Page:Once a Week Jul - Dec 1859.pdf/40

. 9, 1859.] fluids is mainly inﬂuenced by the forms of those bodies. There seems no reason why the forms which are best adapted to cleave water, should not be best to cleave air, the difference being only in density. The longer the vessel, the less is the tendency to go to leeward. The cylinder or conical form is never used for cleaving water, but in preference the section of a bayonet is used. This, therefore, is the true form of a powder-propelled projectile. If we wished to run a man through the body, the last instrument  we  should  use  would  be  a spherical bullet  on  the  end  of  a stick. This is  precisely the kind  of  thing  we  put  on  to  a bull's  horns  to prevent  penetration. The most  effective  instruments yet  known  for  piercing  flesh  are  the  small sword and  the  bayonet — a three-edged  section forming three  hollows. And the  metal  most effective for  constructing  such  weapons  is  steel. We have  hardness  for  penetration,  strength  for resistance, and  facility  for  form,  maximum  result, and minimum  resistance  to  the  atmosphere. Where the ordinary  leaden  shot  would  pierce  through  one enemy, this  projectile  would  pierce  through  half- a-dozen. It would  inflict  a disabling  wound,  but not a cruel  wound,  lacerating  and  tearing  open  like a “ragged bullet.”

We have  hitherto  aimed  at  constructing  pro- jectiles necessary to  be  carried  on  the  shoulder  or to  be  drawn  by  horses. We have  never  made wheel guns  to  be  drawn  by  men. For this  reason our range  is  limited  by  size  and  weight,  or  our difficulties are  greatly  increased  by  the  various contingencies attached  to  the  use  of  horses  in battle. Wheel guns,  drawn  and  managed  by men,  would  obviate  all  the  difficulties. A gun twelve feet  in  length,  and  with  an  inch  and  a- quarter  bore,  would  weigh  about  two  hundred weight, and  would  throw  a shot  from  three  to four  pounds  weight  a distance  of  two  miles.

This gun,  placed  upon  a pair  of  high  and  light wheels, such  as  are  used  by  the  Americans  for their travelling  gigs,  could  be  drawn  by  men with the  utmost  facility,  and  would  easily  pass through and  over  hedges,  or  be  lifted  over  low walls. The length  of  these  guns  pre-supposes that they  must  be  breech-loading,  and  with  such an arrangement  of  breech,  that  in  case  of  abandoning them,  a small  part  could  be  taken  away,  so as  to  render  them  useless — a far  more  efficient process than  what  is  called  “spiking.”  There are yet  more  advantages.

A soldier going  into  battle  has  a knapsack  on his  shoulders,  a gun  in  his  hand,  and  his  ammunition slung  about  him. Now, it  would  be  a great advantage that  his  body  should  be  as  unencumbered as  possible. With this  wheel-gun, in charge,  say  of  three  men,  three  knapsacks could all  be  slung  to  it  as  well  as  all  the ammunition, three  hand-guns,  and  three  twelve- feet pikes,  without  perceptibly  increasing  the  re- sistance to draught. If cavalry  were  sent  against a body of  men  so  provided,  the  guns  and  the pikes would  form  a most  effectual  barricade. If artillery were  sent,  the  long-range  would  enable them to  shoot  both  horses  and  gunners,  and disable their  approach. And in  all  transit  the same advantage  that  a railway-navvy  gets  by using  a wheelbarrow,  instead  of  carrying  his  load on his  back,  would  be  obtainable  by  the  use  of this  armed  wheel-carriage. The men  would  get over more  ground  with  less  fatigue  in  the  course  of a day  than  with  all  their  baggage  strapped  to  their persons. This would  be  “flying  artillery.”  The particular modes  of  constructing  such  guns,  and the analysis  of  the  improved  guns  that  have  been constructed of  late,  must  be  left  for  a further number. 2em

in watching  the  habits  of  fish,  insects, &c. in a good  Aquarium. We are  indebted  to these  inventions  of  more  modern  times  for  some curious discoveries  in  natural  history,  especially those which  refer  to  the  hitherto  unknown  habits of marine  animals. Let me  here  mention  one instance of  a peculiar  instinct  in  a small  crab, which may  interest  the  reader,  and  which  afforded me much  pleasure,  especially  as  I believe  the  facts I am about  to  relate  are  not  generally  known,  or if  known,  only  to  a very  few  persons,  and  those few not  of  the  scientific  world. At the  same  time, I am unwilling  to  claim  any  credit  for  the  discovery. It was  first  communicated  to  me  through an amiable  clergyman  and  his  wife  residing  in Scotland,  who,  having  an  aquarium,  and  living close to  the  sea,  had  frequent  opportunities  of ascertaining  the  facts  I am  about  to  relate,  and which I was  able  myself  to  verify  during  a recent  sojourn  I made  at  Bognor  in  Sussex. The facts are  these.

There is  a very  small  species  of  crab,  called  by the  fishermen  at  Bognor  the  spider-crab,  and which has  its  body  and  claws  covered  with numerous very  minute  hooks,  scarcely  perceptible to the  naked  eye,  but  perfectly  so  with  the  help  of a magnifying-glass. It may  be  asked,  “What  can be the  use  of  these  hooks?”  You  shall  hear. This crab  is  a prodigious  coxcomb,  and  very  careful of  its  own  precious  person. Either then  for  the purpose of  concealing  itself  from  its  enemies,  or from  an  innate  love  of  finery,  it  selects  a quantity of seaweed,  always  preferring  the  most  gaudy colours, those  chiefly  red. Having selected  them, he cuts  them  into  fine  thread-like  slips,  and  runs them through  the  hooks. When he  has  completed his toilette,  he  appears  one  mass  of  seaweed,  thus not only  disguising  himself  from  those  enemies which might  otherwise  make  him  their  prey,  but perhaps feeling  himself  the  best  dressed  crab  in the  neighbourhood. It is  also  remarkable  that  this labour for  making  his  toilette  is  renewed  every morning, so  that  the  quantity  of  seaweed  consumed is very  great. This may  be  observed  by  any  one who has  the  opportunity  of  keeping  these  comical little crabs  in  an  aquarium,  although  I regret  to add,  that  they  do  not  live  long  in  a state  of  confinement.

They are  caught  in  considerable  numbers  in  the lobster  and  prawn  baskets  at  Bognor,  together with  another  crab,  about  the  same  size  as  the spider-crab,  but  which  is  not  furnished  with hooks. On speaking  to  the  Bognor  fishermen respecting  the  latter,  I found  they  all  entertained the  idea  that  the  seaweed  grew  on  them.