WARD’S NATURAL SCIENCE BULLETIN. 7 
GENERAL NOTES. 
From the distant northwest, where the winter 
temperature is often — 45°, comes the report that 
this season the weather has been so mild that 
the grizzlies have not hibernated — “ holed up ’" 
is the local term — at all, but have roamed about 
as in summer, sleeping in the woods. 
We have received from New York a fine adult 
Malay Tapir, whose skin we are now mounting 
for a museum, and the skeleton has gone into 
maceration. Value of skeleton when bleached 
and mounted with brass mountings on black 
walnut pedestal, $ LOO. 
Few people are aware how near to civilization 
some of our wild animals approach. During 
the past few years we have known of two foxes 
being killed far within our city limits, and it is 
quite a common occurrence for the grey rabbit 
to pass the winter in the nurseries in the suburbs. 
In fact, a year or so ago a pair passed the season 
under one of our workshops. Only the other 
day a mink was brought us which had been 
taken within a mile of the centre of the city, 
and we recall the surprise of the individual who 
some little time ago captured a muskrat in his 
cellar. 
The above instances recall the occasional cap- 
ture of some animal that has ceased to legiti- 
mately belong to the fauna of our immediate 
vicinity. Last year a farmer near here took a 
specimen of the porcupine ( Erethizon dorsatum), 
which created almost as much interest as a bear. 
The last opossum on record was captured here, 
if our memory be not treacherous, about six or 
seven years ago. 
We wish to call attention to the list of eggs of 
Struthiones given on page 11 ; and especially to 
the very low price for those of Emeu. These 
eggs, with their glossy green black and deeply 
pitted surface, are very attractive, and are much 
sought after by collectors. Having made ar- 
rangements for securing a considerable number, 
we are now enabled to offer them at $2.50 each, 
which is much below any previous price. 
The Cosmic Egg. 
Upon a rock yet uncreate, 
Amid a chaos inchoate, 
An uncreated being sate ; 
Beneath him, rock, 
Above him, cloud, 
And the cloud was rock. 
And the rock was cloud. 
The rock then growing soft and warm, 
The cloud began to take a form, 
A form chaotic, vast and vague, 
Which issued in the cosmic egg. 
Then the Being uncreate 
On the egg did incubate, 
And thus became the incubator; 
And of the egg did allegate, 
And thus became the alligator ; 
And the incubator was potentate, 
But the alligator was potentator. 
Anon, 
Our already large stock in this department is 
just receiving extensive additions from the Pa- 
cific and Indian Oceans, regions especially rich 
in this class of animal life. This great increase 
has made our stock larger than ever before, and 
very complete. The specimens have all been very 
carefully selected, accurately named, and their 
exact locality noted. Among the host of inter- 
esting and instructive forms we would call atten- 
tion to the following as especially valuable: 
A set of 12 Typical Rhizopods, mounted for 
observation with a baud lens, also various Pro- 
tozoa unmounted, and accurate plaster models, 
enlarged 100 diameters, of a number of the 
most interesting forms: 
Hydroids, Medusa: and Anthozoa in alcohol. 
Among Sponges the ponderous Neptune's Cup , 
from one and a half to three feet in height; the 
wonderfully beautiful and delicate Glass Sponge , 
and a large series of other sponges just received 
from the East Indies. 
Gorgonias in great variety from world-wide 
localities. 
A remarkably full series of Corals, embracing 
numberless fine, and several unique specimens: 
Sty (aster , Astraea, Galaxea, Tridacophyltia, Mcean- 
drina, Oculina, Halomitra, Lophoseris, Madrepora , 
of various species, Dendrophyllia and other spe- 
cies. Many of these are exquisitely beautiful, 
and can be furnished at very reasonable prices. 
Vermes, Bryozoa, Tunic ata, Ascidiae, Sal- 
pidae, Hirundina, Chatopoda, and Brachi- 
opoda, fine specimens in alcohol. 
Crinoids, Star Fishes, Sea Urchins, in 
scores of species, among which are many of 
great interest. — Comatula , Ophiocoma , Oulcita, 
Oreaster, Echinomeira , Echinanthus, Metalia, and 
others. 
Also Holothuria of many species. 
Of the Mollusca we have an exceptionally 
fine series: a vast number of shells, aod also 
many species in alcohol. 
Among Crustaceans a great variety of odd 
and interesting forms — Barnacles, Horse-shoe 
Crabs, Lobsters and Hermit Crabs, both alco- 
holic and dry or neatly mounted. 
Of most of the forms mentioned above we 
have examples in alcohol. For this purpose, 
only perfect individuals are selected, and those 
which show most clearly the characteristic points. 
While our stock comprises a vast number of 
species, yet our aim has ever been rather quality 
than quantity, and more particularly to procure 
those type forms which stand out prominently in 
the systematic zoological series. W e are thus en 
abled to prepare systematic collections illustrating 
the fundamental principles on which classification 
is based; collections which are invaluable to the 
student or teacher of invertebrate zoology. The 
specimens can be selected at option of the pur- 
chaser, or we will, if desired, make up series to 
any given amount. 
Catalogue of Invertebrates, 112 pages, 121 wood- 
cuts, 50 cents. 
It is asserted that the New Zealanders were 
not cannibals till the Dinornis became extinct, 
but that when there were no moa birds to de- 
vour they began eating one another. And yet 
these savages may be said to be more fond of 
one another than are many more civilized races, 
and probably cherish a tender liking even for 
their enemies. 
Unnatural History Notes. 
fF Another petrified body has been quarried out 
of whole cloth, this time in Chenango county. 
A correspondent writes to ask us whether we 
believe this to be true. As this is the twentieth 
or twenty-first such occurrence this year, we have 
no hesitation in saying that we have not the 
slightest doubt about the matter. 
The source of the oft-quoted lines “ Though 
lost to sight, to memory dear,” has at last been 
discovered. It was what the toad said when he 
had swallowed the bumble-bee. 
While the Cambridge elephant was being 
placed on its flat car for shipment from here, a 
little street Arab in the crowd, noticing the ani- 
mal’s huge toe-nails, called out, “Oh! Jimmy, 
just lookee here! Blamed if he haint got teeth on 
ms feet! ” 
When Vesuvius suffers from an eruption it 
is difficult to prescribe for the crater without 
a complete knowledge Of the symptoms. We 
would suggest to put it in the bed of the Mediter- 
ranean and lave it_ some time, but do not leucite 
of it. If all else fails, try Prof. Ward’s infal- 
lible remedy, “ boil in dilute nitric acid.” 
One of the Shakesperian scholars connected 
with this establishment calls our attention to the 
fact that Lear has noted an unobserved note of 
a familiar bird. He says, “ the wren goes toot.’' 
Perhaps some ornithologist can explain this. 
The “Breeches Bible,” a correspondent sug- 
gests, should give place to his revised version, 
since he claims that a careful study of the ori- 
ginal Hebrew convinces him that Adam and 
Eve’s first garments were bear skin. 
An interesting discovery was made by the 
Lockport Union on Saturday, April 1st, and per- 
petuated in the editorial columns of one of the 
Kochester dailies the following Monday. It was 
that of a “fossil lobster, fifteen feet in length,” 
in limestone of the lower Helderberg, at Lewiston , 
N. Y. The new facts incidentally developed 
were “ the antenae, six in number," and “ the 
tail" which ‘ ‘ was precisely like that of the 
Ganoids. ” 
A forgotten Exchange gives us the following 
information concerning the fauna and flora of 
New Holland: “The Kangaroo, an animal be- 
tween a squirrel and a deer, has five claws on its 
fore-paws, and three talons on its hind-legs, and 
hops on its tail; the Mole lays eggs, and lias a 
duck’s bill; there is a bird with a broom in its 
mouth instead of a tongue; there is a fish, one-lialf 
belonging to the genus Eaia and the other half 
belonging to that of Squalus; the pears are made 
of wood with the stalk at the. broader end; and 
the cherry grows with the cherry-stone outside.” 
The well-known story told of the naturalist 
Buckland, who, when traveling on an English 
railway, was obliged to purchase a ticket for a 
live monkey he had with him, on the ground, 
that it was a dog, and as such, subject to half- 
fare, while a live turtle he was carrying was 
exempted because it was “a liinsect,” is paral- 
lelled by the verdict of a certain jury in a metro- 
politan city not a thousand miles away. The 
cause of action was a small green turtle which 
an officer of the Society for the Prevention of 
Cruelty to Animals had found with feet tied, 
lying on its back in the hot sun in front of one of 
the numerous restaurants that take this method 
of advertising a part of the daily bill of fare. 
The jury found for the defendant, on the ground 
that the turtle was not an animal, and hence 
did not come within the jurisdiction of the 
Society. 
