Various

“ Warm heaths and banks exposed to the sun are the places which they frequent. The common snake, on the other hand, loves water, or may be found in a hay-field or near an old barn or on a dung-heap. The snake lays eggs and leaves them to be hatched by the heat of the dung or the rays of the sun, taking no care whatever for her progeny. The viper, on the contrary, brings forth her young alive and tends them carefully, even allowing them, according to fairly well-accredited narratives, to retreat in case of danger into her mouth and gullet. ”

“ The true Deer have antlers (in the male) , which they shed every year. The males, and sometimes the females, have canine teeth in the upper jaw. The antlers are dermal bones, that is, are formed in the skin, and do not grow from the skull. They have two rudimentary digits above the hoofs.
The whole of this group, which we may call the Camel and Deer family, are almost wholly defenceless, the Giraffe the most so of all, and, excepting those which are useful in domestication, are threatened with extinction. ”

“ Note especially that the tusk of the upper jaw grows upward from the first. No part of it is directed into the mouth. This tusk is of extraordinary size, and it curves upwards so as to touch, and sometimes even to pierce, the skull. They are, as compared with those of other swine, slender tusks, more especially the under ones. The upper tusk grows through the skin of the upper lip. In old animals, when it is well curved, it must be useless as a weapon. It may serve to protect the eyes when the animal rushes through brushwood. In the female the tusks are small. ”

“ A wholesale dealer gives us the following items as to the consumption of eggs in London: When eggs are 16 for a shilling the sale amongst the working classes is enormous. When they are 12 a shilling it falls at once 40 per cent., and when only 8 it drops very low. The bulk of London eggs are imported; Italy supplies many, France many, and some even come from Turkey. They will travel from Trebizond and be perfectly fresh when they arrive in London. We are assured that most of the new-laid eggs consumed in Haslemere come from Italy, and this at all periods of the year. ”

“ Another instructive instance of parasitism stimulating growth may be observed at this season in any patch of the common field thistle. Some of the plants are almost sure to be affected by a parasitic fungus. It is present in the stole of the plant, and its influence will cause the affected plants to put forth leaves earlier than the healthy ones. They will also grow faster, and in the course of a month be twice the height of their fellows. The fungus grows in the stem, and finally it will flower out on the surface of the leaves. ”

“ A very important and attractive department of the temporary museum will be the display of Pictures, Maps and Portraits. These, like those just mentioned, may be hired, if they cannot be begged or borrowed. A diligent ladies’ sub-committee, well supplied with bundles of old unbound copies of The Illustrated London News, Graphic, Vanity Fair and Punch would soon construct an attractive portrait gallery, as well as sundry most interesting series in illustration of social history, scenery, geography and natural science. ”

“ Declining, as we do, in reference to almost the whole, the task of detailed analysis of features, we cannot, in the interests of physiognomical research, exempt those behind which lay the most profound intellect ever possessed by a woman. ”

“ Browning is second, perhaps, to none in depth of human sympathy and beauty of poetic expression; but if we estimate character by profundity of insight, we shall probably accord to George Eliot amongst women much the same position as that which Shakespeare holds amongst men. ”

“ Every spring you may see on the heads of this plant beautiful flowers produced, which are destined in the course of another week to be only flowerless foot-stalks. The flowers break off at a pre-existing joint, just as leaves are shed. The influence which causes them to fall is inability to attract sap, in consequence of inability to proceed to the further stage of producing fruit. The young tubers underground make such overpowering demands upon the sap-furnishing capabilities of the roots that the flowers cannot obtain sufficient for their seed forming. ”

“ It is probably the most intelligent of European species, forming the grassy hillocks from 9 to 18 inches high, so commonly seen in some districts. The queen, which is much larger than either workers or males, requires very careful searching for upon opening a nest; but the peculiar little white woodlice (which delights in the long name of Platyarthous hoffmanseggii, they are a sort of guest of the ants) may be always easily discerned.
Every spring we take out of the Museum and arrange in this department a series of our summer migrants, accompanied with general notes on bird migration. ”

“ The animal darts open-mouthed at its enemy rather than bites. Its fang being in its upper jaw it becomes well exposed when the mouth is agape. As there is a fang on each side there will usually be two punctures in the skin about a third of an inch apart.
No doubt there occur every year in England a good many instances of viper-bites in men and boys. There are, however, exceedingly few deaths, and many persons of considerable experience have doubted whether the bite is ever actually fatal. A very urgent and severe illness is almost invariably the result ”

“ There can, however, be but little doubt that the brain of woman weighs less than that of man, and that this difference is greatest in highly civilised races. The brains of the broad-headed are, as a rule, somewhat heavier than those of the long-headed. ”

“ The incisor teeth are of less service in the pig than in most animals, and are only exceptionally used for biting or grazing. The pig makes great use of the snout, and the nasal bones are strong and prominent. The molar teeth are well adapted for chewing, and are usually worn flat on their surfaces. Pigs champ but do not ruminate. They are, for the most part, root-eaters. The rim of the orbit is always imperfect. ”

“ For the most part they are susceptible of death, and have their fixed duration of life quite independently of the plant which bears them. In many this independent death is the cause of their being cast off. In some instances, however, it is not death, nor even sickness, but the fulness of life and the attainment of adult age which causes them to leave the parental home. I hold in my hand an oak twig with two empty acorn cups. ”

“ The Common Snake is always, when full grown, much longer than the Viper. It may measure 4 feet and is usually 3, whilst the Viper is never more than 2. The Common Snake tapers off very gradually at its tail, whilst the Viper has a short tail, which is abruptly constricted at its base. The Viper is usually brown, often deeply coloured, whilst the Snake is much lighter coloured, of a light grey-brown tinged with green. The Common Snake has only spots of black, whilst the Viper is marked down the whole of its back with large zig-zag black lozenges. ”

“ For instance, a model of Stonehenge stands in the century in which it seems probable that that most remarkable structure was built, and portions of Roman pavement and other relics mark the period of the Italian occupation of Britain. Upon the wall itself are placed engravings, photographs, and the like, illustrative of the century, and representing either human personality or some results of human effort. In order to aid the memory each century is designated by the name of some prominent person of the time, to whom other associations may conveniently cling. ”

“ Ammonites, elephants’ teeth, mammalian skulls, butterflies, wasps’ nests, flint implements, and Missionaries’ curios will be brought in great abundance. All these, properly arranged, with descriptive labels, may be made most interesting and instructive. A certain number of glass-covered display-cases, with locks, will now be required in order that fragile or valuable specimens, and especially those on loan, may be properly taken care of. Such cases may be made inexpensively, and our Haslemere Museum will be glad to supply patterns, or even, if wished, to loan the cases themselves. ”

“ Diseased plants are shorter in height and thinner in the stem than healthy; they always die within the year. This disease has hitherto been observed only at King’s Lynn in Norfolk, but it is very possible it occurs in other parts of the country. Dr. Plowright remarks that the only treatment is burning the diseased plant. It is useless to separate the apparently healthy shoots.
The well-known chrysanthemum rust first appeared in 1897, and spread with great rapidity in the very dry summer of 1898. The snuff-coloured uredo spores (summer form) are familiar to all cultivators of chrysanthemums. ”

“ Some plants shed their flowers and do this deliberately, having made their arrangements for a step which is apparently suicidal. In reality it is not suicidal, nor is it one of limitation of population, but simply of preferential employment of capital. ”

“ These plants appear to have the power not only of spreading themselves, but of excluding intruders, and their territories sometimes show no other form of vegetation. The common daisy is also a social flower, but much less able to keep others at a distance. ”

“ The Gnu’s horns are alike in both species and may be known at a glance by their hook-like curves. They pass outwards and downwards and then suddenly curve upwards and forwards. They resemble those of buffaloes and perhaps most closely those of the American bison. They are never very large, and always black. They are of fibrous structure and of large girth at their bases, emulating those of the buffaloes. The Gnu in some of its features resembles a little horse, possessing a mane and having its face, tail, and hindquarters much like those of a pony. ”

“ Dormant Life.—The conditions under which vital activity may become dormant obtained a curious illustration in the instance of a beetle which was taken alive out of the wood of a desk which had been in the office of the London Guildhall for twenty years. ”

“ The reptile does not attack willingly, but only after much provocation, and he cannot, as a rule, destroy the life of his human enemy. His poison fangs are designed for other purposes, and for much smaller animals. ”

“ This is seen in measurements of the skull and in the weight of the brain. In the brains of negroes the woman is but little below that of the man, 984 to 1,000, but in the English it is only 860, and Germans 838. These figures indicate, of course, proportions only, and like all other calculations in this difficult subject, must be received with caution; but they probably indicate, if they do not precisely express, the fact.
The height of the skull is usually in inverse ratio to its breadth. The variation in height is far less than is common in breadth. ”

“ There are men who make a livelihood during the winter by collecting these snails from their hybernating places. In November, 1896, the writer met a “wall-fish” collector in a remote village in Somerset, and had an interesting conversation with him. He was collecting for a Bristol dealer, his home being in Kent, where he worked as a carpenter in summer and autumn. For many winters past he had regularly visited Somerset to collect snails. According to his experience these snails seldom hybernate in banks facing east or north, but usually seek winter quarters in those facing south-west. ”

“ It is impossible to judge of the nose. A second is of some years older, and is much better executed. The forehead is still there, and the nose is shown of good [38] size and shapely, and the lips and chin are well formed. The face is a shorter one than in the next, and the hair is of a much lighter tint. The face is pleasing and attractive, not much unlike, if we remember rightly, one which represented Jenny Lind. ”

“ There are some observations which support the conclusion that the brain attains its greatest weight before 30 years of age, and then undergoes diminution. At the age of 80 this diminution is supposed to reach 10 per cent. ”

“ Ivy does not in any degree derive nourishment from the trees on which it grows. It is obvious that it cannot get any from walls. It may be plausibly disputed whether it does any injury to the trees to which it clings, for it is often seen on very large ones. ”

“ The sclerotium, which first appears as a white mould on the stem just above the ground, forms black lumps within the stem. The stem becomes very brittle and falls. From the black nodules in the following spring, small funnel-shaped brownish fungi with long, weak, dark stems appear. The spores from these settle upon dead organic matter, forming an abundant mycelium which ultimately attacks the base of the stems of chrysanthemums. It is said that fresh stable manure favours the spread of the disease. Diseased stems should be carefully collected and burnt. ”

“ In the first place a small local committee of those interested in the scheme should be formed, and a small sum of money guaranteed. The next step should be to borrow a set of school premises, or hire for a couple of months an empty house. If only a small cottage were obtainable it should have a back garden in which a large wooden shed could be put up. The essentials are plenty of room, plenty of light, and good protection from weather. ”

“ The incisor teeth in the upper jaw are often wanting, and sometimes those in the lower also. The snout is short and square. The so-called warts are fleshy skin-growths and may be large enough to look like ears. ”