aH«jWJrfa<"^yfr«wg8^ ^t §, p. pm pbxttt^ QH46 ' *^ I r-r^/T"^^ ""^ Date Due UUbvsju — ^ J 10 Apr 3 f 2O0ct3S — "^ 1 ^440 STONE-CHATS. THE PLAYTIME NATURALIST BY Dr. J. E. TAYLOR, F. L. S, EDITOR OF "science-gossip" V/ITH THREE HUNDRED AND SIXTY-SIX ILLUSTRATIONS NEW YORK D. APPLETON AND COMPANY 1889 Authorized Edition. PREFACE. The writer of this book has a liking for intelligent English lads, just as some people have for blue china and etchings. He ventures to think the former are even more interesting objects. And, as the writer was once a boy himself, and vividly remembers the never-to-be-forgotten rambles and observations of the objects in the country ; and, moreover, as he treasures up such reminiscences as the most pleasant and innocent of an active man's life, he thought he could not do better than enlist this younger generation in the same loves and the same pleasures. He has endeavoured to do his best for his human hobbies, and hopes their lives may be richer and sweeter and more manly, for what he has introduced them to in the following pages. Ipswich, December 17, 1888, «(*^3 \^^^ y CONTENTS. PAGE CHAPTER List of Illustrations ... .-. ••• vii I. Our Natural History Society ... ... i II. First Awakenings ... ... ••• ••• 9 III. Among the Birds ... ••. ••♦ 20 IV. Nimrods among the Lepidoptera ... ... 50 V. Holiday Rambles and Adventures ... 83 VI. Land Shells ... .•• ••• ••• ^24 VII. "They go a-fishing" ... ... «•• M^ VIIL A New Hunting-Ground : Among the Mites 163 IX. Toads, Frogs, Newts, and Reptiles ... 179 X. Small Fry ... ... •.« ••• ••• 2°' XL Invisible Life ... ... ••• ••• 234 XII. Microscopic Plants ... ... »»» •.• 251 Index ... ... ... •.« •'• ^°° LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. A.chorutes purpurescens (magnified), ii8 Actinophrys aculeata, 243 eichornii, 249 sol, 242 Amoeba villosa, with compound pseudopodia, 240 Anatomy of a caterpillar, 104 Antennce of fresh-water shrimp, 151 Anthomyra pluvialis, 96 Anurea leptodra (magnified), 229 Aphis, winged, 107 , wingless, 107 Arrenurus, female, 169 atax, 178 buccinator, 171, 177 (under side), 171 ellipticus, male (upper side), 172 frondator, female, 174 globator, female, 1 76 , male, 176 integrator, 1 75 perforatus, male, 1 70 , male (under side), rutilator, 174 , female, 174 tricuspidator, male, 173 — — truncatellus, 175 171 Asellus aquaticus, 152 Asilus crabroniformis, female, 93 B Bedstraw hawk moth, 70 Blackcap warbler, 43 Black-headed bunting, 36 Black-vein moth, 79 Blind worm, 195 Blowpipe for eggs, 47 Bombylius medius, 95 Bordered white moth, 79 Bramble-leaf brand, 253 Brindle white-shot moth, 77 Bucentes geniculatus, 92 Button galls on oak-leaf, S8 Cabinet drawer for eggs, 48 Candle-snufif fungus, 257 Case of caddis-worm, 151 Limnephilus flavicornis, 151 Caterpillar of emperor moth, 68 , cocoon, and image of small eggar moth, 69 of puss moth, 71 Vlll LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. Chalk carpet moth, 79 Chrysalis of house-fly, 99 Closterium striolatum, 263 Leibleinii, 263 Cocoon of hydrophilus, 147 water-spider, 114 Collecting-bottle, 258 for diatoms, 260 Colurus deflexus, 231 uncinatus, 230 Common house-fly (enlarged), 97 Conops ralipes, male, 91 Corethra plumiformis, 154 Cosmarium margaritiferum, 266 , empty fronds, 266 Cream-spotted tiger moth, 78 Cristatella mucedo, 219 enlarged, showing polypes, 220 Cuckoo, 21 D Daphnia pulex, 204 , male, 205 • , female, 205 reticulata, male, 206 , female, 206 Degeeria cincta (magnified), 118 Diagram of larva of gnat, 157 Diphthera orion, 74 Dipper, the, 41 Drills for eggs, 47 Duck-weed, 210 E Early thorn moth, 76 Egg bag of common gnat, 155 drills, 47 of buff tip, 58 Egg of cabbage moth, 59 of common magpie moth, 59 of house-fl.y, 98 of meadow brown butterfly, 58 of Pieris brassicae, 58 of Polyommatus corydon, 59 of small copper, 39 of stone-mite, 165 of Vanessa atalanta, 58 Eggs of gnat in various stages, 156 newt wrapped in leaves, show- ing development, 185 ranatra deposited on leaves of frog-bit, 150 Emperor moth, 67 End of frond of Closterium lunula (magnified), 264 End of hair-worm, 153 Euastrum didalta, 267 margaritiferum, 267 oblongatum, 267 (front view), 266 (side view), 266 Euchlanis (retracted), 229 (exserted), 231 Eyes of spider, 1 10 water-flea, 208 First stage in development of hydra, 212 Floxularia cornuta, 228 Foot of Asilus crabroniformis (mag- nified), 94 Four-spotted footman moth (male), n , female, '](> Fresh- water polyzoon, 217 shrimp, 15 1 Frog-spawn in situ, iSd LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS, IX Frog, showing stages of develop- ment, i86, 187 Frog-stages of tadpoles, 189 Gall insects, %6, Zf Galls on oak-leaf, 88 Garden spider, in General form of main track of Hylo- nomus, 109 Glass tube for sucking eggs, 47 Glow-worm, male, 106 , female, 106 Goat moth, 64 sucker, 44 Golden-eyed gadfly, 91 Gold- shot moth, 79 Great green grasshopper, 1 17 Group of British lizards, 195 Plumatella (enlarged), 223 H Hair-tailed millipede (magnified), 115 Hairs of Dermestes, 116 or feathers of Polyxenes, 1 15 of tail of Polyxenes, 115 Hair-worm, 153 Head of common snake, 196 moth, showing eyes, antennae, and proboscis (magnified), 106 viper, 196 Helix aculeata, 132 arbustorum, 130 aspersa, 129 cantiana, 131 caperata, 131 carthusiana, 132 Helix ericetorum, 129 hispida, 131 hortensis, 130 lamellata, 132 lapicidia, 131 nemoralis, 129 pigmaea, 132 pomatia, 128 pulchella, 131 ■ rotundata, 131 rufescens, 132 virgata, 130 Herald moth, 77 Hipparchia janira, 57 Hyalotheca dissiliens, 268 Hydra viridis, 211 (magnified), 213 attacking water-flea, 214 Hydrophilus piceus depositing its eggs, 148 Hyria auroraria, 74 Imago of Hylonomous fraxini, 109 (magnified), 109 Improvised live-box, 188 zoophite-trough, 202 Infusorial parasite of hydra, 239 Jaws of Helix nemoralis (magni fied), 135-137 Jay, the, 23 Jelly animalcules, 241 Kerona polyporium, 243 Kingfisher, 25 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. Lady-bird beetle, larva, and pupa, 1 06 Lancet of wasp-sting, 103 Lantern and net, 74 Lapwing, 31 Large emerald moth, 77 Larva of beetle covered with com- pound hairs, 116 caddis-worm fly, 150 Dytiscus marginalis, 145 goat moth, 63 Hylonomous fraxini, 109 Micropteryx subpurpurella, 62 Nepticula durella, 62 Leaf-cutter bee cutting piece out of leaf, 90 Lepisma (magnified), 122 Leptogaster cylindricus, 95 Liparogyra dentreteres, 273 Lithosia quadra, 75 Long-tailed tit, 27 M Maggot of house-fly, 98 Maple blight, 254 Mastigocerca bicristata (magnified), 232 Meadow-sweet brand, 252 Melicerta ringens, 224 Micrasterias rotata, 265 Mined bramble-leaf, 61 oak-leaf, 61 Mite from Gamasus of humble-bee, 167 Myopa testacea, 92 N Narrow-bordered clear- wing, 53 Natterjack toad, 194 Navicula didyma, 279 Nest of dipper, 41 reed-bunting, 37 spider, 112 Nitzschia vivax, 274 Nuthatch, 42 Nymph of gnat, 157 o Oak hook-tip moth, male and female, 76 Orthosira Dressseri, 274 Ovarium of fresh-water sponge, 248 Pale oak beauty moth, 76 Paludicella sultana, 221 (enlarged), 222 , showing polypes. 222 Parasite of Dytiscus, 146 Philophora plumigera, 78 Phyllactidium pulchellum, 271 Pennularia borealis, 275 major, 278 Pleurasigma formosum, 279 Podura without scales, 119 Pupa of goat moth, 64 R Ranatra linearis, 149 catching its prey, 149 Red-belted clear-wing, 55 Rose-leaf cut by leaf-cutter bee, 90 Rotate or wheel-shaped spicule, 249 Rotifer vulgaris (magnified), 229 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. XI Sand-lizard, 199 Scale of black Podura, 120 bleak, 12 bream, 14 carp, i6 chub, 1 1 dace, 13 eel, 12 grayling, iS gudgeon, 14 Hipparchia janira, 57 loach, 15 minnow, 15 perch, 16 Pieris brassicoe, 56, 57 pike, 17 Polyommatus alexis, 56 roach, 13 speckled Podura, 120 Vanessa urticae, 55 Scarlet tiger moth, 75 Section of button gall (magnified), 89 diatom commencing deduplica- tion, 276 spangle (magnified), 89 sycamore-leaf, 255 viper's head, 197 Sedge-warbler, 35 Selidosema plumaria, 75, 79 Setting-board for Lepidoptera, 80 out Lepidoptera, 80-82 Side view of zoophyte-trough, 202 Single eggs and young of Ranatra, 150 Small black arches moth, 74 emerald moth, 79 Smooth newt, female, 191 , male, 192 Smynthurus niger (magnified), 122 Spangles on oak-leaf, 88 Speckled Podura, 121 Spinneret of garden spider, in gossamer spider, 112 Spirogyra in different stages, 270 Spores and cells of " witches* butter," 256 Stages in development of Epistylis, 247 Euglena viridis, 244 fresh- water snail, 139 Stephenoceros, 225-227 of metamorphosis of Pieris bra^sicK, 65, 66 Star-spored brand, 252 Statoblasts of Plumatella develop- ing, 219 Staurastrum dejectum, 267 alternaus, 267 gracile, 268 spongium, 268 Stauroneis phcenicenteron, 278 Stictodiscus Californicus, 277 gracile, 268 Sting, lancet, and poison-bag of wasp, 102 -, poison-bag, and poison-gland of humble-bee, 100 Slings of hydra, 215 Sycamore - leaf with Melasraia agerina, 255 Synchaeta longipes (magnified), 230 Tadpole of frog, 1S8 Teeth of blow-fly (magnified), 105 Tegenaria atrica, no Terminal spiracle of Dytiscus mar- ginalis, 146 Tetranychus lapidus, 165 populi, 166 Xll LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. Tetranychus salicis, 165 telarius, 164 tiliaris, 164 ulmi, 165 urticae, 167 viburni, 166 Theridion riparium, male and female, no " Thousand legs," 108 Thyatira batis, 76 Toad, the, 190 Tongue and lancet of common flea, 103 Track of Hylonomus fraxini be- neath the bark of a tree, 109 Transparent burnet mo-th, 55 Tunic of dead polyp filled with stato-blasts, 218 u Ulothrix, 269 Umbrella net, 63 Vaginicola before and after fission, 238 Vapourer moth, female, 72 , male, 72 Volvox globator, 271 stellatum, 272 Vorticella nebulifera, 246 W Water beetle, male and female, 144 flea, female, 203 spider, male, 113 5 female, 114 Wheatears, 33 Winged aphis, 107 Wingless aphis, 107 "Witches' butter," 256 Young hydra, 215 of Synchseta longipes, 230 THE PLAYTIME NATURALIST. CHAPTER I. OUR NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY. Jack Hampson was a capital sample of the best traditions of Mugby School. A lad of fourteen, with well-knit limbs, brave, honest-looking-, bluish- grey eyes, a good cricketer and swimmer, and not bad at a high jump. He could no more do a mean thing than he could tell a lie ; and he could give or take a thrashing if absolutely necessary, although he would be in no hurry for either. Mugby School has kept the lead in modern educational progress which a former distinguished master introduced many years ago. That master was not content that boys should learn Latin and Greek. He was more anxious they should learn to be Christian gentlemen ; to fear and eschew an untruth as they would poison ; to be brave and yet gentle ; tender towards the weak, not defiant even H* v« iji». ■'^ik-' 2 THE PLAYTIME NATURALIST. to the strong. The boys at Mugby School were well acquainted with the lives of the best men of all ages and of all nations, as well as with the most stirring deeds of valour, self-denial, and manly bravery. The noblest thoughts of the wisest men were drawn freely upon for their benefit. Much of this " new education " was thought an innovation at first ; but never before were English lads turned out of school in such high-toned, manly form, or so well able to hold their own at the universities, or in the bigger world outside. As may be imagined, the wonders of science had not been ignored in such a school. One can hardly believe that modern science is almost in- cluded within the present century. All before then, except astronomy, was more or less speculation. Nobody would call Linnaeus's system of botany a science, although it was very useful and intro- ductory ; nor was geology, zoology, nor chemistry. Scientists had only been playing, like children, in the vestibule of the great temple. It may be that we ourselves have not advanced far within the precincts — at least, those who study these subjects a hundred years hence may think so. But, at any rate, the amount of knowledge extant concerning the world in which we live, and its ancient and OUR NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY. 3 modern inhabitants, is vast compared with what it was when the present century commenced. At Mugby School, science was an important and also a welcome subject. How welcome it was is best indicated by the fact that the boys got up a Natural History Society among themselves. This was really a self-imposed task, done out of school-hours. Some of the principal teachers en- couraged the lads by becoming members; not that they knew much of natural history or scientific subjects (some of them, indeed, knew nothing at all, and actually learned a good deal from the boys themselves). Of course, the Society was founded on the best models. It was not a bit behind the famous " Royal Society of London " in its equipment. It had its president and vice-president, and its committee were called " the council." It also published, for the world's benefit, abstracts of the short papers the boys read — the abstracts being nearly as long as the papers. Although its members were not numerous, they felt they bore the weight of the dignity of the Society on their shoulders ; and, as they were too boyish-manly to be priggish, the training did them no harm. Well, the Society was divided into sections. 4 THE PLAYTIME NATURALIST. One section was appointed to collect the plants of the neighbourhood — that is, those obtainable during the school half-holidays ; another to collect butter- flies and moths ; a third, beetles ; a fourth, birds ; a fifth, fossils, etc. They were to publish lists of the plants, birds, insects, and fossils of the district in the " Society's Proceedings ; " for, of course, the latter was the name given to the abstracted papers. The Society had only been founded the year before Jack Hampson was sent to Mugby School ; so it was in the first zeal and freshness of its youth. Jack didn't like science — it was nothing but a lot of hard, jaw-breaking names, he said, and what was the good of them ? He and others had enough of hard words in their daily Latin and Greek tasks. Jack rather snubbed the fellows who volunteered to learn more hard words than were required — he couldn't understand it. What was the good of calling a buttercup Raniinculits, and a white stone quartz ? It was all sham and show ! Now, Jack was a born hunter. He was ardently fond of fishing, and not a bad shot, considering he had been mistrusted, instead of trusted, with a gun. I dare say his skill with the latter would have astonished his father ; and I have no doubt a good many ounces of 'bacca found their way into the OUR NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY. 5 keeper's pocket before he became so creditable a shot. But there was not much fishing about Mugby ; or, rather, they were such Httle things that Jack felt ashamed of pulling them out, and so he slipped them in again, although they never seemed to grow any bigger. This was a wise act on their part, if they had only known the unconscious chivalry of Jack's nature, which hated taking advantage of a weak thing. Then as to shooting — first, he hadn't a gun, and if he had possessed one, the rules of the school would have precluded his using it. Next, what was there to shoot ? The small birds in the hedges? Any cad could do that! Sneak after the poor beggars behind hedges, and then bang at a robin, a wren, a yellow-hammer, or a tit, and perhaps blow it to pieces ! That was not good enough. Partridge and pheasant shooting. Jack thought, are hardly much better sport, only you can eat them. Of course, there was the excitement of cricket and football, hare - and - hounds, paper-chases, hurdle-racing, jumping — not only not bad, but altogether good and brave and manly sports. But, somehow, a lad of superior mental abilities wants something else. 6 THE PLAYTIME NATURALIST. Now, the scientist is also a hunter. He traces his descent from Nimrod — he is a hunter before the Lord. He roanris through the stellar universe for his prey — hunts for stars, comets, planets. He is not daunted because he did not live on the world when it was young, millions of years ago ; for he makes up for it by hunting the remains of the animals and plants that lived during countless ages, and which have long been b)uried in the rocks of the earth's crust as fossils. He hunts for flowering plants and animals in all parts of the earth ; braves heat and cold, hunger and thirst, wounds and death, in his ardent search for them. The structures of rocks do not escape his mineralogical hunting, nor the composition of any sort of substance, organic or inorganic, his chemical analysis. He hunts down stars thousands of millions of miles away with his telescope, and creatures less than the fifteenth-thousand part of an inch long with his microscope. Was there ever such a great hunter } This hunting instinct began scores of thousands of years ago, when the hairy, naked Palaeolithic men hunted extinct hairy elephants and rhinoceroses. It has been developed until it has assumed the high intellectual pleasure of roaming through God's great creation, and of OUR NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY. 7 confirming the ancient writer's conclusion — " Lo, there is no end to it ! " Of all these things Jack Hampson had never heard a word. Perhaps he had occasionally listened to a few joking remarks about Darwin and our "being descended from monkeys " at his father's dinner- table. But his father (who was anything but a wealthy man these hard agricultural times, although he farmed his own estate) had not much time for considering the discoveries of modern science. Their echoes faintly reached him occasionally, but never touched him seriously. Not only were the times bad, but his family was large, and it was not without a stretch that Jack was sent to Mugby School, rather more than twenty miles off. His brother (Jack's uncle) was better off, because he had no family ; and the uncle also had more leisure, and, what is more, was really a man of a literary and scientific turn of mind. All schoolboys make friends at school. No- body has ever analyzed the process of friend- making among boys. It is as mysterious as genuine love-making. Friendships — at least, boys' friend- ships — are also made " at first sight." Live in a public school a few years, and you will find it out. You might just as well tell a boy to make friends 8 I'^HE PLAYTIME NATURALIST, with a certain other boy, as order him to make love a few years later with your female selection ! And yet what issues of life depend on those boyish friendships made at school ! They are often more durable than marriages. They survive success, disaster, and disease. Not unfrequently, they are prolonged to the second and third generation. If there is one thing more difficult to explain concerning instincts than another, it is the instinct of boys' friendships. How Jack Hampson — big-limbed, broad-backed Jack — came to take up, the very day he arrived at Mugby, with little Willie Ransome, I cannot tell. There is something in the doctrine of contrasts ; doubtless Willie was as great a contrast to Jack as you would have found in the whole school — rather undersized, weakly, but nevertheless a brave and truthful boy. He was fond of books — a trifle too fond, for it would have done him good to have got away from them a little. The chief feature about Willie was his large, bright, inquiring eyes, and his altogether affectionate disposition. He took to Jack at once, and Jack to him. Never before was there a better illustration of " friendship at first sight." CHAPTER II. FIRST AWAKENINGS. It was at the commencement of the Spring Term that the friends came to Mugby School. Without knowing it, but fortunately for them and for the whole school, a fine enthusiastic young fellow had been appointed " science teacher." The term sounds vague, but so do all terms if too strictly analyzed. The boys dubbed him "professor," and thereby unconsciously gave him higher rank than his confreres^ who were only " teachers." It would have been impossible for a young man to have been selected better fitted for such a post. Nothing gets hold of boys sooner than enthusiasm. Boys are naturally enthusiastic. There is no better proof of vitality even in an old man, than that he con- tinues to be enthusiastic about anything intellectual. Willie Ransome's father was a village doctor, and it was hoped Willie would some day help his father in his increasingly larger, but not 10 THE PLAYTIME NATURALIST. increasingly profitable, rounds. Willie entered the science class the first term. His father was a man of scientific tastes, with little leisure to indulge them. But he had already inoculated his only son with a love for such subjects. Willie, however, had never before been drawn within the magic circle of en- thusiasm, for them, and his highly sensitive tempera- ment was fixed by the professor's descriptions and demonstrations immediately. Before the term was half over, he was a member of the Society, and doing his best to " collect " for the Society's museum. Jack had many a hearty laugh over this dis- position to hoard up a lot of old stones and things, and give them hard names. More than once he was asked to attend a Society's meeting — for each member had the privilege of introducing a friend — but he always shirked it. "No," he said; "they are not my sort." One wet evening, however, Willie Ransome got Jack to go, just because there was nothing else to do. There was a short paper being read on " Fish Scales," and a number of them were mounted for microscopical examination, of course with a low power, say inch and half-inch. Anything relating to fish or fishing was certain to gain Jack's atten- tion, therefore a better subject could not have been FIRST AWAKENINGS. II selected to engage his notice. Besides, Jack had never yet even looked through a microscope ! He felt a bit ashamed of this now ; but there were a couple of microscopes present, and Jack determined to have a good look through them. The scales of Fig. I. — Scale of chub. different sorts of British fishes were on view. Of course, fish-scales are common enough ; but who would think that each kind has its own pattern of scale, and that you could tell a species of fish by its scales t The paper showed that the scales of fishes were 12 THE PLAYTIME NATURALIST. composed of the same material, chitine, as the feathers of birds, or the hair and nails of animals — Fig. 2. — Scale of bleak. a kind of substance only found in the animal king- dom, and never in the vegetable ; that these scales Fig. 3. — Scale of eel. are developed in little pockets in the fish's skin, which you can plainly see for yourself when a FIRST AWAKENINGS. herring is scaled. They are arranged all 13 over Fig. 4. — Scale of roach. Fig. 5. — Scale of dace, the fish's body like the tiles covering a roof, partly H THE PLAYTIME NATURALIST. Fig. 6, — ^Scale of gudgeon. Fig. 7. — Scale of bream. FIRST AWAKENINGS. 15 overlapping each other, as is seen by one part of the scale being often different from the other. Fig. 8. — Scale of loach. ^ig- 9- — Scale of minnow. ' Jack looked through the microscope, and was delighted. He was always a reverent-minded boy, i6 THE PLAYTIME NATURALIST. Fig. lo. — Scale of perch. Fig. II. — Scale of common carp. FIRST AWAKENINGS. i; and the sight broke on his mind like a new revela- tion. How exquisitely chaste and beautiful were the markings, lines, dots, and other peculiarities ! Then the scales which run along the middle line Fig. 12. — Scale of pike. of the fish were shown him, and the ducts per- forating them, out of which the mucus flows to anoint the fish's body, and thus reduce the friction i8 THE PLAYTIME NATURALIST. of its rapid movement through the water. The lad was half bewildered at the possibility of the new knowledge. " Could anybody get to know about these things ? " he asked Willie, who told him of course he could, if he would only take a little trouble. " But," said his young friend, " I would advise Fig. 13. — Scale of grayling. you to get a pocket-magnifier first, and begin to examine with that. Some fellows begin right off with a powerful microscope they get their governors to buy them, and they work it like mad for a month or two, and then get tired of it. Fact is. they never learned the art of observing." FIRST AWAKENINGS. 1 9 " What do you mean by that ? " said Jack. "Why, getting into the habit of looking about you, keeping your eyes open, and quickly spot- ting anything unusual. Fancy a fellow begin- ning to use magnifying glasses of thousands of times before he has begun to use his own eyes ! Use your own eyes first, then get a little extra help in the shape of a shilling pocket-lens, and by-and- by you will be able to use a real microscope, and enjoy using it too." This was rather a long lecture for Willie to give, or for Jack to listen to. He wouldn't have listened if it had not been for what he had just seen. He said nothing, but he made up his mind he would get one of these useful shilling magnifiers. Willie usually had a country walk during the school half-holiday, and Jack had often been invited to accompany him ; but he didn't care to go "hum- bugging after grubs and weeds," he said. Now, however, he invited nimselt, and somewhat surprised his friend by stating he wanted to go with him. 20 THE PLAYTIME NATURALIST CHAPTER III. AMONG THE BIRDS. It was a bright afternoon in early summer. The hedsres and woods were full of bird-music. You couldn't see many birds, for the luxuriant foliage screened them, but there they were ; a hundred pairs of bright birds' eyes watched the young friends as they sauntered along the shadow-flecked roads. Overhead the lark was raining down its melody. That "wandering voice," the cuckoo — the Bohemian among British birds — was heard, in the first fresh- ness of its call-note ; for, as the proverb goes in Suffolk— " In May he sing all day , In June he change his tune. '* Whether it be true or not that the female cuckoo has the power of changing the colour-tone of her eggs, and adapting them, as a sort of mimicry, to the colour of the eggs in the nest into which she surreptitiously slips her own, has been a disputed point. But one thing is certain — the cuckoo has a marvellous AMONG THE BIRDS. 21 power of modifying the colour and even markings of her eggs. You can hardly find two eggs of the cuckoo marked and tinted exactly alike. This restless bird appears to have drifted away from its Fig. 14. — The cuckoo {Cnciilns canorus). oological moorings. The cuckoo is the only British species. North America appears to be its head- quarters. There and elsewhere cuckoos build nests 22 THE PLAYTIME NATURALIST. like Other birds, and have regularly marked eggs. In this country, the female cuckoo is the victim of polyandry — she has too many husbands 1 They don't give her time to build a nest and attend to her domestic duties, like other birds. So she has become a by-word and a scorn among the chaste avian matrons who may be seen following her any May morning, as if she bore on her breast the " scarlet letter." In that hazel copse on the right, where the nightingale is trying its early notes, you hear the harsh grating cry of the jay. It is getting quite a local bird now, which is the first step tow^ards its becoming a rare one. Our game laws have had an important influence on oui native zoology, and even botany. Every creature which an ignorant gamekeeper regards as injurious to the birds and eggs under his charge, is condemned to death. Consequently there are few mammals or birds which he does not regard suspiciously. The game- keeper's idea of the proper fauna to inhabit the earth is — first, pheasants, then partridges, next, hares, and (a long way behind) rabbits ! Why Providence created anything else is a mystery to him, and tries his bump of reverence sorely. The sweetly pretty blue which glances in the AMONG THE BIRDS'. 23 wing-feathers of the jay has been against its pros- perity. Of course, they were developed to please — jays. But in these later times they have pleased human beings of the female gender, and that is a ^^^^"^^^^ -^^g- ^5* — '^^ i^y {Garrulus glandarkis), bad thing for pretty birds. Women, and especially young women, all over the world, labour under the mistaken idea that they are not good-looking enough — that a few pretty feathers torn from the 24 THE PLAYTIME NATURALIST. wings of pretty birds, shot and maimed and robbed of their brief Hves for the purpose, would render them yet more attractive ! The mistake is un- fortunate for the birds. We have not many birds whose colours attract attention in our sober British Isles. True, the kingfisher is still common among us, thank Heaven! You may yet see it flash past like a sapphire, even in winter. The idiots who can afford to pay the gun-tax, and who have just got sense enough to kill something or hurt something for life, have not yet been able to shoot down the king- fisher. Male and female are almost alike in their rich cerulean, prismatic plumage, thanks to the fact that the female nests in a Jiole, which thus conceals her lovely colours whilst she is sitting. Mr. A. R. Wallace has shown that in most cases where the female is as brilliantly coloured as the male, the nest is concealed. A brilliantly coloured bird, sitting for two or three weeks, would be a conspicuous mark to her enemies if her nest were an open one. Hence the reason why the female pheasants are so dull-coloured, whilst the males are so brilliant. A funny nest is that of the kingfisher, when you find it — rather badly built of interlacing fish- m AMONG THE BIRDS. 25 bones instead of grass and hay, or moss ; but not an inartistic structure nevertheless. It seems a strange way of utilizing your waste food — to con- struct your lodgings out of it ! '^^^^^W0i^' Fig. 16. — The kingfisher {Alcedo ispida). The two lads were more silent than lads usually are on an exuberant morning like this. The fact 26 THE PLAYTIME NATURALIST. was, both were genuine naturalists without know- ing it. The true naturahst is a true poet. Into his mind the influences of natural scenery, of natural history, unconsciously sink down. There is an unmentionable bliss in the unrecognized sympathy which goeth forth towards all things into which He hath breathed the breath of life. The scents of the opening buds — too fragrantly evanescent even for the cleverest parfumeiir to fix — the hallelujah chorus of summer voices, birds chiefly, but not only, which enter the " Emanuel's gate " of the human ear ; the sad, soft sighing of summer winds ; the unobtruding kaleidoscope of floral form and colour, scattered so freely and bountifully ; — cannot these get hold of the soul of a man ? One feels constrained to adopt the language of the principal talker among the favourite disciples — " Lord, let us build three tabernacles," etc. The disciple was in no hurry to depart. Just after, the boys — who had enjoyed each other's speechless company, until they began that pastime common to boys of all characters all over the world, nest-finding — happened to stumble across perhaps the most remarkable nest of all our British birds — that of the " pudding-poke," or long- tailed tit {Parus longicaudatus). In the old haw- AMONG THE BIRDS. 27 thorn hedge, covered with grey and yellow lichens, the long purse-like nest was so externally adorned with similar lichens that you could with difficulty tell the nest from the lichen-clad fork in which it Fig. 17. — The long-tailed tit [Parus longicaudatus). was fixed. Never was a cleverer bit of mimicry, or pretending. Lads whose play and pastimes incline them to be Indian chiefs, brigands, pirates, robbers, etc., can appreciate this pretending, or 28 THE PLAYTIME NATURALIST. mimicry, on the part of birds and insects perhaps better than their elders. They do it every day for sport ; the poor birds and insects do it every day in earnest, for their Hves and specific existence depend upon it. But there is a comical side even to the most serious engagement in life, if you care to seek for it Here is the long-tailed tit, for instance — what in the world is the good of that long tail to him ? He can't use it ; it isn't an ornament ; and yet he is as proud of it as if it were a peacock's. He goes to the trouble to laboriously construct a long "pudding- poke " nest, simply because he wants room for that useless long tail ! Was there ever anything so absurd ? Some persons imagine that in this world it is only given to men and women to make fools of themselves. The long-tailed tit also gets a chance. But of all the tits, give me the common blue tit. That bird is a source of comfort and delight to me all the winter through. He comes to the bone I hang from the bough of the pear-tree in front, of my dining-room ; and it is capital fun to see him climb down the string, with all the sparrows sitting around on the nearest boughs, wishing they could do the same, and glad to pick up the crumbs which fall from this lucky bird's table. AMONG THE BIRDS, 29 Willie knew all these common birds. Their songs were as familiar to him as his own language, from the melancholy alarm-cry of the nightingale to that of the blackbird. The metallic notes of the chaffinch are heard from every tree. That bird was now in his gayest and neatest plumage, and the male was not at all unwilling to show off his recently acquired plumage. The male yellow-hammer, also, was nearly the same colour as a canary. Before long you hear this bird all along the roads and lanes, uttering that remarkable plaintive cry which has obtained for it in Suffolk (the intonation of whose dialect it somewhat resembles), " A-little-bit-o'-bread-and-;2^ Fig. 70. — Vapourer moth, Fig. 71. — Ditto, male. female. discussions gave quite a zest to the discovery of specimens confirmatory of the theory. Then it was shown how the females of certain moths were wingless — how, in one species, they practically never advanced beyond the caterpillar stage ; in another, hardly beyond the pupa stage, and so on ; how, for protective purposes, one wingless female had six long legs, and resembled a spider so much that you would hardly have known the difference without counting the legs NIMRODS AMONG THE LEPIDOPTERA. 73 first, which is a thing few birds do. In all these species the male is fully winged as usual. As the summer drew on, and the holidays approached, you may be sure that not only our two friends, but nearly the whole class, determined to indulge to the full in the newly discovered pleasure of observing and collecting. They were put up to all kinds of dodges — how to proceed, what to look for, how to preserve it, etc. One lad had a fad for beetles, another for shells, and several of them for anything and everything they could get. Butterfly and moth collecting, how- ever, are nearly always the first subjects boys take to who have a natural-history turn of mind. Their teacher was perfectly aware of this, and therefore encouraged them. He knew that many such collectors would proceed to other studies, and would collect other objects ; but he was aware that the habit engendered by butterfly and moth hunting would abide in any other pursuit. So he initiated them into the mysteries of beat- ing and hunting willows, brambles, heather, etc., after dark, with a lantern and net ; also in " sugar- ing " — which is about as interesting a pursuit as a romantic lad could be introduced to. The results of sugaring can only be known after 74 THE PLAYTIME NATURALIST. dark, and the young collector feels something brigandish or poacher-like as he goes about with his dark lantern, examining the tree-trunks which have been smeared with a beery mixture of sugar and treacle and a little rum, etc. The smearing is generally done just before dusk, \\ and the baited spots are visited when dark- ness has set in. Then it is astonishing what a number of guests have invited themselves to the spread. The only circular issued to them was the smell of rum, Fig. 72.-- Lantern and net. Fig. 74. — Small black arches. Fig. 73. — Diphthera Orion. Fig. 75. — Hyria aii7'oraria. or aniseed, or whatever else had been put in the sugaring mixture. Insects have an almost phe- nomenal development of the sense of smell. It is NIMRODS AMOXG THE LEFIDOPTERA. 75 SO keen that if you carry some species of im- prisoned virgin females you have reared yourself (although, perhaps, of a rarish kind) in a perforated Fig. 76. — Clouded buff moth (female). Fig. 77* — Selidosema pluniaria (male). box, all the male insects for miles round will come trooping to her, like so many mediaeval brave knights serenading an imprisoned dam- sel ! Our own sense of smell, although it beats the spectro- scope for keenness of detection, is dull and sluggish when compared with that possessed by many insects. Fig. *]%. — LitJwsia qztadra. Fig- 79- — Scarlet tiger moth. 76 THE PLAYTIME NATURALIST. We ought to be thankful such is the case. Flowers would never have possessed perfumes if flower-hunting in- sects had not been gifted with a keen sense of smell. Per- haps that sense and the perfumes have originated side by side, and helped to develop each other. Fig. 80. — Early thorn moth. Fig. 8 1 . — 7 hyatira batis. Fig. 82. —Male and female of oak hook-tip moth. Those charming sultry summer evenings with Fig. 83. — Pale oak beauty. NIMRODS AMONG THE LEPIDOPTERA. yy the sugaring-pot, the collecting-net, and the dark lantern ! They leave too delightfully and en- Fig. 84. — The large emerald moth. duringly keen a sense of pleasure for all the years Fig. 85. —The brindle white- shot moth. Fig. 86. — The herald moth. of after- memory to be able even to obliterate them. Fig. 87.— Female of four-spotted footman. Of course, a large number of the butterflies 78 THE PLAYTIME NATURALIST. caught in the daytime, and of moths captured at night, were common species. But that is nothing, Y\g. 88. — Male of four-spotted footman. Fig. 89. — Fhilophora plunngera. at first, to the young collector, to whom the joy of possession counts for a good deal. Fig. 90. — Fox moth. Fig. 91. — Cream-spotted tiger moth. But as our friends varied their evening walks, NIMRODS AMONG THE LEPIDOPTERA. 79 sometimes in the woods, at others in the green lanes, or over the heath, or down by the marsh, Fig. 92. — The gold-shot moth. Fig. 93. — The black-vein moth. they found that different species of moths were pecuHar to these various habitats, or locahties. Fig. 94. — The bordered white moth. Fig. 95. — Selidosetiia piuDiaria (female). Perhaps it w^as because each place is so physically different, and therefore different flowering plants Fig. 96. — The chalk carpet- moth. Fig. 97.-^The small emerald moth. grow in each. Moreover, they soon learned that soils and rocks regulated the distribution of species. 8o THE PLAYTIME NATURALIST. You find one kind only on light lands, another only on heavy. Species are only met with pecu- liar to limey or chalky strata, and others where sandstone, shale, or other rocks prevail. It is, Fig. 98. — Setting-board for Lepidoptera. perhaps, this wonderful physical and geological differentiation of the earth's terrestrial surface f^i Fig. 99. — Front view of properly Fig. 100. — Side view of pru- pinned-out insect. perly pinned-out insect. which has largely assisted in developing species of flowering plants, and, through them, of many kinds of insects. NIMRODS AMONG THE LEPIDOPTERA. 8i The use of the cyanide-bottle for instantly kill- ing specimens, and how to set them out and properly strap and pin them down afterwards, L_.. Fig. loi. — Mode of setting out Lepidoptera on level board. were all carefully explained to the young natu- ralists. There is no part of any of these mechanical apparatuses which any ingenious youth cannot make or rig up for himself. Fig. I02. — Moth set out on cork saddle. In addition to the long, flat, grooved setting- board above shown, a grooved cork saddle is fre- quently used, and the accompanying side and 82 THE PLAYTIME NATURALIST. front views of the insects when pinned down, will give a clear idea of how they are arranged. The use of thin but stiff paper straps for holding down the wings, antennae, etc., and arranging them in the freshly set-out butterflies or moths until they Fig. 103. — Example of four-strap setting. have assumed the rigidity desired in the cabinet, will also be made evident by our illustrations. At any rate, our professor did his best to start the lads, to whom he was much attached, to observe, collect, and arrange for themselves. If they failed to take advantage of his experience and ready help, it was their own fault. CHAPTER V. HOLIDAY RAMBLES AND ADVENTURES. MUGBY School broke up for the holidays eadier in the summer than others. Jack Hampson went home with a h'mited but enthusiastic stock of knowledge concerning common natural history objects. If he did not know much, at any rate he had learned to make a country walk more en- joyable than he had thought such perambulations could turn out. He was not long in displaying his newly obtained knowledge ; and even if he were a little proud of it, and rather paraded it a trifle, it was pardonable. But he was not a prig, so there was little of either brag or show in his ready dis- play of what so much interested him. Rather, it was the zeal of a proselyte. He wanted others to enjoy his own new-born pleasure. He could not keep it to himself; it bubbled over irresistibly. Now, that is the sort of human being. — lad or man — to make converts 1 You cannot quarrel with 84 THE PLAYTIME NATURALIST, him. You may pretend to laugh at him, or poke fun at his notions; but, if he has any "go," it is ten to one the enthusiast will convert you. The first convert Jack made was his eldest sister — a strong, active lassie between eleven and twelve years old. His younger brother was also bitten, but not so rabidly, for younger brothers don't like their elder brothers to see they can do what they like with them, and cram any notions they please down their throats. Then there were a couple of cousins, fine lads, from another school, who presently joined the Hampson party, and they fell victims to the mania for collecting and preserving. The time for birds'-nesting was, un- fortunately, nearly over ; but moths and butterflies were to be had for the hunting, and the delights of chasing them in the daytime and of sugaring for them in the evening, were duly indulged in. I have said that the young professor knew that an energetic boy like Jack would soon extend his observations further afield ; that presently he would have captured nearly all the common species of Lepidoptera in his neighbourhood, and would be sighing for something else to conquer. So he told him to collect anything he saw in his rambles — anything, he said, except tombstones I HOLIDAY RAMBLES AND ADVENTURES. 85 One cannot take a walk a hundred yards in the country without seeing plenty of natural objects of which we are in perfect ignorance. We don't know even their names, to say nothing about the structures, life-histories, and general habits. Nowadays, a grown-up man or woman is ashamed of being unable to read. Yet how many millions of people are not ashamed of being unable to read this great Book of Nature, written within and without like the prophet's scroll, by the finger of the Almighty Father Himself? Jack was to send all such general objects as he was not acquainted with to the teacher, who had promised to name them. Willie and he were to write to each other, and duly report progress as to their several finds. To add to their zeal (should there be any danger of its flagging), Jack's uncle had promised him what he now desired to possess more than anything in the whole world, a student's microscope. His birthday was only three weeks off, and the present was expected to crown that auspicious occasion. As a matter of fact, it did so. The young students begged and procured a room over the stables, where they could keep their treasures without littering up the house, or frighten- 86 THE PLAYTIME NATURALIST. ing the servant-maids with their nasty things. That was a grand room on wet days, especially after the precious microscope had arrived. Several packages of unknown odds and ends, chiefly insects other than butterflies and moths, had been sent to the professor, who seldom lost much time in telling them what they were — for, after all, they were among the common objects ; few rare ones appeared. Fig. 104. — Gall insect {Cyjiips kollari)^ nat. size and enlarged. Among these were the numerous galls on plants, shrubs, and trees of all kinds, made by certain kinds of insects, so as not only to conceal their young from enemies, but place them in the midst of plenty of food. Some of these gall insects attack the unde- veloped leaf-buds of oaks, preventing the leaves HOLIDAY RAMBLES AND ADVENTbRES. Zj developing, or the branch from growing, and causing them to assume the appearance which has given them the name of artichoke galls. Then there are the various oak-apples, button-galls, oak- spangles, some of which are often thought by young naturalists to be a kind of parasitic fungus. They occur usually on the under - surfaces of Fig. 105. — Insect of the button gall (enlarged). oak-leaves, as the illustrations indicate. The minute dipterous insects whose venom and irrita- tion set up the vegetable inflammations which Fig. 106. — Gall insect (nat. size and enlarged). result in these curious growths, were sketched, both natural size and enlarged. Galls were found in 8S THE PLAYTIME NATURALIST. many flowering plants, such as the seed-vessels of the pretty germander speedwell. The lovely "robin- redbreast's cushion," on the branches of the wild roses, is one of the best known. So are the oval, reddish, wart-like lumps on the leaves of willows, and the swellings on the stems of the ragwort. They bulge out certain of theseed-vessels ofumbel- liferous plants, and cause the thread-like leaves of the common yarrow to develop into vase-like cups. The stem of the thistle often expands into large oval shapes, and if you cut one open, you find it divided into compartments, in each of ^ „ , , - „, which is lodged a fat grub. Fig. T07. — Galls on oak-leaf. Ihe ° ^ upper portion is crowded with f ^g upper SUrface of the galls called "spangles;" the lower, with " button galls." leaves of the ground ivy are often covered with little hairy galls, in each of HOLIDAY RAMBLES AND ADVENTURES. 89 which is the larva of anotlier gall-fly, or Cecidomya. Even the stings of the nettle do not debar another species from making galls, both on leaf, flower- stalk, and leaf-stalk. You find them in abundance on the ends of elm twigs, as well as on the leaves ; on the birch leaves, one species occurs on the upper surface, and another on the lower. The oak is the favourite tree for these insects ; more than thirty different species make galls on it. Per- haps the most noteworthy are the hard, conical Fig. loS. — Section of spangle" Fig. 109. — Section of gall (magnified). " button gall " (magnified). barnacle galls, which may be found clustering the smaller branches of the oak. The willow is another favourite tree for them. In addition to the oval kinds found on its leaves, you may discover another which clusters along the edges. Two species of galls are not uncommon on poplar leaf-stalks. The boys noticed round pieces cut out of the leaves of the rose-trees in the garden ; and one day they caught the offender right in the act. They watched the creature — the leaf-cutter bee {Megachile WilloiigJibii) — turning round on its own 90 THE PLAYTIME NATURALIST. body as a pivot, cutting the leaf as it rotated ; and they could not help admiring the ingenious way with which it flew off, just when they imagined the bee would come to the same fate as the silly wood- man who sat astride the big bough he was sawing off. But the bee was not such a fool. It flew away with the round bit of leaf just at the precise Fig. no. — Rose-leaf cut by leaf-cutter bee. Fig. III. — Leaf-cutter bee {Megachile Willotighbii) cut- ting a piece of leaf for its cell. moment when it was cut, and used it at once to line its cell with. The two-winged, or dipterous, insects are com- mon enough, but, although some of them are remarkably pretty, adorned with red, blue, and golden metallic tints, the majority are of a dun colour. The coloured Diptera are almost in every case flower-visitors. It is an example of the old HOLIDAY RAMBLES AND ADVENTURES. 9 1 proverb, that you can tell a man by the company he keeps. So you can a fly, as a rule. The Fig. 112. — Conops ralipes^ male. Fig. 113. — Golden-eyed gadfly. colours of flowers are associated in insects* minds with the pleasure derived from finding their food 92 THE PLAYTIME NATURALIST. there. A colour-sense is thus developed. Colours produce pleasant associations. Those insects which Fig. 114. — Alyopa testacea, male. are themselves coloured become all the more ac- ceptable to their mates. Hence the colouration of butterflies, and of fruit-eating and flower-visiting Fig, II 5. — Buct'jites geiiiculaiiis. birds, like the trogons, macaws, parrots, sun-birds, and humming-birds. HOLIDAY RAMBLES AND ADVENTURES. 93 Then, again, in such flies as Bombylius we have the same kind of mimicry as in the clear-wing moths. There are several species of this fly, all of which more or less resemble bumble-bees, both in their mode of flight, shape, and even the sounds they make. As you see them flitting from one flower to another, and hovering and creeping about Fig. 116. — Asihis Crabroniforjiiis, female. them, if you were not an entomologist, you would be certain it was some sort of a bee, and of course had a sting. It has nothing of the kind ; it only pretends to have one. These two-winged, flower-haunting flies are very fond of visiting the numerous specfes of flowers belonging to the natural orders Compositse and Umbelliferae. Indeed, they are among the chief 94 THE PLAYTIME NATURALIST agents in cross-fertilizing such flowers. It is there you will probably find the Conops shown in our illustration, trying to make birds believe it is some kind of wasp. One species, Conops quadri- Fig. 117. — Yootoi Asilus Crabronifortnis (magnified). fasciatay has almost exactly the same colours as a wasp. Some of the species of the Syrphidse are similarly marked, and actually go by the name of " wasp-flies " on that account. HOLIDAY RAMBLES AND ADVENTURES. 95 Myopa testacea suggests the ludicrous, on account of its general gouty appearance. Bucentes geni- culatus is abundant everywhere during the whole summer and autumn. It is nearly as large as a house-fly. Asiliis crabro7iiforinis is perhaps the largest and strongest species of British Diptera, the female being larger than the male, as is usual with most insects. The boys had to go to Fig. 118. — Bombylius medus. Fig. 119. — Leptogaster cylindricus. the heaths to find this fly, for it is rather singular in its .occurrence. Like many of the others, it adopts mimicry, or " false pretences," if not as a profession, as a protection. Hence its popular name of the "great hornet fly." It is rather a fierce-looking creature, although its colouring is rich, and its bronze-green, compound eyes are 96 THE PLAYTIME NATURALIST. lovely objects under the microscope. So also are its feet, with their remarkable pads. On the other hand, quite the opposite of Bombylius, we have Leptogaster cylindriais, with a long and slender body, giving it a strong resemblance to the smaller dragon-flies. It is one of the commonest of our Diptera, and may frequently be found clinging like a winged sloth to the stems of plants. Its feet are remarkably adapted to this sloth-like habit. Fig. I20. — Anthojuyia phivialis. I have given only the pith of the information conveyed in the professor's genial letters to the young collectors, as I thought that was really what my own readers would care about knowing. But the hints and practical knowledge they gleaned therefrom made their pursuits all the more HOLIDAY RAMBLES AND ADVENTURES. 97 interesting. He also gave them a few ideas of what to look for, and especially what to do on wet days when they couldn't get out, for those are terrible times for boys, and especially to impatient boys. "For instance," said he, "there is the common house-fly. Now, who knows anything much about Fig. 121.— The common house-fly (enlarged). it, except that it's a nuisance ? Try and find out all you can about it, its eggs, grub, etc. There isn't one person in a thousand knows anything about these things. They don't know what be- comes of the house-flies in the winter; they don't know where they come from in summer They 98 THE PLAYTIME NATURALIST. might be freshly created every season, and rubbed out of existence at the end, for what most people who claim to be intelligent know about them or their habits." Fig. 122. — Egg of house-fly (magnified). That is perfectly true. Indeed, the boys had never before given a thought to house-flies, although they had given them a good many whacks — or had tried to. Fig. 123. — Maggot, or larva (magnified), showing tracheal or breathing system. So now they set to work. A house-fly was soon caught, and examined with a low magnifying power. A few eggs were found on a cold leg of lamb HOLIDAY RAMBLES AND ADVENTURES. 99 which had been left out, very considerately, by the cook. Their diameter was not more than the thirtieth part of an inch. The day after finding them, and imprisoning them (with a bit of meat to keep them company), the eggs were hatched, and the grubs were lively. Beneath the microscope, the nearly transparent skin allowed the air-breath- . ing and circulatory system to appear. The weather was hot, and the meat " high," so the Fig. 124. — Chrysalis of maggot fed well, and proceeded house-fly (enlarged). to the chrysalis stage ; thence to emerge, in about eight or ten days from finding the ^gg, to the fully developed house-fly. " Wet Days with the Microscope " would not be a bad title for a book. Nor would a small micro- scope be a bad companion at the seaside or in the country on such occasions. It would be infinitely better than flattening your noses against the window-panes, and grumbling because it was raining. So there was always material enough for such inauspicious occasions ; and the change of occupation made the sunny days, when collecting was possible, all the more enjoyable. Moreover, Jack had been taught the rudiments of pinning 100 THE PLAYTIME NATURALIST. 3 J3 t c o ?f'n)rf tiff/ Vi f iVm.''"'"''''/ V I't '."""""/ Fig. 165. — Scale of black Podura (magnified). " Look here, Marster Jack," she said, " here's some varmin for ye, an' I wish you'd kill the lot for your microscope." There was a tin pepper-box full of them. I suspect they had been purposely imprisoned in that abode of spicery out of revenge. Perhaps the HOLIDAY RAMBLES AND ADVENTURES. 121 cook thought the insects would sneeze themselves to death. These insects belong to the remarkable order known as Thysanuridae. Most of this order have bodies covered with scales, not unlike those on butterflies' wings, and these scales are so prettily Fig. 1 66. — The speckled Podura (magnified 30). marked that they have long been used as tests for the accurate definition of good microscopes. They are found in damp places generally — damp cellars, damp walls, damp pantries, on the surfaces of weedy ponds, in greenhouses, under stones, in empty flower-pots, beneath the bark of trees, etc. Many of them go by the popular name of spring- 122 THE PLAYTIME NATURALIST. tails, for when disturbed they jump Hke fleas. Several kinds are peculiar to the seaside, such as Lipura. The black Podura are especially abun- dant in cellars, and if you want to catch them you Fig. 1 68. — Smynthurns m'ger^ upper side (magnified). Fig. 167. — Lepisma saccharina (magnified). have only to set a trap in the shape of a cold stale potato or an old mutton-bone. These Podura have sixteen eyes, set in two groups, one on each side the head, looking to all the world like a cluster of beads. Their tails double up under the HOLIDAY RAMBLES AND ADVENTURES. 12 3 body something like the wooden toy frogs, which have a spring and bit of wood fastened by cobbler's wax, so as to give way and jerk the toy up when the wood becomes unfastened. They are all wing- less insects. It is capital fun to find their eggs and watch them hatch out. 124 ^-^^ PLAYTIME NATURALIST. CHAPTER VI. LAND SHELLS. Three weeks after the holidays commenced, Jack received the following letter from his friend Willie :— "Bromlea, August i6, 1888. " Dear Jack, " How are you getting on ? I miss you awfully. What jolly times we all had the last term ! I was down in the dumps when I got home, and didn't know what to do. My dear old dad saw what was up, and persuaded me to go out for drives with him when he visited his country patients. He is the dearest, gentlest, old dad in the whole world, and he soon got out of me what you and I had been up to — all about our rambles and collections, and so on. It quite did me good to tell him ; he seemed so interested, and it was very pleasant to go over the old ground again. "As you know dad is awfully fond of natural LAND SHELLS. 1 25 history. I always knew that, but I never found out, before these drives of ours, what a real blessing it had been to him during his lonely country drives — how he observed the birds and their songs, the insects, the flowers, and a thousand objects besides. As we drove along, he was full of these things, and the green country lanes seemed like an open book to him — a book he never got tired of reading. " He has been showing me how to work the microscope, and how to mount specimens for ex- amination. It isn't half so difficult as I used to think. Dad was quite pleased when he saw I took a real interest in the business. I always liked to potter about these things, as you know ; but now, somehow, I feel more serious about it. " ' I should like to go in for something special these holidays,' I said to him. ' What should I take up } Something special to collect and arrange, and get to know about — something other than butterflies and moths, you know,' said I. ** ' Very v/ell,' he replied ; ' begin collecting snail- shells.' " ' Snail-shells ! ' said I, somewhat disgusted — for I hate snails and slugs. " ' Why not t You were very fond of collecting 126 THE PLAYTIME NATURALIST. sea-shells when we went to the seaside last year ; why not collect land-shells, and fresh-water shells too, if you get a chance ? You have no idea how interesting it is.' " ' But there are not many sorts to collect,' said I. ' It won't take me more than a day or two to get all the kinds there is about here.' "'Oh, won't it?' said he. 'Just you try. You will be very surprised to find what a number there are, and how they want looking for.' " Well, you know, that kind of started me. Still, somehow snail-shells seemed rather a mean kind of things to collect. They are such slow- coaches, and therefore I fancied I should have to hunt them slowly. " I thought it over a day or two, and old dad never let the subject drop, but referred to it every now and then as we drove along. Then I got to know from him what interesting things both land and fresh-water snails are — how ancient are their shapes and habits ; how they have been living in the world for millions of years, sometimes they had actually formed marble by their accumulated shells, as the well-known Sussex marble and Purbeck marble ; and how, in the hollow fossilized tree- trunks of gigantic club-mosses called Sigillaria, LAND SHELLS. 1 27 which grew when coal was forming, there had been found land-shells almost exactly like the little delicate Pupas we find in tlie moss of the hedge- bank. I had no idea before that snails had such an ancient history. " Then the dad told me how I should find dif- ferent species in different habitats. He explained that the last word was much used by naturalists, as expressing the natural conditions which surrounded any living object. He said I should find some species of land-snails living under one set of con- dition-s, and another species under quite a different set. Perhaps, he hinted, it had been these different circumstances surrounding them which had helped to give different species their leading characters. He told me I should find some which liked limey soils and rocks, and others which did not ; some which loved to live in damp places, and others in dry ; some of them nearly as big as my fist, and others not much bigger than a pin's head. " Well, I won't bore you any further ; but the upshot is, I am now collecting snail-shells, and jolly fun it is too, I can tell you. Dad laughs a quiet laugh sometimes, now that he sees I am so dead on snails. I don't mind, for if it hadn't been for him, I should have had the same duffing notions 128 THE PLAYTIME NATURALIST about them now I had when he set me to work. Good-bye. Let's know what you are up to. " Willie." A good many letters passed between the lads, notwithstanding schoolboys are not good corre- spondents — except when they want something. Fig. i6g.— Helix po/natia. Fig. 170. — Ditto, mouth view But 1 need not repeat them, nor give them^ in full Suffice it that Willie became a keen hunter of land-shells before the holidays were over, and managed to make a capital collection, including some rare ones. The long journeys his father was obliged to make enabled Willie, whilst waiting for him, to hunt in new and varied localities. Of course, the big kinds, such as Helix aspersa, and the common garden and wood snails {Helix Jior- LAND SHELLS. 129 tensis and H. nenwralis) were soon sought and found. The young hunter was perfectly surprised at the exquisite colours and variation of colour- tints the two latter species possessed. His father showed him how and where to look for the rarer and smaller 1 . J ,1- , Fia:. 171. — Helix as persa. kmds — pulhng up plants by the roots and shaking them ; turning over the damp, rotting leaves in the wood ; grubbing beneath Fig. 172. — Helix eTicetorum. clumps of ferns and wood-rushes for the smaller Helices, pupa;, etc. ; closely examining the trunks Fig. 173. — Helix ne?noralis. of trees for Ciausilia, Bulimus, and special kinds of Helix. It was in this way he found Buiimiis I30 THE PLAYTIME NATURALIST. obsciiriis, whose shell was almost entirely obscured by the dirt the cautious creature had covered itself Fig. 174. — Helix arhistoru in. with, to escape detection. Beneath the rotting bark of trees, he taught him to look for and find Balea ; underneath stones, Heli- cella ; along the sand- drives of the coast (and inland where the soil Fig. IJS.— Helix hortensis. ^^^g limey), Helix cape- rata, Buliimis acuttis, etc. Willie also learned that the best time for collect- ing land-shells is the autumn, when they are fully grown, and are most beautifully marked. Those Fig. 176. — Helix virgata. collected in spring are usually winter-worn and weathered specimens. This newly found fad of land-shell collecting LAND SHELLS. 131 was a capital excuse for Willie (who was an affec- tionate lad, and couldn't bear to be long without Fig. 177. — Helix cantiajia. hearing or seeing anybody he liked) to write to his " professor," asking him how he was to Fig. 178. — Helix lapicidia. prepare the specimens he had captured for the cabinet. The professor was in Switzerland at the time, Fig. 179. — Helix caperata. '^m:>imi. Fig. 180. — Helix hispida. Fig. i8r. — Helix rotimdata. Fig. 182. — Helix pulchella. and Willie's letter reached him there. Notwith- standing the bother of writing letters when one is 132 THE PLAYTIME NATURALIST away from home, and supposed to be enjoying one's self, the professor answered WilHe's letter by Fig. 183. — Helix rufcscens. Fig. 184. — Helix lamellata. the same day's post. Truth to tell, he regarded Willie and Jack as intellectual children of his own. Fig. 185. — Helix Fig. 186. — Helix Carthiisiana. pigmcea. He had been the chief means of opening their minds to the abounding works of the Great Father ; there- fore the lads were in a sense his own intellectual progeny. It is this in- o TT y tellectual affiliation which knits the Fig. 187. — Hehx aculeata. ^-j-yg master and the true student so closely together. So, partly for the sake of writing to Willie, and chiefly to help him, he wrote to him as follows : — " When you collect your living specimens, keep them a few days. Then remove the animals from the houses (shells) they have made. At first this appears a nasty sort of a job. But all real practical natural history, dissecting, etc., seems nasty at first. LAND SHELLS. 1 33 I dare say the first man who ate an oyster was thought a ' nasty man ' by those who looked on, being too timid to attempt the task themselves. I am very sure the English people would think those dwelling in the south of France ' nasty,' if they were to see the great heaps of the Roman snail {Helix pomatid) — a British species, by the way, although probably introduced by the Romans, who were fond of snails — and our commoner English large snail {Helix aspersa) offered for sale in the fish-markets, and eagerly bought. If they tasted the pates made of them, however — that is, if they didn't know what they were eating — they would give up the silly charge of 'nastiness ' about anything a body did not happen to like. '* Well, the first thing you've got to do is to separate the living snail from its house. Remember that a snail-shell is as much a part of a living mollusc as a lobster's crust, or as your own bones are part of your own living self. " When you kill the snail in its shell, you sever the connection between the two. The step is to remove the animals, and this may not seem a pleasant job. Kill them by plunging in boiling water, when the muscular connection with their shells will be severed. Then the body can be 134 ^-^-^ PLAYTIME NATURALIST. easily taken out with a pin, exactly like picking periwinkles. "With regard to the smaller kinds, whose shells may not have mouths wide enough to admit even a pin for picking purposes — indeed, such shells as Clausilia, Bulimus, Helicella, etc., are too little to allow of much handling with a pin, even if the animal had not drawn itself up into the extreme corner of the shell the moment it scented danger — the best thing to do with them is to let their little bodies dry up in their shells. " When you have picked out the animals from the larger shells, wash out well with warm water, and then place them before a fire to dry. Don't rub them, but clean off any dirt that may have remained with a dry camel's-hair pencil. Some of the small snails have their shells covered with hairs, or short bristles, and you must mind not to remove them." Willie's father delighted to induct his lad into the fragments of natural-science lore he himself once possessed — " broken lights " of other days, when both money and leisure were more abundant, and before the household became so thronged with curly-haired tyrants. Alas ! the theory of evolution, microscopical LAND SHELLS. 135 dissection, embryology, phylogen}-, and a host of other deeply interesting and still more deeply complicated subjects had grown up almost uncon- sciously while the village doctor had been toiling for the crickets on his hearth. Nevertheless, not a little (and that little was good) remained of the earnest days of his younger manhood. A man possessed of a son gets a double chance out of life, particularly if the boy inherits his father's tastes. Then he lives again, renews his youth, enters the glorious lists of young manhood a second time — rejoices when his son succeeds, mourns when his son fails. You cannot do that with your daughters, although they are " ever so much nicer ! " So when Willie was pulling the snails out of their shells with a pin, his father showed him there were several other things he might do at the same time. Thus, every snail has a more or less special kind of jaw^ used for feeding purposes. Then they also possess odontopJiores^ or tooth-bearing straps, all thickly set over with silicious teeth, which gleam Fig. 188. — Jaws of Helix nemoralis (magnified). 136 THE PLAYTIME NATURALIST. and glisten like precious stones when examined by polarized, or partly decomposed, light. The true teeth of snails, and indeed of all univalve mollusca, are therefore not in the mouth. But the jaws of snails are, and their duty is to assist the odontophore by triturating the food. These jaws, and the number of the ridges on them, are now being carefully studied. They are not limey, but cJdtinoiis — that is, formed of a sub- stance like horn, or one's own finger-nail. Willie and his father, therefore. Fig. 189.-A second form of ditto. ^^^^^ ^ ^^^ delight to snail-shell collecting. They referred to a chapter on the subject in a natural history magazine, which the latter had carefully taken in from its beginning, and to whose blue-cloth bound volumes he always turned when in a difficulty — I mean Hardwickes Science-Gossip. The reason was that Willie wanted to send to Jack full details of how to proceed in dissecting land and fresh-water snails forthesake of their jaws and odontophores. So he copied the following paragraph from a page his father had turned down for him : — LAND SHELLS. 137 " For the method of dissecting odontophores, jaws, etc., of molluscs (which should be done under water, in a white shallow dish), almost any book on the microscope will give you full information. I advise the simple method of dissecting the animal with forceps and needle, to the common one resorted to by many conchologists of boiling the animal if small, or parts if large, in sodic or potassic hydrates, on purpose to procure the jaw or lingual ribbons. The attachments are often appended, and the object has a more natural appearance under the microscope. The jaws of the small Helix vir- gata can be seen with the naked eye in the dissecting - trough, and the smallest species may be crushed and washed in the sunken cell of a micro-slip, using a two-inch objective for detection. "As the jaws are found, place the different kinds in watch-glasses or small colour-saucers, until they are so dry that they can be transferred to small pill-boxes without any risk of their sticking to the bottoms or sides, and so of carrying foreign matter. There they are dust-free, and can be Fig. 190. — A third form of ditto. 138 THE PLAYTIME NATURALIST. stored for any length of time. On the Hd of each pill-box should be written such information as would be required for a micro-label slide. This method of preparation is not applicable to odonto- phores. In a day or two the jaws will have become thoroughly dry. After soaking in turpentine, they may be mounted on micro-slips in any soluble form of Canada balsam, and without a cell. A wire-clip will hold in position for a few days, until there is a little ' set ' in the medium. As evaporation takes place, fill up with fresh balsam. When dry, * ring ' the slides twice with a thick solution of dammar in benzole, and varnish. Any number of jaws of molluscs, agreeing in character or shell-colours, may easily be mounted on one slip ; three or more are easily treated, and, with a little care in balancing the clip directly over the specimens, it will be found practicable to mount one or two jaws without a cell. Canada balsam is much better for this work than glycerine or similar fluids. It is more easily manipulated, requires no extra care in fastening up, and is handy for polariscope work." Willie's father pointed out the beginnings of the doctrine of "natural selection," as proved even by snails' jaws. Thus the ridges or cross-bars of Helix LAND SHELLS. "^19 nemoralis vary from two to four in one locality. In another (on the limestone), they range in number up to seven ridges or cross-bars. It is the same with the garden snail and other common Fig. 191. — Successive stages in the development of a fresh-water snail {Lit7incea pereger). species — the ridges in the jaws vary in number with the kind of vegetable diet thev affect ; and this, of course, is determined chiefly by the characters of the subsoils and geology generally. I40 THE PLAYTIME NATURALIST. August happened to be rather a dull month that year. It was cloudy when it was not rainy, and the days seemed to draw in on purpose to make the evenings longer. So the microscope be- came an evening toy, as well as a scientific instru- ment. Then Willie learned how the eggs of snails, especially the fresh-water kinds, such as Limnaea and Paludina, hatched out larvae at first resembling infusorial animalcules in their possession of cilia, or eyelash-like hairs arranged around the mouth ; how they regularly rotated within their cells until they were set free to move through the water by the same means ; and how very possibly (only it was for the young and rising generation of natura- lists to determine the fact) the embryos of land- snails did the same thing within their eggshells, only more expeditiously, being pinched for time, and therefore obliged to make overtime within their eggs — to accelerate their larval stages, in short. CHAPTER VII. "THEY GO A-FISHING." " I GO a-fishing," said St. Peter, when one of the other disciples wanted to know what he was about to do for the next twenty-four hours. Unfortunately, it is your idle friends, as a rule, who want to know how you mean to spend the day. They have not the slightest idea how they are going to spend it themselves ; so, at any rate, there is some chance of their getting a little interest out of life by know- ing beforehand how you mean to spend yours. If they cannot join you in body or spirit, at any rate the derived knowledge leaves them at liberty to criticize you. And that is all that very weak people can do. Imagine Jack's delight (which was contagious, especially among the girls, to whom Jack had laid bare his heart's idol) when one evening, just before supper, a limping lad, dressed in the garb of the E. T., rang the front-door bell, and looked as weary 142 THE PLAYTIME NATURALIST. as he could, for he knew that would secure a supper. He had been to the hall with telegrams before ! It was a telegram for Master Jack. We apply that term to boys now, but it was a grand name given to valiant fighting-men in the days of old Border warfare. Master Jack didn't mind the mild chaff of those around him, who would have given their only half- crown to have got a telegram all to themselves. He ripped it open with a knife deliberately, as if he had been in the habit of receiving telegrams until he was bored with them. Then he passed it quietly to his sister, who flushed as she read it, announcing that Willie would be with the lively party by noon the day following. Though Jack passed the telegram quietly, he was pleased beyond measure. Between him and Willie there had been established the strongest brotherhood in the world, infinitely stronger than the brotherhood of bodies — the fraternity oi soids. However, I am not a novelist, or I should devote a chapter to their meeting, and describe how Willie was flurried on being introduced to Jack's sister, and how Jack's sister blushed as ''THEY GO A-FlSHlNOr 143 red as a peony, and hated Willie all the more because she knew she had done so, and couldn't help it So I leave the lads alone, to compare delightful notes, and still more delightful experiences. All I have to do is to be the humble chronicler of their next and newest set of natural-history adventures. They determined not to collect butterflies, moths, bees, wasps, dipterous flies (unless, of course, they saw some "jolly rare ones"), beetles, snails, slugs, etc. Willie observed, " I say, let's go dredging ! " Now, that was a capital thought ; none of them had ever thought of dredging. I doubt whether most of them knew what it meant. But they applauded the idea — for that is the best way of not being thought ignorant of it. It was ultimately deemed best, however, to hunt for water-insects, and odds and ends of aquatic life" It is remarkable what a number of creatures be- longing to widely different orders agree in possess- ing a common habitat. Depend upon it, either a great many changes have taken place in water- insects since they first appeared on the earth, or else in the larger numbers which swarm the atmosphere. There is reason to believe that, ages ago, some of the earliest forms of insects were 144 THE PLAYTIME NATURALIST. aquatic ; and it may be that the Hving species inhabiting fresh waters all over the world are still maintaining their ancestral habits. Some species, however, such as the water-beetles, must certainly have acquired the habit of being able to live in water, for their practice is so different to the rest of their tribe. The surface of the ponds and tarns visited by Jack, Willie, and the other young friends, where Fig. 192. — Water-beetles {Dytiscus margifialis), male and female. not covered over by pond-weed, duck-weed, and frog-bit, looked smooth and dark. The open spaces were so many skating-rinks to the whirli- gig beetles, which glided gracefully about ; and although it looked as if some of them must come into collision, they never did. They beat skaters in that respect. It seems a strange whim for these ''THEY GO A-FISHING:' 1 45 glassy little water-beetles to do nothing all day but waltz about in this ridiculous fashion. What do they do it for ? But perhaps they would ask a similar question of ourselves, if they saw a hundred men and women taking a delight in skating all day. Then there were the huge beetles Dytisciis inargi- nalis and Hydrophilits piceus ; the former, both in its larval and adult stages, one of the most vora- cious of creatures, as all who have kept fresh-water Fig. 193. — Larva of Dytiscus 7narginalis. aquaria know. The full-grown beetle will attack small fish, frogs, newts, with impunity. Nor is the larva much less to be dreaded for its voracious appetite. They are to tadpoles what the wolf is to a flock of young lambs. The peculiar way in which the Dytiscus manages to breathe the air dissolved in water is best seen by examining the air-apertures, or spiracles, which are both beautiful and instructive objects when mounted. The tracheal or breathing system is 146 THE FLA y TIME NATURALIST. very complicated. You get a dead beetle and make a careful incision down the back with Fig. 194. — Terminal spiracle of Dytiscus. Fig. 195. — Parasite of Dytiscus. scissors ; then soak the entire object well in acetic acid, and use the forceps to detach the trachea, THEY GO A-FISHING. H7 which he on either side the body, and communicate with the air by means of the gilled spiracles. But, greedy as the Dytiscus is, it is the prey of a parasite, which may usually be found deeply imbedded in the skin near the spiracles, as you are dissecting. Fig. 196. — Cocoon of Hydrophilus. The Hydrophilus is almost as voracious as its neighbour and competitor. The boys found a female in the act of depositing its eggs in the nest. They noticed how the nest was closed up until it 'resembled a glass retort. There the eggs were safe and sound, and there they hatched out into greedy larva not unlike those of Dytiscus. Another group of common aquatic insects allied 148 THE PLAYTIME NATURALIST to the water-scorpions (Nepa) were discovered — Rmiatra linearis — and transferred to the wide- mouthed pickle-jars for further observation. It was amusing to see them take their prey, assuming a position not unhke that of the praying mantis. Even more interesting was the discovery of the eggs of this singular creature, found arranged in N Fig. 197. — Another water-beetle {Hydrophilus picetis), in the act of depositing its eggs. a row, penetrating the leaf of a frog-bit (Hydro- charis), each Ggg having a couple of antennae- like processes to prevent its slipping through. Out of these funny eggs young Ranatrse were hatched, and wonderful skeleton-like things they looked. ''THEY GO A-FISHINCr 149 The bottoms of the ponds and streams visited during the long sunny mornings were seen occupied by slowly moving objects, which, how- Fig. 198. — Full-grown Ranatra linearis (magnified). Fig. 199. — Ranatra linearis in the act ot catching its prey. ever, were very erratic in their movements. The greater number of them looked like animated sticks ; some were clusters of minute Planorbids ISO THE PLAYTIME NATURALIST. and other fresh-water shells. An examination showed them to be different species of caddis- worms, the aquatic larva of the Ephemeridse, or Fig. 200. — Eggs of Ranatra deposited on leaf of frog-bit (Hydrocharis). may-flies. It appears very singular that numbers of air-breathing and winged insects should pass Fig. 201. — Single eggs and young of Ranatra. Fig. 202. — Larva of Ephemera, or caddis-worm fly. their earliest stages in the water. The breathing- organs of the larva of Ephemera are very beautiful " THEY GO A-FISHINCr 151 when seen under the microscope ; and the in- genious way in which these aquatic breathers are converted into an air-breathing apparatus when the creature leaves the water for good, is more or Fig. 203. — Case of caddis- worm {Phryganea grandis). Fig. 204. — Shell-case of Livi neph ihcs Jiavicorn is. less the same as marks the transformation of the dragon-flies, gnats, etc. The transformation of a gnat's ^g^ into a free-swimming larva, and after- wards into a winged fly, is well known to natu- ralists. You cannot wonder that may-flies, gnats, Fig. 205. — Fresh-water shrimp {Gammarus ptdex). b. Antennas of ditto (magnified). and dragon-flies haunt the streams, ponds, and dykes, even when they have become winged. It is in the water rather than in the atmosphere that the greater part of their lives is passed. One 152 THE PLAYTIME NATURALIST. species of insect actually never leaves the water, even when it has acquired wings, but uses them as swimming-organs. Then, again, in most ponds and natural streams you find creatures belonging to a widely sepa- rate division — the Crustacea. Moreover, some Fig. 206. Aselhis aqtioticzis. of these fresh-water forms are nearly allied to those now living in the sea, such as the fresh- water shrimp. Others are not distantly related to the Trilobites which swarmed in the seas of the Silurian period, many millions of years ago, such as Aselhis aquatiaiSy found in most boggy tarns. Then there are worms, some of which may also be derived from ancestors that formerly lived in the THEY GO A-FJSHINCr 153 sea. Of course the lads looked out for and caught specimens of the curious hair-worm {Gordhis aqiiatiais) ; what boys would not ? For is it not an article of belief among schoolboys that these hair-worms are produced by taking a long hair from a horse's tail, and placing it in a saucer to stand in the sun ? Boys believe so, and their grown- up ancestors also believed it, without thinking they were committing themselves to the atheistic Fig. 207. — Hair-worm. Fig. 208. — End of hair-worm. doctrine of spontaneous generation. Naturalists, however, know that this worm undergoes its first changes in the bodies of insects, chiefly beetles, and that it has nothing to do with the horse cr any other animal's hairs, except its marvellous resemblance to them. If you were to behold one of these hair-worms, when imprisoned in the zoophyte-trough, discharging its eggs, you would see a wonderful sight. They are poured forth in 154 THE PLAYTIME NATURALIST thousands, until one is bewildered by a new sense of abundance. Many of the worms which permanently live rt 2 rt cs .= ^^,C ecu*-" S 53 c ^55 -*> ^1 S r -^-> N -^ 1^ ^ (*- o in S '^ o »* Ol .S .^^ .- C Vs. "^t-t. ^^ a; ^ t/5 O OJ ^ 3 - !}^ ^2 ^> • CU • •— ' t/? t/5 <— ' 5 bi)"5 o ii « fe in fresh water possess the usual transparency characteristic of nearly all the lowly organized aquatic animals, so that you can plainly see the (( THEY GO A- fishing:' 155 internal organs. One of the most beautiful and instructive in this respect is the not uncommon Corethra pltwiiformis. Some of these worms so nearly resemble the larvae of aquatic insects, or rather, the latter appear so often like the former that the young naturalist is frequently bewildered in distinguishing one from the other. Corethra is a splendid study, on account of its hyalinity — its glass-like tis- sues. You can see its com- pound eyes, air-cells, gizzard, stomach, intestinal arrange- ment, and branchial or breathing arrangements, al- most as easily as if you were looking through a win- dow at the contents of a shop Fig. 210.— Egg-bag of com- mon gnat {Tipida plumi- — where, of course, all the cornis), natural size and mag- ■I , . 1 • J nitied. best thmgs are arranged. One of the most interesting set of captures and observations made were on the common gnat, which, as everybody knows, deposits its eggs in water. You can get any quantity of them in any exposed rain-water tub. 8 156 THE PLAYTIME NATURALIST The female gnat lays her eggs early in August, as a sausage-shaped bag of nearly colourless jelly, Fig. 211.— Egg, first day. Fig. 212. — Egg, five hours later. Fig. 213. — Egg, second day. Fig. 214. — Egg, five days old. varying from a quarter of an inch to one inch in length, beneath the surface of still water. The ^%g THEY GO A- FISHINGS 157 presents in profile a convex upper and a flattened lower surface (these terms, upper and lower, are applied simply for convenience). Looking down upon it, the appearance is oval. The shell is Fig. 215. — Diagrammatic figure of young larva. somewhat elastic, and is very transparent and structureless, so that the development of the embryo may be easily observed. The mass of Fig. 216. — The nymph. eggs have a sucking-disk at one end to fix them by. These eggs can be followed through every stage of their hatching ; and, thanks to the great transparency of the egg-shell, or membrane, we can witness the development of the larva 158 THE PLAYTIME NATURALIST. within. The first three woodcuts given on p. 1 56 show the process of alteration within the ^^^ ; whilst the last, or fourth ^gg^ demonstrates that the larva is nearly complete. When it is, it bursts through Fig. 217. — a. Head of male; b, head of female. the ^gg, swims actively and curiously about some- thing like a Corethra, and eventually passes into the 7iymph stage — the equivalent to the chrysalis of a butterfly. The hardened skin becomes a kind ''THEY GO A- fishing:' 159 of " boat cradle," although not of bulrushes, to float the fully developed insect to the surface, whence it may take wing. But, as a faithful chronicler of young naturalists — than whom there are no people more joyous and optimistic — I cannot stop to mention the great army of commonplace things they collected, " All was fish which came to their net " — that ought to be the motto of every young naturalist. You may be devoted to certain things now — may even regard the collectors and observers of certain other things you don't care for as absurd and even stupid (they perhaps do the same as regards you) ; but by-and- by, when you grow older, your sympathies will extend, and a fuller and richer life will be the result. l60 Tim PLAYTIME NATURALIST. CHAPTER VIII. A NEW HUNTING-GROUND : AMONG THE MITES. One fine, half-sultry, half- foggy morning, just before breakfast, one of the boys rushed into the room with a piece of bark, on which hosts of creep- ing things were swarming. '* Look here," said he ; " here's a lot of woodlice." Willie looked at them through his pocket-lens, and saw that all had eight legs. Now, legs as a rule can hardly be used as a means of classifica- tion, unless for wooden tables. Still, their number is not without value. Thus, if a creature has six legs, you know it is an insect ; if eight legs, that it belongs to the spider family (Arachnida) ; if ten legs, to that represented by shrimps, lobsters, crabs, etc. (Crustacea). Now, a real woodlouse (Oniscus) is a crustacean, and has ten legs, all of equal length. Willie's elass told him at once the division of the animal kingdom to which the little objects belonged. A NEIV HUNTING-GROUND. l6l " No," said he, " they are not woodlice ; they are mites." "Mites? What! cheese- mites ?" " No," he replied. " Cheese-mites are not the only kind in the world. You have no idea of the number of kinds of mites there are. They can be found almost everywhere, feeding on decaying substances ; nearly every kind of plant is haunted by them. They are very common under the bark of trees and shrubs, under stones, and so on. You find them on animals, especially birds, where they devour the waste scurf and feathers, so they are really so many barbers and piiimassiers, or feather-cleaners. They may be found in nearly every pond, where they are fitted to an aquatic life, and go by the name of water-mites." That was a long speech for my young friend to make. But it contained news for most of his audience ; and, what was more important, it suggested an additional happy hunting-ground. " I say," eagerly remarked Jack, " let's go mite- hunting to-day." No sooner said than agreed upon — for boyhood allows no procrastination in the indulgence of its whims. But, as many of the objects they determined to 1 62 7 HE PLAYTIME NATURALIST. hunt are so small that the prick of a pin on paper would about represent their natural size (except the water-mites), they required a good deal of looking for. I doubt whether they would have found some kinds at all, if it had not been for their living together in great numbers [social mites), so that they presented the appearance of animated dust. Under the microscope, however, not only could the different species be easily made out, but the males and females of each distin- guished — the latter often differing more in appear- ance from each other than one species does from another. It is astonishing, after one has commenced a special study of natural objects, how common we find them, although, perhaps, we had hardly suspected their existence before. The scales are removed from our eyes. You soon find out objects when you have learned to take an interest in them. Indeed, the art of " taking an interest " in anything is half the battle. Thus Jack had heard the gardener talk about " them darned red spiders," but he neither asked what they were nor took the trouble even to look at them, until after that eventful morning when the boys went mite-hunting. Then he found A NEW HUNTING-GROUND. 1 63 that the gardener's " red spiders " were in reaHty mites. So away the boys strolled, their pockets crammed with pill-boxes and sandwiches. One of the party got nearly thrown down by a gorse-bush when crossing the common, and this led him to see that the cobwebs entangled in the furze were crowded with a dense red powder. '' Here you are ! " he cried. So the powder was pill-boxed, although, somehow or another, it all seemed to run together into a ball. The individual mites were afterwards found to be TetranycJiiis telarius. It seemed that the web was their own, not a spider's. They had somehow spun it for mutual protection or defence against the rain, just as the social caterpillars of the little eggar-moth do, which one sees so abundantly on the hawthorn hedges during a hot and droughty summer. Many cobwebs are attributed to spiders which, maybe, are the work of these social mites. Now, a spider's web is in reality a trap. Mites' cob- webs are houses, barracks, castles. You will find the lime trees, late in August or early in Sep- tember, with their trunks and branches often half covered with lovely and delicate webs, on which you see a special kind of mite {Tetra- 164 THE PLAYTIME NATURALIST. nychus tiliaritis) moving about. These webs often look more like a layer of varnish than anything else ; but the reddish-coloured powder on them represents the inhabitants of this wonderful Lilipu- tian city. Fig. 218. — Tetranychns telarius. (The spot within the circle represents the natural size as nearly as possible. ) Fig. 219. — Tetranychus tiliarius. The stone-mite {TetranycJms lapidtis) was found in great numbers. It so happened that this had been a favourite object with Willie's father as a microscopical mount, on account of the singular beauty of its eggs. He told Willie that when he was a student at the Paris hospitals, he had frequently seen many of the stones in the pro- menades there covered with them. The eggs are white, although the mite is red. A NEW HUNTING-GROUND. 165 But eventually, as regards land-mites, the old garden at the back of the house proved to be the best huntincr-o-round. This was fortunate, because 't> fc>' Fig. 221. — Kggs of stone- mite (7'- lapidiis). Fig. 220. — Tetranychus lapidiis. Fig. 222. — Tetranychus ulmi. Fig. 223. — TetranycJius salicis. on wet days they could make a rush (after they had learned what to rush out for), and " collar "one or two different kinds. Of course, I don't know 1 66 THE PLAYTIME NATURALIST what the word "collar" means, but my young friends seemed to. In this way they got the plum-tree mite (7". pninicolor), the elm-tree mite {T. ulmi\ the willow mite {T. salicis), the poplar mite {T. popidi), the guelder-rose mite {T. vibitrni), etc. In their rambles Fig. 225. — Thetranycus viburni. Fig. 224. — Tetranychiis poptdi. they found that even the stinging-nettle — marvel- lously protected though it be — is attacked by a special species of mite {T. urticce). Do we really understand what is. meant by the word " life " } If its importance is to be measured by the mass of flesh in which the subtle spirit is incarnated, then the Greenland whale and the elephant should be placed at the very highest summit of the zoological ladder. It can be im- prisoned within, and direct the motions of, a A NEW HUNTING-GROUND. 167 microscopic body as easily and marvellously as those of a macroscopic body. 1 " As true, as perfect, in a hair as heart." Life may even be " pill-boxed " within life, the animal within the vegetable, the vegetable within the animal — not parasitically, and therefore de- Fig. 226. — Tetranyckus urticce. Fig. 227. — Mite from Gamasus of humble-bee. structively, merely, but with mutual co-operation and advantage {symbiosis). This wonderful chain of life, of which Pope, with genuine poetic insight, said — " In Nature's chain, whichever link you strike. Tenth or ten thousandth, breaks the chain alike," and to which the great Darwin devoted a noble life for the purpose of making out its interdependence and absoluteness, and therefore justifying "the 1 68 THE PLAYTIME NATURALIST. ways of God to man," — loses none of its wonder, nor even of its mystery, as we know more of it. " The greater the circle of our knowledge, the greater the periphery of the external darkness." Lord Lytton's aphorism holds especially good of all genuine scientific research. Swift was thought to be only using poetical licence when he said — *■' For bigger fleas have little fleas Upon their backs to bite 'em, And little fleas have lesser fleas, And so ad infinitum" Here is a humble-bee, one of the very com- monest of objects. Most of them are attacked on the under part of the body by minute, shiny, brown beetles called Gamasus. The belly of the bee sometimes swarms with them. Well, on this parasite is another — a mite (Fig. 227). Sometimes a Gamasus will have six or seven mites living upon it. They possess special kinds of claws for cling- ing to the Gamasus with, and a special kind of mouth. But of all the various species of the family of mites, perhaps none are so beautiful or interesting as the water-mites. When our young naturalists set about mite-collecting, Willie remembered that in the volumes of Science Gossip for 1882, 1883, A NEW HUNTING-GROUND. 169 and 1884, there were some capital illustrated articles on the subject by Mr. C. F. George ; so they had recourse to them to make out their finds. These water-mites belong to special groups known as Hygrobatidse and Hydrachnidse. They have generally from two to four eyes. When under- going their insect-like changes, or metamorpJioseSy Fig. 228. — Female of Arremiriis. a very significant fact occurs. Many naturalists now regard the different progressive stages through which an individual passes before it becomes adult, as more or less representative of the evolutionary changes through which the species itself has passed I/O THE PLAYTIME NATURALIST. during the long period of time in which it has been developing. For instance, when a water- mite is in its larval stage, it has only six legs. Therefore at that period, so far as the number of legs is concerned, it is an insect. In its adult stage it has eight legs. So the water-mites, in this respect, connect the two great classes of In- secta and Arachnida. These two kinds of water-mites are sepa- rated into distinct di- visions, one possessing two eyes only, the other four. The former go by the scientific name of Hygrobatidae, and the latter of Hydrachnidae. Our little party were successful in capturing several species of these creatures. Some seemed to prefer the clear, moving water, others the swampy or boggy places ; some of them were of a green colour, like Arrenuriis viridis, the males of which can be distinguished by their comparatively long tails. The genus Arrenurus includes several Fig. 229. — Arrenurus perforatus, male. A NEW HUNTING-GROUND. 171 British species, nearly all of which are brightly and beautifully coloured— green, blue, red, yellow, Fig. 230. — Under side o^ Arremirus perjorattis, male. Fig. 231. — Arremtrus bite- cinalor. Fig. 232. — Arrenur^is buc- cinator (under side). etc. Nor do these colours fade after the objects have been killed and mounted for microscopical 172 THE PLAYTIME NATURALIST. examination. Some are distinguished by having a hard or chitinous skin, others by possessing a soft one. The chitinous kind, however, is the more numerous. The hard plates fit almost like JFTY77 Fig. 233. — Arrettunis cliiptiais, male (upper side). those of the carapace, or shell, of a crab. Males and females of each kind are remarkable for their non-resemblance to each other. The eyes of nearly all are very beautiful objects when seen under a microscope. A NEW HUNTING-GROUND. 173 Mr. George tells us that when they are confined in a glass vessel of water, the females lay their eggs on the glass. The eggs are generally of a pinkish colour, surrounded with a whitish opaque Fig. 234. — Arrenurus triaispidator, male. substance, which seems to be the material used in cementing the eggs to the glass. When the eggs hatch, a minute larva is produced, possessing six 174 THE PLAYTIME NATURALIST. legs. From their appearance, Mr. George thinks they must be parasitic on some other kind creature ; but he never could find out which. So here is another riddle still left unanswered for such students as my young friends. Among the captures were A rrenuncs sinu- ator, whose short tail is of a bright yellow colour, Fig. 2z^.—Arremirus froiidator, ^nd the part where the female (upper side) body and tail are joined together, a beautiful blue; A. albator, oi 3. light Fig. 236. — Ai-remirus riitilator. Fig. 237. — Arrenurus rndlator, female (upper side). body colour, and having a differently shaped tail ; A. crassicaiidatiis ; A. perforatus, one of the most A NEW HUNTING-GROUND. 175 Fig. 238. — Arrenurus integrator. ^^^- '^39-—Arremirus truncatellus. iy6 THE PLAYTIME NATURALIST. beautiful of all our British water-mites ; A. buc- cinator ; A. ellipticus ; A. tricuspidator, etc. Fig. 240. — Arrenurus globator. Fig. 241. — Arrenurus globator, male. A NEW HUNTING-GROUND. 177 The female water-mites are not only more numerous than the males, but of larger size. Among the soft skinned water-mites, the com- monest are A. frondator, A. riitilator^ etc., all very small, and of a globular shape, but hardly less brightly coloured than those above mentioned. Fig. 242. — Arremirus buccinator. Arrenurus U'icuspidator, A. integrator, and A. trimcatelhis are less common forms ; the latter is an exquisitely lovely object, green, with vermilion eyes. A. integrator is of a lovely blue, and A. tricuspidator of an equally attractive red. All the puncturings and other markings came out 178 THE PLAYTIME NATURALIST splendidly when these lovely creatures were put under the microscope, and examined as opaque objects. Jack's father was quite interested by Fig. 243. — Arrenurus atax. their beauty ; and as for Jack's sister — why, she made a mental vow she would never marry a man who was not a naturalist ! CHAPTER IX. TOADS, FROGS, NEWTS, AND REPTILES. 1 FORGOT to mention that, earlier in the summer, the two lads had done the usual preliminary aqua- rium-keeping. That is to say, they had got up a structure with glass sides which leaked horribly, and had crammed it with all sorts of water-weeds and water-creatures — molluscs, fishes, frogs, newts, water-beetles, etc. There was terrible murder and massacre for a day or two ; splendid eating and drinking for a few ; and suffering and dying for the many. Nature will forgive almost any crime ex- cept that of overcrowding ! Her punishments for this offence are unappealable. The eager young naturalists soon recognized this important fact. They had put into their leaky old tank all the things they had found, from humane motives, not cruel ones. There was, of course, the desire of possession, and the joy of conquest. But neither of the lads would have 9 l8o THE PLAYTIME NATURALIST. caused the slightest suffering if he could have helped it. And as they fished out the dead bodies of their previous day's hunting, both of them said, " Poor beggars ! " That was their Burial Service. Then, like brave and sensible lads, they recognized the fact that failure is only the stepping-stone to success — that a boy (as well as a man) may indeed learn more from a single failure than a single success ; that is, if he has got any grit in him. If he hasn't, why, it doesn't matter much, either way. The microscope had come to the ardent young fellows like a quiet revelation. It had made every living fact worth observing, all the more observable. Consequently, after the coup d'etat of their aquarium, the aquatic government of that colony had settled down into a little better order. There were fewer living creatures in it, and consequently fewer rows. Some people wonder why Europe should be practically an " armed camp." They forget that its population has doubled, and, therefore, we have double as many people to quarrel among themselves now than there were in the days of Napoleon Bonaparte. It is not countries which go to war ; it is nations — that is, populations. Germany and France do TOADS, FROGS, NEWTS, AND REPTILES. l8l not hate each other, or despise each other, more than the dwellers in the East and West Ends of overpopulated London. Overcrowding means mur- murings, grumblings, wrestlings. Overcrowding is punished by Nature after her own stern manner. Rachel weeps for her children in vain, and re- fuses to be comforted, when the germs of typhoid and cholera attack overcrowded and therefore un- cleanly cities. Farmers grumble, and pray, and starve, when they overcrowd their corn-fields ; and moulds, rusts, and mildews visit them in con- sequence. There is just another point worth mentioning in this sermon of mine. The higher the zoological rank of organisms, the more their requirements. But I am not going to stop my narrative for a series of copy-book moralities ; so the end of my sermon has come, and its application, which is — if you rig up an aquarium, don't put too much into it. When Nature first rigged up our planet with life, she began with small and feeble things. That enabled her to get on, to add to her stock, to introduce more highly organized breeds, until at length earth became the Chief Nursery for Heaven. My young friends had collected "a lot of spawn." That comprehensive boyish term included the eggs 1 82 THE PLAYTIME NATURALIST. of newts, frogs, and toads. Of course, people will persist in calling these objects reptiles, whereas they are actually more nearly related to fishes than to reptiles. They are " nasty slimy things " to most people ; to others who are in the secret, they are the degenerate descendants of a race of primary vertebrates which once held the same relative position among the existing tribes of the earth as you and I do to-day. There were once English frogs as big as High- land oxen, and marine newts as large as ordi- nary crocodiles. In Cheshire (about Storeton and Liverpool generally) you find their footprints, bigger than the impressions made by human hands. The huge Japanese salamander in the Zoological Gardens (three feet long) is the last giant representative of a race which flourished at its best many millions of years ago. No wonder, instinctively feeling the superiority of its genea- logical position, that it snaps so fiercely at the umbrellas and sticks which " 'Arry and 'Arriet " poke into its face, when it is trying to get a siesta. Take the spawn of toads, frogs, and newts, for instance. There are no commoner objects any- where. This so-called " spawn " is merely the TOADS, FROGS, NEWTS, AND REPTILES. 1 83 eggs of those creatures. All true amphibians resort to the water to deposit their eggs therein ; whereas reptiles avoid the water for that purpose. Even such thoroughly aquatic reptiles as turtles will swim hundreds of miles to deposit their eggs on the land. And then, the young of all amphi- bians live and swim in the water, and are pos- sessed of special swimming and breathing organs for the purpose, except in those easily explained exceptions (such as the European salamander) in which the larval stages are accelerated to avoid such a necessity. The gathering together of frogs and toads in the ponds and marshes in the early summer, and their gratified calls to each other (" croaking," the uninitiated call such noises), is heard all over the world. It is as common in Australia as in England — even commoner. The wide geographical distri- bution of these creatures is a proof of their high geological antiquity. When my young friends first went out to seek the spawn of these much-despised but tho-_ roughly harmless creatures, they half shared the usual dislike universally manifested for them. Whereas it is a pleasure to find and to handle birds' eggs, it is with much overcoming of pre- 1 84 I'HE PLAYTIME NATURALIST. judice only that people can be brought to handle the eggs of toads and frogs. Nevertheless, the examination and observation of the latter objects are even more interesting than birds' eggs. In the latter, the opaque egg-shell hides all observa- tion of the marvellous transformations which take place whilst the germ-spot of the yolk is converted into a bright, feathered, attractive bird. In amphi- Fig. 244. — Frog-spawn in situ. bian eggs, with low microscopic magnification, you witness every stage in the wonderful series of changes, until the larvae, or '* tadpoles," are hatched out. Even then the half-transparent tail and gills enable you plainly to see the circulation of blood. The young collectors w^ere not long before they could distinguish between the spawn of toads and TOADS, FROGS, NEWTS, AND REPTILES. 1 85 frogs. That of the former is in long strings, Hke so many necklaces ; that of the latter, in dense irregular masses. The newts take more trouble, and wrap each individual ^^'g in the leaf of a submerged aquatic plant, such as the leaves of the star- wort {Callitriche vernd), for instance. Fig. 245. — Single eggs of newt wrapped in leaves, showing development. The boys kept the frog-spawn in a shallow vessel, which they covered with glass, to exclude the dust. Into this vessel was placed a supply of small aquatic plants, so that when the tadpoles hatched out they would find a plentiful supply of infusoria on which to exist after absorbing and devouring the gelatinous masses of their eggs. There are no better scavengers, removers of decay- 1 86 THE PLAYTIME NATURALIST. ing material, in the world than tadpoles. This glass vessel was placed in a window having a north-east aspect The spring was late this year, so the observations on the spawn were carried on right into April. The eggs, as a rule, do not Fig. 246. — Small ova of frog. Fig. 247. — Cleavage or segmen- tation of eggs (sixth day). change much until the fifth day, although their integuments thicken and get rather tough. Then a segmentation is observable, which becomes opaque and more distinct every day. On the ninth day a striking change takes place, and the tadpole Fig. 248. — Ditto, another stage. Fig. 249. — Ditto, advanced stage. is roughed out, so to speak. On the fourteenth day the embryo has the power of self-movement, and you see it bringing its head and tail together with a jerk. On the fifteenth and sixteenth days the juvenile tadpoles escape from the eggs, but TOADS, FROGS, NEWTS, AND REPTILES 1 87 they have a good deal of wriggling to do before they clear themselves of their albuminous in- vestment. Afterwards they set to work and devour it ! JB Fig. 2t;o. -A, Segmentation of egg, fourteenth day ; b, ditto, enlarged. The length of the young frog-tadpole, when it escapes from the Qgg, is not quite half an inch. The gills grow very rapidly, and it is a pretty sight to behold the blood slowly but regularly circulating through them. The best way of observing them is to rig up a zoophyte - trough by taking two strips of glass, and fastening on Fig. 251. — Development of tad- pole seventeen days after lay- ing the egg. one (a) an india-rubber ring (d), deep enough to hold sufficient water in which to put the tadpole, or 1 88 THE PLAYTIME NATURALIST. any other similar aquatic object you want to observe in the Hving state. Then place a strip of glass over the top of the improvised cell, and fasten the two strips together by means of the ordinary thin india-rubber bands (b, b) used for paper rolls. Two small wooden wedges (c, c) keep Fig. 252. — Tadpoles sixteen days after laying the egg (natural size and enlarged). the glass strips so well gripped that the cell will be quite water-tight. It is very interesting to observe the changes in the tadpoles. As the warm summer months develop them, you see them changing, not only their shape, but their habits as well. They Fig. 253. — Improvised live-box. frequently come to the surface of the water to breathe ; they swim less with their tails, and use their developing limbs for that purpose instead. In the tadpoles of toads you see the action of the fore limbs confined beneath the translucent TOADS, FROGS, NEWTS, AND REPTILES. 1 89 skin, moving synchronously with the after-Hmbs. Toad-tadpoles behave very similarly to those of Fig. 254. — First frog-stage (magnified). Fig. 255.— Second frog-stage (magnified). the frog. At the end of the long series of changes IQO THE PLAYTIME NATURALIST. the tadpole rather suddenly assumes the adult shape. The tail and gills are absorbed, and the body shrinks, as it were, into the shape of a frog or toad, as the case may be. About 115 to 120 days from the deposition of the spawn are required to attain the adult and natural form. Fig. 256. — The common toad. Newts, as everybody knows, never let go their tails, although they lose their gills ; some retain the latter for a year or two after leaving the larval state. The mature newt, therefore, represents the tadpole state of a frog or toad, and the latter may be regarded as an advance on the former. Those really beautiful objects, the crested newts TOADS, FROGS, NEWTS, AND REPTILES 191 {Triton cristatus), common in every pond, were procured, male and female. Everybody was de- lighted with what some of them had before de- spised, when they saw the brightly coloured males moving about in the large bell-glass so gracefully — their dorsal crests waving like a shirt-frill, and their brilliant eyes looking so intelligently at the spectators. I wonder what the newts thought of the laughing and joking band of young philo- sophers on the other side of the glass ! The smooth newt {Lissotriton punctatus) is Fig. 257. — Female of smooth newt. another of our British amphibians. It is most interesting to watch the female depositing her eggs. She does not leave them in strings and masses, like the toads and frogs, but wraps each ovum up separately in the living leaf of an aquatic plant (see Fig. 245), as if it were the most valuable little parcel in the whole world, which it doubtless is to the careful and anxious mother. These eggs require from fourteen to sixteen days to hatch. The dainty little tadpoles which emerge are much more 192 THE PLAYTIME NATURALIST. transparent-looking than those of frogs and toads. Indeed, they are so very transparent at first that you have to look keenly to see them ; so I suppose their transparency must be more or less protective. Their fore feet develop within four or five days of hatching, and then the creatures are about half an inch long. The boys had what they called "some rattling Fig. 258. — Male of smooth newt. good fun " at home one day. There is no fun a boy likes more than teasing, and especially in teasing those he loves most ; and whom he would defend and fight for, tooth and nail, if any other fellow dared to tease them. Now, the great art of teasing is to frighten your sisters and cousins with something you are not fric^htened at — at least, not now. You must not tell them that once you shuddered as much when you touched a frog or a toad as they do now — that would spoil the fun, and lower your TOADS, FROGS, AEWTS, AND REPTILES. 1 93 own dignity. Nor must you in any way let them know that even now you regard snakes and vipers with the same fear and trembHng that your sisters do frogs and toads. All this "teasing," however, is very human; and I fully believe sisters and cousins like it, although they call the inflictors " horrid old things." Life would be a very dull affair if it were not for a little breeze, just as the atmosphere would get stagnant were it not for storms. Even love-birds get up sham quarrels in lieu of real ones. You see, they are like all the rest of us — are " obliged to keep up appearances." The lads had taken a couple of specimens of the natterjack toad {Biifo calamita) — a much rarer species than the common toad, and usually re- stricted to swampy districts not far from the sea. A yellowish-brown sort of toad, remarkable for the yellow line running down the middle of its back, and the black bands on its legs. It runs about almost like a mouse, and has quite a different style to that of its commoner relative. Well, the lads let out a couple of these natter- jacks in the room, and you can imagine the commotion they created. If they had crawled like ordinary toads, that would have been bad 194 THE PLAYTIME NATURALIST enough ; but to see them running was what no toad had ever done before. So there were shrieks, and jumping on chairs, and cries of " Horrid things ! " until the mischief-makers captured their prey in a corner, which they were easily able to Fig. 259.— Natterjack toad {Btifo calamitd), do, being led there by the disagreeable smell of the creatures. There was a fine patch of heath-land not far from the house — just the very place to look for slow-worms, lizards, and vipers. And hard by was a damper tract, where ordinary snakes were known to frequent. Thither the young adven- turers marched, with bottles to contain their prey, and some benzine and spirits of wine. There was TOADS, FROGS, NEWTS, AND REPTILES. 1 95 Fig. 260. — Group of British lizards. -i:';"t h Tx'g. 277.— Hydra (magnified), showing prominences. a, b. Eruptions. 214 THE PLAYTIME NATURALIST. existence for itself. Even then your observations are not over. You behold the number of tentacles increasing ; you even witness the strange and almost magical manner in which the hydra — a \ i Fig. 278. — Hydra attacking a water-flea. creature of lower organization — benumbs and secures such complexer and nimbler creatures as water-fleas (Fig. 278). The secret of this benumb- SMALL FRY. 215 ing power is shown in Fig. 279, where the arrow- headed stings, or " urticating threads," are seen. These stinging threads are Hke those possessed by near relatives of the hydras, the stinging marine jelly-fishes. 5^ K^ ^>/ ^ Fig. 279. — Arrow-headed stings of hydra, a, Expanded ; b^ at rest (highly magnified). oo a Fig. 280. — Young hydra a few days after leavin g the ova. Hydrae also reproduce their kind by means of eggs, which, when fertilized by spermatozoa, sink to the bottom of the pond. There they hatch, and 2l6 THE PLAYTIME NATURALIST. the first appearance of a young hydra hatched from the egg- is shown in Fig. 280. It was usual during their dredging excursions to put the " best finds " in special bottles. The lads always took care, if there was anything attached to a leaf or stem, to snip the latter off without disturbing the creature, and drop it into the collecting-bottle. It was in this way they found that exceedingly lovely and not uncommon object, the fresh-water polyzoon Plumatella. This colony of relatively highly organized animals bear the same relation to the sea-mats (Flustra, Mem- branipora, etc.), of our seaside that the hydra does to the sea-firs (Sertularia). Their name of polyzoa, or " many-creatured," is in allusion to their habit of living together in colonies. The Plumatella is not the only group of its kind. There are also the equally lovely genera, Fredericella, Cristatella, Paludicella, etc. All of them possess nervous structures and an elaborate and specialized mouth-apparatus for creating currents in the water — producing microscopical whirlpools, in short — the centre of which leads into the mouth, and sweeps all the living prey directly into it. Fig. 281 shows a group of several of these associated animals, some with the SMALL FRY. 217 highly elaborated tentacles thrust forth, others as they appear when withdrawn into the body- Fig. 281. — Fresh-water polyzoan {Lophopus cryslalUna), magnified. 2l8 THE PLAYTIME NATURALIST. mass all have in common. The latter is so trans- parent that you can behold the entire physiological structure and economical arrangement of the colony. When half a score of these creatures have put out their crescent-shaped " lophophores," the sight is like that of some fairy flower-garden. Fig. 282.— The tunic of dead polyp filled with statoblasts, or winter eggs. These fresh-water Polyzoa have three methods of reproduction — by eggs, buds, and statoblasts. The latter are ''winter eggs," and they are usually secreted within the body of the polypes. The polypes die, and for a time act as a shelter for these winter eggs. The heat of the returning spring decomposes the body, sets the winter eggs SMALL FRY. 219 free, and by-and-by hatches them. Each polyzoan colony, therefore, begins with a single individual hatched from the ^g^. Fig. 283.— Statoblasts, or winter eggs, of Plumatella developing. How my young friends worked during those summer holidays ! Only it was not called work. It is calling any ^^g^ ^Z^^Cristatdia occupation by that name, and mw cedo (natural size). 220 THE PLAYTIME NATURALIST. making people work at it a fixed number of hours a day, which disgusts them. Call any real hard work sport, or recreation, or anything of that sort, SMALL FRY. 221 and all of us are ready to stick to it till we nearly drop — that is, if we like it. So, although I am trying to lump each lot of their " finds " separately, just for order's sake, and to act generally as a recording scribe and scientific secretary for my young friends, I find it difficult not to get things a little mixed. For, when the lads were getting Polyzoa, they were also netting Fig. 286. — Paludicella siiUana (natural size). water-worms, larvse of aquatic insects, and vast numbers of those singular creatures known as the " wheel animalcules," or Rotifers. The latter were everywhere, voracious and active, roaming about like microscopic lions seeking what they could devour. All of them are nearly quite transparent, but some just faintly tinted with pink, or opal blue, or white. As busy as bees, or rather ants, every- where. Most of them swam so rapidly that they 222 THE PLAYTIME NATURALIST. came and went before you got the note of admira- tion out of your mouth ! Then an individual would Fig. 287. — Pahidicella sultana enlarged, showing polypes. iiMALL FRY. 223 Fig. 288.— Group of Plumatella (enlarged). 224 THE PLAYTIME NATURALIST. boldly crawl or slowly swim right up to the inner surface of the glass trough, as if it were looking through one end of the microscope at you, whilst you were gazing through the other end at it. Fig. 289. — Melicerta ringens (magnified). You could plainly see the " whorls " round the mouth seeming to rotate like so many cogged wheels. This rotation is only apparent, not real. It is caused by each of the hairs or cilia bend- ing or moving rapidly in succession. Why, our SMALL FRY. 225 own eyelids would appear to rotate if each of the eyelashes of the opened eyelids, upper and lower, behaved in the same way. But many kinds of rotifers were observed to be Fig. 290. — Stephanoceros just emerged. Fig. 291. — First formation of tube. stationary. They were fixed to weeds, or bits of fine withered stems, or something of that kind. Not a few of them had a sort of sheath into which they could retreat when danger threatened ; and Fig. 292. — Resting period. Fig. 293. — Appearance later on. at least one kind, and that one of the very loveliest, made a tube of round pellets out of its own rejected food-materials ! I allude to Melicerta ringens. 226 THE PLAYTIME NATURALIST Stephanoceros eichornii is one of the commonest of these sessile and tubed wheel-animalcules. Recently its history has been written and published in Science-Gossip by Mr. W. H. Harris, from the Q^g% stage to that of the tubed or enthroned and Fig. 294. — Stephanoceros eichornii after fifty-six hours' hatching. Fig. 295. — Later development. dignified adult. I ^\v^ illustrations of these several stages of development from the ^^^. At first, the young Stephanoceros is a free swimmer, from which it appears the sessile state is an advance a Fig. 296. —Suspected male. Scale = 1000 inch a. Pear-shaped cavity. on the locomotive or free-swimming state. From the time when a young StepJidnoceros eichornii animalcule is born, until the time when it acquires SMALL FRY. 227 the dignity and importance of parenthood itself, ranges from five to nine days, evidently varying Fig. 297. —Stephanoceros eichornii (magnified) II 228 THE PLAYTIME NATURALIST. I V, RUHPIS Fig. 298. — Floscularia cormtta (magnified). SMALL FRY. 229 with the heat — an average of six and one-third days. You will see by the picture that possibly only the female rotifers are sessile. The males are free ; perhaps they prefer it ! But, at any rate. Fig. 300. — Euchlanis (animal retracted). Fig. 299. — Rotifer vulgaris (magni- fied). Fig. 301. — Amiro'a Icp- todon (magnified). their wives can upbraid them when they come home with the fact that they belong to a lower stage of rotifer-life, and not a higher. Perhaps this pleases both sexes. The males remain content 230 THE PLAYTIME NATURALIST. to wander fancy free, and the females to enjoy their superior position. Who knows ? Fig. 302. — Cohirus uncinaftis (magnified), a, Dorsal view; b, side view, animal swimming ; c, side view, cilia retracted ; d, ventral view of lorica. Fig. 304. — Young of SynchcBta longipes. Fig. IPZ.—SynchcEta longipes (magnified). SMALL I' •• .*^ "^^A /;••'•. •'.'•;; ;•'• V'l' ■'•';'• \,;';« i • •, »';'*'• ':' '. ?.■•■' .•"■•;.■ o-lv/' :;•.',• O.V: , '^yu:?.-M-. '.*• * * • * *V n» * .•■'■. Vc. ''.■■.•' ■V'.- .•■•• :' o ■:'•'•'' ,- e> X Fig. 312. — Amoeba with compound pseudopodia. had never heard of before, which he probably would hear of before he was as old again — that is, if he kept his ears open. The amoeba seemed to be the chief favourite. Willie repeated the speculations he had heard when his father had one or two savans to supper — INVISIBLE LIFE. 241 how probable it was that the amoeba really repre- sents the first animals that came into this world. Fig- 313. — Jelly animalcules {Ophyridium versatile). I, Group in gelatinous envelope ; 2, 3, 4, separate individuals in dificrent conditions ; 5, 6, head magnified ; 7, young animalcule produced by gemmation ; 9, swimming animalcule. How the Foraminifera, which had formed lime- 242 THE PLAYTIME NATURALIST. Stone and chalk strata thousands of feet in thick- ness, were in reality only amoebse with limey skins ; how the white corpuscles in the blood of man and other animals could hardly be distinguished from them ; and how many of the fungi (Myxomycetes) began life practically as amoebae ; — indeed, how this lowly organized stage of structure was so common in the animal and vegetable kingdoms, that the word " amoeboid " had been coined and was in constant use, to express the fact. Fig. 314. — Actinophrys sol. These amoebae were everywhere, said the books they referred to. But it was a long time before they found one; afterwards they found any quantity. Jack and Will were dreadfully anxious to discover these abounding amoebae, and could not find one — which, of course, made them all the more eager in hunting. Still, they failed to find an amoeba. The fact was, they didn't know what to look for. So they INVISIBLE LIFE. 243 wrote to their old (or rather young) professor, as they always did when they came to a sudden stop. He replied that the amoebae looked more like minute irregular splashes of transparent water, spilled on the outside of the glass trough, than anything else. They were merely specks of trans- parent, living jelly — almost exactly like the raw Fig. 316. — Kerona polypornm. I^ig- 315- — Ac/moph rys acideata. white of e^^ ; only they could move about as they liked, and a speck of white of ^gg could not. The best plan for catching amoebae, he said, was to lower a zoophyte-trough down into the aquarium at night Then haul it up next morning; they would find plenty of amoebae in it. The boys did so, and were delighted in " spotting " their first amoebae. After that they found them everywhere — " all over the shop," Jack said. They watched them slowly moving towards a decom- 244 THE PLAYTIME NATURALIST. posing bit of animal or vegetable matter ; then pouring themselves over it as if they were merely animated gum, until the dainty morsel was inside the amoeba — which is where food ought to be. So, if these singular animals have neither mouths nor stomachs to introduce their food into, they manage ^^g- Z^l' — Various stages in the development oi Eiiglena viridis. to put themselves outside their food — and I believe that is the chief end of animal life. Then there were the Infusoria to be caught and watched. They soon learned that the discoloration of any pond-water, or even of lake and sea -water INVISIBLE LIFE. 245 was due to them. They cause the summer phos- phorescence of the sea, and the remarkable green, brown, and reddish tints seen in most natural waters at times. They found the water of one pool quite brown, and a microscopical examination proved that it was entirely due to swarms of a special kind of infusorian known as Peridinium. Another pond possessed a vivid green-coloured water, and this they soon proved was owing to the countless numbers of Eiiglena viridis in it — a pretty green infusorian, with a brilliant red "eye-spot" (Fig. 317). Further, they speedily discovered that the In- fusoria, like the Rotifera, could be separated into " free-swimming " and " sessile," and that the earliest life-stages of the latter resembled the former. They found out the exquisitely shaped " Greek vases" of the Vaginicola, more transparent than any glass, into' which the dainty microscopical marvels withdrew themselves at will. They dis- covered the still more beautiful clusters and colonies of Vorticellae, like bunches of lilies, and watched their sensitive stalks twist and untwist like living corkscrews. They knew now what those strange tufts were on the heads of the 246 THE PLAYTIME NATURALIST. water-fleas (Daphnia), and that they were stalked infusorians allied to the Vorticellse, called Epistylis. M^iWc Fig. 318. — Vorticella ncbidifera, showing development of individual stages A to F (e and f free). INVISIBLE LIFE. 247 They even made out the different stages of develop- ment of many of these lowly organized objects ^'ig* 319- — ^Various stages in development of Epistylis, semi-parasitic on water-fleas. — their larval, resting, and adult conditions — in many cases differing so much from one another 248 THE PLAYTIME NATURALIST that they have been figured and described as distinct species, and as altogether different creatures. What a host of things of this kind there are ! Sluggish Actinophrys, or " sun - animalcules " (difficult to be distinguished from the resting stages of other infusoria), clusters and crowds of Fig. 320. — Ovarium of fresh-water sponge. ^, Growth of spiculae; /, sarcode festoons on ditto ; g, mouth ; //, incurrent pores. certain kinds which seem to be born, or rather to be reared, together — microscopical ''baby-farming;" fresh-water sponges {^Spoiigilla fluviatilis), dredged up from the bed of the river, clinging to and covering up dead twigs with their greenish gela- tinous matter. The ovaries, or egg-bearing chambers, of the latter were found ; also the re- INVISIBLE LIFE. 249 markably beautiful spicules which encase them. The young of these fresh-water sponges were Fig. 321. — Rotate or wheel-shaped spiculas. b support the outer membrane ; r, inner ditto. obtained and reared, and a good deal of the life- history of this interesting and instructive animal, or rather colony of animals, was made out in the course of obser- vation and investiga- tion. Don't suppose for one moment that all these discoveries were made by my young friends without ex- ternal help. On the contrary, they had plenty ' of assistance ; as every young naturalist will find Fig. 322. — Actmophrys eicJiornii. 250 THE PLAYTIME NATURALIST. he can get, if he is only in earnest. For there is a brotherhood among naturalists like that among artists, but without anything of its jealousy. The boys got letters from Willie's dad, from the professor, from the editor of Science-Gossip (to whom they consigned loads of specimens), and others. It was awfully jolly while it lasted. CHAPTER XII. MICROSCOPIC PLANTS '3 The longest of summer holidays comes to an end. Ours were now over, and the boys had returned to school. Willie left a week before Jack, to spend the rest of his time at home. You may depend upon it, there was much comparison of captures and notes, and much examination of specimens. The science-classes at the school had never been so popular before. The Natural History Society resumed its meetings, and fresh papers were read, some of them dealing with the captures of the hoHday-time. Among others was an important paper on those singular and beautiful microscopical plants, the Desmids and Diatoms. As the autumn was not too far advanced, the afternoon holiday rambles were in force, and plenty of new " finds " made. They could hardly wander a yard into the country without finding something they had never seen or 12 252 THE PLAYTIME NATURALIST. known before— perhaps the dense brownish-black fungus covering the under surfaces of the thistle- Fig. 323. — Meadow-sweet brand. Fig. 324. — Star-spored brand. MICROSCOPIC PLANTS. 253 leaves in the pastures ; or that other equally common but different kind which attacks the leaves of the mallow, and drills them full of round holes. There were also the pretty fungus, or " brand," of the meadow-sweet ; the star-shaped fungus found on dead twigs (Asterosporium) ; the Fig. 325. — Bramble-leaf brand. exquisitely pretty bramble-leaf brand ; the maple- blight, etc. Among other objects which could not fail to attract their attention were the numerous glossy black spots on the leaves of the sycamore. These were formerly believed to have been caused by drops of water acting as lenses for the sun's 254 THE PLAYTIME NATURALIST. heat, and, by focussing the heat, burning and blistering the leaves. But the professor showed that this fanciful notion was altogether wrong, and that the black spots were due to a peculiar fungus called Melasmia, whose structure and character Fig. 326. — Maple blight. could be made out by cutting a section of sycamore- leaf across one of the black spots. Even more funny as an explanation than the above is the assumed origin of the gelatinous masses found on the gravel walks in our gardens on September mornings {Nostoc commune). They MICOSCOPIC PLAVrS. 255 Fig. 327. — Sycamore-leaf with black spots oi Meiasmia agerina. Fig. 328. — Section through leaf, showing position of the fungus, r. 256 THE PLAYTIME NATURALIST. have actually been set down as " shooting-stars " whicn had fallen to the earth during the night ! A microscopical examination, however, shows their Fig. 329. — Witches' butter {Nostoc communi). neck-beadlike arrangement of cells, and establishes their fungoid structure. Some of the boys had taken up with the larger O O I 8 o o % 9 o Fig. 330. — Spores and cells of ditto (magnified). funguses, and were collecting them and getting them named. They got Mr. English's book, which told them how to preserve these objects — hitherto MICROSCOPIC PLANTS. 257 SO exceedingly difficult to preserve — so as to keep their shapes and colours, and altogether form pretty ornaments, when under glass shades, for rooms. A large number of specimens were got, which I cannot stay to describe ; nor is it necessary, for the professor had in his study those two mounted c\ r\ fM Fig. 3-^1. — Candle-snnfF fungus [Xvlaria hypoxylon). and coloured sheets of " Edible " and " Poisonous " fungi by Mr. Worthinf:;-ton G. Smith, which show all common kinds at a glance. One kind, however, interested them much — the "candle-snuff" fungus {Xylaria hypoxylon). Plenty of it was found in 258 THE PLAYTIME NATURALIST. the damp hedge- backings, and its microscopical structure afforded a pleasant evening's intellectual pastime. But the main objects of the rambles in Sep- tember were to collect desmids before the season had advanced too far. It was determined to collect the diatoms as well, for both occur in the same tarns and ponds, only yon can collect the latter at any time of the year, and this is hardly possible with the desmids in the winter months. As the party walked on their way, the professor explained the structure of the collecting- bottle he carried with him. It was merely a wide-mouthed, one-ounce bottle, provided with a turn-back rim. Around the latter was a strong india-rubber band. He showed them he had only to double the elastic round the end of his walking-stick, and he was able to push it anywhere along the margin of the pond. He had several others, all provided with close-fitting corks, for specially keeping good things in until he could further examine them. For collecting diatoms he was provided with a Fig. 332. — Collecting- bottle. MICROSCOPIC PLANTS. 259 more elaborate apparatus, but the cleanliness and freedom from impurities with which diatoms could be collected by it, he said, made it the best thing of its kind out ; and everybody could make one now that Mr. Redmayne had shown them how. This diatom collecting-bottle is constructed as follows : — A cork must be provided which fits tightly to the collecting-bottle ; this is to be bored with two holes. In each is fitted a glass tube, as seen in the diagram, one {a) having a slight curve, the other {U) bent at right angles an inch from the end ; this can easily be done with the aid of a spirit- lamp. To tube b is attached a piece of elastic tubing, about the length of the collecting-stick, and the free end {c) may be held to the stick with an elastic band, and the apparatus is complete. It is especially useful in collecting the very thin films of diatoms from the surfaces of mud and sand, so difficult to raise to the surface of the water in the ordinary way with the spoon or bottle. To use the apparatus, the thumb of the right hand must press the tube firmly against the stick at c, and the bottle be lowered until the mouth of the tube {a) is within a quarter of an inch from the surface of the diatoms ; the thumb is then 26o THE PLAYTIME NATURALIST. raised, and if the water is deep the bottle fills by atmospheric pressure, carrying the diatoms in at the same time. In shallow water, suction will be necessary to exhaust the air in the bottle ; in Fig. 333. — Diatom collecting-bottle. that case, a ball pipette (b) will be useful as a mouthpiece. The gathering can be further cleaned by placing it in a glass bottle in the sun for a few hours. Cover the lower part of the bottle with black paper ; the free diatoms will then separate them- selves from the mud, and rest on the surface. MICROSCOPIC PLANTS. 26 1 To collect desmids, it would be best perhaps to use the first-mentioned collecting-bottle. Our boys easily learned to detect the appearance of the vivid green desmids from the olive-brown appearance of the diatoms. Further, the desmids love the surface of the water where the sun can get to them ; whilst most of the diatoms prefer the shady bottoms. Desmids were quickly found — the common species in abundance. What pretty little plants they are, as green as spring grass, and possessing a transparent greenness you will not find in any other kind of vegetation ! They prefer clean, sweet water. A mountain tarn is a place they love best. I have seen forty distinct species collected from one such spot in North Wales, and you may guess the smallness of these plants when I tell you that all were mounted within the ordinary half-inch circle of a slide. My " show " pictures indicate the mag- nifications of each kind, and will also give an idea of their minuteness. Each desmid possesses a transparent case, usually free ; but also not unfrequently attached. This case contains the green colouring matter, exactly as the cell of a green leaf does. Desmids, therefore, represent single free cells. Their mode 262 THE PLAYTIME NATURALIST, of propagation is by fission — that is, each desmid splits into two, the two originate four, four eight and so on. If these " cells " cohered together, the result would be a leaf or some other vegetable structure ; but as each is " free," no coherence of that kind takes place, and therefore no " growth " — or increase in bulk. You can hardly pick the wrong place for desmids, in spite of their preference for clean water — ponds, ditches, rivulets, even the miniature tarns made by footprints of cattle in marshy places ; anywhere except salt water (for they are purely fresh-water plants, whereas diatoms live in the sea, and in brackish water, as well as under the same fresh-water conditions as the desmids). One might almost declare the desmids are the food-stock of all fresh-water animalculae. They furnish an abundant foraging and hunting ground to myriads of infusoria, rotiferae, aquatic worms, larvae, etc. Among the commonest, but not the least beauti- ful forms are Closterium, Euastrum, Cosmarium, and Micrasterias. There are about forty British species of Closterium alone. If the end of the frond be highly magnified, the green granules are seen circulating at the end. In this genus there MICROSCOPIC PLANTS. 263 is a double and perhaps a treble method of repro- duction — by self-division (fission), conjugation, etc. yn "M ."3>S i V V Fig. 335. — Closterium Leibleinii. ^^g- 334- — Closterium striolatum (magnified). In every frond oi Closterium you observe a central clear space dividing it into two segments. 264 THE PLAYTIME NATURALIST. Here a gradual separation takes place, occupying some hours before it is completed. The separated halves then each commence to grow independently, till ultimately a copy of the parent form is assumed. This is an outline of self-division. Conjugation is a different process. Two individuals approach each other and come into contact. They inter- mingle their green contents, and a curious globular body is formed, called a sporangium, which is believed in due time to produce a multitude of in- dividual spores, which ultimate- ^ ly grow into Closteria. The operation of forming a sporan- Fig 336. -End of frond -^ jg g^-j ^^ ^^ -^a 01 Llostenjim lumila ^ j r ■> (highly magnified). ^^ly occupying a few minutes. A writer in Science-Gossip for 1866 says, "The other evening I saw the end of a bright green Closterium seized by a large animalcule, Notom- mata myrmeleo, and subjected to the action of the teeth. Soon I found that the particles of chlorophyll were leaving the desmid and passing down the gullet of the animalcule, evidently by suction, and I watched them with great interest — first, because I never before saw a rotifer taking a MICROSCOPIC PLANTS. 265 salad in so civilized a manner (they generally take their vegetable diet into their crops by a rapid jerk, particularly when it is small enough to go down whole) ; and, secondly, because apertures at the ends of the fronds are not generally believed in. When the animalcule had finished its supper— that is to say, when every part of nutriment was gone — it cast the empty frond among others that were strewed about, and I could not detect the slightest rupture in the delicate transparent case, which a few minutes be- fore was so full of green contents. There may have been one, nevertheless." " It is astonishing how long you can keep these desmids," said the professor. " I've kept them for six months even in closed bottles, in the sun- light, or daylight at least ; and it is equally astonishing how rapidly they increase." One of the " sweetest " of these microscopical gems is Micrasterias rotata — a flat, almost oval- shaped object, with a delicate transparent frill surrounding the disk of bright green. Some of the desmids affect a social life, such Fig. 337. — Micrasterias rotata. 266 THE PLAYTIME NATURALIST as Hyalotheca — rightly named so, for the packed green desmids look as if they were enveloped in f5)-\ o \ -t- . _-■ n- f. » * , ll ■- - ^ '- J 5 4 J -^tt^ i^ Fig- 3Z^- — Euastrum oblongum (front view, x 250). ^'^Z' 339- — Euastrum oblongum (side view). Fig. 340. — Cosmarium niargaritiferiwi. i* V * tyt ^f Fig. 341. — Ditto (empty frond, X 250). a sheath of glass. Then, through such freshwater confervas as Ulothrix — to be gathered everywhere MICROSCOPIC PLANTS. 267 — and the exquisitely lovely Volvox globator (a perfect vegetable marvel, cell within cell, like Mr. Boy's electrical soap-bubbles), Spirogyra, and other Fig. 342. — Euastrum oblongiim. Fig. 343. — Euastrum f7iargaritiferu77i. Fig- 344. — Euastrum didalta. -vr-^ ^ Fig. 345. — Staurastrum dejectum. ■^ Fig. 346. — Staurastrum alternatis. fresh-water algae, we ascend to those complexer vegetable forms which are complexer because the cells they produce cohere together, cause increase 268 THE PLAYTIME NATURALIST of bulk, division of labour, specialization of function, and all that constitutes higher organization. In the Ulothrix my young friends soon learned to see that the cells were in reality social desmids, and that some of these were allowed to go forth Fig. 347. — Staurastrum spongium. Fig. 348. — Staurastrum gracile. free at certain times, and return to the habits of their ancestors, for reasons which were of benefit to the colony — viz. reproduction. In Spirogyra (almost like Hyalotheca) there is Fig. 349. — Hyalotheca dissiliens. a very pretty arrangement of green chlorophyll, but in bands of spiral filaments, all enclosed in a similar transparent sheath. The cells of some of the bands bud forth, and manage to form a junc- tion, and to interchange their cell-contents. When MICROSCOPIC PLANTS. 269 this is complete, the combined contents of the two cells become an oval spore, from which a new plant a.. a^.. a- a ^3 <\ f I I / \ A Fig. 350- — Ulothrix. a. Young filament; g, ciliated zoospores j k, one day's growth ; /, two days' ditto. 270 THE PLAYTIME NATURALIST. Fig. 351. — Spirogyra in different stages of growth and reproduction (magnified). MICROSCOPIC PLANTS. 271 will subsequently spring. The transparent wall allows of the movements of certain brown bodies to be visible (probably zoospores). The contents of Fig. '7^K^2.— Volvox globator. L T «,p ^^'^ -*» Nl ^ '«)«,-^T?* '^'-4 Fig. 353- — Phyllactidm7n pulchellum. the cells are also seen to change into green zoo- spores, which escape from the ruptured cell. A singular and very pretty vegetable form, known 2/2 THE PLAYTIME NA7URAL1ST. as PJiyllactidiiimptilchelliim, is often found associated with Voivox in the same pond. In short, it seems to do duty in winter for the absence of Voivox which is then in the resting stage. It is a discoid water-weed, which only requires to be carefully looked for to find it much more abundantly than has been the case. Voivox globator is sometimes Fig* 354- — Voivox stellatum. found enclosing another species called Voivox stellahim (Fig. 354). The latter is beljeved to be a form of ''alternation of generation," not un- common among the lower groups o'i life. The Diatomacese have long been special favour- ites with people who possessed good microscopes. And no w^onder. It is a strange sight to see minute, canoe-shaped objects like Navicula (real " little ships," as the word means), and Stauroneis MICROSCOPIC PLANTS. 273 moving slowly, sometimes jerkily, amid the micro- scopic jungle to be seen in any gathering. First they move this way, then that ; and to this very day the actual secret of their power of locomotion has not been satisfactorily made out. This ghostly method of locomotion caused the diatoms to be. formerly included among Animalculse. You can hardly go to the wrong place for them, if it is only very damp. Squeeze a handful of moss out of a ^1, Fig. 355. — Liparogyra dentreteres. a. Arcuate frond ; b, straight filament ; c, valve. hedge-bank, and the drop of water will be almost certain to contain species of diatoms. The same with the Sphagnum, or bog-moss of our mountains, or even the damp walls of caves, etc. Our ardent band of collectors heard the above remarks (or some of them) as they walked to and from their happy hunting-grounds. It whiled away the time, and made the journeys seem comparatively short, although many miles had been done. After- 2/4 THE PLAYTIME NATURALIST. wards they had found several curious diatoms, such as Liparogyra dentata, OrtJwsira Dickzi, Nitsschia vivax, Pijimdaria borealis, etc., by merely washing the specimens of bog-moss out. Not only in their ability to live in salt and brackish water (as well as in fresh) do the diatoms Fig. 356. — Orthosira Dressceri. differ from the desmids, but still more importantly in their structure ; nevertheless, the diatoms are only single-celled plants like their confreres. But they possess a siliceous frustule — that is, a skin of natural glass, which remains behind long after the Fig. 357. — Nitzschia vivax. organic matter of the plants is dead. Indeed, it is these accumulated, indestructible frustules or valves which help very largely to form the accu- mulating black muds of our tidal rivers and estuaries, as well as that along the bottoms of lakes and ponds. The finest '* diatomaceous MICROSCOPIC PLANTS. 275 earth " {kieselgnJir), when saturated with nitro- glycerine, becomes the explosive dynamite. When the desmids die there is an end to them ; they leave no trace behind. Not so with the diatoms ; their glassy frustules are nearly inde- structible. You have only to get a thimbleful of black mud, and place it in a wine-glass ; then add a strong solution of sulphuric acid. A very strong smell will be criven off, and much effer- fe ^ ^ vescence visible. That is a sign the WmiuuAi^ acid is removing the organic matter. Fig. 358.— /'?'«- nidaria borealis. Then the mud ought to be washed, and the settlings filtered ; then treated with nitric acid, washed again, and so on, until only a little grey powder remains behind. That grey powder will be found to consist chiefly of the flinty shells of diatoms Many years ago, M. Deby, the distinguished Belgian microscopist, published a very minute account of how a diatom was constructed, how it managed to secrete its glassy shell, how it split itself so as to form two living individual diatoms where there had previously been only one. " You will find the entire paper in Science Gossip for 1878," said the professor, "translated by Mr. Fred Kitton, who is the best authority on the subject in the world." 13 276 THE PLAYTIME NATURALIST. How beautifully striated, dotted, ornamented are these microscopical glass cases, intended, somehow, for the use and service of the very lowest orders of plants ! For years they have been crucial tests of the best lenses, and many a long and windy article, and many a keen discussion too, has taken Fig. 359. — Section of a diatom commencing deduplication. A, Nucleus and nucleolus ; B, protoplasm ; cc, endochrome ; FF, valves (highly magnified). place as to whether the "lines" on certain diatoms were rows of dots or continuous ridges. Even scientific people quarrelled over their differences as political people now do on Home Rule ! It will be a long time before the world gets rid of, sloughs off, its inheritance of folly. Three or four years ago Mr. F. H. Lang drew attention to the exquisitely lovely markings on one diatom, known as Stictodiscus Califoriiicus (Fig. MICROSCOPIC PLANTS. 277 360), found in a deposit in the country to which the specific name alhides. But many of our com- mon and easily found British species are quite as beautifully adorned. Every ornamental pattern is the " Broad-arrow of the Great King, stamped on ail the stores of his arsenal." One can hardly wonder that our distant fore- Fig. 360. — Stictodiscus Californicus. fathers associated exquisite loveliness with minute objects. The diminutive fairies were always beau- tiful, whilst the giants were always ugly — at least, in the story-books. The grace of God ornaments the invisible flinty valve of a diatom or the limey shell of a foraminifer, as it does the possession of a meek and quiet spirit ! 2/8 THE PLAYTIME NATURALIST. Just now there is somewhat of a " rush " against teleology — the matter-of-fact, hard, cut-and-dried (and very presumptive) theology of our grand- fathers. Let us not condemn them, although the f^? ?«^ W Fig. 361. — Pmnularia major. Fig. 362. — Statironeis Ph ceiiicenteron . dreadfully conservative spirit of theology has a tendency to glorify that which science condemns. Our forefathers did their best, as honest men, to understand God and His ways. If they did not succeed to our mind, probably they did in spirit. He must be worshipped in spirit and in truth. MICROSCOPIC PLANTS. 279 They endeavoured to worship Him so, according to their lights. Now that science comes to the help of a reverent man's heart, let him not scorn the \ Fig. 363. — Navicula didyma. Fig. 364. — Phurasigtna formosum. day of smaller and feebler and even more bitter things. The older teleology is gone, practically dead, and 280 THE PLAYTIME NATURALIST almost buried. It was too presumptive. It failed because the child wanted to lay down the rules of government, and dictate to its Wise Father, and teach Him how to rule His own world, although it knew nothing of the infinite battalions of suns and planets. Science doesn't know everything, even now. Indeed, the fear is lest modern academic science should usurp the theological chair, and prove doubly dogmatic. There are men who would dethrone St. Paul, and put up St. Darwin in the vacant seat. Neither St. Darwin nor St. Paul would assent to the change. The truest teleology is that of trying to "seek out God, if haply we may find Him ! " — in His works. His Word, His people. Who dares say where God is not to be found, when we see He does not think it beneath Him to ornament the frustule of a diatom the five-hundredth part of an inch in length so beautifully that, when the modern "children of Israel" behold it through the microscope for the first time, they immediately think how capitally the ornamentation might be applied to a new kind of jewellery ! Of course, all my young readers know now that I have been employing Jack and Willie and the MICROSCOPIC PLANTS. 28 1 professor, and the rest of the lot, as conscientious candidates do their *' friends " at a parliamentary election — for what use they can make of them. I've now done with Jack and Willie and the pro- fessor, and even Jack's sister and cousins ; they were only my wax-works ! But possibly my young readers may have learned something more than they knew before, because of my batch of hypothetical friends. If so, what do they want more ? If they have eyes, pocket-lenses, microscopes, the same stock of common objects are available to them. Codidwh only to the multitude who regard them not ; un- common to those who see in every living object, animal or vegetable, macroscopic or microscopic, additional evidences of the Fatherhood of a com- mon God ! Verily, the life we live and lead here becomes then only the ante-chamber of the life to come. Its lessons and illustrations are so many side-lights of the lessons we shall learn there. If there has been an unbroken continuity on our planet in geological times from animalcule to man, from the Archaean period up to now, where is the bold sceptic who will declare that the stream of that vital tide shall henceforth be arrested ? Who will deny the possibility, at least, of its flowing 282 THE PLAYTIME NATURALIST. to a higher level yet through the golden gates beyond ? — or who will deny that the total sum of the life of the world, terrestrial and celestial, may be but the wonderful development of a Divine idea, as continuous in its unbroken evolution as that of a bird from the q^^ ? INDEX. Amoeba, 242 Antennae, 52 Aphides, 105 Arrenurus integrator, 177 sinuator, 1 74 tricuspidator, 177 • truncatellus, 177 Asilus crabroniformis, 95 Asterosporium, 253 B Bee, leaf-cutter, 89 Birds- Blackcap, 42 Blue tit, 28 Chaffinch, 29 Cuckoo, 20 Dipper, 39 Goat-sucker, 43 Jay, 22 Kingfisher, 24 Lapwing, 30 Long-tailed tit, 26 Reed-bunting, 35 Sand-martin, 32 Sedge-warbler, 34 Whinchat, 30 Yellow-hammer, 29 Birds' eggs, 46 , arrangement of, 48 , preparing, for cabinet, 46 Blackcap, 42 Bluebottles' eggs, 56 Blue tit, 28 Bombylius, 93 Bramble, brand of, 253 Brands of meadow-sweet, bramble, etc., 253 Brown lizard, 199 Bucentes geniculatus, 95 Bulimus acutus, 130 obscurus, 129 Butterflies, 51, 52 , eggs of, 56 , killing, 81 , preparing, for cabinet, 81 ■ , scales of, 55 , white cabbage, 65 Caterpillar of small eggar moth, 6S puss moth, 70 sphinx moth, 69 white cabbage butterfly, 65 Caterpillars, 67 , miner, 62 Chaffinch, 29 it' 'psno-J3irM I II 'jspids S£ *J9jqjrA\-3Sp3S S£ 'Supunq-paaa gz 'ip pajiBi-liuoi W 'jaqsySup^ JO 1S3M £ 'jno 'Xjapog Aioism ]i3jnit;]vi £6l 'prOl >[Ot3fj3nB^ N S6 'B93B]S3} BdoXjY £1 'joj SuiJBSns ' SS 'jO S3IBDS ' l§ 'puiqBO JOj 'SuTJ-Bdajd puB 2uqii>[ 'sq;oj\; 2Z 'SS9{gutA\ ' 69 'xuiqds ' oZ 'jo jB^idja^BO 'ssnd '• fS '>iA\Bq paiq-Suiuiuinq '• £g ';t3oS ' zoz '\po fS 'Siii.v\-.n33p 'q^ojY J^Zl-091 '9q] SuouiB 'S35ij,\; 29 'SJt![Ildjt3}-B0 .19U1J\; Zii 'S6 '£6 '^Z 'zS 'sjniBu ut Xaoiuiij^ Six 'pairei-ji-eq '9p3di[iij\r zgs-iSr 's:iuBid oido3so.ioij\[ Zl 'BJ3;dopid9'T-Oi3IJ\[ Sgz 'B^'BIOJ SBUS1SBJDIJ\[ tSz '■BIUlSBpjAJ n z£ *jJOA\-3snoq 92 'jo ;S3U ' 92 *}ii ps|i-B;-§uoq §61 'spjBZiq 661 'puBS ' 661 'uMoaq uouiuioD 'pjBziq jj'^i 'pasiAoaduii 'xoq aAi"^ ot'i 'Baijuuin 96 'snonpuqXo asjSBSoidsq zg-oS 'Bjajdopidsq o£ 'SuiAvdBq Oti 'tsi 's[pqs-puBT; ^Z 'J3qsg§ui;x 3: 3S '^Bf 9^1 %L *J0 sjBjiqBq 'spasuj ^£z 'Buosnjui ZOZ 'qSnoJi-aiXqdooz §gi 'xoq-3Ai{ pasiAoaduii oZl 'sepqBqojSXjj Uvi 'Si'I 'snsDid snpqdoapXfj Sl3 'jo sSuqs ' SI3 'sipi.UA BjpXH oZi 'SBpiuqoBjpXjj 992; 'BDSmopXll JSl 'AirnqB^H t'S 'q^oui >[AVBq pjiq-guiaiuinjj £6 *JO BA.IB[ ' §6 'ZS 'JO sSSa ' 66 'jo sqBS.Oqo ' Z61 'Xy-asnoH 901 'Avap^3uo_H S82 'XSGNI £zi-£2 'sa^qui-Bj X^pipH 6£i 'sjiBaouiau o£i 'c^Baadco xtpj^ £Sl 'SUU0AV-JIT3J^ Si I *3p3dl{(IUI p3[IB]-atTJ^ 931 H Z 1 1 *u9a j2 1B9 j§ * jaddoqssvjf) £-\7 'j9>jons £9 'qjOUl }T30Q 9S1 *Jo sSSa * SSl 'UOtUUIOO 'I'BUQ Soi *saiaoA\-MO|Q 98 'spasui 11^9 Sgi 'uM'eds-Bojj; gi^S 'jo S9UBAO ' 2i'Z 'aSuods • 912 'uoozX^od i3iBM-qs3J j; g£ 's3qsn.i 2uij3mo[jJ ££z '3pi3SO[jJ ge ,/33ni-3p-an3jj ,, 61-11 'sa[Bos OZI *sqjotu qsijj S^z 'sipiJiA ^u9|Sn3 ' gfz *sqX;sid3 oSi 'jo L'AiB[ 'B.iaiuaqdg; t03 'SUBDBJJSOUIOUg f^fl 'suBauq ^j;-But3>i jo IS 'q;oui JO sSSg §6 'IS 'Xy-3snoq jo ZS 'Xyiannq jo 9? 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