HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



2G1 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



Blue-bottles once more. — Can you, or any of 

 your many practical readers, help me in the removal 

 of what is to me a very great nuisance? In Science- 

 Gossip, vol. iv. page 234, and vol. v. page 262, I 

 have given a description of my " plague of flies," to 

 which, for local particulars, I would refer. Last year, 

 1S70, during ten or twelve days in August, I caught 

 in my study 3,303 blue-bottles— viz., August 6th, 

 497;'Sth, 341; 9th, 470; 10th, 437; 12th, 415; 

 13th, 453 ; 15th, 130 ; 16th, 360 ; 17th, 205 ; and 

 smaller numbers afterwards : but I was from home 

 all September, and after that the weather was 

 colder, and they disappeared. This year, 1S71, they 

 have been worse than ever. The 3rd of March was 

 very mild, and I caught 555 ; but after that, until 

 the 7th of August, their numbers were not impor- 

 tant. On the 7th I caught 750; 8th, 500; 9th, 

 783; 10th, 568 ; 11th, 750; 12th, 1,032; 14th, 1,600; 

 making 5,9S3 in a week; when I was compelled 

 almost to abandon my study, and leave the blue- 

 bottles in full possession. No matter whether the 

 windows were ©pen or shut, in they came, through 

 every crevice ; and though I cleared the room at 

 dusk, as soon as I lighted the gas, they were out 

 again, buzzing through the flame, and falling wing- 

 less and spinning on my writing-paper; so that 

 study, in my study, became an impossibility. I should 

 be glad to know what induces them to come ; and 

 if any one can suggest a remedy, or how I am to 

 get rid of what is now an intolerable nuisance. — 

 H. O. S., St. Edmund's Vicarage, Gateshead. 



Stings. — Will any of your readers kindly refer 

 me to any book which gives an account of the 

 action of the various stings, beginning with that of 

 the nettle ? I want to know how the poison gets 

 into the wound so rapidly when an insect stings you, 

 and, in the case of the nettle, if there is any poison, 

 and the mechanical action which takes place ; in 

 short, I want to know "all about it." — /. W. IF. 



Cystea Montana. — The Rev. Hugh Macmillan, 

 in his book " Holidays on High Lands," at page 67, 

 says of this plant : "Its original centre of distribution 

 seems to be the Rocky Mountains of America, for 

 there it occurs in the utmost luxuriance and pro- 

 fusion." Will this author, or any of your numerous 

 readers, give, through your columns, the authorities 

 for this statement of fact? In the "The British 

 Ferns," Sir Wm. Hooker says, "We possess five 

 specimens from the east side of the Rocky Moun- 

 tains, gathered by Drummond ;" which is all that 

 is known here of its occurence in that locality. — 

 B. W. 



Bait for Soles. — " C. L. J." will find that soles 

 will take any of the following baits :— Soft crab, 

 soldier-crab, lug-worm, mussel, shrimp, and rag- 

 worm. The most killing bait I am acquainted with 

 is the tail of the soldier-crab ; but he must have 

 proper gear, and must fish at the proper time, or he 

 must not expect to get a bite. Soles are caught by 

 the trawl at all times and seasons, — they cannot 

 escape from that ruinously destructive engine ; but 

 they only come to the hook when they are them- 

 selves searching for food. They are mostly " on 

 the feed " at night, and it is useless to put lines out 

 for them on bright sunny days, when the water is 

 as clear as crystal. Hardly any kind of fish will 

 bite when the sunlight penetrates freely to the 



bottom of the water. For sole-fishing especially, 

 the most favourable time is after a blow, when the 

 water is thick; and a land breeze answers better 

 than a sea breeze. All sea-fish bite more freely after 

 a heavy blow, in the first lull after a gale, and 

 while the water is still turbid from the commo- 

 tion. The soft tail of the soldier-crab {Pagums 

 Bernhardus) is the most seductive bait I know ; and 

 long gut snoods should be used. The "Trot," 

 alias " Boulter " or " Long Line," laid out in the 

 evening, is the most effectual contrivance, next to 

 the trawl, for catching ground fish. The " Ledger- 

 trot " is a capital contrivance for amateurs who do 

 not care to be out late, and to be bothered with the 

 entanglements of the " Trot " proper. These " gut 

 ledger trots, for fiat fish," are admirably fitted by 

 Mr. Hearder, of 195, Union-street, Plymouth, at a 

 very moderate charge. Another plan is to fasten a 

 gut snood, four or five feet in length, to an eye or 

 loop in a common lead sinker. The latter is allowed 

 to rest on the bottom, being slightly raised occa- 

 sionally to feel for a bite. The snood is furnished 

 with a hook at the end, and with one or two other 

 hooks knotted on at intervals. Flat fish are very 

 inquisitive. The moment one is hooked, or is busy 

 sucking at a bait, half a dozen others are sure to 

 come to see what he is about, and to commence 

 searching all round him. It is pleasant to haul up 

 two or three good broad-backs at a time. The sole 

 does not strike at the bait, but sucks it in, and 

 requires time to hook himself. The flesh of the 

 Pecten is used for a bait in some places. Let our 

 friend "C. L. J." examine the contents of the 

 stomachs of half a dozen soles taken in his neigh- 

 bourhood, and he will soon find out the best bait. 

 He must remember that, like most other fish, they 

 do not bite all the year round. They are biting 

 freely now on this part of the coast. We shall be 

 glad to hear if he meets with any luck with the 

 "ledger-trot" and the "tail of a sojer." The in- 

 fernal trawls are exterminating our coast fishes. 

 The next time " C. L. J." goes out in a trawler, let 

 him count the number of well-grown marketable 

 fish taken during the trip, and let him also count 

 the number of immature fish and young fry that are 

 hauled up and destroyed, being either dead by the 

 time they are hoisted on board, or left on the deck 

 uutil they die ; and let him publish the result in 

 Science-Gossip, or send it to me. If the fisher- 

 men would only take the trouble to put back the 

 young unripe fish into the sea alive, the murderous 

 mischief would be much lessened; but, as it is, 

 they destroy the young fish, by tens of millions, in 

 the most careless, reckless way. Shall we ever be 

 wise enough to protect our sea fisheries as we have 

 protected our salmon fisheries ? I suppose we shall 

 not. The salmon rivers mostly belong to powerful 

 corporations and wealthy and influential landed 

 proprietors, who have both intelligence and in- 

 terest enough to obtain protection for their own 

 fisheries; but the sea, the poor man's fishery, is 

 harried by every description of poacher, in season 

 and out of season ; and the laws thereanent, though 

 sufficiently stringent, are allowed to lie dormant. 

 They have become a dead letter ; and the fish are 

 nearly extinct on some parts of our coasts. — 

 Major Holland, Bury Cross, Gosport. 



Preserving Grasses, &c. — Some kind reader of 

 Science-Gossip would greatly oblige by informing 

 me what preparation is used to preserve grasses, 

 ferns, &c, for the decoration of cases of stuffed 

 animals. — Robert Laddiman, Norwich. 



