Sept. 1, 1865.] 



SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



207 



In GENUITY OF THE Theush.— On the 1st instant 

 was pointed out to me a thrush's nest built in the 

 fork of a mountain ash, so near to a bed-room 

 window as to be imder the close inspection of an 

 iuTalid lady, who, with her husband and her nurse, 

 were much interested in watching the daily progress 

 of the family. The young birds were hatched on 

 the 20th of June. Eor several weeks no rain had 

 fallen till the 29th, when a heavy downpour set in, 

 which lasted, with very slight intermission, through- 

 oirt that and the following day. The parent birds 

 were much distressed to give shelter to their young, 

 and despite all their care they failed in their efforts, 

 until, struck with a happy thought, they succeeded 

 in placing a stick across the nest, then availing 

 themselves of this extemporized perch, and simul- 

 taneously spreading out their wings, they formed a 

 complete and effectual canopy. On the following 

 day the perch had disappeared ; with the return of 

 sunshine both parents, relieved from all anxiety on 

 account of the weather, were busily plying their 

 brood with grubs and caterpillars, so that I had no 

 opportunity for seeing the happy contrivance ; but 

 the three more fortunate observers bore testimony, 

 in terms of high admiration, to the skill and patience 

 exhibited by the thxnislies, who never deserted the 

 perch so long as the rain continued, although their 

 own feathers were dripping with water. Through- 

 out the second day of trial the cock bird brought 

 food to his mate, who distributed it amongst her 

 nurselings, taking, of course, her own well-earned 

 share. I asked my friends how the birds contrived 

 to carry up the perch more than fifteen feet from 

 the ground, but neither had been so fortunate as to 

 witness what must have been a clever piece of 

 engineering. — E. T. S. 



Snakes at Dikneh. — During the present summer 

 I have kept two snakes {Nafrix torqnata) in a glass 

 case for the purpose of observing their habits ; one 

 of the most interesting is the method by which they 

 take their food. Bell, in his " History of British 

 Reptiles " (and after him most writers), states that 

 it seizes frogs generally by one of the hind legs, or 

 should the frog be taken by the middle of the body, 

 it invariably turns it until the head is directed 

 towards the throat, when it is swallowed head fore- 

 most. Wishing to test the validity of this state- 

 ment, I supplied my snakes with a number of small 

 frogs, and to my surprise I found that they were 

 generally swallowed as taken — i. e., if seized by the 

 hind legs they went down backwards; if by the 

 head, head foremost ; and if taken sideways (as 

 several were), they were swallowed in that position. 

 ^ Bell, in the work before cited, states that when a 

 frog is seized all its struggles generally cease at 

 once ; this I cannot credit, for 1 have repeatedly 

 noticed them struggle violently, and only cease to 

 do by being swallowed. I have frequently noticed 



my snakes mistake small stones for frogs, actually 

 biting at them, while the frog they were in chase of 

 was scarcely an inch off, and which by lying quiet 

 generally escaped, but the instant it moved the 

 snake was after it again. Erom this I am forced to 

 believe the sight of my reptiles cannot be good : is 

 it so in their natural state ? — F. P. D., Birmingham, 



Birds ANr> an Eclipse.— In Mr. Bennett's 

 "Wanderings in China" (1833), we find an elabo- 

 rate description of an aviary, and the following 

 paragraph appears curious. Other persons may have 

 made more ample examination of the same pheno- 

 menon. " It once happened during a total eclipse 

 of the sun, that as that luminary became over- 

 shadowed, the feathered colony, if not in conster- 

 nation at the event, was exceedingly perplexed at 

 the rapid and untimely termination of the day, and 

 all retired supperless to bed; they received, however, 

 a second surprise at the briefness of the night ; for 

 before they could be well asleep, the cocks crowed 

 at the reappearance of the sun, and all again 

 resumed their daily amusements and occupations." 

 —P. B. St. J. 



White Hedgehog. — On the 15th of last month 

 (July), when walking to London, seeing a number 

 of working men examining some curious-looking 

 animal which one of them had in his hand, I asked 

 to be allowed to see it also, and to my surprise found 

 it to be a white hedgehog, with red eyes, the same 

 as a white rabbit or white mouse ; it was gentle, 

 and apparently very tame, and fuU grown, and in 

 good health. One of the workmen observed to 

 the others, that though in his life he had seen scores 

 of hedgehogs, yet he had never met with a white 

 one before ; an observation that I could fully 

 endorse ; but whether it is so unusual a fact as I 

 think, I am by no means sure. The colour was one 

 uniform pale nankeen colour, both hair and spires.— 

 Aug. Gaviller, Stamford Hilt. 



FISH TATTLE. 

 Hammee-headed Shaek {Zygcena mallev.s) .—^ 

 About 1 p.m. July 31st, a lai'ge object was observed 

 floundering among the rocks near the ladies' bathing 

 cove by the boatmen on the quay-head. With great 

 difficulty and some risk it was secured by ropes, and 

 triumphantly towed into Ilfracombe harbour ; it was 

 then placed on a cart and drawn through the streets. 

 Eor a small amount 1 obtained the carcass, and had 

 it placed in the small garden behind our house. On 

 measurement it was found to be 13ft. 7in. in length, 

 7ft. 2in. in girth behind the pectoral fins, 3ft. 3iu. 

 between the orbits of the eyes, Avhich were nearly 

 covered by crustacean parasites. On opening the 

 animal the remains of two thornbacks and a bass 

 were found, together with a number of intestinal 

 worms of enormous size. There is only one recorded 

 appearance of this remarkable fish on the British 



