HE figures below represent an Actinophrys, most resembling the Actinophrys Eichornii, as given in the "Micrographic Dictionary;" only in the present instance the animal seems larger, whilst

(fig. B), some of which contain dark-coloured matter, which is possibly the creature's food in various stages of digestion, as the occurrence of a diatom in one of these would seem to indicate (fig. B, b). J. S. TUTE.

GENERA OF DIATOMS.

body of the animal is spherical and opaque, and surrounded with a transparent cellular network; from every angle of which springs a delicate hairlike tentacle, the length of which is about onequarter of the diameter of the body. Within each Fig. 89.

The four remaining genera of the Navicular group, with free frustules, contain but comparatively few species.

TOXONIDEA has the valve elongated, convex, with the sides unsymmetrical, oblique striæ, and a longitudinal curved (or arcuate) line, the ends and terminal nodules of which curve towards the same side of the valve. We have only about two species (fig. 90, Toxonidea Gregoriana 400).

DONKINIA. So called in honour of Mr. Donkin, the discoverer of several

B

Figs. A and B, magnified 100 diameters.
Figs. C and D, magnified 248 diameters.

cell, and apparently near the surface, are small black granules (fig. C), which are in continual motion. The surface also shows occasional protuberances (figs. A, B a), which perhaps perform the office of mouths. The members of this family are said to draw into themselves, by means of their tentacles, any small organism, as a diatom, which may become entangled in them; and gradually to press it through the external covering, until it enters the body, where its nutritive parts are extracted, and the rest ejected by a reverse process to that by which it was drawn in (fig. B c).

In some individuals numerous vacuoles occur

*Plate 23, fig. 7a.

SOUND-PRODUCING BEETLES.-In answer to your correspondent, Mr. Brodrick, I may state that many of our British Coleoptera, beside the Anobia, are capable of producing sounds. Thus, the Cerambycide are a noisy family, producing a "stridulation" by rubbing together the edges of the front and middle rings of the thorax. So is Lomia textor, another long-horned beetle. Cychrus rostratus, the beaked ground-beetle, makes a low hissing noise. when disturbed. The common dung-beetle hums, as does its relative, Copris lunaris; and the rosebeetle, Atonia aurata, utters a similar sound. Nor are instances wanting in the family of water-beetles, to which Pelobius Hermanni, the species mentioned by your correspondent, belongs. The males of Acilius produce a croaking sound, even when in their native element. That emitted by Pelobius is caused by the friction of the abdomen against the elytra, or wing-cases, as in Cychrus and the dungbeetles.-W. H. Groser.

AUDACITY OF THE WASP.-In the farm department at Walton Hall, I have seen the pigs lying in the warm sunshine, the flies clustering thickly on their bodies, and the wasps pouncing on the flies and carrying them off. It was a curious sight to watch the total indifference of the pigs, the busy clustering of the flies, with which the skin was absolutely blackened in some places, and then to see the yellow-bodied wasp just clear the wall, dart into the dark mass, and retreat again with a fly in its fatal grasp. On the average, one wasp arrived every ten seconds, so that the pigsty must have been a well-known storehouse for these insects.-Wood's "Homes without Hands."

THE CAT.-The following quaint description of the domestic pussy occurs in an old heraldic book, John Bossewell's "Workes of Armorie," published in 1597 :

is like unto a Leoparde, and hathe a great mouth. He doth delighte that he enioyeth his libertie; and in his youthe he is swifte, plyante, and merye. He maketh a rufull noyse and a gastefull when he profereth to fight with an other. He is a cruell beaste when he is wilde, and falleth on his owne feete from moste highe places: and uneth is hurt therewith. When he hathe a fayre skinne, he is, as it were, prowde thereof, and then he goethe faste aboute to be seene."

A WORD ABOUT THE ROBIN.-So great is the pugnacity of the robin after his prelude of song, that we have ere now rescued one from certain death, its victor having already broken its wing, and being ready to give the coup de grace when disturbed by our approach. The trustful manner, however, in which it draws nigh our dwellings in winter, and its cheerful song, will quite atone for this bad habit in most people's opinion. While treating of the robin's song, the beautiful legend may be mentioned which accounts for its red breast, by stating that one of them bore away a thorn from the Lord's crown at the Crucifixion.-Once a Week.

THE CUCKOO. Last year I had a cuckoo brought me out of a redbreast's nest. I kept it for several weeks, but finding that it began to pine and scem unhappy, I allowed it to fly away. A few weeks later, I myself found one in a pied wagtail's nest. For several days I noticed the wagtails busy from morning to night, and constantly flying to the nest. On looking up to the nest one day, I saw a cuckoo, full-grown and quite strong on the wing, as it proved to me when I attempted to lay hands upon it. A few years ago, I had one from a linnet's nest. If any of your young readers should ever fall in with a young cuckoo, they may like to know what food to give it. I have fed two now with success upon chopped raw meat, mixed with soaked bread.R. Blight.

THE MAGPIE.-In the early part of last December, from the window I saw, at a little distance, a bird carefully examining a sheep's back in a most ludicrous manner. By the aid of a powerful telescope I could watch its movements carefully. It was a magpie. The sheep took not the slightest notice of the bird, but unconcernedly permitted it to walk from head to tail, from side to side, in every direction. I have often before seen jackdaws, and occasionally a rook, doing the same thing, but I never before saw a magpie. As far as I have been able to make observations for myself, I cannot discover that any family besides the Corvida do this. -R. Blight.

NEWTS.-In addition to the numerous incidents all indicating a remarkable season, I may add another which came under my notice on January 16. As I was examining a pond, I was surprised to see a pair of the Palmated newt swimming along in company.

This to me is remarkable, for during three years in which I have watched their habits here, I have never seen them so early. In 1864 I did not see them till March 25; in 1865 I saw them first on February 27.-R. Blight.

SILVER-STRIPED HAWK MOTH.- (Chorocampa celerio.) Mr. Henry Laurence, of Coggeshall, Essex, succeeded in capturing a single specimen of the above insect on July 18, 1865. Mr. Edward Newman, in his work on British Moths, says the perfect insect has occurred now and then in England, but can scarcely be regarded as a British insect.-C. Denny, Kelvedon.

WOODCOCKS' BREEDING.-In an article on woodcocks, your correspondent states that he has occasionally found their nests in the woods near Canterbury. I believe, on investigation, more of those birds would be found to breed in England than is generally supposed. In proof of which opinion there were last year at Attlebridge, about seven miles from Norwich, on the estate of the Rev. J. N. Micklethwaite, five or six nests, and that was not an exceptional case, as the keeper for several years past was aware some were to be found, and even captured a young one. I feel inclined to think, from a peculiar adaptability of the soil, some of the birds return to the same spot for the purpose of incubation.-E. A., Norwich.

THE GREAT RIBBON FISH.-(Trachypterus bogmarus-Vaagmar of the Norwegians.)-A fine specimen of this rare and beautiful fish was taken by a pilot at the Tees' Mouth, on March 2nd. It had been thrown ashore by the violence of the storm, and was not quite dead when found. After having been exhibited for a few days in Leeds, it was brought back to West Hartlepool, and the writer bad the pleasure of seeing it while there. The name of ribbon-fish is particularly appropriate, for though this specimen measured fourteen feet six inches in extreme length, its greatest diameter from the dorsal fin to the belly was only thirteen inches. Like all the Tonioids, it was clothed with very small pearly scales, and had a beautiful silvery appearance. The ventral fins (near the throat) had each consisted of but one ray of great length. These, however, had got broken, owing to their fragility. The dorsal, as in all the members of this family, extended the whole length of the back, and had expanded, on the nape and head, to an elegant crest a foot high. This entire fin was of a bright red colour, and highly ornamental; but, owing to its excessive delicacy, and the brittleness of the spurs, it had been sadly injured before I saw it. It is but the ninth instance on record of the capture of the noble vaagmar, and I am therefore particularly pleased to hear that this one is to find its way to the British Museum. One was taken at Whitby, January 22nd, 1759; two at the Fern Islands, some

seventy years ago; one at Newbiggen, in Northumberland, March 27th, 1794; another small one at the same place, January 18th, 1844; one at Corvie, near Macduff, March, 1844; one at Alnmouth, January, 1845; and one at Cullercoats, March 26th, 1849. The last named is in the Newcastle Museum, and is the only preserved specimen in the country. It is probable that this fish inhabits very deep water, where a perpetual calm prevails; as, from the delicacy of its structure, it seems quite unfit to encounter a rough sea. It is thought by ichthyologists that the ribbon-fishes may have given rise to some of the strange stories respecting the "great sea-serpent." I think this is quite probable. -Robert Morton Middleton, Jun.

BEETLES AND ANTS.-Among the strange localities in which Coleopterous insects are found, anthills supply the collector with several which are not met with in other situations, and to the list of foreigners who take up their abode in the Formic Republic, I beg now to add another; its scientific name is Helops striatus, Olivier. This beetle is stated by Stephens, in his "Manual," to be found under roots and bark of trees, and last year in April I found several in the nests of the yellow ant (Formica flava) in company with hosts of plant-lice (Aphides).-E. L. R.

"THE PIKE."-In a work entitled " Civitates, Orbis, Terrarum (avctt. Georgio Bravnio seu Brvin, F. Hogenburg, G. Hoefnagle, &c.) Colon. 15721606," there are "a series of English costumes, with description and view of the English manner of selling the PIKE alive in the fish-markets, cutting it open to demonstrate its fatness to the customer, and, if not satisfactory, sewing it up again, and returning it alive to the vivarium.”—W. T. Iliff.

SONG-THRUSH.-A somewhat similar occurrence to that related by "J. M. H." (p. 63) came under my own observation. In October, 1864, whilst staying in Monmouthshire, I was one morning startled by hearing a sound as of breaking glass, and on proceeding to ascertain the cause, I found that a song-thrush had flown with such force against the kitchen-window as to break one of the pancs into numerous pieces, the bird falling down in the middle of the room. This is the more remarkable from the fact that the bird was not in full flight at the time, but had (as seen by some of the servants) simply launched itself from the boughs of a small tree, which was situated within a yard of the window in question. Upon picking up the thrush, I found to my surprise that it was more frightened than hurt, bleeding a little only about the wings and breast. I opened the window, and after the lapse of a few minutes the bird rose from my hand and flew away apparently but little the worse for its mishap.Roger J. Wright.

GEOLOGY.

THE LOWER LIAS OF SOMERSET.-In a paper read before the Geological Society (Dec. 6th), the Rev. P. B. Brodie described a section recently exposed at Milton Lane, one mile and a half north of Wells, which exhibited the lima beds passing into and overlying the white lias and Avicula-contorta zone. The author described the section (which was constructed by Mr. J. Barker and himself) in detail, and showed that the limas series attained here a thickness of 10 feet 4 inches, and the rhætic beds, including the grey marls, of 18 feet 6 inches; he was not able to discover any trace of Ammonites planorbis, nor of any of the peculiar limestones indicating the "Insect" and "Saurian zones. He found one fragment of bone-bed lying loose at the end of the lane, and containing characteristic fishremains; but though he searched carefully, he could not find in situ the bed from which it had been detached.-Vide The Reader, December.

دو

DRIFT.-Rounded pebbles are not a necessary indication of the former presence of the sea. The degree of roundness or angularity will depend upon the nature of the stones, the distance they have rolled, and the length of time the area they occupy remains at a stationary level. In the Midland Counties, drift composed of rounded pebbles, and drift composed of angular flints, graduate into each other on the same horizon. There, also, drift, interstratified with beds of sand containing sea-shells, may be seen on the same horizon with, and graduating into, drift, in which no sea-shells have yet been discovered.-D. Mackintosh, in Geol. Mag.

OBJECTS IN TUMULI.-I believe Mr. Tate is incorrect in his correction of the name (Orbitolina globularis) and zoological position given by me, in your January number, to the so-called fossil beads. These little fossils were at one time considered as sponges, but they are now placed with the Foraminifera. In the "Annals of Natural History" for 1860 there is a complete nomenclature of the Foraminifera by Messrs. W. K. Parker and T. Rupert Jones, the July number containing the following synonymy of the Orbitolina, with references to the works of the several authors from which the synonyms are taken, but which need not be mentioned here:-" Millepora? globularis, Phillips and Woodward, Tragos globularis, Reuss, Coscinopora globularis, D'Orb and Morris, is our Orbitolina globularis." From this it would appear that Coscinopora and Orbitolina are now considered as identical. That Messrs. Parker and Jones are here writing of the true fossil beads is apparent from the next paragraph. "In some of the figured specimens of O. globularis the not unusual hole in the base is indicated. Occasionally individuals are perforated by a more or less irregular tubular cavity. The roundness of the specimens, and their holes and

tubular cavities, appear to have suggested to the old 'flint folk' of the Valley of the Somme that they might be used for beads; for such perforated Orbitolina are frequent in the gravel that yields the flint axes." In the "Geologist" (April 22nd, 1860) Mr. T. R. Jones published a letter on the same subject, in which he says: "These little fossils have had several names given to them, and they have usually been regarded as sponges; but in 1860 my friend Mr. W. K. Parker and myself were led to study them in the course of our researches on Foraminifera on account of one curious little form after another coming under our notice from different seasands and fossil deposits, all of which were related to Williamson's Patellina on one hand and to D'Orbigny's Orbitolina on the other." He then continues, after stating that they had more fully worked out the subject with Dr. Carpenter, "but we still are fully convinced that, however spongioid it may appear, the Orbitolina globularis is a foraminifer and a variety of O. concava, Lamarck." Orbitolinæ are common in the upper chalk about here; they are also found in chalk flints, whence they naturally appear in the drift gravel. Perforated specimens are by no means uncommon. I have met with them in various stages of perforation from a small pit to a complete hole; and the Salisbury Museum contains neatly perforated specimens.J. S., St. Mary Bourne, Hants.

THE USES OF PETROLEUM.-Besides its utility for light, petroleum has several other uses. In Germany it is employed by the tanners; in England and America it has been experimented upon as fuel for steam engines; it is employed also for keeping the clay or paste plastic in the fabrication of hard china; for dissolving chloride of sulphur in the vulcanization of india-rubber; for cleaning copper or iron, when added to rotten-stone or to blacklead; for driving away several insects; for the cure of itch, &c. &c.-Bernardin, Melle, near Ghent.

FAUNA OF THE EOCENE PERIOD.-Mammifera, birds, reptiles, fishes, insects, and mollusks form the terrestrial fauna of the eocene period. In the waters of the lakes, their surfaces deeply furrowed by the passage of large pelicans, lived mollusks of varied forms, and turtles floated about. Snipes made their retreat among the reeds which grew on the shore; sea-gulls skimmed the surface of the waters, or ran upon the sands; owls hid themselves in the cavernous trunks of old trees; gigantic buzzards hovered in the air, watching for their prey; while heavy crocodiles slowly dragged their unwieldy bodies through the high marshy grasses. All these terrestrial animals have been discovered in England or in France, alongside the overthrown trunks of palmtrees. The mammifera which lived under the latitudes of Paris and London are only found now in the warm countries of the globe.-The World Before the Flood.

MICROSCOPY.

PODURA SCALE.-The scale figured in last month's SCIENCE GOSSIP is not from Podura plumbea but from a species of Podura which I have only occasionally met with. It is much more easily resolved than the scale which is esteemed as a test, and displays its beauty to great advantage under Powell and Lealand's obj. Different appearances are presented according to the manner in which it is illuminated; thus, with the central rays only of the achromatic condenser, the markings which I have figured are shown, while with the peripheral rays (one of the stops being interposed as for diatom illumination), the wedge-shaped particles of the outer laminæ are clearly seen, and each seems to be slightly striated. The "Micrographic Dictionary" says:- "The scales of P. plumbea, the so-called common spring-tail, are usually recommended; but we believe that the most common Podura is not this species. This is, however, a matter of little importance, because the scales of several species belonging to even different genera, are exactly similar both in form and markings." It appears that the procuring of test scales is somewhat difficult. A celebrated optician showed me the other evening several bottles containing, I should say at a guess, millions of scales, and told me he has spent whole evenings endeavouring to obtain from them a single scale or two exactly equal to his wishes. I have some of the reputed test scales, but prefer the others for display. The last time I found the Podura which is figured, several specimens were caught, and a few more slides made than I want. I shall therefore be glad to exchange with any one for other well-mounted objects of value.-S. J. M'Intire, Bessborough Gardens.

MAGNIFYING WITHOUT EITHER LENS OR REFLECTOR.—After all is said that can be, in explanation of the effects of lenses, whether single or combined in the compound microscope or the telescope, our wonder at their marvellous effects is but little diminished. We have come to know much as to how these wondrous effects are brought about, and we have thus ceased, perhaps, to regard them as more mysterious than ordinary natural phenomena. But in this knowledge acquired we find fresh matter for astonishment and admiration, in the exceeding simplicity of the means by which results so varied and complex are accomplished. We are now, however, going to say nothing about the optical phenomena produced by lenses, or those by mirrors, and so need not concern ourselves as to how they act. Without calling in the aid of these contrivances, we are going to show how to produce two of the phenomena which are commonly considered to be the peculiar property of these optical contrivances to show how to magnify minute objects, and how to get inverted images of them.

--

Nay, more than this, our apparatus works with complete independence of the laws of refraction and reflexion.

Take a thin, opaque card (black or dark-coloured, by preference), and make a hole in it with a fine needle, and the apparatus is ready. Do not despise it for its simplicity. A lens is only a piece of glass; a reflector is only a polished piece of metal; yet in these lie all the vast powers of the microscope and telescope. Our perforated plate of card or metal plate can, like these, be suitably mounted with advantage. But let us not mind this mounting now. Proceed we to use our easily-acquired instrument.

Stand facing a bright window or lamp, in a room where there is but one. Hold the card about two inches from the eye so that the light of the window or lamp enters the eye through the hole in it. The hole will then appear as a small circular illuminated field. Now take some small objectthe end of a hair or the point of a needle will do -and bring it into this field by holding it between the hole in the card and the eye, say an inch or inch and a half from the latter. There will then be seen, apparently beyond the plane of the card, a magnified image of the object, with a position in the field and a motion across it the reverse of that of the object.

If the perforated card or thin metallic plate be fastened over one end of an eye-tube, about two inches long, the effect will be more satisfactory, because side-light will be prevented from entering the eye. And if this tube is made of two parts, so as to slide one on the other, it will enable the perforated plate to be placed at the best distance from the eye. Whatever tube is used must of course have a lateral hole for the introduction of objects. The objects may be supported by forceps, or fastened to a glass slide. If a slide is used with a dark tube there must be two slits made in the latter to allow of the introduction of the slide.

This interesting fact was communicated to us by the Rev. E. Caswell, of Birmingham. There is no likelihood, we believe, of its receiving any practical application beyond that of a useful illustration of the laws of light. E. D.

CLEANING THIN GLASS.-The usual method is as follows:-Two discs of wood, about two inches in diameter, are procured, one side of each being perfectly flat and covered with clean wash-leather. To the other side of these a small knob is firmly affixed as a handle, or, where practicable, the whole may be made out of a solid piece. In cleaning thin glass, it should be placed betwixt the covered sides of the discs, and may then be safely rubbed with a sufficient pressure, and so cleaned on both sides by the leather. If greasy, it must be first washed with a strong solution of potash, infusion of nutgalls, or any of the common removing liquids.Davies on Mounting.