THOMAS BARKER’S NOTE-BOOKS. 
205 
over Andromeda’s head, and as low as Aries, but somewhat south 
of it. This remarkable stream had no considerable motion, but 
seemed to move rather towards the south, and by ten of the clock 
was much faded and shorter at the east end, and was quite gone 
before 10.25.” 
“ Feb. 19, 1745-6. After a sharp frost of considerable length, 
when the ice and thawed snow had covered the water four and 
a-half or five inches thick, in the thaw when it was wasted to an 
inch or less, I pulled a piece of ice out of the water, and was sur- 
prised — as I drew it out — to see on the lower side, which had 
been so long quite covered with water, a spider alive and brisk, 
seeming to have lived under water (as they say swallows do 
under the sea in Sweden), for it plainly came up out of the water 
with the ice ; nor could I see how it could get into that place 
since the frost.” 
“ In 1767 I twice saw a spider fascinating a fly. The spider 
stood underneath its webb, and a very little fly of the large winged 
kind, fluttered about above it, did not appear to be at all en- 
tangled, but flew about from place to place of the webb, the 
spider still following, and placing itself just under it. The fly, 
though unconfined, would not leave the webb, but still continued 
to fly about it, and by degrees seemed to affect to hover just over 
the spider ; and at length laid itself down on the webb, and suf- 
fered the spider to come and seize it without a struggle, which it 
did, and in a little time drew it through the webb and carried 
it off.” 
.-\mong his longer and more elaborate notes are some experi- 
ments on bees, which read curiously like an anticipation of those 
of Sir J. Lubbock; some elaborate experiments on the growth 
of mint ; and notes on various plants and seeds. 
Enough has perhaps been said to show that Thomas Barker 
was not unworthy of his close connection with his more illustrious 
brother-in-law, whom he survived by nine years. Thomas 
Barker came of a well-known Rutlandshire family, and it is to be 
hoped that some day the ancient “ Barker Papers,” in the pos- 
session of the Rev. Edmund Field — which have alf^dy been 
catalogued and described by the Government — will be published. 
Gilbert White. 
Generosity in a Dog. — A striking instance of this is to be found in the 
behaviour of our beautiful black retriever. A thin, starved-looking dog who lives 
opposite our house, comes regularly every day to “ Ashley’s ” kennel, and he 
saves daily half his food for his visitor, watching him with a complacent counten- 
ance whilst he devours it. One week in consequence of our absence from home, 
“ Ashley ” ran short of food, but still he saved part of his meagre pittance for 
his humble friend. Besides this, all the cats about the place come and feed out 
of “Ashley’s” dish whenever they choose, and he freely lets them do so, not 
because he has more than he can eat, as witness his conduct during our absence, 
but from a natural unselfishness and kindness of heart. 
G. S. Henslow. 
