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CLEARNESS OF THE SEA AT THE NORTH CAPE.

THE following interesting description of the appearance of the Northern Sea is given by Capell Brooke, in his Travels to the North Cape.

"Nothing can be more surprising and beautiful than the singular clearness of the water of the northern seas. As we passed slowly over the surface, the bottom, which was in general a white sand, was clearly visible, with its minutest objects, where the depth was from twenty to twenty-five fathoms. During the whole course of the tour I made, nothing appeared to me so extraordinary as the inmost recesses of the deep thus unveiled to the eye. The surface of the ocean was unruffled by the slightest breeze, and the gentle splashing of the oars scarcely disturbed it. Hanging over the gunwale of the boat with wonder and delight, I gazed on the slowly moving scene below. Where the bottom was sandy, the different kinds of Asteria and Echini, and even the smallest shells, appeared at that great depth conspicuous to the eye; and the water seemed in some measure to have the effect of a magnifier, by enlarging the objects like a telescope, and bringing them nearer. Now creeping along, we saw, far beneath, the rugged sides of a mountain rising towards our boat, the base of which perhaps was hidden some miles in the great depth below. Though moving on a level surface, it seemed almost as if we were ascending the height under us; and when we passed over its summit, which rose in appearance to within a few feet of our boat, and came again to the descent, which on this side was suddenly perpendicular, and overlooking a watery gulf, as we pushed gently over the last part of it, it seemed almost as if we had thrown ourselves down this precipice; the illusion, from the crystal clearness of the deep, actually producing a sudden start. Now we came again to a plain; and passed slowly over the submarine forests and meadows which appeared in the expanse below, inhabited, doubtless, by thousands of animals unknown to man; and I could sometimes observe large fishes of a singular shape gliding softly through the watery thickets, unconscious of what was moving above them. As we proceeded the bottom became no longer visible: its fairy scenes gradually faded to the view, and were lost in the dark green depths of the ocean.'

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THE ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS.

ALTHOUGH the Gardens at this season of the year do not present such numerous inducements to strangers, as in spring or summer, when the ride or walk, and the choice collection of plants and flowers with which they are ornamented, are of themselves sufficient to gratify the visitor, yet some of the animals are now to be seen to great advantage, and many persons have availed themselves of the mild and dry weather during the past month to pay them a visit.

Some valuable donations have been added to the collection at the Regent's Park; including a pair of chetahs from India, presented by Lord Clare; a South American ostrich, from the President, Lord Stanley; and a number of golden pheasants from J. Fuller, Esq.

Workmen are now engaged in inclosing and fencing a part of the land lately added to these gardens on the east side, and we understand a bank is to be formed and planted for the purpose of sheltering the grounds, as much as possible, from the east wind. From the Report read at the last monthly meeting, it would appear that the Council do not contemplate the erection of any buildings on the newly inclosed land at present, but intend forming two large ponds or reservoirs, one of which is to be appropriated to the use of those beautiful birds the mandarin ducks; and the other for the rest of the aquatic birds.

The members of this Society held their first scientific meeting on the evening of the 8th of January. It is intended to continue these meetings at intervals of a fortnight, and to publish occasionally the papers read, and other scientific information obtained, in the shape of Transactions, similar to those of other Societies. At the first meeting, papers were read and observations made by Mr. Bennett, the intelligent Vice-Secretary of the Society, Mr. Yarrell, Dr. Grant, and others. We shall probably in future give a short account of the proceedings of these meetings, which, we trust, will be acceptable to many of our readers.

Dr. Grant has commenced a course of lectures to the members on Zoology, which, as far as they have proceeded, have been well attended, and have given great satisfaction.

We hear favourable accounts of the Surrey Gardens, and that some valuable additions are likely to be made in the course of the spring. We must, however, candidly admit that we have not visited these gardens during the past month, and can therefore only promise to furnish all the information we can procure against our next Number.

SIR,

ON THE PANTHER.

To the Editor of the Zoological Magazine.

PERHAPS you can find room in your next Number, or in the Notices to Correspondents, to give me some light on the following subject.

In Pennant, Buffon, and all the old books of natural history, the panther is universally described as a beast larger than the leopard, and differing from him by having a single spot in the centre of the rings on his body, while the leopard has only the rings. Now in the Zoological Gardens there is a beast which they call the panther, larger indeed than the leopard, but having neither rings, nor rings with central spots, but only single spots like the chetah. To complete this riddle, the author of the "Tower Menagerie" asserts that there is no such existing beast as the panther. If you can solve this Gordian knot, you will greatly oblige

FELIS.

Though we are not vain enough to undertake to solve a Gordian knot, we gladly give our correspondent "Felis" such information as we possess on the subject. We must observe that in the present state of knowledge relative to these two species, very little dependence can be placed on characters drawn from the markings and spots on the skin. The single spot in the middle of the ring (ocellus pupillatus) attributed to the panther by Buffon, is an error arising from his having been ignorant of the country from which was derived the large spotted Felis, figured as the female panther at pl. xii. vol. ix. of the quarto edition of his Works. This animal is the American Jaguar.

Our correspondent would be equally mistaken in supposing the fine single-spotted Felis ticketed Panther' in the Zoological Gardens, to be the type of that species. It is either a variety merely, or a species distinct from both the leopard and panther. But the determination of this question will require more minute investigation than is practicable on the living animal.

According to the investigation of Temminck, the panther (Felis Pardus) is larger than the leopard, and its tail equals in length the body and head, and contains twenty-eight vertebræ; while in the leopard, the tail is equal in length to the trunk only, and contains twenty-two vertebræ. Both the species have the spots on the sides of the body arranged in rings, which are broader in the leopard than in the panther.

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These rings contain occasionally a central spot like the Jaguars, but are more commonly without, (ocelli cæci). They are never so broad as in the jaguar. Linnæus was of opinion that the leopard and panther were varieties of the same species.-EDITOR.

SIR,

THE CUCKOO.

To the Editor of the Zoological Magazine.

I HAVE read with great interest the communication of your correspondent W. C., describing the manner in which the young cuckoo refuses to labour for its own support, as long as it can force any other bird to supply it with food; as well as the attention which the smaller birds pay to its cry for help. I have seen an account of a similar occurrence between a cuckoo and a thrush, which were put into the same cage, the latter undertaking to feed the former. The cuckoo had been taken out of a hedge-sparrow's nest. These birds

were in the possession of Gideon Mantell, Esq. of Lewes. The following extract from the Introduction to Sweet's British Warblers rather confirms his supposition that migratory birds, detained in this country beyond the time appointed for their departure, feel, in captivity, the same impulse which, in a state of liberty, would have carried them to far distant lands.

"These birds, when in confinement, are very restless at the seasons of their usual migration from one country to another, at the time that they are leaving this country in autumn, about twice during the winter, and again when they are returning in the spring. From their agitation at various times in the winter, it may be concluded that they visit more than one country after their departure from this. It is very curious to see them when in that state; their restlessness seems to come on them all at once; and generally in the evening, when they are sitting, seemingly quite composed, they start up suddenly and flutter their wings; sometimes flying direct to the top of the cage or aviary; at other times running backwards and forwards on their perches, continually flapping their wings, and looking upward all the time: nor will they notice anything that is going forward as long as they continue in that state, which lasts for an hour or two at each time. By their always wishing to fly upwards, it may be supposed that when they take their flight, they mount to a great height, so that they can direct their course the

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ZOOLOGIST'S CALENDAR.

better by seeing the way clear all around them their agitation generally lasts on them about a fortnight; sometimes more, and sometimes less in the spring it seems strongest on them; at that season they will sometimes flutter about the whole of the night, and sleep a great part of the day."

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Perhaps your correspondent may, during his observations on this singular bird, have discovered some explanation of the curious fact mentioned by Prof. Rennie, in his edition of Montagu's Ornithological Dictionary,-that, in many instances, the female cuckoo cannot possibly have sat upon the nest so as to have deposited her egg therein in the ordinary manner. According to Le Vaillant one of the African cuckoos places its egg in the nest with its bill. Audubon says, in his account of the Chuck-Will's-Widow (Caprimulgus Carolinensis), that if its eggs are disturbed it immediately transports them in its mouth to some other spot. He was himself once a witness of this fact. This evidence proves that birds do sometimes remove their eggs in this manner.

M.

ZOOLOGIST'S CALENDAR FOR FEBRUARY.

QUADRUPEDS.-Several species of Bats (Plecotus auritus, Vespertilio murinus, &c.) begin to revive from their torpid state. The Mole (Talpa europaea) makes a nest chiefly composed of moss.

BIRDS.--The Rook (Corvus frugilegus) and the Raven (Corvus Corax) begin to build. The Goldfinch (Fringilla Carduelis), the Yellow-hammer (Emberiza Citrinella), the Sky-lark (Alauda arvensis), the Chaffinch (Fringilla cælebs), all improve considerably in song. Partridges (Perdix cinerea) pair. Hens (Phasianus Gallus) sit. House Pigeons (Columba domestica) breed. Missel Thrushes pair.

INSECTS, &c.-The following may be occasionally met with in the course of this month. Brimstone Butterfly (Papilio Rhamni), the Primrose Butterfly (Gonopteryx Rhamni), the February Carpet Moth (Aplocera cæsiata), the Spring Usher Moth (Anisopteryx leucophearia), the Meal Worm Beetle (Tenebrio Molitor), the Bacon Beetle (Dermestes lardanius), and the Ditch Beetle (Hydrophilus caraboides).

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