REPORTiS OF SOCIETIES — OBSERVATIONS. 



181 



High Wycombe Natural History Society, 

 — A special excursion took place on Tues- 

 day, September 26tli, when the members 

 proceeded by rail to "Wheatley Station to 

 examine the geological formations that 

 crop out in that locality. Two c[uarries 

 were visited first in Wheatley, which were 

 found to consist of Calcareous Grit and 

 Coral Rag in strata inclined at a consider- 

 able angle. A few fossils were obtained 

 there, but they were very imperfect. A very- 

 prolific bed of coprolites was however 

 found lying beneath about four feet of 

 Kimmeridge clay in a ferruginous layer of 

 sand separating the clay from the under- 

 lying stone. Among some fossils obtained 

 here was a good specimen of Nucleolites 

 dimidiatus{veBem\Amg the Micraster of the 

 chalk, but much flatter), which one of the 

 quarrymen gravely informed the members 

 was " generally believed to be a kind of 

 button." A labourer then conducted the 

 members to a neighbouring brick yard to 

 examine the clay beds there. They were 

 found to be Kimmeridge Clay, the forma- 

 tion immediately overlaying the Coral 

 Rag. Here were obtained vertebrae of three 

 species of saurians, together with some 

 magnificent Ammonites Mplex and A. tri- 

 plex, and some very fine and perfect crys- 

 tals of selenite. When the presence of the 

 Society^became known in the neighbour- 

 hood, it appeared a matter of jealousy as 

 to who should bring the largest supply of 

 fossils, for there were constant arrivals 

 until the time of departure. After a 

 substantial dinner at the " Sun," the 

 Holton quarry was visited, about a mile 

 from Wheatley. Here two specimens of 

 coral were obtained, and a few shells, bones, 

 and teeth. Altogether the members had 

 great reason to be gratified with the result 

 of the day's work : among the fossils yet 

 unmentioned were Rhynchonella inconstans, 

 Plagiostoma, rigida, Ostrea virgula, and 

 ca,stsoi Chem7iitzia striata and G. Heading- 

 toniensis. 



Birth of a Hippopotamus. — In a former 

 number we noticed this occurrence at the 

 Amsterdam Gardens, which we now sup- 

 plement by a few details that have since 

 come to hand. For some hours previous 

 to delivery the animal was observed to be 

 in a profuse perspiration which was of a 

 red colour and ran down her body in 

 streams. When the critical moment arrived 

 she took such a position that the young 

 one came against the bars of the house, 

 between which there is room enough for a 

 man to pass, but the little animal proved 

 so heavy, slippery and strong, that the 

 keepers could not get it through the bars, 

 so they were compelled to enter the enclo- 

 sure in order to secure it just as the 

 mother was recovering herself and rising to 

 defend her progeny. The young Hippo- 

 potamus was placed in a basket made for 

 the purpose and taken to the place pre- 

 pared for it, a large room where was a 

 long cage, at the end of which is a tank 

 containing water ; underneath is a hot 

 water apparatus to heat the room, and give 

 the requisite temperature to the water. The 

 animal is fed upon milk mixed with a 

 little water, and takes about two gallons 

 and a half daily ; which is served to him 

 in six or seven meals. It daily increases 

 in size, is very playful and appears to be 

 on very good terms with its keeper. In 

 the case of this animal, copulation had 

 taken place on the 6th and 7th of Decem- 

 ber 1864, so that the period of gestation 

 may be considered to be between eight and 

 nine months. — W. 



In the museum at Antwerp is preserved 

 a bird wonderfully resembling the Argus 

 Pheasant, being the produce of a male Pea 

 fowl and female Guinea fowl. 



Birds. — Dates of appearance of sum- 

 mer visitors, 1865, : — 

 April 9th Heard and saw CliiffchafF. 



... 1 0th Heard Willow AYreu . 



