# The Zoologist/4th series, vol 2 (1898)/Issue 689/Editorial Gleanings

Published in: The Zoologist, 4th series, vol 2, issues 689 (November, 1898), p. 487–492
EDITORIAL GLEANINGS.
Among the more important acquisitions to the British Museum by purchase during the year special mention may be made of the Whitehead Collection of Birds and Mammals from the Philippines; the second instalment of the Bates Collection of Heteromerous Coleoptera (13,798 specimens); a fine stuffed Lion from Machako's, British East Africa, shot by Mr. S.L. Hinde; the Savin collection of fossil vertebrate remains from the Norfolk Forest-bed series of deposits; a series of fossil remains from the Oxford Clay of Fletton, selected from the collection of Mr. A.N. Leeds; and a fine set of specimens of American Palæozoic Bryozoa.
The number of separate presents reported as having been received during the year by the several Departments of the Museum amounted to 1622, as against 1518 in the preceding year. The following are of special interest:—From Messrs. F. Du Cane Godman and Osbert Salvin: Further portions of their collection of the Coleoptera of Central America, comprising 5468 specimens; the first instalment of their collection of New World Lepidoptera of the family Danainæ, comprising 486 specimens; and 2586 specimens of Heterocerous Lepidoptera of various orders from Central America. From Colonel John Biddulph: A fine collection of birds from Gilgit, consisting of 3386 skins of nearly 250 species. From Dr. John Anderson, F.R.S.: A large and valuable collection of Reptiles and Batrachians made by him in Egypt and Nubia between the years 1891 and 1895, and forming the basis of a large work, which he has now published. From Mr. F.C. Selous: An interesting series of South African Mammals, including a Springbok, and pairs each of Bontebok, Blesbok, Gnu, and Inyala Antelopes. From Mr. S.L. Hinde, Resident Medical Officer at Machako's, British East Africa: An interesting and valuable series of Natural History specimens (chiefly Mammals, Birds, and Insects) collected by him in British East Africa, and including specimens of species hitherto unrepresented in the Museum Collection. From Capt. E.O. Wathem: The skeleton and skin of a Gavial (Gavialis gangeticus) from near Muttra, in the North-west Provinces of India. From Miss A.M.R. Stevens; A very fine specimen of the same reptile from Behar. From the Canadian Department of Marine and Fisheries: A stuffed Seal (Phoca grœnlandica) from the Gulf of St. Lawrence. From Mr. Thorpe, of St. Helena (through the Colonial Office): The shell of a large Land Tortoise (Testudo elephantina), which died at St. Helena about twenty years ago. From the Hon, ​Walter Rothschild: A life-size photograph of a very large Tortoise (Testudo daudinii). From the President of the American Museum of Natural History, New York: A series of thirteen large photographs of skeletons and restorations of extinct Tertiary Mammalia.
For the past two years Prof. Dendy, of Canterbury College, New Zealand, has been minutely investigating the development of the Tuatara Lizard (Sphenodon punctatus), declared to be the most remarkable reptile now living in New Zealand; and a detailed account of the results of his researches has just arrived in England, and will shortly be published. Although the Lizard in question is said to be the oldest existing type of reptile up to the present, little has been known of its life-history, as it is very rare, and shy and retiring in its habits. The Tuatara Lizard was first mentioned in a diary kept by Mr. Anderson, the companion of Captain Cook; but the first really detailed account of the reptile was given by Dieffenbach in 1843, when he said:—"I had been apprised of the existence of a large Lizard which the natives call Tuatéra, or Narara, and of which they are much afraid." Owing to the rarity of the Tuatara Lizard, the New Zealand Government passed an Act to prohibit the taking or slaying of the reptile, but, as usual, forgot one of the most important points, namely, the insertion of a clause forbidding the collecting of the eggs. Fortunately for the Tuatara, however, Mr. P. Henaghan, the principal keeper on Stephen's Island, appears at present to be the only man who knows where to look for them, although it is stated that two German collectors have been lately making vigorous but vain efforts to obtain specimens of the eggs. Prof. Dendy had permission granted him by the Government to collect both eggs and adults, and with the help of Mr. Henaghan has been so successful in his investigations of the life-history of the interesting reptile, that many new and important facts will now be made known to the scientific world. The adult animal has a spotted skin, and a crest of separate white flat sharp spines, and is possessed of three sets of teeth. On Stephen's Island the eggs of the Lizard are found to be laid in November, and the embryo pass the winter in a state of hybernation unknown to any other vertebrate embryo, and do not emerge from the egg until nearly thirteen months have elapsed. One curious fact that has come to light is that in the latter stages of its development the skin of the young animal has a strongly marked pattern of longitudinal and transverse stripes, which disappear before hatching, giving place to the spotted skin of the adult animal. This Lizard is particularly interesting, owing to the fact of its being allied to the extinct reptiles of the Triassic age.—Daily Mail.
A fish discovered in the stomach of a Cachalot by the Prince of Monaco during one of his expeditions has been determined as indistinguishable from the common Eel, and this points with great emphasis to the fact that this form, whose habits are so obscure, must at times take to the open sea.
The nature of the water supply being of immense importance to the welfare of humanity, especially of that portion living in communities, it may be well to refer to a paper written by Mr. Geo. W. Rafter, "On Some Recent Advances in Water Analysis and the Use of the Microscope for the Detection of Sewage," though published as long ago as 1893 in the 'American Monthly Microscopical Journal,' and which was read before the Buffalo, N.Y., Microscopical Club:—
The complete details of these various studies are too extensive to be given at length, and we may merely refer to some of the results at Hemlock Lake, where plant forms have been identified as follows:—Chlorophyceæ, 20; Cyanophyceæ, 15; Desmidiæ, 14; and Diatomaceæ, 41—making a total of plant forms of 90. The maximum quantities of some of these minute plants per 100 cubic centimetres are—Protococcus, 2000; Anabæna, 20,000; Cœlosphærium, 34,000; Asterionella., 40,000; Cyclotella, 60,000; Fragillaria, 25,000; Stephanodiscus, 60,000. The total number of animal forms is 92, of which 3 are classed as Spongidæ, 10 as Rhizopoda, 29 as Infusoria, 2 as Hydroida, 14 as Rotifera, 3 as Polyzoa, 21 as Entomostraca, 1 as Malacostraca, and 10 as insect larvæ. As to maximum quantities of animal forms observed, we find among Infusoria— Dinobry on, 12,000; Glenodinium, 25,000; and Vorticella, 9600.
The quantities of minute life present in Hemlock Lake, while apparently large, are in reality quite small, as will be readily appreciated by reference to a statement of the number present in Ludlow reservoir, Springfield, Massachusetts, where the following maximum quantities per 100 cubic centimetres have been observed:—of the Diatoms, Asterionella and Melosira, 405,600 in April, 1890; Cœlosphærium, 157,600 in August, 1889; Chlorococcus, 322,400 in October, 1889: of animal forms the infusorian Dinobryon showed 364,400 per 100 cubic centimetres in February, 1890. But even the large quantities of minute life found at ​Springfield are dwarfed into comparative insignificance by the results of a series of examinations of the water supply of Newport, R.I., as given by Dr. Drown in a recent report, from which it appears that on August 31st, 1891, there were present in Easton's Pond, one of the sources of supply for Newport, the large number of grass-green Algae (Chlorophyceæ) of 677,750 per 100 cubic centimetres; on September 11th, 1891, there were found 927,400; on October 8th the number had fallen to 675,700, but subsequently again rose until the enormous maximum was attained on January 18th, 1892, of 1,428,600 per 100 cubic centimetres. Diatoms were present on the same date to the amount of 200,700 per 100 cubic centimetres, giving a total of Diatoms and grass-green Algæ of 1,629,300.
In the July number of the 'Home University' is an interesting note "On Temporary Museums," which we here reproduce: —
We desire strongly to recommend as a very efficient aid to education the formation of Temporary Museums. These are especially suitable for places of summer resort at the seaside, or elsewhere, but they might also be attempted with success in almost any town. A museum of this kind was organised last summer at the pleasant little town of Hunstanton on the Norfolk coast, and it is upon the experience there obtained that our suggestions and advice to others who may be encouraged to attempt the like will be based. At Hunstanton the Museum was open five weeks, that is, during almost the whole time that the Board- School-rooms were at liberty. The school-rooms were rented for a nominal sum, and were fitted up with boards laid across the desks, upon which objects were displayed. A Committee of Organisation and Management, composed partly of residents and partly of visitors, was, of course, extemporised, and appeals were made for the loan of objects of interest. It is scarcely to be doubted that in almost any town there would be found those who for such a purpose would be willing to lend pictures, cases of stuffed birds, insects, fossils, and miscellaneous curios. With objects of this kind to make the chief display, the members of Committee would easily supply the rest. A few books of reference should be borrowed—if possible a copy of the 'Encyclopædia Britannica'—and an energetic Sub-Committee to name and label the objects should commence its labours a week or two before the opening, and continue them throughout. Those thus engaged would find their reward in the acquisition of much knowledge, for more is to be learned in the act of making and arranging museums than can be got by visiting those already in good order.
At a recent meeting of the Linnean Society at Burlington House, a series of interesting photographs of a fine hen Buzzard, of the common ​species, amicably, not to say affectionately, living with a largish chicken in Mr. Alan Crossman's aviary. The story of this strange companionship is not a long one. The Buzzard desired to sit, and hen's eggs were given it to brood over. On the first occasion a chicken was hatched and disappeared—ask not where; on the second, two left the eggs, but only one lived, and became the foster-child of the Buzzard, which brought it up, and still continues to treat it in the light of a relation, though now nearly full grown. In this case two instincts of the Buzzard came into collision—that of killing weaker birds to live upon, and a natural desire to bring up young. Taking itito consideration that instincts do not always give rise to stereotyped actions, but are to a certain extent modified by circumstances, and again, that the raptorial bird had had no necessity for some time to seek its prey, it is not so surprising perhaps that the maternal instinct proved itself the stronger.—Daily Mail.
The above is by no means the first occasion that a Buzzard has been known to bring up chickens. Yarrell, in his first edition of his 'British Birds,' vol. i. p. 78 (1843), says:—"The extreme partiality of the Common Buzzard to the seasonal task of incubation and rearing young birds has been exemplified in various instances. A few years back a female Buzzard, kept in the garden of the 'Chequers Inn' at Uxbridge, showed an inclination to sit by collecting and bending all the loose sticks she could obtain possession of. Her owner, noticing her actions, supplied her with materials; she completed her nest, and sat on two hen's eggs, which she hatched, and afterwards reared the young. Since then she has hatched and brought up a brood of chickens every year."
The following particulars concerning the expedition which has left England for the purpose of visiting the almost unexplored island of Socotra, situated about one hundred and fifty miles east-north-east of Cape Guardafui, have been given in the 'Times.' The staff consists of Mr. W.R. Ogilvie Grant, of the department of Zoology in the British Museum; Dr. H.O. Forbes, the director of the Liverpool Museums; and Mr. Cutmore, taxidermist attached to the latter institutions. The Royal Society, the Royal Geographical Society, and the British Association have provided part of the funds for the undertaking. The expedition has sailed for Aden, proceeding thence to Socotra by the Indian Marine guardship 'Elphinstone,' which, in compliance with a request made by the authorities of the British Museum, has been placed at the disposal of Mr. Grant and Dr. Forbes for the purpose of conveying them to the island and back to Aden on the termination of their stay. The main object of the expedition is to investigate thoroughly the fauna of the island, and make large and complete collections in every branch of Zoology.
Some very interesting ornithological news has lately been received from New Zealand. A fourth specimen of Notornis mantelli, a large flightless Rail, has been captured. The last specimen of Notornis was captured some twenty years ago, and it has long been considered extinct by most people, although a few have clung to the idea that the species yet lived hidden in some of the great marshes of New Zealand. The name Notornis was originally given by Owen to some fossil bones discovered in the North Island, New Zealand. Tn 1849, a few years later, Mr. W. Mantell obtained, in the Middle Island, a freshly-killed specimen of a flightless Rail, which was declared to be of the same species as Owen's Notornis. A second specimen was obtained in 1851, aud a third in 1879. The present specimen was killed by a dog in the bush adjoining Lake Te Anan. The skin and all parts of the bird have been carefully preserved, so that we may look forward to having some exceedingly valuable details concerning this interesting bird. The fact that this fourth specimen was a young female proves that the bird is by no means extinct, and also that it is not easy to find.—Knowledge.
"Brusher Mills," the well-known New Forest snake-charmer, has so far this year killed sixty Snakes and ninety Adders, and destroyed between eighty and ninety Wasps' nests.