300 TlMEHRt. 
seemed to be hardly any neck ; and the head, which seemed much too 
large for the bocty, was of a yellowish white. I saw no arms, nor any 
eyes, nose nor mouth. The object kept swaying from side to side as I 
looked at it. I fired at it from where I was standing, and afterward 
went toward the taconba. I found nothing. I did not go to the spot 
at once, but waited until the smoke, which hung for a long time, had 
cleared away : as I was afraid that whatever it was it might turn on 
me. On going to the spot, I found the small tree cut through by the 
shot, but could not find where the shot went into the ground, as it 
ought to have gone, a few feet from the tree. The ground v/as quite 
soft and there was a track, like a long and narrow foot without toes ; 
but only two of these, so I could not see in which direction they went. 
I had had a good look at the object What could it 
have been? I do not think there is anything the matter with me to 
make me see things that do not exist. Still I can hardly in this case 
believe my own ej^esight." 
This story will, I hope, interest and puzzle the readers 
of Timehri as much as it has me. 
-♦— ■ 
The action of Lime on the Clay-soils of the Colony. 
Mr. Alexander Winter of Berbice sends the fol- 
lowing interesting note : — 
In many parts of the colonj r there are portions of estates where the 
soil is so stiff and tenacious, with so small a depth of vegetable mould 
on the surface that their cultivation is unprofitable. Being desirous of 
testing the effect of top-dressing of lime on such soils, I made the 
experiment. 
There was in the yard near the manager's house an old horse-trough 
which had been used for giving the mules their corn in. It was raised 
from the ground some four feet, was eight or ten feet long and about 
a foot wide and the same deep. There was a partition in the middle 
which divided it into two compartments. I filled both divisions with 
the subsoil clay of an adjoining field. The clay was what is called 
yellow clay, and was very stiff and dense, about the consistency of 
putty. To one half I applied a thick dressing of temper lime, to the 
other nothing, and then left them to be acted on by the atmosphere. 
The trough being leaky, what rain fell upon it passed readily through; 
so both divisions had equal drainage 
