HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



185 



The Elephant Parasite.— I was much inter- 

 ested by seeing, in the June issue of the Gossip, the 

 description by a correspondent of a rare and new 

 species of parasite from the elephant. Hare it cer- 

 tainly is, but not altogether new, inasmuch as I 

 have in my possession some six or eight specimens, 

 which my late father procured some months ago, 

 and intended describing in his 2nd vol. on Ano- 

 plurffi, but was prevented by his sudden death. This 

 parasite was considered by him to be an entirely new 

 one, and to take, as far as his examination of it had 

 gone, a somewhat intermediate position between 

 the Pediculidae and the Cimicidse ; but unfortu- 

 nately he had not completed his examination and 

 description of it when seized with his last illness, 

 and so had to leave this, along with others, unde- 

 scribed, and also the manuscript of his 2nd vol. in- 

 complete. I shall endeavour, however, to secure 

 to the entomological world, and to the lovers of this 

 unpopular class of insects in particular, the unpub- 

 lished result of my father's labours for the last twenty 

 years. The parasites in my possession were kindly 

 procured for my father by Mr. Maunders, from an 

 elephant in his travelling collection. — T. G. Denny, 

 Burley Street, Leeds. 



Processionary Moths. — I have only just dis- 

 covered in your May number (having been from 

 home) an account of the Processionary Moth. I 

 beg to inform you that these caterpillars have made 

 periodical visits to my garden for the last dozen or 

 fourteen years. The first year they appeared, we 

 caused our servant to catch them ; and, being all of 

 us ignorant of their urticating nature, the boy 

 suffered as your correspondent describes. Since 

 that time we have destroyed many, but have taken 

 care never to touch them. I have heard of clothes 

 dried near the trees on which the caterpillars were, 

 becoming poisonous. The Processionaries are very 

 numerous this year, though I have never had the 

 luck to see a procession. With us they devour 

 oak, elm, hornbeam, wild cherry, and even laurel! 

 — Julia Colsoti, Sicanage, Dorset. 



Cat-ology. — A very few instances of " incon- 

 gruous attachments " have been recorded respecting 

 the cat, which in its wild state is one of the most 

 cruel and bloodthirsty of the ferocious genus of 

 Eelis, and even the " tabby " of our venerable 

 maiden aunt, with all its innocent purring, is a heart- 

 less, sanguinary beast (I speak feelingly, one having 

 this week decimated a valuable brood of our 

 chickens !) Never, however, till the other day did I 

 hear of a cat acting as a retriever. A gentleman, a 

 day or two since, told me the following circumstance, 

 almost incredible, and which I should not have 

 risked my credibility by recording had not the Rev. 

 G. White, inthat interesting little work, the "Natural 

 History of Selborne," mentioned something similar, 



and as unusual. The wife of my friend has a fine 

 " tortoiseshell," which not only lies at her feet by 

 the fire, but follows her like a dog. In the dining- 

 room hangs a canary, which is frequently allowed 

 the liberty of flying about the room. On the 

 occasion referred to, the window being open, it 

 made its escape, and flew into the neighbouring 

 garden. The lady, followed by her favourite puss, 

 went in search of the bird, and vainly tried to catch 

 or induce it to return the way it went, viz., through 

 the open window. Puss soon comprehended the 

 situation, and crouching and creeping cautiously, 

 feline like, made a spring and caught it (nothing 

 surprising so far). Instead, however, of putting 

 poor dicky into its maw, she brought it indoors, and 

 placed it in the hands of her mistress, who was as 

 much astonished as delighted to find scarcely a 

 feather injured ! I may just add that the before- 

 mentioned cat on the occasion of the death of a hen, 

 had actually "nestled " a small brood of chickens. — 

 C. Harvey Belts, M.D., Gatten House, Shanklin. 



More New Parasites.— In the July number of 

 the Monthly Microscopical Journal, there are two 

 parasites described by Mr. T. G. Ponton, F.Z.S., 

 as new species. One of these is referred to the 

 sub-genus Docophorus, the other to the genus 

 Trichodectes. Having been collecting and studying 

 these insects for some years, I am naturally 

 interested in new facts connected with my favourite 

 entomological corner. 1 trust I may therefore 

 stand excused in suggesting the expediency of 

 some further information about these extraordinary 

 species. A Docophorus with single, and a Tricho- 

 dectes with double tarsal claws, are things quite new 

 to me, and were certainly altogether unknown to 

 the late Mr. Denny. — H. C. Richter, Kensington. 



Nidification. — Two circumstances regarding 

 the nidification of birds came last month to my 

 knowledge, which seem to me rather exceptional, 

 and which, I think, might interest some of your 

 readers. One was that of a pair of moor-hens 

 [Gallinula chloropus), which had chosen a pond, on 

 a farm at Sproroston, near the high road, and close 

 to the farm buildings, between three and four miles 

 from any river or marsh. There, on an old fagot 

 placed to prevent the cattle entering the water, 

 they built their nest, and reared a brood of seven 

 young ones. The other was that of a partridge 

 {Perdix rubra) on the same farm, which had made 

 a nest on the gable-end of an old straw-stack, 

 eight feet from the ground, and four feet from 

 the top, and there also she brought off her young 

 brood. 



P.S.— One of your correspondents, in last month's 

 Science-Gossip, wishes to form a list of good local 

 flora; that of Norfolk, by the Rev. Kirby Trimmer, 

 will prove all he can desire.— E. A., Noncich. 



