u 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



this seems a not very probable supposition. Some j 

 may consider, as is asserted, that the odour of benzole ! 

 is the more agreeable to the nose of the entomolo- 

 gist, though really such a preference would be 

 singular; yet the most important is, which is the 

 best preservative and the readiest to use ? Rags 

 dipped in benzole are not of very convenient ap- 

 plication in many cases, and the odour passes off 

 quickly if the compartment be not air-tight. 

 Another thing is worth consideration : it bas been 

 stated that fibrous materials which have been 

 damped with benzole, or similar preparations, do 

 sometimes take fire spontaneously. A pleasant 

 sight for an insect-hunter, on his return from a 

 "mothing" sally, to behold his cabinets in a blaze. 

 Would be bear it as philosophically as Newton did 

 the destruction of his MSS. by "Diamond"? I 

 trow not.—/. R. S. C. 



A Tropical Forest. — If I rode with vasculum 

 and insect-net and fowling-piece into the mountain 

 woods, there was still the like pleasing uncertainty 

 of what might occur, with the certainty of abun- 

 dance. Soon a gorgeous butterfly rushes out of the 

 gloom into the sunny glade, and is in a moment 

 seen to be a novelty. Then comes the excitement 

 of the pursuit, the disappointment of seeing it 

 dance over a thicket out of sight, the joy of _ finding 

 it reappear, the tantalizing trial of watching the 

 lovely wings flapping just out of reach, the patient 

 waiting for it to descend, the tiptoe approach as we 

 see it "settle on a flower, the breathless eagerness 

 with which the net is poised, and the triumphant 

 flush with which we contemplate the painted wings 

 within the gauze, and the admiration with which 

 we gaze on its loveliness when held in the trem- 

 bling fingers. Next a glittering beetle is detected 

 crawling on the grey bark of a lichen-tree ; here is 

 a fine caterpillar feeding yonder, By-and-by we 

 emerge into a spot where, for some cause or other, 

 insects seem to have specially congregated ; a 

 dozen different kinds of butterflies are flitting to 

 and fro in bewildering profusion of beauty, and 

 our collecting-box is half filled in the course of 

 an hour. — P. H. Gosse, " Romance of Natural 

 History." 



The Earwig. — What is the true etymology of 

 this name ? We all know the tradition which tells 

 how this insect creeps into men's ears, and works 

 untold mischief in their brains,— a.tradition which is 

 as prevalent on the Continent as among ourselves ; 

 thus the animal is named Perce oreille (ear-piercer) 

 in France, Ohrwurm (ear-worm) in Germany, Pin- 

 zainola (little piercer) in Italy, &c. Is our native 

 name due to the same tradition? If so, what 

 means the second syllable in it ? But can it be 

 that, after all, the name comes from quite a different 

 source ; that it is really " earwing " ; and is derived 

 from the shape of the insect's wing, which, when 

 expanded, bears a certain resemblance to the human 

 ear? Unlike the wings of most insects, which are 

 generally elongate, this organ is, in the Forficulids, 

 more or less circular, in its outline and traversed by 

 numerous veinlets, disposed as in the Maiden-hair 

 Eern {Adiantum),ot as a fan. When at rest, the wing- 

 is folded lengthways; it is then again folded upon 

 itself for about one-third of its length ; and is thus 

 comfortably packed under the very short elytra with 

 which the creature is provided. The beautiful man- 

 ner in which the wing is stowed away in its case 

 suggested to Mr. Westwood the name of Euplexo- 

 pters (or insects with the well-folded wings), in lieu 



of Degeer's Dermapters (or leather-wings), a term 

 having regard to the elytra, not to the true wings. 

 The difficulty of unfolding the wing in order to get 

 at its real form is not slight, as the elastic ribs 

 resist every attempt to straighten them, and the 

 membrane is exceedingly delicate and easily torn. 

 Nevertheless its elegant shape, and the manner in 

 which it is packed up, are well worth the trouble 

 involved in the examination; whether the observer 

 be thereby convinced of the appropriateness of the 

 term "ear-wing," or not. — W. W. Spicer, Potterne, 

 Wilts. 



Insect Eggs. — I am afraid it would take much 

 space to tell " G. H. B." where to find eggs of 

 Lepidoptera, and then the when would be wanted, 

 and, much more important than either, the' prac- 

 tised eye of an entomologist would be required. 

 Most entomologists will have a lot of eggs, in the 

 course of a season, that [they do not 'require for 

 breeding purposes, and would no doubt be glad to 

 distribute them. I shall be glad to do so, for one, 

 and will be happy to hear from any microscopist 

 requiring these interesting objects. I would also 

 be glad to know how to prevent fertile eggs hatch- 

 ing, without injuring them for the microscope. 

 Would immersion in hot water spoil them ? Barren 

 eggs shrivel up. Can this be prevented?— John E. 

 Robson. 



Is the Landrail a Bird op Passage ?— I 

 have a skin of this bird that was brought to me by 

 a lad in December,jlS6S. He caught it in a cave on 

 the rocks, and it was alive when I got it. I 

 do not know the exact date, but it was a few days 

 before Christmas day.— John E. Robson. 



Cleaning Coral.— Could any of your readers 

 kindly inform me how to clean coral ? I have tried 

 soap and water, but cannot succeed.— IF. H. If. 



Who Killed Cock Robin ?— Without wishing 

 to be understood as speaking " on authority," I may 

 venture to state that it is very probable that our 

 popular version of " Cock Robin," was written by 

 Oliver Goldsmith. All who are familiar with the 

 leading facts of his biography, know of his connec- 

 tion with Newbery, a bookseller and publisher, the 

 predecessor of a still existing juvenile library in 

 St. Paul's Churchyard ; and will thus see the pro- 

 bability of his having produced mauy,of our favourite 

 nursery tales and ditties, which it may not have 

 seemed to him desirable to acknowledge publicly. — 

 A. H. 



On the Broad (Science-Gossip, p. 50). — Is 

 not the word boulders put for "bull-ders," i.e. the 

 bull-rushes ; large, strong, aquatic plants ? The 

 terminal is a common Saxon form, as in appul-der 



1 for an apple-tree ; maplc-der for a maple-tree. The 

 pronunciation of boul, for bull, is not further out 



I than that'of rond for rudd ; as quoted in the same 



! paper —A. II., March 13, 1871. 



"The Story of a Boulder" in your January 

 number, besides being very interesting, called, to 

 t my mind the most remarkable collection of boulders 

 1 have ever seen in any part of the world, or indeed 

 that I ever heard of. It is situated close to the 

 summit of Mount Wellington, near Hobart Town, 

 Tasmania ; and I send you a short extract from my 

 journal, though I don't know whether it will be of 

 the least use to you, or to any of your readers. The 



