Part 22

Mr. Robertson has communicated to "Jameson's Journal," No. 101, the results of his opportunities of studying the Pholas, during six months, to discover how this mollusc makes its hole or crypt in the chalk: by a chemical solvent? by absorption? by ciliary currents? or by rotatory motions? Between twenty and thirty of these creatures were at work in lumps of chalk, in sea-water, in a finger-glass, and open for three months; and by watching their operations. Mr. Robertson became convinced that the Pholas makes its hole by grating the chalk with its rasp-like valves, licking it up when pulverized with its foot, forcing it up through its principal orbrambial syphon, and squirting it out in oblong nodules. The crypt protects the Pholas from _confervæ_, which, when they get at it, grow not merely outside, but even with the lips of the valves, preventing the action of the syphons. In the foot there is a gelatinous spring or style, which, even when taken out, has great elasticity, and which seems the mainspring of the motions of the Pholas.

Upon this Dr. James Stark, of Edinburgh, writes:

--"Mr. Robertson, of Brighton, claims the merit of teaching that Pholades perforate rocks by 'the rasping of their valves and the squirting of their syphons.' His observations only appear to reach back to 1851. But the late Mr. John Stark, of Edinburgh, author of the 'Elements of Natural History,' read a paper before the Royal Society of Edinburgh, in 1826, which was printed in the Society's 'Transactions' of that year, in which he demonstrated that the Pholades perforate the shale rocks in which they occur on this coast, by means of the rasping of their valves, and not by acids or other secretions. From also finding that their shells scratched limestone without injury to the fine rasping rugosities, he inferred that it was by the same agency they perforated the hard limestone rocks."

To this Mr. Robertson replies, that Mr. Osler also, in 1826, demonstrated that the Pholades "perforate the shale rocks by means of the rasping of their valves; and more, for he actually witnessed a rotatory movement. But Réaumur and Poli had done as much as this in the eighteenth and Sibbald in the seventeenth century: and yet I found the solvent hypothesis in the ascendant among naturalists in 1835, when I first interested myself in the controversy. What I did in 1851 was, I exhibited Pholades at work perforating rocks, and explained how they did it. What I have done is, I have made future controversy impossible, by exhibiting the animals at work, and by discovering the anatomy and the physiology of the perforating instruments. In the words of M. Flourens, 'I made the animals work before my eyes,' and I 'made known their mechanism.' The discovery of the function of the hyaline stylet is not merely a new discovery, it is the discovery of a kind of instrument as yet unique in physiology."

Mr. Harper having termed the boring organ of the Pholas the "hyaline stylet," found it to have puzzled some of the disputants, whereupon Mr. Harper writes:--"Its use up to the present time has been a mystery, but the general opinion of authors seems to be, that it is the gizzard of the Pholas. This I very much doubt, for it is my belief that the presence of such an important muscle is solely for the purpose of aiding the animal's boring operations. Being situated in the centre of the foot, we can readily conceive the great increase of strength thus conveyed to the latter member, which is made to act as a powerful fulcrum, by the exercise of which the animal rotates--and at the same time presses its shell against and rasps the surface of the rock. The question being asked, 'How can the stylet be procured to satisfy curiosity?' I answer, by adopting the following extremely simple plan. Having disentombed a specimen, with the point of a sharp instrument cut a slit in the base of its foot, and the object of your search will be distinctly visible in the shape of, if I may so term it, an opal cylinder. Sometimes I have seen the point of this organ spring out beyond the incision, made as above described."

Lastly, Mr. Harper presented the Editor of the "Athenæum" with a piece of bored rock, of which he has several specimens. He adds, "On examination, you will perceive that the larger Pholas must have bored through its smaller and weaker neighbour (how suggestive!), the shell of the latter, most fortunately, remaining in its own cavity."

Now, Mr. Robertson claimed for his observation of this phenomenon novelty and originality; but Mr. Harper stoutly maintained it to be "as common to the eye of the practised geologist as rain or sunshine." The details are curious; though some impatient, and not very grateful reader, may imagine himself in the condition of the shell of the smaller Pholas, and will be, as he deserves to remain, in the minority.[29]

It may be interesting to sum up a few of the opinions of the mode by which these boring operations are performed. Professor Forbes states the mode by which Molluscs bore into wood and other materials is as follows:--"Some of the Gauterspods have tongues covered with silica to enable them to bore, and it was probably by some process of this kind that all the Molluscs bored."

Mr. Peach never observed the species of Pholas to turn round in their holes, as stated by some observers, although he had watched them with great attention. Mr. Charlesworth refers to the fact that, in one species of shell, not only does the hole in the rock which the animal occupies increase in size, but also the hole through which it projects its syphons.

Professor John Phillips, alluding to the theories which have been given of the mode in which Molluscs bore into the rocks in which they live, believes that an exclusively mechanical theory will not account for the phenomenon; and he is inclined to adopt the view of Dr. T. Williams--that the boring of the Pholades can only be explained on the principle which involves a chemical as well as a mechanical agency.

Mr. E. Ray Lankester notices that the boring of Annelids seems quite unknown; and he mentions two cases, one by a worm called Leucadore, the other by a Sabella. Leucadore is very abundant on some shores, where boulders and pebbles may be found worm-eaten and riddled by them. Only stones composed of carbonate of lime are bored by them. On coasts where such stones are rare, they are selected, and others are left. The worms are _quite soft_, and armed only with horny bristles. _How, then, do they bore?_ Mr. Lankester maintains that it is by carbonic acid and other acid excretions of their bodies, _aided_ by the mechanical action of their bristles. The selection of a material soluble in these acids is most noticeable, since the softest chalk and the hardest limestone are bored with the same facility. This can only be by chemical action. If, then, we have a case of chemical boring in these worms, is it not probable that many Molluscs are similarly assisted in their excavations?

FOOTNOTES:

[27] How Brunel took his construction of the Thames Tunnel from observing the bore of the _Teredo navalis_ in the keel of a ship, in 1814, is well known.

[28] "Athenæum," No. 1640.

[29] See also "Life in the Sea," in "Strange Stories of the Animal World," by the author of the present volume. Second Edition. 1868.

INDEX.

ANCIENT Zoological Gardens, 12

Animals, Rare, of London Zoological Society, 16, 17, 18

Annelids, boring, 348

Annelids and Molluscs, Boring Habits of, 348

Ant-Bear in captivity, 76

Ant-Bear, the Great, 72

Ant-Bear at Madrid, 72

Ant-Bear described, 77

Ant-Bear, Domestic, in Paraguay, 75

Ant-Bear, Economy of, 76

Ant-Bear and its Food, 74

Ant-Bears, Fossil, 80, 81

Ant-Bear, Muscular Force of, 79

Ant-Bear, Wallace's Account of, 73

Ant-Bear, Zoological Society's, 76, 82, 84

Ant-Eater, Porcupine, 84

Ant-Bear, Professor Owen on, 80

Ant-Eaters, scarcity of, 80

Ant-Eater, Tamandua, 82

Ant-Eaters, Von Saek's Account of, 83

Aristotle's History of Animals, 279, 280

BARNACLE GEESE, finding of the, 334

Barnacle Goose, Gerarde on, 332

Barnacle Goose, Giraldus Cambrensis on, 332

Barnacle Goose, Max Müller on, 331

Barnacle Goose, name of, 332

Barnacle Goose, Sir E. Tennent on, 334

Barnacle Goose, Sir Kenelm Digby on, 334

Barnacle Goose, Sir R. Moray on, 331

Barnacle Goose, Stories of the, 331-335

Barnacles breeding upon old ships, 333

Barnacle Geese in the Thames, 331

Bat, altivolans, by Gilbert White, 100

Bat, American, by Lesson, 91

Bat, Aristotle on, 85

Bat, Mr. Bell on, 86

Bats, Curiosities of, 85

Bat, described by Calmet, 87

Bat, Flight and Wing of, 96

Bats, in England, 100

Bat, Heber, Stedman, and Waterton on, 91

Bats in Jamaica, 100

Bat, Kalong, of Java, 98

Bat, Long-Eared, by Sowerby, 92, 93-96

Bat, Nycteris, 97

Bat, Rere-mouse and Flitter-mouse, 86

Bat Skeleton, Sir C. Bell on, 87

Bat in Scripture, 85

Bat, Vampire, from Sumatra, 88

Bat, Vampire, Lines on, by Byron, 89

Bat, vulgar errors respecting, 97

Bat-Fowling or Bat-Folding, 92

Berlin Zoological Gardens and Museum, 16

Bible Natural History, 11

Birds, Addison on their Nests and Music, 156, 157

Bird, Australian Bower, Nest of, 167

Bird, Baya, Indian, Nest of, 164

Birds and Animals, Beauty in, 150

Birds, Brain of, 154

Birds, Characteristics of, 145

Birds, Colour of, 148

Bird Confinement, Dr. Livingstone on, 169

Birds' Eggs, large, 162

Birds' Eggs, Colours of, 158

Birds' Eggs and Nests, 158

Birds, European, list of, 161

Birds, Flight of, 146, 147

Birds, Insectivorous, 151; Instinct, Intelligence, and Reason, 217

Bird-Life, 145

Bird-Murder, wanton, 152

Birds' Nesting, 159

Birds' Nests--Cape Swallows, 168

Birds' Nests--Brush Turkey, 171

Birds' Nests, large, 164

Birds' Eggs--Ostrich and Epyornis, 162, 163

Birds' Nests--Tailor Birds, 165-167

Birds, Rapid Flight of, 147

Birds, Signal of Danger among, 155

Birds, Song of, 149

Birds, Mr. Wolley's Collections, 159, 160

Bookworms, Leaves about, 336

Bookworms and Death-watch, 337

Boring Marine Animals, and Human Engineers, 341

CHAMELEON of the Ancients, 306

Chameleon's antipathy to black, 322

Chameleons, Mrs. Belzoni's, 316-320

Chameleons, Birth of, in England, 321

Chameleon changing Colour, 311, 316

Chameleon, Cuvier on, 309

Chameleon, described by Calmet, 307

Chameleon Family, 307

Chameleon, Air-food of, 309

Chameleon, Milne Edwards on its Change of Colour, 314-316

Chameleons, Native Countries of, 316

Chameleon of the Poets, 308

Chameleons, Reproduction of, 309

Chameleon, Tongue and Eyes of, 310, 311

Chinese Zoological Gardens, 12

Cicada, Song of the, 329

Cormorant's Bone, curious, 204

Cormorants, Chase of, 203

Cormorant Fishery in China, 202

Cormorant, Habits of the, 201

Cormorant trained for Fishing, 201

Curiosities of Zoology, 11

ECCENTRICITIES of Penguins, 188: Darwin, Mr., his account of Falkland Islands Penguin, 192; Dassent Island Penguins, 188; Death-watch and Bookworm, 337, 338; Falkland Islands Penguins, 189; King Penguins, 191; Patagonian Penguins, 189; Penguin, the name, 194; Webster, Mr., his Account of Penguins, 193

Epicure's Ortolan, the, 172

Epicurism Extravagant, 177

Evelyn and St. James's Physique Garden, 15

FISH in British Colombia, 280: Candle-fish, 282; Octopus, 283; Salmon Army, 281; Spoonbill Sturgeon, 285; Sturgeons, and Sturgeon Fishing, 284-287

Fish-Talk, 250: Affection of Fishes, 256; Bohemian Wels Fish, 270; Bonita and Flying Fish, 263; Californian Fish, 268; Carp at Fontainebleau, 254; Cat-fish, curious Account of, 257; Double Fish, 272; Fish changing Colour, 251; Fish Noise, 252; Gold Fish, 274; Grampus, gambols of, 262; Great General of the South Sea, 272; Grouper, the, 272; Hassar, the, 256; Hearing of Fishes, 253; Herring Puzzle, 278; Jaculator Fish of Java, 264; Jamaica, Curious Fish at, 266; Little Fishes the Food of Larger, 259; Marine Observatory, 276; Mecho of the Danube, 270; Migration of Fishes, 260; Miller's Thumb, 276; Numbers, vast, of Fishes, 258; Pike, Wonderful, 269; Pilot Fish, 267; Sharks, 267; Singing Fish,252; Square-browed Malthe, 274; Strange Fishes, 251; Sun-fish, 271; Swimming of Fishes, 250; Sword-fish, 266; Warrior Fish, 266

Frog and Toad Concerts, 327

HEDGEHOG, the, 102

Hedgehog devouring Snakes, 104

Hedgehog, Food of, 103

Hedgehogs, Gilbert White on, 107

Hedgehog and Poisons, 105

Hedgehogs, Sir T. Browne on, 102

Hedgehog Sucking Cows, 104

Hedgehog and Viper, Fight between, 106, 107

Hedgehog, Voracity of, 103

Hippopotamus, Ancient History of, 119

Hippopotamus, described by Aristotle and Herodotus, 121

Hippopotamus, Economy of the, 115

Hippopotamus, the, in England, 108

Hippopotami, Fossil, 122

Hippopotami on the Niger, 117

Hippopotamus, Professor Owen's Description of, 111-115

Hippopotamus and River Horse, 116

Hippopotamus in Scripture, 120

Hippopotamus, Utility of, 118

Hippopotamus from the White Nile, 109

Hippopotamus, Zoological Society's, in 1850, 108-111

LEAVES about Bookworms, 336

Lions in Algeria, and Jules Gerard, 143

Lion, African, 131

Lion, Bengal, 133

Lion described by Bennett, 123

Lion described by Buffon, 123-125

Lion described by Burchell, 125

Lion, disappearance of, 130

Lion and Hottentots, 132, 133-136

Lion-hunting Feats, 128

Lion, "King of the Forest," 126

Lion, Longevity of, 137

Lion, Maneless, 133-135

Lion, Niebuhr on, 131

Lion in the Nineveh Sculptures, 139, 140

Lions, the Drudhoe, 144

Lions, Popular Errors respecting, 123

Lion, Prickle or Claw in the Tail, 137-139

Lion, Roar of, 136

Lions in the Tower of London, 140

"Lion Tree" in the Mantatee Country, 127

Lion Stories of the Shows, 142

Lion-Talk, 123

Lioness and her Young, 135

MERMAID of 1822, 43-47

Mermaid in Berbice, 39

Mermaid in the Bosphorus, 47

Mermaid and Dugong, 41

Mermaids, Evidences of, 36

Mermaid at Exmouth, 40

Mermaid, Leyden's Ballad, 35

Mermaid and Manatee, 42

Mermaid at Milford Haven, 37

Mermaid, Japanese, 44

Mermaid, Scottish, 36, 38

Mermaids and Sirens, 33

Mermaid's Song, Haydn's, 34

Mermaids, Stories of, 33

Mermaid, Structure of, 43

Mermaids in Suffolk, 48

Mole, its Economy controverted, 62

Mole, the Ettrick Shepherd on, 71

Mole, Le Court on, 62, 65

Mole and Fairy Rings, 64

Mole and Farming, 70

Mole, Feeling of, 64

Mole at Home, 62

Mole, its Hunting-ground, 67

Moles, Loves of the, 68

Mole, structure of the, 63

Mole, St. Hilaire on, 69

Mole, Shrew, of North America, 70

Mole, Voracity of, 68

Montezuma's Zoological Gardens, 13

Musical Lizard, 303: Climbing Walls, 303, 304; Formosa Isle, 303; Gecko ennobled, 306

ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY, 15

Ortolan described, 172, 173

Ortolans, how fattened, 174

Ortolan, Mr. Gould on, 174, 175

Owls, 221: Abyssinian Owl, 230; Barn Owl, 226; Bischaco, or Coquimbo, 224; Boobook Owl, 228; Cats and Owls, 230; Fraser's Eagle Owl, from Fernando Po, 229; Food of Owls, 226; Javanese Owl, 228; Snowy Owl, 227; Tricks by Night, 224; Utility of, 225; Waterton on the Owl, 225

PELICANS and Cormorants, 195

Pelicans described by Gould, 195

Pelican in Japan, 197

Pelican Popular Error, 198, 199

Pelican Pouches, 198

Pelican Symbol, 200

"Pelican of the wilderness," 197

Pholas, Life and Labours of, 341

Pholades, Charlesworth and Peach on, 347

Pholades, Harper on, 346

Pholades, Robertson on, 343

RHINOCEROS in England, 22: African Rhinoceros in 1858, 27; Ancient History, 23; Bruce and Sparmann, 27; Burchell's shooting, 30; Horn of the Rhinoceros, 31, 32; Indian Wild Ass, 24; One-horned and Two-horned, 23-26; Scripture, Rhinoceros of, 23; Speehnan's Rhinoceros Shooting, 30; Tegetmeir describes the African Rhinoceros, 27; Tractability, 25; Varieties of Rhinoceros, 22; Zoological Society's Rhinoceros, 23, 29

SALE of Wild Animals, 20

Sentinel Birds, 183

Song of the Cicada, 329

Songs of Birds and Seasons of the Day, 219

St. James's Park Menagerie, 14

Stories of the Barnacle Goose, 331-335

Stories of Mermaids, 33

Surrey Zoological Gardens, 20

TALKING birds, 205: Bittern and Night Raven, 207; Blue Jay, 206; Canaries, Talking, 210-212; Chinese Starling, 205; Crowned Crane, 206; Cuckoo, 209; Laughing Goose, 209; Nightingale, 209; Piping Crow, 205; Snipe, Neighing, 213; Trochilos and Crocodile, 216; Umbrella Bird, 206; Whidaw Bird, 205; Wild Swan, 209; Woodpecker at Constantinople, 215

Talk about Toucans, 179: Bills of Toucans, 180; Carnivorous propensity, 184; Economy of, 182; Food of, 183; Gould, Mr., his Grand Monograph, 180, 186; Owen, Professor, on the Mandibles, 185; Swainson, Mr., on Toucans, 185 Toucan Family, 179, 180; White Ants' Nests, 183; Toucanet, Gould's, 184

Toad and Frog Concerts, 327-328

Toads, Running, Dr. Husenbeth's, 323-327

Tower of London Menagerie, 14

Tree-climbing Crab, the, 288: Bernhard, Hermit, and Soldier Crab, 291; Climbing Perch, 288; Crab, Burrowing, 290; Crab Migration in Jamaica, 292; Fishing-frogs, 288; Glass Crabs, 301; Pill-making Crabs, 301; Purse Crab feeding on Cocoa-nuts, 296; Robber Crab, 292; Screw-pines, Crab climbing, 298; Vaulted Crab of the Moluccas, 291

UNICORNS, ancient, 51

Unicorn and Antelope, 53

Unicorn in Central Africa, 58

Unicorn described by Ctesias, 49, 50

Unicorn, Cuvier on, 54

Unicorn, Is it Fabulous? 49

Unicorn, Klaproth on, 55

Unicorn in Kordofan, 53

Unicorn and its Horn, 53, 59

Unicorn, modern, 50

Unicorn, Ogilby on, 51

Unicorn, Rev. J. Campbell on, 57

Unicorn in the Royal Arms, 60

WEATHER-WISE ANIMALS, 231: Ants, Asses, 241; Darwin's Signs of Rain, 248; Frogs and Snails, 237-240; List of Animals, 241-247; Mole, 240; Mother Carey's Chickens and Goose, 234; Redbreast, 236; Seagulls, 232; Signs of Rain, 232; Stormy Petrels, 233; Shepherd of Banbury, 249; Toucans, 237; Weatherproof Birds' Nests, 247; Wild Geese and Ducks, 235

Wild Animals, Cost of, 19

Wild Beast Shows, 21

ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS, Origin of, 12

Zoological Society of London, 16

Zoology, Curiosities of, 11

C. A. Macintosh, Printer, Great New-street, London.

+----------------------------------------------------------------- + | Transcriber's Note: | | | | Obvious punctuation and spelling errors repaired. | | Word combinations that appeared with and without hyphens | | were changed to the predominant hyphenated form. | | Original spelling and its variations were not standardized. | | | | Corrections in the spelling of names were made when those | | could be verified. Otherwise the variations were left as they | | were. | | | | Page 18: "Parrot-houses, the, sometimes...." changed to | | "Parrot-houses: they sometimes contain...." | | | | Page 170 and others: Kolobeng and Kolenbeng. Both spellings were | | retained. | | | | Page 191 and others: Tussa, tussack and tussock. All spellings | | were retained. | | | | Page 276: Finisterre changed to Finistère. | | | | Page 333: cennexion changed to connexion "... in connexion with | | the river Lee...." | | | | Page 352: Screw-pines, Crab climbing, 295; pagination changed | | to 298. | | | | The name of Shakespeare appears with varying spellings. All | | variants were kept. | | | | Some index entries are not in alphabetical order. They were not | | corrected. | | | | Footnotes were moved to the ends of the chapters in which they | | belonged and numbered in one continuous sequence. The | | pagination in index entries which referred to these footnotes | | was not changed to match their new locations and is therefore | | incorrect. | +----------------------------------------------------------------- +