Part 55
Musca flava; on flowers
Musca solstitialis; on thistles
Tabanus bovinus, great horse fly
Tabanus pluvialis; in meadows
Culex pipiens, common gnat, see page 187 note, 623
Culex bifurcatus; in watery places
Culex pulicaris; in gardens in the spring
Conops calcitrans, differs from the common fly, in having a sharp hard proboscis, with which it strikes our legs in autumn
Conops macrocephala; in meadows
Asilus craboniformis, hornet fly; in wet meadows
Asilus forcipatus; in gardens
Asilus morio; in wet woods
Bombylius major, humble bee fly, sucks flowers without resting on them
Bombylius medius; hovers in the air like a hawk, and darts with great celerity
Bombylius minor; in Caen wood, near Hampstead
Hippobosca equina; fastens on dogs and cattle
Hippobosca hirundinis; in swallows’ nests
7. _Aptera._
Lepisma saccharina; in the joints of sash windows that are wet and seldom opened
Podura viridis; on plants in April
Podura plumbea; on trees, solitary
Podura villosa; on stones
Podura aquatica; numerous on the leaves of aquatic plants
Termes pulsatorium, the death-watch of Linnæus, p. 688, note
Pediculus humanus, common louse, see p. 619
Pediculus pubis, crab louse
Pediculus bovis, cattle
Pediculus vituli, ibid.
Pediculus corvi, raven
Pediculus gallinæ, capon
Pediculus columbæ, pidgeon
Pulex irritans; see page 616
Acarus reduvius, sheep louse or tick
Acarus ricinus, dog tick
Acarus passerinus; on many species of small birds
Acarus aquaticus; on stagnant water, swims quick
Acarus holosericeus, scarlet spider; on the ground and on plants
Acarus coleoptratorum, beetle-tick; hundreds are found on the belly of a beetle
Acarus longicornis; under stones, &c.
Phalangium opilio, long-legged spider
Phalangium cancroides, scorpion tick; on garden pots, sometimes in houses
Aranea cucurbitina; on fruit trees
Aranea labyrinthica; in fields
Aranea domestica, house spider
Aranea redimita; in gardens
Aranea senaculata, large; on walls, &c.
Aranea scenica, black; on old walls and windows; spins no web
Aranea aquatica, pale brown
Aranea viatica, resembles a crab, moves slow, &c.
Cancer pisum, pea, size of a pea; in mussels
Cancer minutus, minute, smaller than the preceding; among sea weeds
Cancer longicornis, long horned, size of the last
Cancer plati-cheles, great clawed, size of a horse bean
Cancer Bernardus, hermit; in the deserted shells of wilks, &c.
Cancer gammarus, lobster
Cancer homarus; on the coast of Ireland
Cancer astacus, cray-fish
Cancer serratus, prawn
Cancer squilla, white shrimp
Cancer crangon, shrimp
Cancer linearis, linear shrimp
Cancer atomos, atom shrimp
Cancer locusta, locust; frequently skipping in summer on the sea shore
Cancer mantis; Weymouth
Cancer pulex, water flea; in rivulets
Cancer salinus; in Lymington salt water
Monoculus apis; in fish ponds and ditches
Monoculus pulex, very minute; frequent and numerous in stagnant water
Monoculus quadricornis
Oniscus asilus, sea louse
Oniscus entomon, sea wood-louse; on the coasts
Oniscus aquaticus; in clear springs
Oniscus asellus, millepes or wood louse; in old walls, &c.
Oniscus armadillo; under stones
Julus terrestris, feet 200; under stones
Julus sabulosus, feet 240
VERMES.
1. _Intestina._
Gordius aquaticus, like a horse hair; in water and clay
Gordius lacustris; in the liver of the pike
Ascaris vermicularis; at the bottom of lakes, and in the intestines of children and horses
Ascaris lumbricoides; in the human intestines
Lumbricus terrestris, earth worm; in the ground and in the human intestines
Lumbricus marinus, sea worm
Fasciola hepatica, gourd worm; in ditches, rivulets, and in the liver of sheep
Fasciola intestinalis; in the intestines of fishes
Fasciola barbata; in the intestines of the sepia loligo
Sepunculus nudus; in the sea
Hirundo medicinalis, common leech; in shallow waters
Hirundo sanguisuga, horse leech; in fresh water
Hirundo geometra; in fresh water
Hirundo muricata, sea leech
2. _Mollusca._
Limax ater, black snail; in moist shady places
Limax rufus, red; at the foot of mountains
Limax maximus, large grey; in thick woods
Limax agrestis, small grey; on cabbages
Limax flavus, amber; on plants
Doris argo, sea lemon
Doris verrucosa; Aberdeen
Doris elutrina; Anglesea
Aphrodita acculeata, sea mouse; often found in the stomach of a cod
Aphrodita squamata; Anglesea
Aphrodita minuta; ibid.
Nereis noctiluca, scarce visible to the naked eye; shines by night in the sea, so as to make the water appear on fire
Nereis locustris; in clayey water
Ascidia rustica; Scarborough
Actinea sulcata; rocks of Cornwall and Anglesea
Holothuria pentactes; in the deep
Lernea cyprinacea; in fishponds, adhering to the sides of carp
Lernea salmonea; adheres to the gills of salmon
Lernea asellina; in the gills of cod, &c.
Sepia officinalis, ink or cuttlefish; in the sea
Sepia sepiola; off Flintshire
Medusa cruciata
Medusa aurita, sea nettle
Medusa capillata, sea lungs
Asterias rubens, five-fingered star fish
Asterias glacialis, common ditto
Asterias oculata, dotted ditto
Asterias minuta; Denbigh
Asterias hastata; Cornwall
Asterias nigra; ibid.
Echius esculentus, sea hedgehog; on the coast, near Scarborough
Echius spatagus, sea egg; on the Yorkshire coast
3. _Testacca_.
Chiton crinitus, hairy chiton; Aberdeen
Chiton marginatus; in the sea, at Scarborough
Chiton levis, lock broom; West Ross, North Britain
Lepas. Animal, triton
Lepas balanus; adhering to rocks and shells
Lepas balanoides, acorn fish; frequently adheres to oysters
Lepas tintinabulum; on bottoms of ships
Lepas anatifera, barnacle, see page 344
Pholas. Animal, ascidia
Pholas dactylus, piddock; in stones, shines by night
Pholas crispatus; frequent on the Yorkshire coast
Solen. Animal, ascidia
Solen siliqua; frequent on the shore near Scarborough
Solen vagina; Anglesea
Solen pellucidus; ibid.
Solen legumen; ibid.
Tellina. Animal, tethys
Tellina cornea, size of a pea; in pools of fresh water
Cardium Animal, tethys
Cardium echinatum; on the Yorkshire coast
Cardium edule, common cockle
Mactra. Animal, tethys
Mactra solida; on the Yorkshire coast
Mactra lutraria; sea, at the mouth of rivers
Donax. Animal, tethys
Donax trunculus; on the coast near Scarborough
Ostrea maxima, large scallop; on the Irish coast, and near Portland
Ostrea obliterata, small scallop
Ostrea edulis, common oyster
Anomia truncata; in limestones
Anomia crispa; in bluish limestone, in Craven, and other parts
Anomia squamula; on oysters, crabs, and lobsters
Anomia ephipium; adhering to oyster shells
Mytilus. Animal, ascidia
Mytilus rugosus; in lime-stone
Mytilus edulis, common muscle
Mytilus cygneus; in many lakes in the north
Buccinum. Animal, limax
Buccinum lapillus, larger English purple fish; on the shore
Buccinum minimum, less than a pea
Helix, snails. Animal, limax
Helix lapicida; in woods in Lincolnshire
Helix planorbis; in rivulets
Helix cornea; in still rivers and pools
Helix vivipera; ibid.
Helix putris; in rivers and pools
Serpula. Animal, terebella.
Serpula spirorbis; adheres to sea weeds on the coast
Sabella. Animal, nereis
Sabella alviolata, English tubular sand coral; on the Yarmouth coast, and on Peington strand, Devon
4. _Lithophyta._
Coral, calcareous, fixed, built by animals
Madrepora. Coral, with cavities, lamellosa-stellated. Animal, medusa
Madrepora musicalis; on the Irish coast
Millepora. Animal, hydra
Millepora fascialis, stony foliaceous coralline; adhering to an oyster shell, on the coast of the Isle of Wight
Cellepora, coral, submembranaceous, composed of round shells. Animal, hydra
Cellepora pumicosa, appears in the microscope like a pumice-stone; found on the sickle coralline, like white sand
5. _Zoophyta._
Gorgonia placomus, warted sea fan; on the Cornish coast
Gorgonia anceps, sea willow
Gorgonia flabellum, Venus fan
Alcyonium. Florets, hydræ, between the cortex; epidermis vesicular, porous
Alcyonium digitatum, dead-man’s hand; frequently taken up by fishermen trawling for flat fish on the Kentish coast
Alcyonium schlosseri; on the Cornish coast
Alcyonium ficus, sea-fig; near Sheerness
Spongia oculata, branched sponge; on the coast
Spongia dicotoma, forked sponge; on the Cornish and Yorkshire coasts
Spongia lacustris, creeping sponge; at the bottom of lakes in Westmoreland
Spongia fluviatilis, river sponge; in the Thames, Cam, &c.
Flustra foliacea, broad-leaved horn-wrack; on the coast
Tubularia indivisa, tubular coralline
Tubularia ramosa, small rarified tubular coralline
Tubularia fistulosa, bugle coralline
Tubularia campanulata, creeping, extremely minute
Corallina officinalis, coralline of the shops; fixed to rocks and shells, by stony joints
Corallina rubens, crested or coxcomb coralline, like moss in round tufts, resembling a bird’s crest; the microscope shews the filaments to be dichotomous
Corallina corniculata, white slender-jointed coralline; adheres to small fuci
Sertularia rosacea, lily-flowering oralline; on oysters
Sertularia pumila, sea-oak coralline; about Sheerness
Sertularia abietina, sea-fir; on oysters, muscles, &c.
Sertularia argentea, squirrel’s tail; on oysters in the Isle of Shepey
Sertularia cornuta, very minute--with many others
Vorticella, see page 396 & seq.
Hydra, see page 363 & seq.
Tænia solium; in the intestines of various animals
Tænia vulgaris, common tapeworm; in the intestines of men and brutes
Animalcula infusoria, see page 428 & seq.[170]
[170] Those who are desirous of seeing well delineated and elegantly coloured figures of a variety of curious objects among the insect class, particularly such as require investigation by the microscope, will be amply gratified by having recourse to Donovan’s History of British Insects. From the Naturalists Miscellany, by G. Shaw, M. D. F. R. & Vice Pres. L. S. numbers of beautiful subjects may likewise be selected.
II. FOSSILS.
Ketton or kettering stone
Spar opake; in mines in Wales, Derbyshire, &c.
Spar refracting; in lead mines in Derbyshire, &c.
Spar diaphonous; in various parts of the kingdom
Spar stalactitical, Knaresborough, &c.
Fluor transparent, diaphonous resembling emeralds, saphires, topazes, amethysts, &c.
METALS.
Aurum nativum; said to be found in some rivers in North Britain
Argentum mineralizatum; in small quantities in lead and copper ores
Plumbum galena, lead glance; in various parts of England
Plumbum stibiatum, antimonial lead ore
Plumbum crystallinum, lead crystals
Plumbum spatosum, lead spar
Plumbum calciforme, lead ochre
Plumbum nativum, native lead
Cuprum nativum
Cuprum cæruleum montanum, mountain blue; in the mines of Derbyshire
Cuprum viride montanum, mountain green; in copper mines of England, Ireland, and the Isle of Man
Cuprum rubrum, glass copper ore; generally found with native copper
Cuprum cinereum, grey copper ore
Ferrum crystallinum, crystalline ore; Forest of Dean, Langron in Cumberland
Ferrum cærulescens, bluish ore
Ferrum micaceum, glimmer
SEMI-METALS.
Vismutum ochra, flowers of bismuth
Vismutum mineralizatum, bismuth ore
Antimonium striatum, striated antimonial ore
Antimonium rubrum, red antimonial ore
PETREFACTIONS.
Animals, or parts of animals, changed into a fossile substance
_Vermes._
Helmintholithus ammonita, nautilus; in strata of earth and stones, on the sea-shore, &c.
Helmintholithus anomites; in great abundance, particularly at Sherborne in Gloucestershire
Helmintholithus gryphites; in chalk hills, &c.
Helmintholithus judaicus; in many parts, particularly chalk pits in Kent
Helmintholithus echinites; Surrey, Essex, Kent, Middlesex, in chalk and gravel pits
Helmintholithus astrion, sea-star; in chalk pits, &c.
Helmintholithus astroites, star stone; Gloucestershire, Norfolk, &c. and many more.
_Vegetables._
Phytolithus plantæ; grass, reeds, horse-tail, &c. found in the black slate called plate, immediately above the pit coal, in various parts of England.
Phytolithus filices, ferns; ditto, Newcastle, &c.
Rhizolithus, roots of trees and plants buried in the earth
Lithophyllum, leaves of trees; at Knaresborough, also impressed in stone
Carpolithus, fruits, particularly impressions of the cones of pines, hazel, oak
_Fishes._
Ichthyolithus siliquastra, fossile pods, often resembling half the pod of a lupine, &c. sometimes extremely minute, at other times near two inches long.
Ichthyolithus vertebra, of various genera, often in pits and quarries, particularly at Richmond in Surrey, on the cliffs of Shepey Island, &c.
_Insects._
Enthomolithus cancri, claws, or parts of claws; in pits in several parts of England
_Shrubs._
Graptolithus dentrides, representing shrubs, plants, or moss; on various stones, slates, and flints, in many parts of England, &c.
III. VEGETABLES.
Having thus enumerated a considerable variety of articles in the animal and fossile kingdoms, the only part which remains to be noticed is that of vegetables. To any person possessing but a superficial knowledge of botany, it must be obvious that this branch of natural history is extensive in the extreme; and that, consequently, to point out but a small number of such plants as form interesting objects for the microscope, would greatly extend this list, already sufficiently large; for,
“How incompetent is human effort to portray the beauties of this sublime subject! How inadequate the most descriptive talent to approximate to our view the vegetative profusion contained within the recess of nature! How limited have been our public researches! How contracted the knowledge which has been as yet obtained! What an incomprehensible store remains yet concealed, impenetrable to mortal view!”[171]
[171] Observations on the Structure and Economy of Plants, by R. Hooper, M. D., F. L. S. page 128. This work contains an ingenious display of the analogy which subsists between the animal and the vegetable kingdom.
From a source so abundant, the botanist will be under no difficulty in selecting for himself; those who have not made the science a part of their studies, will be materially assisted by having recource to the elegant figures and their descriptions in the Botanical Magazine, by W. Curtis, F. L. S. the well-known author of Flora Londinensis; and English Botany, by J. E. Smith, M. D. F. R. & Pres. L. S. published by Ja^{s}. Sowerby, F. L. S. I shall, therefore, just mention in general terms those parts of plants which are peculiarly adapted for microscopical investigation. These are as follow:
The trunk, composed of Epidermis or cuticle Cortex or outer bark Liber or inner bark Alburnum Lignum or wood Medulla or pith The root cut transversely or longitudinally Leaves and their fibres The parts of fructification, consisting of The calyx or flower cup corolla or foliation, containing the leaves or petals, and the nectarium stamina or threads, their filaments and anthera or summit, and the pollen contained therein[172] The pistillum or pointal, its germen, style, and stigma pericarpium, seed vessel, or germen grown to maturity semina, seeds and their parts receptaculum, the base on which the fructification is seated
[172] The pollen or meal is a fine dust designed for the impregnation of the germen; a small quantity of this meal being put into hot water and applied to the microscope, will exhibit the bursting of the elastic covering of each grain; and the escape of the smaller atoms, which is the true farina.
Of the various classes of plants, that called cryptogamia is eminently calculated for microscopical observation; comprizing the filices, the musci, the algæ, and the fungi. On these subjects Hedwig has produced a valuable work, entitled Theoria Generationis et Fructificationis de Plantarum Cryptogamicarum, of which a new and much improved edition has just appeared, and to which for further information I refer the reader.
A LIST OF MR. CUSTANCE’S VEGETABLE CUTTINGS, THAT USUALLY ACCOMPANY THE MOST COMPLETE SORT OF MICROSCOPES MADE BY MESSRS. W. AND S. JONES.
English oak. Evergreen ditto. Norway oak. Ash. Cedar. Cork. Savin. Fir. Ceanothus. Hazel. Lime. Elm. Elm root. Mulberry ditto. Grape root. Lime ditto. Beech. Birch. Plum. Ivy. Spanish elder. American climber. Cissampelos. Virgin’s bower. Magnolia grandiflora. Gelder-rose. Althæa frutex. Tulip tree. Ash. Spanish chesnut. Platanus orientalis. Viburnum lantana. Oak root. Ash root. Asp root. Walnut ditto. Grape vine. Indian turpeth. China root. Jasmine. Dog rose. Raspberry. Barberry. Briar. Elder root. Ditto branch. Willow root. Ditto branch. Mulberry. Fig. Sycamore. Maple. American dogwood. Ptelea trifoliata. Ligneous night-shade. Sumach. Apricot. Medlar. Bay. Laurel. Sea weed. Longitudinal cutting of plane tree. Ditto of Spanish elder. Ditto of briar. Common cane. Ditto with curious center. Bamboo cane. Sarsaparilla. Longitudinal cuttings of sugar cane. Elder. Rose tree. Mugwort. *Longitudinal slices of elder. *Ditto grape vine. *Transverse ditto. *Dogwood. *Plane tree. *Beech. *Grape vine. *Spanish chesnut. *Walnut. *Fig. *Ditto longitudinal. Asparagus. Artichoke. Thistle. Fennel. Parsley. Ditto root. Sunflower. Ditto root. Agrimony. Eryngo. Potatoe stalk. Centaurea. Indian reed. Ditto corn. Amaranthus. Bromelia pinguin. Campanula. Monkshood. Lavatera. Solidago. Mugwort. Chrysanthemum. Helianthus. Wormwood. Bulrush. Portugal reed. Burdock. Ditto. Wild mustard. Aloe flower stalk. Solomon’s seal. Tulip. Calamus aromaticus. Buckbean. Gourd. Melon. Crown imperial. Flower-de-luce. Pine apple. White lily. Asparagus. Ragwort. Water flag. Sugar cane. Stems of leaves of hog’s fennel. Hemlock. Chesnut. Wild turnip. Stems of the leaves of red dock. Horse-radish. Cabbage. Carrots. Roots of phytolacca. Teasel. Carrot. Fennel. Stinging-nettle roots curiously variegated. Roots of parsley and wormwood variegated. Stalks of fern, with variations.
N. B. Those marked with an * Mr. Custance conceives prove Dr. Hill in an error, when he observed, that the pith of a shoot is not connected with the pith of the branch. See his Construction of Timber, &c. p. 103, 8vo edition.
SALTS, AND VARIOUS CHEMICAL PREPARATIONS.
SALTS.
Salt ammoniac, crude Salt ammoniac, volatile Salt of amber Salt of Benjamin, commonly called flowers of Benjamin Salt of berberry Salt of buckthorn Salt of butcher’s broom Salt of carduus Salt of chamomile Salt of coral Salt of cucumber Salt, Epsom, so called Salt of fennel Salt gem Salt, glauber’s, vitriolated natron Salt of hartshorn Salt of lavender Salt of lead, commonly called sugar of lead Salt of limons Salt of liquorice Salt of millepedes Salt of mugwort Salt of nitre, or salt petre Salt of Peruvian bark Salt polychrest Salt Rochelle Salt of tartar Salt of tartar vitriolated Salt of tobacco Salt of urine Salt of wood sorrel Salt of wormwood, and a great variety of others.[173]
[173] To ascertain the true configurations of salts, particular attention should be paid to obtain them genuine; it may therefore be proper to apprize the reader, that some of those above enumerated are not easily procured in that state; consequently, though they exhibit pleasing figures, yet they may not be those of the real salt purposed to be investigated. Many hundred weights of some salts are annually manufactured, and sold under names very different from what they really are. Nor is this circumstance confined to salts only: for want of botanical knowledge, preparations of different plants have been frequently sold possessed of medical properties very different from those intended. A valuable medicine, the extract of Hemlock, for instance, instead of being prepared of the conium maculatum, has been made in large quantities of the chærophyllum sylvestre, and thus administered! On this unpleasant subject I could enlarge, were it not digressing from that before us. Whilst such evils exist, need we wonder if the physician as well as the patient are often disappointed in the beneficial effects expected from the adhibition of medicines?
PREPARATIONS OF MERCURY.
Acetated quicksilver Calcined ditto Calomel Muriat, commonly called corrosive sublimate Red nitrated, or red precipitate Sulphurated, or factitious cinnabar
MISCELLANEOUS.
Camphor Crystals (called cream) of tartar Iron, ammoniacal, or martial flowers Verdigrise, ditto distilled Vitriol, blue, or vitriolated copper Vitriol, green, or vitriolated Iron Vitriol, white, or vitriolated zinc, &c. &c.
After having particularized so many of the works of NATURE, let us now pay some attention to those of ART. But what an humiliating contrast shall we meet with! If our design in viewing objects by the microscope be to discover beauty, harmony, and perfection, it will be necessary to limit our inquiries to the former, happily alone sufficiently abundant; if, on the contrary, we are desirous of discovering deformity and imperfection, we must confine ourselves to the latter. Even those works of art that appear to the unassisted eye as decisive proofs of consummate skill in the workman, and which excite our admiration for their apparent neatness and accuracy, when brought to this test, exhibit their real state; and, consequently, tend but to display the inferiority of the most finished performance of the ablest artist, when put in competition with the glorious productions of nature. The finest works of the loom and of the needle, if exhibited with the microscope, prove so rude and coarse, that were they to appear thus to the naked eye, so far from affording delight to our belles, would be rejected with disgust. But the more we inquire into the works of nature, the more fully are we satisfied of their divine origin: in a flower, for instance, we see how fibres too minute for the unassisted sight are composed of others still more minute, till the primordial threads or first principles are utterly indiscernible; whilst the whole substance presents a celestial radiance in its colouring, with a richness so superior to silver or gold, as if it were intended for the cloathing of an angel, and we have the highest authority for asserting, that the greatest monarch of the East in all his glory, was not arrayed like one of these. A very few specimens of art will, therefore, suffice.
The edge of the sharpest razor or penknife Teeth of rasps and files Threads of the finest screws Finest engravings on gold, silver, copper, &c. Coins, medals Seals, intaglios Best executed miniature paintings, prints, drawings, &c. The finest laces, silks, and ribbons Smallest needles, pins, &c. Woolen and linen cloth, plain or printed; camblets, bombazeens, &c. A drop of ink on paper Paper, from the coarsest to the finest The writing of the ablest penman The finest specimens of the typographic art, &c. &c.
An inspection of a few of the above articles only will clearly demonstrate, that as in the moral and political world, so in the works of art, perfection is unattainable by mortal man. With the fullest impression of which truth in the mind of the editor, and an appeal to the candour of his readers towards those imperfections which they may have discovered in this performance, he shall now conclude with,
FINIS.
ADDITIONS.