. How this effect is 

 produced is mere matter of conjecture. Worms, in ordinary circumstances, are most 

 tenacious of life even under severe wounds, and hence one is inclined to suppose that 

 there must be something eminently poisonous in the Hydra's grasp, as it is impossible 

 to believe, with Baker, that this soft toothless creature can bite and inject a venom 

 into the wound it gives. " I have sometimes," says Baker, ** forced a worm from a 

 Polype the instant it has been bitten, (at the expense of breaking off the Polype's 

 arms,) and have always observed it to die very soon afterwards, without one single 

 instance of recovery.' To the Entomostraca, however, its touch is not equally fatal, 

 for I have repeatedly seen Cyprides and Daphniae entangled in the tentacula, and ar- 

 rested for some considerable time, escape even from the very lips of the mouth, and 

 swim about afterwards unharmed ; perhaps their shell may protect them from the poi- 

 sonous excretion. The grosser parts of the food, after some hours' digestion, are 

 again ejected by the mouth ; but, as already mentioned, the stomach is furnished with 

 what, in one sense, may be called an intestine, to which, according to Trembley and 

 Baker, there is an outlet in the centre of the base, and the latter asserts that he has, 

 *' several times, seen the dung of the Polype, in little round pellets, discharged at this 

 outlet or anus."— jDr Johnstons British Zoophytes. 



MISCELLANEOUS. 



Blindwghm. — Mr Ryland has the following notice respecting this animal in the 

 last number of the Naturalist. " I am led to suppose from Mr Salmon's remarks, 

 that a prejudice against these inoffensive reptiles exists in his neighbourhood, similar 

 to the belief prevalent in Lancashire. The notion of the lower orders here respect- 

 ing this Snake is curious, and will be best shown by a conversation I once had with a 

 turf-cutter : — * Well, my man, you have other kinds of Snakes here (Woolston Moss) 



besides the Viper?' * Aye, sir, we sometimes light on Blindworras and Edders/ 

 ' Indeed!' * Aye; but the Blindworms are the worst, and desperate hard to kill. 

 Whoy, if you were to cut one into half a dozen pieces, they 'ud join together again V 

 A medical friend informs me that a belief in the power of separated parts of this 

 Snake reuniting is prevalent amongst the lower classes in Scotland. How can it 

 have originated?" 



In Scotland, the ** lower classes" imagine the Blindworra to be as poisonous as the 

 Viper or Adder, and generally do not distinguish the one species from the other. 

 Knowing that Serpents have often bitten (or, as they think, stung) persons, as well 

 as cattle, and as they are thus dangerous, they naturally on falling in with one kill 

 it, and to make sure work, usually cut it into pieces with a knife, it being a prevalent 

 belief among them, that a Serpent, if merely bruised, will or may come alive again. 

 Their abhorrence of the animal, and their apprehension of the possibility of reviv- 

 ing, even leads them to separate the pieces to a distance ; but the belief of a reunion 

 of the parts, if left in proximity, is merely the result of fear carried to excess. The 

 Blindworm is a very harmless creature, but, like many other innocuous Snakes, par- 

 ticipates in the bad character of those which are venomous. I knew a gentleman in 

 Harris, who, when a child, carried home a great number of them in his lap, to the 

 great terror of his friends, as well as his own, after he came to be informed of their 

 nature. ' A very slight blow with a stick is suf5cient to disrupt this animal, and indi- 

 viduals are often seen with partof the tail wanting, in which respect it resembles the 

 Lizards. 



Magnificent Aurora Borealis. — Happening to be at Loch Achray on Sun- 

 day the 16th October, I was gratified by the sight of a more splendid display of the 

 Aurora than I have ever witnessed. About nine o'clock, having gone out with 

 a friend to enjoy the pure air, and the stillness of a most lovely night, I observed an 

 arch extending from N.E. to S,W., its highest part being about 20** below the 

 zenith. At nine, the arch broke up, and numberless streams of light, issuing from 

 the horizon, shot upwards, and converged in a point a few degrees to the east of the 

 zenith. At one time these streams rose from every part of the horizon, being, however, 

 broader and brighter in some places. From behind Benvenue, in particular, rose a vast 

 sheet of yellowish light, which changed into dim red and purple, and showed the out- 

 lines of the mountain as distinctly as they could have been seen on the clearest day, 

 while its black mass, in which no feature could be distinguished, added greatly to the 

 sublimity of the phenomenon. To the eastward, in the direction of the arch, which 

 had disappeared, sheets of Ught shot across the sky, some apparently proceeding from 

 the N.W., others meeting them from the S.E. This continued sometime; the 

 sheets then broadened, and finally were converted into thin streamers, shooting to- 

 wards ihe zenith. The magnificence of the spectacle then gradually diminished, and 

 the Aurora assumed a more ordinary appearance. Next day, the weather was fine, as 

 ia.lso on Tuesday ; b\it on Wednesday it rained at Glasgow from nine in the morning 

 until late at night. This I mention, because it has been alleged that the more brilliant 

 the Aurora, the sooner is it succeeded by rain or a tempest. In this case, after the 

 roost gorgeous exhibition imaginable, no rain fell for sixty hours. 



Musk Deer. — The Musk Deer, Moschus mnschiferits, is found in Thibet, West" 

 ern Tartary, and the adjacent provinces of China. It is a species of Antelope, about 

 the size of a moderate Hog, with a small head, a round hind quarter, delicate limbs, 

 and without a tail. From the upper jaw two long curved tusks project downwards. 

 Long bristles, not unlike the quills of a Porcupine, cover the body. The musk is a 

 secretion, formed in a little bag resembling a wen, near the navel, which is found only 

 upon the males. Its flesh is eatable. In Thibet it is considered the property of the 

 state, and can be hunted only by permission of government. It delights in the cold- 

 est regions of the mountains, and bids defiance to the pursuit of man. In taking the 

 musk from the animal, when still alive, it is necessary to bind up the bag instantly, 

 for otherwise it is absorbed in the flesh, and retains no smell. — Guizlaff's China. 



Chinese Cormorants and Quails. — The Fishing Cormorant, which is trained 

 to dive and catch the unwary fish, proves very useful. To prevent it from swallow- 

 ing its prey, an iron ring is put around its neck, so that it is obliged to deliver its 

 quota to its owner. It is as well trained as the Falcon in Europe, and seldom fails to 

 return to its master, who rewards its fidelity by feeding it with the offals of the fish 



it has caught Quails, which are to be met with in great quantities in the north, are 



greatly valued by the Chinese, on account of their fighting qualities. They carry 

 them about in a bag, which hangs from their girdle, treat them with great care, and 

 blow occasionally a reed, to rouse their fierceness. When the bird is duly washed, 

 \ which is done very carefully, they put him under a sieve with his antagonist, and strew 

 a little millet on the ground, so as to stimulate the envy of the two Quails. They 

 very soon commence a fight, and the owner of the victor wins the prize. Good fight- 

 ing Quails sell at an enormous price, and are much in request.— /Mrfem. 

 =j Polygonum Tinctoriu3i — This plant is now cultivated with success in the ex- 

 i; perimental gardens of M. Vilmorin, near Paris. Attention was called to it by M. 

 I Jaume St Hilaire, in consequence of its being used in China for dyeing a deep blue. 

 i| M. Chevreul has examined it, and ascertained that it owes its properties to the true Indi- 

 gotine, of which it yields a greater proportion than the Isatis tinctoria. — Athenamm. 

 \ Prognostics of Weather. — If the sound of the rapid or cataract descend with the 

 j stream, it foretells such rainy weather to be at hand as will swell the brook or river to its 

 ■ margin ; whereas, if the sound ascend along the stream, and die away in the distance, 

 it is an omen of the continuance of dry weather. If, during a storm of frost and snow 

 • in winter, the Ptarmigan, the hardiest among the feathered tribes of the Grampians, 

 \ be repeatedly heard in the face of the mountain, an additional fall of snow may soon 

 \. be expected. — Rev. Robert Macdonaldy in Stat. Account. 



Edinburgh: Published for the Proprietor, at the Office, No, 13, Hill Street. 

 London: Smith, Elder, and Co., 65, Cornhill. Glasgow and the West of 

 Scotland: John Smith and Son; and John Macleod. Dublin: George 

 Young, Paris: J. B. Balliere, Ruede I'Ecole de Medecine, No. 13 bis. ^ 



THE EDINBURGH PRINTING C03IPANY. 



