GENERAL NOIES. 383 
Balfour Fund, for the promotion of research in Biology, espe- 
cially Animal Morphology.” 
“ That the proceeds of the fund be applied :—(1) To estab- 
- lish a studentship, the holder of which shall devote himself to 
original research in Biology, especially Animal Morphology. 
(2) To further, by occasional grants of money, original research 
in the same subject.” 
“That the committee” (appointed to collect subscriptions ata 
to draw up conditions) “be instructed :—(1) That the value of 
the studentship be not Tess than #200 a year. (2) That while it 
is desirable that the studentship should be in some way closely 
connected with this university, persons other than members of 
this university shall be eligible to it. (3) That it be not given 
away by competitive examination.” 
Professor T. J. Parker, of Otago University, has expressed 
his willingness to forward any subscriptions from those in New 
Zealand interested in this scheme. The subscriptions received 
by 24th October amounted to over £6000. 
SHEEP EATING THISTLE HEADS.—While driving from 
Lawrence to Beaumont the other day, I observed half-a-dozen 
sheep in a paddock eating thistle heads. They approached them 
in a very careful way, bit off the head, and then chewed it. I 
noticed that they took several heads from the same plant. It is 
well known that horses bite off and eat the heads of the thistle. 
I have never heard that sheep acted in the same manner, and I 
_ record what I saw them do, partly to note an interesting fact, 
and partly to see whether sucha habit has been noticed by any 
of the readers of this magazine. : , AD PETRIE. 
A NEW ZEALAND FRESH-WATER SPONGE.—During the 
Christmas holidays I found some specimens of a fresh-water 
sponge in the River Kakahu, about six miles from Temuka. 
These, I believe, are the first that have been examined in New 
Zealand. Some years ago Professor Hutton found a sponge in 
one of the lakes in the North Island, but he was riding at the 
time, and his specimens were lost before he reached a place 
where they could be examined. Mine were found in a shallow 
running stream, adhering to submerged stones and sticks. On 
the stones they formed irregular circular incrustations of a dis- 
tinct green colour, with the surface tolerably smooth. On the 
‘sticks, which were all small, they formed similar masses, some- 
times circling right round the stick. The skeleton spicules, 
which alone I have examined, are very small, the largest only 
about ‘008 of an inch in length. Smaller ones similar in shape 
are present. In shape they are similar to those of Spongilla 
fluniatils, of England, as drawn by Bowerbank (On the anatomy 
and physiology of the Spongiade. Trans. Royal Soc. 1858, p. 
279; plate xxiii., fig. 96), being what he calls “acerate,” viz :— 
“ Of the same diameter for the greater part of the length of the 
shaft, but decreasing equally near each termination and ending 
