48o 



Marvels of the Universe 



within the mouth, which are used for smashing 

 shellfish. Opinions differ as to its palatabilitj', 

 but it is held in high regard bj' anglers on account 

 of the sport it affords. Compared with the Tarpon, 

 it is a pigmy not exceeding thirty inches in length 

 and a weight of ten pounds when full grown. 



Mention has been made of the long and rather 

 delicate filament or thread which projects from 

 and far beyond the hinder margin of the back fin ; 

 and it has occurred to some of my readers, no 

 doubt, to ask what purpose this may serve. So 

 far, this question remains unanswered ; but it is 

 possibly, as are the similar fin-threads of so many 

 other fishes, of use as a special sense-organ — an 

 organ of touch in various ways. At any rate, it is 

 significant to notice that when a shoal of Tarpon 

 is sighted it is always by the great commotion in 

 the water which they make, either breaking the 

 water sharpl}', or showing their backs in the 

 slow and regular movements of the porpoise, or 

 swimming with the dorsal-fin and its queer whip-like thread thrust out above the surface. The 

 latter action suggests the wetting of the finger and holding it up to learn the direction of the wind, 

 a plan often adopted by the weatherwise. The fish may similarly gather information by the play 

 of the wind on this fin-thread. It is a pity that it has not occurred to Tarpon fishers to investigate 

 this matter. The above observations as to the movements of shoals of Tarpon were made by a 

 particularly keen naturalist, ilr. Rowland Ward, and are recorded in some detail in his delightful 

 book on Tarpon-fishing in Florida, published some years ago. But he makes no suggestion as to 

 the use of this " feeler," as we may assume it to be. 



Photo hii] [ ir. Bagihair, 



THE BIRD'S-NEST FUNGUS. 



A group of this quaint little fungus growing on a dead 

 stick. Each "egg" or spore-case is attached to the nest by 

 an elastic thread. (Natural size.) 



THE BIRD'S-NEST FUNGUS 



^ 



Photo hu] I W. Bagshaw. 



BIRD'S-NEST FUNGUS. 



Two specimens are Kere shown enlarged to twice the 

 natural size. 



One of the prettiest of the smaller fungi that are 

 not of microscopical smallness is that depicted in 

 the accompan5nng photographs. It is also one of 

 the few for which the novice has not to hunt far to 

 find its name. The first sight of it springing in a 

 cluster from a rotten root at the copse-side, or — 

 as the specimens photographed were — gro\ving 

 from decaying wood in the garden — suggests that 

 it is the nest of a fairy-bird, complete with eggs. 

 That is the view one gets of them from above • 

 from the side they are vase-shaped or bell-shaped, 

 which does not fit in with our notions of ordinary 

 nest-shapes. 



Our forefathers appear to have overlooked this 

 neat little fungus, or we should have had some 

 quaint legend to account for its form, and prob- 

 ably some wonderful medicinal or magical powers 

 attributed to the " eggs." These nests are really 



