HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



131 



the doctor remarks, and recommends that "cool 

 grass and willow leaves " be given to the animal 

 afterwards for food, in order that "these cold herbes 

 may mittigate the heat of the potion." 



Like most plants of the same sub-order, Elecam- 

 pane possesses certain bitter, tonic, and aromatic 

 properties, and the chemical extract Timlin obtained 

 from it, is said to be useful as an expectorant and 

 diaphoretic, and has been employed in cases of 

 catarrh, and in dyspepsia : the French prepare from 

 it their tin d'aunee. It is rarely seen in gardens at 

 the present time, but we can remember large quan- 

 tities of it being cultivated many years ago, in a 

 secluded village hidden amongst the South downs 

 of Sussex. 



Bury Cross, GosporL 



MISSEL-THRUSH versus SQUIRREL. 



f\^ Thursday last, April G, I was a spectator at 

 ^-^ a contest, well worth recording, between the 

 above pugilists. Having found a missel-thrush's 

 nest about the middle of March, I was anxious to 

 find out when the young ones would be hatched. I 

 therefore went daily to look at the nest. On Thurs- 

 day morning a squirrel, feeling, I suppose, a deeper 

 interest than even I did, paid it a visit. He met, 

 however, with a very different reception, for while I 

 was permitted to climb up the tree so as to overlook 

 the old bird on the nest without disturbing her, his 

 kind attentions (whatever his intentions may have 

 been) met with a most cruel and decided repulse. I 

 was just in time to see the squirrel knocked, not 

 only off his legs, but also off the branch on which 

 the nest is built, down to the ground— a distance of 

 ten feet. His bewildered look at such unladylike 

 conduct was a study for an artist. The old bird 

 did not allow him time to recover, but alighted 

 on his back and furiously pecked away at his 

 poor head, so that I began to fear that I should 

 have a dead squirrel to pick up. What with the 

 shrieking of the missel-thrush in not very melodi- 

 ous tones, and that peculiar noise of the squirrel 

 when irritated, and the scuffle among the dead 

 leaves, there was a pretty hubbub. The squirrel, 

 after a few seconds, managed to get away and ran 

 up a tree. The bird flew at him again, and again 

 compelled him to come to the ground. He then 

 got into an angle in the roots of a tree, and sat on 

 his hind-legs, boxing away with his fore -legs, in 

 what, I suppose, is the " most approved " squirrel 

 "style," reminding one forcibly of a certain 

 Scottish hero, of whom it is sung, — 



" His back against a rock he bore, 

 And firmly placed his foot before." 



But the missel-thrush had the best of it, for she 

 flew down at him from above ; and no one can be 

 surprised that, with those wings flapping just in 

 front of his eyes, and those terrible shrieks sound- 

 ing in his ears, the squirrel at once decided that 



" discretion is the better part of valour," and 

 made another bold effort to escape. He ran about 

 twenty yards along the ground, and in that distance 

 was three times pulled up to defend himself with 

 his fists. At length he reached another tree, and 

 by corkscrewing round the trunk contrived to reach 

 the upper branches. As the tree was one of an 

 avenue there was a good course for him ; and now 

 began a veritable " race for life," for the missel- 

 thrush darted with such violence at him that, had 

 she struck him, he must have fallen at least thirty 

 feet. The race continued for nearly three hundred 

 yards, when the missel-thrush gave up the chase 

 and returned to her nest, where she sat for some 

 time, muttering in a very significant manner, and 

 adjusting her ruffled feathers. During all this time, 

 until the race began, I was never more than two 

 yards distant from the combatants, but neither 

 appeared to notice me in the least degree. I saw 

 nothing of the male bird the whole of the time. 

 Had he joined in, I fear that Mr. Squirrel would not 

 have got off so easily. It was a fair fight, and I 

 have now an immense admiration for the " pluck " 

 of the missel-thrush, while I have become more 

 inclined than ever, should I be placed on the grand 

 jury, to find a true bill against the family of the 

 squirrel, on the charge of feloniously entering dwell- 

 ing houses with intent to murder. 

 Bredwardine. Rev. R. Blight. 



A NEW EORM OE PARASITE. 



rpiIE unique specimen of this new insect was 

 -*■ placed in my hands for description by Mr. T. 

 Curties, E.R.M.S. 



I have been unable to procure any further ac- 

 count of it than the bare fact that it was detected 

 as a parasite upon the elephant in Ceylon. Of its 

 relations and true position in the vast series to 

 which it belongs, it is very difficult to judge; and, 

 as is often the case with these minute and apterous 

 forms, various opinions may be assumed and sup- 

 ported concerning it. 



There can be no doubt that it constitutes not only 

 a new genus, but the type of an entirely new family 

 of insects. Its very novel and strange form induced 

 me to submit it to Mr. Erancis Walker, F.L.S., who 

 has given it the new generic name " Idolocoris" (the 

 image or representation of a bug); and I have much 

 pleasure in appending his description and general 

 observations upon its structure and systematic re- 

 lations. 



Genus Idolocoris, Walker.— "Eemale. Body flat, 

 oval ; head transverse, a little longer than the pro- 

 thorax. Eyes lateral, simple, very small ; rostrum 

 porrect, linear, stout, not jointed; with three in- 

 cumbent triangular appendages on each side above 

 on the anterior end ; with a lanceolate obliquely re- 

 tracted appendage on each side, in front of the hind- 



