142 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



Borax and Cockroaches. — I see in last month's 

 Science-Gossip a note relative to borax and cock- 

 roaches, as reprinted from the " Journal of Applied 

 Science." I saw the same note in March last, in 

 the "Pharmaceutical Journal," as an extract from 

 the "New York Druggists' Circular." Jt may 

 interest some of your readers to know, that as to 

 "there being something: peculiar in smell or touch 

 which is certain death," having tried it, I did not 

 find it so. I caught a large cockroach one night, 

 placed it in a glass, from which there was no chance 

 of escape, then covered it in borax and left it for 

 the night. Next morning, instead of being stupid or 

 dead, it was as lively as ever, and had cleaned off 

 most of the powder. Knowing cockroaches are 

 fond of sweets, I mixed some with honey, and laid it 

 about, without finding any perceptible diminution 

 of their number. Some of your correspondents may 

 be induced to make further use of the borax, for 

 if of any use, it would be a desirable " Killer." 

 — C, W. II. Andrews. 



Earthworms. — Perhaps the following extract 

 from one of Mrs. Loudon's works on gardening may 

 prove useful to yo.ur correspondent. She says— 

 "The common earthworm (Lumbricus terrestris) is 

 a most destructive creature in flowerpots ; it has 

 been ascertained that worms swallow earthy matter, 

 and that, after having deprived it of its nourishing 

 properties, they eject the remainder in the form of 

 what are called worm-casts, and which instinct 

 teaches them to throw out of their burrows to the 

 surface, that they may not be in danger of swallow- 

 ing it again. To find fresh earth, the worm is^ con- 

 tinually incited to penetrate the ground in different 

 directions ; while, after each repast it is induced 

 to return to the surface to eject its cast ; and thus 

 ground inhabited by worms is sure to be perforated 

 and pulverized." I may add that the best way to 

 destroy them when they disfigure the surface of a 

 lawn, is to scrape off the castings, and then, if the 

 surface be watered with lime-water, all the worms 

 will die. However, the propriety of this proceeding 

 is considered doubtful, because the common earth- 

 worm by its borings renders the substratum some- 

 what like a sieve, and thus affords excellent 

 drainage. If it were not for them, lawns would 

 long continue swampy after heavy rain. — /. S. 

 William, Durham. 



Fotjlkes's Cement. — There is a fluid cement 

 coming much into use for domestic purposes, called 

 " Eoulkes's Cement," which seems to be very valu- 

 able. It does not seem, so far as can be judged 

 from colour or smell, to contain any of the cements 

 commonly used by microscopists, either those 

 applied with heat or without it. None of those 

 cements is nearly so easy or convenient to work 

 with. Perhaps some of your practical corre- 

 spondents would be kind enough to give their 

 opinion whether it could be relied upon for the 

 purposes of microscopists — in the place, for ex- 

 ample, of marine glue. I find it succeeds with 

 broken plates, on which marine glue always fails in 

 my hands, apparently from not getting a proper 

 surface to catch hold of. If it could be depended 

 on as a general cement for cells, &c, it would be a 

 great gain, being quite as easy to work with as 

 common gum.— S. L..B. 



Tea-chests.— Can any one tell me of what tree 

 or trees these, say China, boxes are made? — J. II. L. 



Earthworms. — If Mr. Wilkinson will use the 

 following, he will get clear of the worms : — Dissolve 

 1 oz. of corrosive sublimate in 2 oz. of hydrochloric 

 acid; put one or two table-spoonfuls into the can 

 full of water ; stir well with a stick, and use. The 

 worms will come out and die ; pick them up, and 

 put out of the way of any fowls, it being a strong 

 ■poison. It will not injure the grass. Mr. W. must 

 not use it in the kitchen garden. — E. Winder, Lan- 

 caster. 



Anemone Infusoria. — I have not seen Dr. 

 Dick's treatise on the "Telescope and Microscope," 

 referred to by " W." in the last number of Science- 

 Gossip; but I should imagine, he only states that 

 an animalcule of the kind described is said_ to be 

 found in the anemone infusion, the authority for 

 which is Joblot's " Observations d'Histoire Na- 

 turelle faites avec le Microscope," 1754, who (at 

 part 2, p. 57) says, "La nature qui se plait a 

 diversifier ses productions, et qui se fait admirer 

 dans tous ses ouvrages, continue a nous en donner 

 des preuves dans cette infusion d'anemone, pre- 

 pared a 1'ordinaire avec de l'eau commune, puisqu'au 

 bout d'environ hurt jours on apercut dans une 

 goutte de cette infusion uu animal nouveau. 

 Tout le dessus de son corps est couvert d'un beau 

 masque bien forme, de figure humaine, parfaite- 

 ment bien fait." And a figure, represt-nting this 

 human face with six legs, will be found at plate 6, 

 fig. 12.— F. C. S. Roper. 



Tritons.— In SciENCE-Gossipforthis month (May) 

 E. Halse, of Notting Hill, wishes to know if Triton 

 cristatus really does feed on Lissotriton. punctatus. 

 Some years since I' caught several specimens of 

 these reptiles in the ponds on Wimbledon Common, 

 and kept them in a large glass tank full of water, 

 and have often seen the Triton cristatus seize the 

 Lissotriton punctatus by the head, and swallow it 

 whole, without any apparent difficulty, the latter 

 offering but little resistance to the operation. The 

 meal seemed to satisfy the Triton for some days. — 

 Alfred Woodforde. 



Water- Snake. — There is a sort of fish (I 

 suppose) fouud in springs here ; it is about a foot 

 or fifteen inches long, and about as thick as a stout 

 horsehair, called here a " water-snake." I should 

 be obliged if some one would kindly tell me what 

 it is. The common belief here is, that it is a horse- 

 hair come to life ; and that if you put horsehairs 

 from the mane or tail into a spring, in about a fort- 

 night they will come to life ; also, that there is a 

 strict, law, with heavy penalties, against any one 

 putting horsehair into springs. • This may interest 

 some collector of odd superstitions. — W. C. P., 

 Whitebrook, ?iear Monmouth. 



Cotswold Lion (Science- Gossir, May, 1S71, 

 p. 11-1).— Cotswold Lions. Sheep. "Have at the 

 lyons on Cotsolde," Thersites, ap. Collier, ii. 401. 

 "Halli well's Dictionary."— W. W. King. 



The Lotus.— "A. H. A." should consult "Illus- 

 trations of the Lotus of the Ancients and Tamara 

 of India," by R. Duppa, LL.B. London : printed 

 by Bensley and Son, Bolt Court, 1S1G.— C. 



Cammocke (p. 114) — Halliwell gives the follow- 

 ing explanation of this word:—" Cammock,a crooked 

 tree or beam; timber prepared for the knee ot a 

 ship. 'As crooked as a Cammocke.' — Mother 

 Bombie. 'Though the Cammock, the more it is 

 bowed the better4t is; yet the bow, the more it is 



