Marcr 1, 1865.] 



SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



63 



E OOLOGY. 



Captuke op Badgees. — Sis badgers, two old 

 ones and four young ones, were captured together in 

 April, 1363, at Stauner-rocks, near Kington. The 

 young ones were supposed to be about live weel^s 

 old. The old ones and three of the young ones were 

 preserved by Mr. J. B. Smith, of Kington. — /. IF. L. 



The Porpoise. — I regret to have to state that 

 the porpoise, which I lately described as having 

 been brought alive to tlie Zoological Gardens, is 

 dead. We suppose that the cause of death was, 

 either that the severe frost chilled him so nrach that 

 even his thick greatcoat of blubber was not able to 

 protect him, or else that he died from eating too 

 raany pounds of eels and sprats. The porpoise has 

 been sent to tlie Eoyal College of Surgeons, v>liere 

 he will probably one day figure as a beautiful white 

 skeleton. Vi e do not yet despair of getting a tame 

 porpoise, and possibly, some day or other, a whale. — 

 Frank Buckland, in The Field. 



Eggs op the Lanb-Toetoise.— Some years ago 

 I became the possessor of a land-tortoise of about ten 

 inches in length,whichlplacedinawalledfruit-garden. 

 At first it was decidedly of a retiring disposition, sub- 

 siding into its shell on the gentlest approach or the 

 slightest noise ; but after a short acquaintance it 

 became quite familiar, and would take from my hand 

 lettuce-leaves, bread-and-milk, and sach-like delica- 

 cies. In the summer it was found necessary to restrict 

 its liberty, for after destroying the hearts of innumer- 

 able lettuces, it showed an inordinate affection for 

 strawberries, and, as it always chose the ripest and 

 best, would crush half-a-dozen in the attempt to 

 reach one which particularly atti'actcd its fancy. 

 During the winter it resided generally among the 

 manure of the hot-bed, crawling out on a sunny 

 day, and tilting its shell against the wall, so as to 

 catch all the sun's rays possible (resembling in this 

 respect the more famous tortoise with which every 

 reader of Gilbert Yv' bite's " Selborne" must be 

 acquainted), but quickly retiring when the sunshine 

 passed away, or the least shower fell ; indeed, it 

 showed a wholesome dislike to water generally. 

 "When I had had it about a year, the gardener, in 

 turning over an old cabbage-bed, dug up three eggs, 

 which, undoubtedly, belonged to the tortoise. They 

 were about the size of pigeons' eggs, but more 

 rounded, with hard, unpolished, white shells ; and 

 one, which was accidentally broken, contained an 

 abundant pale yellow yolk. The other two were 

 placed in a bag of mould, in the greenhouse, for 

 some time, but were eventually blown, and added 

 to a collection of eggs. Like most pets, my poor 

 tortoise came to an untimely end ; a boy, at work 

 in the garden, met it in its travels, and, attacking it 

 with mistaken zeal, quickly deprived me of my 

 tortoise, and the poor creature of its existence. — 

 G. H. B. 



A Fable. — " I have something more to ask you," 

 said a young eagle to a learned, melancholy owl ; 

 "men say there is a bird, named Merops, who, 

 when he rises in the air, flies with his tail upwards, 

 and his head towards the ground ; is that true ? " 

 " Certainly not ! " answered the owl, " it is only a 

 foolish tradition of man ; he is himself a Merops, 

 for he would fly to heaven without for a moment 

 losing sight of earth." — Lessin(/. 



The Sktlauk.— Last December I frequently saw 

 and heard the skylark in this neighbourhood (about 

 four miles west of Glasgow) ; and early last February 

 I also saw and heard the same bird during a fall of 

 sleet ! It can therefore, in my humble opinion, be 

 aSirmed of the Alauda vulgaris that January is the 

 only month in which the music is not heard. — P. S. 



Swallows under the Eaves. — One_ summer, v.'e 

 were much troubled vrith swallows building under 

 the eaves of our house. We tried knocking the 

 nests down continually, but to no purpose : they 

 built again. A friend, seeing us thus employed, re- 

 commended our rubbing the place where they built 

 with soft soap, which answered perfectly, as the clay 

 would not adhere where the soft soap had been 

 rubbed.—^. W. 



DouBLE-YOLKED Eggs. — Seeing this subject 

 quoted in your last number, I mention the following 

 fact, which I know to be true : — One of my family 

 had a goose sitting on twelve eggs, one of which was 

 double-sized. When the time of hatching came, a 

 beak was seen at each end, and two perfect goslings 

 came out. The twelve eggs produced thirteen 

 goslings. The twins were as fine as the others, and 

 lived a fortnight, when they were killed by an 

 accident.—^. W. 



Sandpiper Diving when Wounded.— In ansvrer 

 to A. M. B.'s query as to the behaviour of the com- 

 mon sandpiper {Totamis hipoleueos) when wounded, 

 allow me to say that, as far as my personal know- 

 ledge extends, this bird does dive when wounded. 

 I shot one (April 29th, 1863) as it was flying up 

 the river Tour. The bird fell on a little spit of 

 land, jutting out from the opposite bank ; and, just 

 as I was going rormd to secure it, congratulating 

 myself on its fea,thers being dry, as I wished to have 

 it stuffed, it dived straight across to where I was 

 standing, and then paddhxl up the bed of the river 

 very quickly, using — wounded as it was— both legs 

 and Avings as propellers whilst under the water. 

 The stream was clear, and only about three or four 

 feet deep at the spot ; so that 1 could clearly sec its 

 every movement. After a little wading and trouble, 

 I caught it.— ^. /. N. M., Taunton. 



Preserving Birds and Animals. — In No. 2 

 of Science-Gossip I see amongst the "Notices to 

 Correspondents " a paragraph relating to this sub- 

 ject. Now, allow me to give you the recipe of a 

 powder and solution that I have used for some 

 time, and which I find to answer in every respect, as 

 well as arsenical soap. Besides, it has the advantage 

 of not being so dangerous as that compound from the 

 use of which serious consequences often result, 

 owing to its getting between the nails or into any 

 cut that the operator may have on his fingers when 

 using it. 



Powder por preserateng the Skins of Birds, 

 etc. — Nutgalls, 1 ounce ; corrosive sublimate, 2 

 drachms; vvhite arsenic, 2 drachms; powdered 

 camphor, 6 di-achms ; sal ammoniac, i ounce ; pow- 

 dered capsicum, i ounce. Mis all well together. 



Solution for preserving Birds and Quadru- 

 peds.— Corrosive sublimate, 1 drachm; spirit of 

 salts, 2 drachms ; spirits of camphor, 6 ounces. 

 Dissolve the corrosive sublimate in the spirit, and 

 add the acid. 



The above recipes are from j\Ir. Gardner's useful 

 little work, "Taxidermy, or, Bird-stufliug mado 

 easy,"—/. Aspdiii, llichmonci, Yorkshire. 



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