The Zoologist/4th series, vol 3 (1899)/Issue 698/Editorial Gleanings
EDITORIAL GLEANINGS.
The 'South Devon Gazette and Kingsbridge Times' of July 7th published a supplement devoted to the memory of Col. George Montagu, from which we reproduce the following extracts:—
"So much interest has been evinced by the finding of Montagu's breastplate under the flooring over the vaults near the chancel door of our Parish Church (Kingsbridge), that an account of his life and work, and the subsequent uncertainty of his place of sepulture, may not be amiss, for some even solemnly asserted he was buried in the grounds at Knowle. For the reproduction of the following memoir by William Cunnington, F.G.S., written many years ago, we are under obligation to the Hon. Sec. of the Wiltshire Natural History Society:—
"George Montagu was born in the year 1755, at Lackham House, the ancient seat of his family in North Wiltshire. He was the son of James Montagu, Esq., of Lackham, and Elinor, sole surviving daughter of William Hedges, Esq., of Alderton; and was descended from the Honourable James Montagu, third son of Henry, first Earl of Manchester, who, in the reign of Charles the First, by marriage with Mary, daughter and heir of Sir Robert Baynard, of Lackham, obtained the estate. At the age of sixteen George Montagu entered the army as a lieutenant in the 15th Regiment of Foot, and when he had completed his eighteenth year he married Anne, the eldest daughter of William Courtenay, Esq., and Lady Jane his wife, who was one of the sisters of the Earl of Bute, Prime Minister to George the Third. After a few months spent in visiting friends of the bride in Scotland and in Ireland, Lieutenant Montagu's regiment was ordered to embark for America, and the youthful pair had to experience the pain of a long separation.
"'It was at this early period,' says his daughter, Mrs. Crawford, 'that my father first began to turn his attention, whenever opportunity offered, to those pursuits of natural science for which he had so strong a predilection, and for which he was afterwards so much distinguished. He first commenced by shooting any of the more curious American birds, a few of which he preserved with his own hands, though with no further intention at the time than that of presenting them to my mother. The interest which my father had felt from his boyhood in the works of nature, animate and inanimate, was much increased by the wild grandeur of the scenes which he traversed, and by the novelty of many of the feathered and four-footed tribes that inhabit them. He ultimately determined, however, to limit his researches and his specimens to British Birds and British Zoology generally, thinking that every collection ought to be as complete as possible of its kind, and being desirous that his own should be the result of his practical studies in the wide field of nature. It was thus that he formed that very extensive and beautiful collection of birds for which he was celebrated, and which after his death was disposed of to the Trustees of the British Museum for, I believe, £3000.' At the same time he was gradually collecting materials for two most valuable works, the 'Ornithological Dictionary,' 2 vols. 8vo, published in 1802, and the 'Testacea Britannica,' 4to, in 1803.
"After Colonel Montagu had resided for some time with his family at Alderton House, in the parish of Hullavington, he was induced, by the additional income which he derived from the death of his brother James (who died unmarried), to resign his commission in the Wiltshire Militia, that he might be enabled to devote himself entirely to his favourite pursuits. He then took up his abode at Knowle, near Kingsbridge, in the county of Devon, which, being at no great distance from the sea, gave him ample opportunities for following out his researches in the natural history of the marine molluscs. Here he continued to reside (with occasional visits to the family seat at Lackham) up to the time of his death.
"After many other trials, in June, 1815, the Colonel had the misfortune to tread upon a rusty nail, which pierced his foot and produced a wound; lock-jaw was the result, and this terminated his life at Knowle on the 20th of the same month, in the sixty-first year of his age. He bore his sufferings (which, though of short duration, were extremely severe) not only with the equanimity of a philosopher, but with the fortitude and resignation of a real Christian. His old and attached friend, the Rev. K. Vaughan, of Modbury [Aveton Gifford.—E.E.], who was at his bedside during his last illness, having asked him where he would wish to be buried, his characteristic reply was, 'Where the tree falls there let it lie.' He had always a great aversion to anything like pomp and parade in the ordinary routine of life, and especially in the performance of the last solemn rites. His remains were therefore interred in an unostentatious manner, agreeably to his own request, in the churchyard of the parish in which he breathed his last."
The following are his principal works:—'The Sportsman's Dictionary; or, a Treatise on Gunpowder and Fire Arms, &c.' London, 1792; reprinted in 1803, 8vo.'An Ornithological Dictionary; or, Alphabetical Synopsis of British Birds,' 1 vol. 8vo, 1802.'Testacea Britannica; or, Natural History of British Shells, Marine, Land, and Freshwater, including the most minute, systematically arranged and embellished with figures,' 4to, London, 1803. Supplement to the preceding, 1809, with plates and descriptions of new species. In the 'Transactions ' of the Linnean Society he published the following papers:—"Description of three rare species of British Birds," vol. iv. 1796. "Description of several Marine Animals found on the coast of Devonshire," vol. vii. 1802. "On some species of British Quadrupeds, Birds, and Fishes," vol. vii. 1803. "On the larger and lesser species of Horseshoe Bats, proving them to be distinct, with a description of Vespertilio barbastellus taken in the south of Devonshire," vol. ix. 1805. "On the Natural History of the Falco cyaneus and pygargus" vol. ix. 1807. "Of several new or rare Animals, principally Marine, discovered on the south coast of Devonshire," vol. xi. 1809. "Of some new and rare British Marine Shells and Animals," ib. He also furnished six papers to the Wernerian Natural History Society, which were published between March, 1809, and March, 1815.
The following very interesting communication has recently appeared in the 'Westminster Gazette':—
"The appetite of the zoological world has been very much whetted of late by the news of the discovery in South Patagonia of a portion of mammalian skin which, it is conjectured, may once have formed part of a genuine Mylodon, or Ground Sloth. This interesting animal has long been supposed to be extinct, and its reappearance in the wilds of South America would create a sensation as pronounced almost as if a Great Bustard had again swooped down upon Cavenham Heath, or a Large Copper been brought to the net in the neighbourhood of Whittlesea Mere. To use a departmental expression, some further tidings of the Mylodon—whether in flesh or fossil—are just now very much 'wanted,' and besides Mr. H.S.H. Cavendish, the well-known traveller, who has gone forth with confidence to shoot one for the authorities at South Kensington, Mr. George Davis and Mr. Scott, of Aberystwyth, are making tracks for the monster in the Patagonian forests at the instance of the Hon. Walter Rothschild, M.P., the owner of the famous museum at Tring.
"The details of this important, and possibly sensational, discovery come from two different sources, and are somewhat conflicting. Dr. F.P. Moreno, who recently arrived in England, brought with him a portion of the skin (described as being as dry as leather, hairy, and thickly encrusted with some bony substance), which was found hanging in a tree, it being part of a much larger piece which some Argentine officers had dug up in a cavern several years previously. In close proximity were discovered some half-gnawed stumps of trees, an important clue to the identity of an animal which, unlike others of its species, did not climb the branches, but simply razed them to the ground by means of its prodigious strength. Professor Moreno believes that this fragment of skin belongs to the real Mylodon, and that it owes its present state of preservation to certain contributory circumstances which on other occasions have destroyed the potency of the effacing hand of time and weather! The skin has been exhibited before the Royal and Zoological Societies, where it had to pass under the review of some of the leading zoological and geological experts of the day.
"On the other hand, Dr. Ameghino claims to have procured some of the skin from natives, who assured him that they shot the animal, and that owing to the bony lumps it had to be literally hacked from off the carcase. He regards it as a living representative of the Gravigrades of Argentina, and has given it the name of Neo-Mylodon listai. Be that, however, as it may, the animal in question is—or should be—about the size of a Bear, and in many quarters the possibility that it may yet be found alive is hopefully regarded. If it is alive, it is scarcely possible that it will elude for long the vigilance of so keen and practised a big-game hunter as young Mr. Cavendish, whose name has been given to a new species of Antelope which he recently discovered on his travels in Africa. Up to the present the Mylodon has only been found in a fossilized state, its remains having been brought to light in a pleistocene fluviatile deposit not far from the city of Buenos Ayres nearly sixty years ago. There is a complete skeleton, but nothing more substantial, in the Natural History Museum at South Kensington, and there is an almost entire one in the Hunterian Museum of the Royal College of Surgeons. As a consequence, the efforts of those gentlemen who are endeavouring to establish its reality in the flesh are being watched with the closest interest.
"As to the ordinary Sloth, it has been thought by many that owing to the imperfect nature of its formation its existence must be a positive burden to itself; but this is far from being the case, as those know who have seen the agility which it displays in its native state in the forests of America, despite the unequal length of its arms and legs. True, it is absolutely helpless on terra firma—in fact, it can neither walk nor stand—but even that is excusable in the case of an animal that not only moves but also rests, and even sleeps, in a state of suspension!
"Since the above was written news has reached England from Patagonia that several huge bones, entire skulls, powerful claws, and a complete hide of the animal have been discovered deep down in a cave by Dr. R. Hauthal, of the La Plata Museum, who had also joined the ranks of the pursuers."—F.P.S.
On July 19th a specimen of the egg of the Great Auk (Alca impennis) was sold by Mr. J.C. Stevens, the well-known natural history auctioneer, of King Street, Covent Garden. The history of this specimen is well known. It was formerly in the collection of Comte Raoul de Beracé, having been bequeathed to him in 1834 by the owner of a fishing vessel at St. Malo. It afterwards passed into the possession of Baron d'Hamonville, who was the possessor of four eggs of the Great Auk, which were figured and described in the Mémoires of the Société Zoologique de France for 1888 and 1891. Of the four eggs belonging to the Baron, three have been sold by Mr. Stevens. The exact sum realized by the specimen sold on July 19th was 300 guineas. The egg was slightly cracked, and the dark markings were chiefly at the larger end, where the egg was slightly stained. The bidding commenced at £100. There was a brisk competition between two bidders, the egg being knocked down to Mr. Middlebrook, of the 'Edinburgh Castle,' Hampstead Road, the purchaser of Baron d'Hamonville's previous specimen, that was sold in June, 1895, at Stevens's, to Messrs. Jays, Regent Street, for sixty-five guineas, and afterwards resold at Stevens's, in July, 1897, to Mr. Middlebrook for 160 guineas.
The Fortieth Annual Report of the Chicago Academy of Sciences for the year 1897, and dated Jan. 11th, 1898, has just reached us (July, 1899). We notice in the Curator's Report of the Museum that, "through the continued generosity of Mr. George H. Laflin, the Academy has acquired the valuable collection of birds lately owned by Mr. F.M. Woodruff. This collection is particularly rich in the birds of the Mississippi Valley, and also includes nearly every species recorded from the Chicago area."
The Duke of Bedford has been elected by the Council President of the Zoological Society of London, to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Sir William Flower.
We recently (ante, p. 96) recorded the death of Mr. A.H. Everett, the travelling naturalist and collector. We now with equal regret record the decease of Mr. John Whitehead from pestilential fever while on a scientific mission in the island of Hainan. Mr. Whitehead's zoological enterprise in the Philippines is well known to zoologists, and, as our contemporary, 'Natural Science,' truly observes, "as a collector, Mr. Whitehead was highly esteemed, and his death, at the early age of forty-three, will be especially felt in the Natural History Museum at South Kensington, the zoological collections in which have been enriched through his industry and skill."
In the 'Transactions and Annual Report of the Manchester Microscopical Society' for 1898 is a paper by Mr. A.T. Gillanders on "Scale Insects," from which we extract as follows:—"In many parts of the country the trunks and larger branches of beech trees will be found coated with a white covering, presenting the appearance of a shower of snow having frozen. This pest has been graphically termed the 'Felt Scale' by Miss Ormerod, and the coccid itself is named Cryptococcus fagi. Where the pest is but sparsely distributed on the stem little damage accrues; but it is sometimes found about a quarter to half an inch in thickness, and when such is the case the bark separates from the stem, and the tree ultimately dies in consequence. A most interesting and successful remedial measure has been brought under the writer's notice at Blagdon, in Northumberland. With an 1⁄8-in. auger bore three holes at about equal distance right into the centre of the trunk, about three feet from the ground, and sloping slightly towards the root of the tree. Into these holes place as much flower of sulphur as can be conveniently got in, and then cork them firmly up with a plug of soft wood. This should be done in the autumn, and will be found successful. It was first adopted about thirty years ago, and the trees which were then operated on are now in comparatively good condition. Prior to the experiment they were covered with the scale, were very sickly-looking, and shed their leaves prematurely."
Mr. Matthias Dunn has contributed to the August number of the 'Contemporary Review' a very interesting article on "The Seven Senses of Fishes." These senses are considered and described as sight, touch, taste, hearing, smell, electric dermal sense, and magnetic dermal sense. The "electric dermal sense" affords fishes premonitory warnings of coming storms, and they then—Herrings have been observed—leave the shores "sometimes ten or twelve hours before the coming storm." The "magnetic dermal sense" is a guiding principle. Mackerel, Herring, and Pilchards "swim without error to their desired spawning-beds, sheltered homes, and pleasant feeding grounds. Now, these fishes cannot, like man, have objects to guide them to their desired haven, in the shape of high lands, lights, and sea-marks; nor can they be aided by telescopic sight in going these long distances, for in the obscure sea, as before shown, this is impossible; hence we conclude that some magnetic principle must assist in guiding them."
The 'Wombat,' just received (May, 1899), gives "Ornithological Results during 1898," which reports that during the season just closed "steady progress has been made in Australian ornithology and oology." We read that "the Garganey or Blue-winged Teal (Querquedula circia) of Europe has been added to the list of Australian avifauna, as a pair have been identified that were shot at Lake Connewarre, near Geelong (Victoria)."
The important and well-known ornithological collection of Mr. H.E. Dresser has been acquired by the Manchester Museum (Owens College), through the munificence of a wealthy resident, who elects to be anonymous. This collection is essentially a student's collection, Mr. Dresser having collected a series of all but the very rarest species to show changes of plumage, variation arising from geographical distribution, &c.; and there are no real duplicates, as these have been most carefully weeded out, and all the skins are first class ones. The Palæarctic collection is the most complete, for of the 743 species (according to the last calculation) found in the Western Palæarctic Area, about 725 are fully represented; and besides these there are about 260 strictly Eastern Palæarctic and allied species. All those figured and described in the 'Birds of Europe' are marked, and most of the labels bear notes by the leading ornithologists who have worked at the collection from time to time. Besides the Palæarctic collection, there is a collection of Bee-Eaters, comprising about thirty species, used by Mr. Dresser in writing his 'Monograph of the Bee-Eaters,' and one of Rollers (about twenty-six species), used in writing the monograph of those birds. Altogether the collection comprises about 1040 species and fully 10,000 specimens, and contains a fair number of types.
It is with the greatest regret that we have to announce the death of our very old and esteemed contributor, Mr. John Cordeaux, of Great Cotes House, Lincoln. We hope to publish a full obituary notice in our next issue.