400 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



elusions bore witness to the originality of its author's researches. The 

 work was illustrated by drawings from his own hand. " The more I 

 study the fishes of the ' Old Bed,' " wrote Huxley twenty years after, 

 " the more I am struck with the patience and sagacity manifested 

 in Hugh Miller's researches, and by the natural insight, which in 

 his case seems to have supplied the place of special anatomical 

 knowledge." 



In a centenary address, Sir A. Geikie remarked: "Hugh Miller's 

 researches among the fishes of the Old Eed Sandstone showed him to 

 be a naturalist and palaeontologist. It was Hugh Miller's ' Old Eed 

 Sandstone ' that first revealed to him (Sir A. Geikie) the meaning in 

 the commonest stones beneath his feet." 



Our contributor Mr. W. Buslrin Butterfield has recently com- 

 municated a letter to the 'Times ' on the subject of " The Preservation 

 of our rarer mammals." The following is an extract : — Certain of 

 our native mammals are so rapidly approaching extinction that for 

 some time it has been a matter of the gravest concern to those who 

 are interested in their survival. Unfortunately, in seeking the 

 attention of those to whom, directly or indirectly, the blame attaches, 

 one labours under an obvious disadvantage. On estates where the pro- 

 duction of large quantities of game is the "be-all and the end-all," any 

 but a very sparing admixture of carnivorous mammals is out of the 

 question. It by no means follows, however, that the total extirpation 

 of these animals is necessary. I believe a small admixture to be not 

 inconsistent with the best results. In dealing with vermin, game 

 preservers too often lose sight of the zoological aspect of the question. 

 There can be no doubt that carnivores play an important part in the 

 economy of nature. When an admixture of animals (no matter of 

 what class) is subjected to the rapacious attacks of other animals, the 

 tendency must always be for the former to become more vigorous, 

 since those individuals best able to withstand attack survive. I hope 

 this point, which has been insisted upon by many naturalists, will 

 have some weight in the right quarters. 



Bavarian officers, experimenting with a balloon some 6,000 ft. 

 aloft, noticed a little black speck which seemed to accompany them, 

 and which they thought was one of the cards which they carry for 

 throwing out reports, and that the dropping of the balloon drew it 

 along, but on looking at the barometer they found the balloon was 

 rising, and not dropping. Suddenly, however, a loud chirping showed 

 that it was a Lark, which, flying at this extraordinary height, had 

 been frightened by the balloon. — Westminster Gazette. 



