F

OR some months past I have been keeping a reptile vivarium, and I find it amusing and instructive. I have six common newts, four frogs, and a toad. My vivarium has a pane of glass in front, all other sides of wood, but I find this too gloomy, and shall make an alter. ation. I have a pan of water for the inhabitants to drink and bathe in, and the bottom of the box is covered with earth and moss. On the top I also had a flowerpot, with a hole in it, inverted in one corner, but all the frogs and the toad immediately took possession, and as they never came out till night I was obliged to remove it. The moss, too, should be as firm and compact as possible, for if it is in several pieces the frogs and newts burrow underneath and

disturb it.

I feed my animals on worms and wood-lice, the latter for the frogs and toads, who devour them greedily. The newts are very voracious; once I saw two get hold of each end of a worm and swallow it till they both met in the middle, when they struggled till they broke it in half. My male newts are beautifully coloured creatures-vermilion underneath, with large black spots. They sometimes crawl up the glass, and look very funny when viewed at a distance.

I have great amusement in watching the toads and frogs eat. They always catch their prey with their long tongues. That of the toad is pink, and goes to a point. It always lets its prey get to within an inch of its nose, then out goes the tongue with a flick like that of a whip, and is back again in a

moment.

The mouth of the frog is much larger than that of the toad, and the tongue is white. They are very fond of wood-lice, and if you have a frog and wish to see him eat, you have only to drop two or three wood-lice down in front of it, and it will soon gobble them up.

I also had in a separate box a common lizard, a beautiful agile creature, which flitted about so quickly that the eye could scarcely follow. The box I kept it in had a pan of water, and, to my surprise, the lizard took to the water quite as much as his aquatic cousins the newts, lapping it up and swimming in it. I fed it on flies. It was very fond of bluebottles, darting on them as soon as they settled. It once ate a whole butterfly, wings and all. It was unfortunately killed by a cat a short time ago.

I sometimes take a light and examine my animals at night. They are very interesting then, with wide-open eyes searching for the worms, which also come up at night. A good handful of worms should be thrown in about every two days.

ALLEN SEABY (Godalming). THE LEA VALLEY, NEAR HERTFORD.-Geology and Physical Geography.-The valley is a flat. Breadth, from half to three quarters of a mile: contents, gravel and sand. The river becomes navigable here. Plants.-The wild flowers of the Lea valley are not very rare. The daffodil, primrose, violet (Viola hirta and Canina), daisy, buttercup (R. acris and bulbosus), wild hyacinth, wild pansy (Viola tricolor), red campions (Lychnis diurna), dog rose, white campions, poppy, forget-me-not, ground ivy (Nepeta glechoma), cowslip, and three other little flowers called locally the catseye, milkmaid, and birdseye; white clover, dead nettle, and dandelion are the chief. Trees.-Willow (Salix caprea), oak, elm, and horse-chestnut, River Plants.-There is a flower which grows among the weeds in the river. Its colour is white half way down, and then yellow. It is the same shape and size as the buttercup. A year ago I found a double primrose near Hertford. Mollusca.-River mollusks; Planorbis contortus and Limneus stagnalis were found in an old tree's roots on a level with the water, and ancylus (fresh-water limpet). Land Snails.-In the hedges and hedge sides were found H. hortensis, aspera, and ericetorum. Insects.-The valley abounds in a moth which hovers over the water. Its body is long, and tapers off to a sharp point; its colour is a kind of brown. Orange-tip, brimstone, and green-veined-white butterflies have been observed, also dragon-flies. Water Insects.-The water boatman (Notonecta glaura) and water measurer (Hydrometra stagnorum) are here in abundance. The harmless water beetle

(Hydrous piceus) has also been seen. Reptiles.-The common newt, common frog, and common toad, natterjack and viviparous lizard.

P.S.-Can any of your readers tell me the name of the flower and moth I have mentioned. W. A. WARNE (12), Hertford. THE PIKE.-A few years ago I saw my father capture a large pike in the Leam. It was about five pounds in weight. We were walking by the river side and observed this fish basking in the sun. Pikes come out of the deeper waters and bask in the sun in the more shallow parts, where they lie very still and motionless. My father thinks they do this in order to lie in wait for their prey, as they will often dart from perfect quietness in a lightning-like flash through the waters and capture their prey, and it is very seldom they miss. They seem always sure of succeeding. They make such a tremendous sudden dash through the waters, that from the noise one would imagine an immense stone had been pitched in.

The fish I began to speak of was caught in what I then Pikes feed on roach, water rats, perch, gudgeon, frogs, &e. thought a most clever way. A band of willow from a tree close by was made into a noose, which father placed at the end of a longer stick. Then he quietly commenced operations about a yard or more in advance of the fish's head, letting the noose sink very noiselessly below the water's surface, steadily and stealthily moving the stick-snare nearer and nearer the pike's head as carefully as though it had been but a weed waving in the water; at the least touch the fish would have darted away, though they appear not to mind any noise made on the land. Gradually the trap neared the fish until it was safely over its head and behind its gills, when with a sudden and sharp jerk it was swung upward, and lay flapping and struggling on the

grass.

They are dangerous things, so it is best to be careful how one touches a live pike. Their teeth are as sharp as lancets, and in number as thick as they can be arranged in their mouth. The way the fish takes its captured bait is remarkable. If it seizes a roach it will hold it in its mouth as long as life remains, all the time pressing and crushing it, not thinking of swallowing it so long as the least life or movement is perceptible. It will break every bone in the body of gorge," as anglers call it. This is a remarkable characterits prey and almost grind them to powder before "taking the istic.

uncle, and when the cook was preparing the fish for the table, The aforementioned pike my father caught was given to an lo! a huge water-rat was discovered in its inside! They were so disgusted with this, that they decided that such an unpleasant creature (the pike I mean) should not "grace" their table! I suppose this rat had its bones all smashed before mastication. When the pike is unable to capture fish for its diet, it will "strike" at young wild ducks, at moorhens, and even cygnets. My father has seen them do so. He has also noticed when swallows have been skimming the water and chasing the flies, the pike make a desperate strike at them just as the little bird touches the water, and should it be successful in its attempt, will as quickly turn about with its capture in its mouth, and in its turning its body will flash above the water and then as instantaneously disappear below (of course this make a loud dash just as the fish turns, and all one sees is the waves widening,) taking its prey off, up or down the river to the particular place where the fish is in the habit of lying. This is generally in some deep hole on the side of the water, under the bank, or bushes, or roots of reeds. Here it crushes its prey and then swallows it. It will hold it before swallowing for five or ten minutes.

Fishermen who catch the pike by trolling, always "time" it after taking the bait to let it get the hook safely. The creature is allowed to take perhaps thirty or forty yards of line from the reel, and then the gentlemen wait a little while in quietness! When the pike takes the bait away to its "den" they call it "having a splendid run." "Oh, John," said one very old gentleman, "I have had a splendid run to-night; come and have a pinch of snuff while he takes his gorge;" I have seen a handful of grass sometimes fixed near the end of line to signify where the fish pauses, and thus

facilitate the finding its stopping place. Often it is a mos difficult task to land it. The fisherman will draw it to the top of the water near the river side in order to see what sized fish it is. If a small one he may take it out easily, but a large one is often a trouble. The line may break and the fish be lost. Large fish are sometimes drowned by their victors, and this is done by moving the creature backwards and forwards in a zig-zag way until it is overpowered. If it takes to plunging, the line may break; one has to give way and let the fish take it again, and after a while he may again be brought up and perhaps taken.

The pike aforementioned was taken by my father in haymaking time-the month of June. I think they are the largest of our river fish. One was found a year ago frozen in the ice at Chesterton Mill Pool (near here); it weighed either twentytwo or twenty-four pounds. This must have been a prodigious size for a fresh-water fish.

ELEANOR E. A. (Warwickshire, S.E.).

A CURIOUS BEETLE was found on the floor some evenings ago. Our attention was drawn to it by the cat endeavouring to capture it, thinking, no doubt, that she had found some rare tit-bit for her supper. It was about an inch in length, with thin sheath wings of a light brownish colour, and white membranous under-wings, which it expanded occasionally in its attempts to escape. But what struck me as most curious were two little horn-like appendages, one at either side of the head, and each expanded at the end like a miniature fan; these fans were of a rich chocolate-brown colour. Being very ignorant on the subject of beetles, I have not been able to determine the name of this specimen-I think it is a Nightflier. MARIE A. M. (Tralee, co. Kerry).

[Your description is that of a Lamellicorn beetle, a subdivision so called from the fact you mention-the last joints of the antennæ being flattened out into lamille or leaf-like expansions. The (in England only too) common Cockchafer (Melolontha vulgaris) seems to be pointed to by your reference to the size and brown colour. Possibly that beetle is less familiar in the sister isle. Can you send a specimen ?-W. H. G.]

[The "Young Naturalists' Look-Out" will be continued in October, with the new volume. Contributions in the shape of notes and queries are invited; these must be short and concise, and should be sent in as soon as possible.-ED. "Y. E."]

Ν

STRANGE NOTIONS ABOUT

HOUSE-SWEEPING.

IN Suffolk, the people say, that if after sweeping a room the broom is accidentally left up in a corner, strangers will visit the house in the course of that day; while others affirm, in the Northern Counties, that to sweep dust out of the house by the front door is equivalent to sweeping away the good fortune and happiness of the family. Care should rather be taken to sweep inwards-the dust being carried out in a basket or shovel-and then no harm will happen. Furthermore, the spider, which in daily life is little noticed except for its cobweb, the presence of which in a house generally betokens neglect, is by no means an unfriendly intruder. Although the servant oftentimes ruthlessly sweeps this uncared-for little visitor away from the wall, yet a common proverb reminds us that

"If you wish to live and thrive, Let the spider run alive"

ill-luck being supposed to quickly overtake those who kill or even so much as injure it. It was a notion formerly prevalent in many parts of Scotland, that should a servant wilfully kill a spider, she would certainly break a piece of crockery or glass before the day was out. One reason why the spider is protected from ill-usage is that it is supposed to bring prosperity; but the real cause, perhaps, is due to the influence of an old legend which relates how, when Christ lay in the manger at Bethlehem, the spider came and spun a web over the spot where He was, thus preserving his life by screening Him from all the dangers that surrounded Him.-Domestic FolkLore.

REST.

HADOWS steal across the landscape,
And the daily toil is o'er,
Now the many sounds of labour
Fall upon the ear no more;
And the new-mown hay is lying

Where it fell, untouched as yet,
With the severed flowers unwithered,
By the dew of evening wet.
With the shadows, and the fading
Of the radiance in the west,
Comes a peacefulness all-calming,
And a hush that men call Rest.

Yet again a wondrous stillness
Seems to brood upon the land,
But 'tis not the shady curtain
Drawn by night's mysterious hand;
For the morning sun is gleaming,
Gilding fields of waving grain,
But the reapers all are absent,
Sabbath hours have come again :
Hark! sweet Sabbath bells are pealing,
'Tis the day that God hath blest,
To His weary children giving
One glad, holy Day of Rest.

When an anxious soul is mourning
'Neath a heavy load of sin,
All without is drear and darksome,
Gleams no ray of hope within;
Comes the gracious invitation,

64

Weary one, by sin opprest,

I have borne that burden for thee, Come to me-I give thee rest.' Steals upon that troubled spirit, With the news of sin forgiven, Such a holy peace and calmness, Foretaste of the Rest of heaven. When the toiler's work is ended, When the pilgrim's march is o'er, Comes a peacefulness-a resting

That endures for evermore: Peace succeeds to din of battle, Calm, to waves with hoary crest, Sorrow's tears replaced by gladness, Weariness, by perfect Rest.

T is now some 400 years since Robert Machin, a young Englishman, fell in love with a nobleman's beautiful daughter. He courted her and won her affections. He was a young man of respectable family, but of rank so inferior to that of the young lady whom he loved, that her parents could not think of permitting her to marry him. The lover, however, was known to be resolute and brave, and there was some danger of his carrying her off from her father's castle. So the nobleman laid the matter before the king, who had poor Robert Machin put in prison, and promised to keep him there until the lady should be safely married. Her parents lost no time in marrying her to Lord D'Arfet, and he, as soon as the nuptial knot was tied, took her with him to his country seat near the famous seaport of Bristol.

They then thought the young lady perfectly safe, and Robert Machin was set free. But as he was a young fellow of high spirit, he was angry at his unjust confinement, and being still in love with the lady, he set on foot a plan to gratify at once his revenge and passion. To Bristol he went, with some of his friends, who felt that he had been badly treated, and were determined to help him, One of them, putting on the dress and manners of a servant, obtained employment as groom in the family of Lord D'Arfet, and it thus became his duty to attend Lady D'Arfet when she rode out into the country on horseback.

Robert Machin, meanwhile, got ready a small vessel, on board of which he went. The gentleman groom, obtaining an interview with Lady D'Arfet when no one was within hearing, told her all about her lover's plan, which was to take her with him in the vessel and sail away for France, where they would live happily together all their lives. The lady, who had been so cruelly separated from her lover and forced to marry another man, willingly consented, and nothing remained but to carry the scheme into execution.

On the day appointed, early in the afternoon, she ordered her horse to be saddled, and told her groom to get ready to attend her, as she was going alone. She mounted her horse and rode toward the banks of the river Avon, near where it enters the Severn. At a certain spot on the shore a small boat was waiting. The lady and groom dismounted, fastened their horses to a tree, entered the boat, and were conveyed on board the vessel, where the lovers had a joyful meeting after their long separation. The anchor was instantly weighed; the vessel dropped down the stream into the broad Severn, and spreading all her sails, was soon beyond sight and pursuit in the Bristol Channel.

If you look at the map of Europe you will see that these

lovers, in order to clear the Land's End, had to go far out into the ocean, and then turn again toward the east to get into the English Channel, and so land on the coast of France. If all had gone well, they ought to have made a French port in about fifty hours. But they were destined never to see fair France. In the night the wind rose. It increased to a tempest, which blew them far out into the Atlantic. When the day dawned they found themselves in the midst of a tempestuous ocean, out of sight of land, and with no pilot on board who knew enough of navigation to guide the ship toward a port. It is not likely that they had so much as a compass on board, for compasses were not then in general use, and every vessel kept as close to the shore as possible.

All day the tempest raged. The wind came out of the north east, and therefore blew them toward the south-west, past the Scilly Isles, past the jutting north-west corner of France, and down past the Bay of Biscay. Day after day they could only scud before the wind, and they were driven down by Spain, past the long line of the Portuguese coast, and still farther south, until they were off the unknown coast of Africa. For thirteen days they were driven before this merciless gale. But at last it died away, and they tossed about all one night on those great waves which continue to heave long after a storm has subsided.

The morning of the fourteenth day dawned. Away toward the south the sailors fancied they saw a low dark line upon the sea that looked like land. The sun rose. It was land! Trees were soon discerned, and several kinds of birds, which they had never seen before, came from the land and perched in the rigging without showing any fear.

As soon as they were near enough, a boat was hoisted out, and several of the adventurers went on shore, wondering what country this could be, and doubtless not without fear that they might have come to the land of the infidels, and be made slaves. When they stepped on shore a beautiful prospect opened before them of hills and valleys, of dense forests, and of streams of fresh water. No inhabitants appeared, and no animals except such as were small and harmless. Returning on board the vessel, the sailors gave such a favourable account of the land that the lovers too came on shore. Walking into the interior, they came at last to a pleasant hill, upon the summit of which there was a large and most beautiful tree, affording delicious shade from the heat of the sun. The spot was so agreeable that they determined to live there for a while, and rest after the fatigues and terrors of their voyage. So they cut large boughs from the tree and made some bowers, in which they slept at night. In the daytime they roamed about the country, observing its curious trees, plants, stones, birds, and insects, always wondering where and to whom this curious land belonged. Part of the company, especially the sailors, continued to live on board the vessel, while the lovers and their friends remained on shore.

Three days passed pleasantly enough. In the afternoon of the third day a gale sprung up from the north-east, which increased during the night. When the lovers and their friends rose in the morning you may be sure they looked most anxious'y to see how it fared with their little vessel, upon which deperdd their only chance of ever again living in a Christian land.

She was gone! The storm had driven her from her anchorage, and no trace of her could be seen on the ocean, which was covered with white-crested waves.

It was a terrible blow. The poor lady, whose health had been shattered by the agonising perils of the voyage, upon seeing herself cut off for ever from home, and country, and friends, was struck dumb with horror. In three days she breathed her last, and they buried her under the beautiful tree.

Robert Machin could not be comforted. He lingered five days, and then died, beseeching his comrades to bury his body in the same grave with hers. His last request was complied with, and over the grave of the lovers was set up a large wooden cross, and near by an inscription was placed which gave an account of their coming to this unknown land, and concluded with a prayer, addressed to any Christians who might ever come to the spot, asking them to build a church upon that hill, and dedicate it to Jesus the Saviour.

The land upon which these unhappy lovers were driven was the beautiful Island of Madeira. The part of the coast where their vessel anchored was named by subsequent explorers Machico, after Machin, and this name it retains to the present day. The island had been seen, and perhaps visited, several years before, but it had never been settled, and its existence was only known to a few people very learned in geography.

CORRESPONDENCE.

DECLINED WITH THANKS.-" A Holiday," by W. S.; "Lines on Elijah," by E. W.; Scripture Enigma, by M. S. (Temple Grafton).

:

TO OUR PIONEER READERS.

T the beginning of the present volume, October, 1882, we At the present volume, NG ENGLAND known in districts and neighbourhoods where a more general mode of advertising would possibly have failed. We requested those of our readers who felt interested in the matter to send us their names and addresses. Each of these voluntary helpers was then supplied with an assortment of our illustrated prospectus leaflets, which were forthwith shown to friends and companions, with a few words of recommendation on behalf of the magazine.

A WORCESTERSHIRE reader writes as follows:DEAR MR. EDITOR,-I had given me as a present a volume of YOUNG ENGLAND for 1882. I liked that so much that I have began taking it in, and I mean to keep on. I can recommend YOUNG ENGLAND not only to boys and girls, but to grown-up people. The tales are so written that they suit everyone, young or old. Please send me some of those leaflets to distribute amongst my friends. Yours truly, A. R. C. "Y. E." SCRAGG.-We are utterly unable to judge: it is a medical matter, and can only be referred to a medical man who can see and prescribe. TELEPHONIST.-(1) Yes, if the MS. or specimen is under two oz., but not otherwise. (2) Many persons consider them standard works. (3) By no means; those by Charles Kingsley, Dickens, and others have done much good, not only in their influence on character, but in attacking and removing existing evils in social and political life. (4) A passport costs nothing. WANTED.-YOUNG ENGLAND (weekly part) for March 26, 1881, No. 65, Vol. II.-Address, Miss E. M. CROOKE, Guildford House, Guildford.

WANTED.-A few more members for a good Reading Essay Society, where Prizes are given twice yearly.-Apply to Miss BROWN, Portland-place, Wilton-road, Salisbury.

WE

OUR PRIZE COMPETITIONS.

E offer a PRIZE OF BOOKS TO THE VALUE OF HALF A GUINEA to Competitors under Twenty-three; a SECOND PRIZE TO THE VALUE OF SEVEN SHILLINGS AND SIXPENCE to those under Seventeen; and a THIRD PRIZE TO THE VALUE OF FIVE SHILLINGS to those under Fourteen, for the best

ACCOUNT OF A SCHOOL-TREAT. MSS. must not contain more than 1,500 words; and each Competitor must count his or her own paper, and affix the total number of words at the end of the last page.

We offer BOOKS TO THE VALUE OF HALF A GUINEA to Competitors under Twenty-three; a SECOND PRIZE TO THE VALUE OF SEVEN SHILLINGS AND SIXPENCE to those under Eighteen; and a THIRD PRIZE TO THE VALUE OF FIVE SHILLINGS to those under Fourteen, for the best

D'OYLEY IN CREWEL WORK. The Prize Specimens will be retained.

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CRITICAL REVIEW OF A VOLUME OF "YOUNG ENGLAND.".

Month by month we have published lists of those readers who had promised their help, and month by month we have received letters from all parts, telling us of the success which has attended their efforts. From time to time we have quoted from some of these letters, which have been most encouraging. They describe how YOUNG ENGLAND has thus been introduced into family circles and schools, public and private; into towns, villages, and outlying hamlets, where it was not before seen. School-boys, school-girls, young men in business life, and elder sisters whose school days are over, have shown it to their friends and companions, and everywhere YOUNG ENGLAND has been favourably received. We publish this month the last list of members for the volume, but, on account of the great success which has attended the scheme, we shall revive it in October with the new volume.

We shall be glad now to receive the names and addresses of readers who are willing to become Pioneers for the new season. As the October number will be printed rather early, we shall be much obliged if they will send in their names at once, 80 that we may be able to show a good list in the opening part.

We desire heartily to thank our readers for the spirited response made to our request, and to ask that the valuable help they have rendered us in the past may be continued during the coming year.

DAILY PORTIONS FOR SEPTEMBER.

Saturday, Sept. 1-Num. vi.1-8. Monday Sept. 17-1 Sam. iii. 1

SUNDAY Monday Tuesday

2-Psalm xx. 3-Ruth i. 14

"

22. 4-Ruth ii. 4-12.

Tuesday Wednesday

"

5-1 Sam. xvii, 55 -xvii. 4.

6-Num. x. 29

36.

Friday

7-Isaiah lxii. 1

-7. 8-Ruth iv. 1-10. 9-Psalm xvi.

"

Thursday 20-1 John ii. 12-
Friday
Saturday

10. 18-1 Sam. i. 1119. 19-2 Chn. xxxiv. 1-7.

20. 21-Luke ii. 40

22-2 Tim.i. 1-7;

General conditions applicable to the above Competitions :All specimens and papers must have name, age, and address attached.

Must be guaranteed as original by parent, guardian, minister, or teacher.

All papers must be sent in not later than September 19. All papers must be fastened together, but different competitions must be kept separate.

No specimens will be returned unless accompanied by a stamped and addressed envelope or wrapper

10-1 Sam. i. 2128. ii. 1-3. 11-Mark ix. 17

Monday
Tuesday

Wednesday,,

iii. 14-17. 23-1 Sam. ii, 27

35.

24-Josh. i. 7-18.

25-Josh, vi. 6-16.

26-Josh. vii. 11

26.
27-Josh. xxiv. 14

-29.
28-Judges ii. 6-

16.
29-Ruth i. 14-22.
30-1 Sam, iii, 1—

19.