8862 



Aquarium. 



none ; but perhaps it might have been more abundant, as it appeared to be getting 

 over, two or three of the specimens being rather worn. From the fact of its occurring 

 so far west of Folkestone 1 should suppose that it will be met with in other localities 

 on the South Coast. — Percy C. Wormald ; Kilburn, London, N. W. 



Hornets destroying an intruding Mouse. — Upon examining a hornet's nest I hare 

 found a mouse which had evidently crept into it. The hornets bad killed it and 

 covered it with the sort of paper of which they make their nests. Tt was a mass of 

 about the size of a large walnut composed of bones mixed with hair inside. I have 

 heard of bees covering snails, slugs, &c, with wax, but I never heard of hornets doing 

 this before. — Sidney Goodwin ; Westhall Vicarage, Wangford, Suffolk, October 26, 

 1863. 



Notes on Sea Anemones, Observations on the Tank, $c. By W. R. 

 Hughes, Esq., President of the Birmingham Natural History 

 Association. 



At page 6580 of the 6 Zoologist' there is a most interesting paper 

 by Mr. Gosse on the transfer of Adamsia palliata from shell to shell. 

 During the last month I have had the pleasure of verifying that gen- 

 tleman's observation. Amongst my recent captures at Torquay were 

 three specimens of Adamsia, with their corresponding crabs, Pagurus 

 Prideauxii, — two full-grown ones and one very small one. The larger 

 were located on Buccinurn shells, the smaller on a small Littorina. 

 As I anticipated, the crabs in the larger shells soon died, and I had 

 to bring the Actiniae " up by hand,'' so to speak. The little one, 

 however, did very well, made himself quite at home in one of my 

 tanks, took food and thrived. He was occasionally subjected to 

 sundry inquisitive pokings from two large specimens of Palaemon ser- 

 ratus, which have been in my possession some eighteen months, and 

 which (except at special seasons, once in about three weeks, when 

 Nature is measuring them for new coats) evidently consider them- 

 selves the lords of the aquarium. One evening Pagurus seemed rest- 

 less and uneasy, lolling out of the shell as though he hadn't breathing 

 space. So, bearing in mind the proceeding of my friend Mr. Gosse, 

 in the paper above alluded to, I dropped into the tank two or three 

 Natica monilifera shells of graduated sizes. In the morning great 

 was my delight to find that my little pets had both decamped, and 

 taken possession of a new tenement, consisting of the smallest Natica. 

 How the operation was accomplished I cannot say, but no doubt, as 

 Mr. Gosse suggests, the crab has some wonderful instinct by which 

 he communicates the fact of his departure to the anemone. To my 

 great regret the crab only lived a fortnight after the event, but the 

 anemone still survives. 



