March 1, 1866.] 



SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



71 



destroyed. Swallows, the king-bird, and martins, 

 are dreaded by bee-keepers in America, on ac- 

 count of their weakness for bees ; and as to that 

 vexed question, the age of bees, why, Huber himself 

 (though he mentions a royal acquaintance of two 

 years' duration) never answered it. Lord Bacon, 

 I believe, said that he heard of a bee living seven 

 years. — Helen E. Watney. 



Virgil on Bees. — Some years ago, the state- 

 ments in the Fourth Georgic drew my attention to 

 some of the queries proposed by M. G. W., in the 

 February number of Science Gossip. I have been 

 a bee-master for some six years ; and as the over- 

 hanging roof of my vicarage affords ample shelter 

 for house-martins and swallows, I have had a limited 

 opportunity of observing more particularly the con- 

 duct of the bird towards the insect. Assuming that 

 "procne" is used in the limited sense of "swallow" 

 as known at the present day, and that it does not 

 refer to some other bird of wheeling flight and 

 bloodstained plumage, I am led to conclude that 

 this bird does not feed upon bees. _ At all events, I 

 have given special attention to this very point, and 

 not a single probable instance has come within my 

 personal knowledge. It is worthy of note, however, 

 that the Bev. J. G. Wood points out, as a remark- 

 able fact in Natural History, that the swallow 

 (Hirunda rustled) devours the stingless bees, whilst it 

 allows the others to go unharmed ; and he thinks this 

 fact may possibly be a proof of the instructive 

 knowledge of the bird. If this be true, it would 

 lead us to qualify, at least, the poet's words. 

 Whilst, however, one should be mindful of the dif- 

 ficulty of observing correctly, and of the weighl of 

 such authorities, I should be disposed to question 

 both statements, or, at all events, to require evidence 

 in support of them. Honey-bees, I should say, never 

 carry " lapillos " in high winds ; but there are other 

 species, it is well known, which build nests with 

 stones and other hard materials, and which, while 

 carrying them for this purpose, were probably mis- 

 taken for the honey-bee. The statement of the 

 writer in the Encyclopedia Britannica, who says, 

 that the " bee seldom dies a natural death " must be 

 received with caution. Judging from analogy, the 

 limitation of life is highly probable ; for whilst it 

 may be conceived that no individual insect of any 

 species lives a mouth longer than the others of the 

 same species, one can hardly suppose an exception 

 in the case of the bee. Of one of my own hives, it 

 may be said septima ducitur eestas ; and though I 

 believe that some of the very individuals which oc- 

 cupied it more than six years ago still form part of 

 the population, there are, nevertheless, strong proofs 

 of the truth of the poet's words, and that the first 

 generation is rapidly passing away as its seventh 

 summer approaches. The subjects of the other 

 queries have not come within the limit of my ex- 

 perience and observation. — Ben. Snow, Burton 

 Vicarage, Sleaford. 



Feeding the Bees. — I usually give my bees a 

 little food in February, if the weather is mild enough 

 for them to take it in, which is not generally the 

 case before the last week in the month. Before 

 doing so, I ascertain the weight of each stock, and 

 any hive that does not contain 10 lbs., 1 give them 

 sufficient food to make them up that weight. I con- 

 sider a little food to those stocks that are of the 

 above weight, or heavier, is an advantage to them 

 in the early spring months. After feeding, I stop 

 np all ventilation, and keep them as warm as I can. 

 Last year we had a deal of snow in February, and 

 the small birds were very destructive to the poor 



bees. As soon as I was aware of the ravages they 

 were making, I closed up all the entrances to the 

 hives, and kept them so as long as the snow con- 

 tinued. The Tom Tits were the most audacious, 

 and even succeeded in unstopping several hives, and, 

 no doubt, had a rich feast. On sunny days, when the 

 snow is on the ground, unless the bees are stopped 

 in, very many will perish by venturing out. — P. P. 



Plaster, Casts. — First, the plaster should be 

 new and kept from the air, and " superfine." There 

 are two methods of mixing it. One is to put suffi- 

 cient into a basin, cover it with water, let the air- 

 bubbles ascend, pour off the excess of fluid, and 

 then stir the remainder, which is then to be poured 

 on the mould. The other plan I prefer : — add suffi- 

 cient water, to the dry plaster, continually stirring, 

 until it is of the consistence of thick cream. The 

 " mould," or object of which a " cast" is to be made, 

 must be oiled with a camel's-hair pencil, and worked 

 well into the fine lines, &c, the superfluity wiped 

 off with cotton wool. Here care and judgment are 

 required — too much oil left on will choke up fine 

 lines ; on the other hand, if the mould is wiped dry, 

 the plaster will adhere to those parts, and will very 

 likely be left behind when the cast is removed. 

 Surround the object with a cardboard rim, oiled, 

 pour on the plaster gently, work the plaster into 

 depressions with a small brush, tap the mould 

 gently on the table, to urge the plaster into 

 depressions, and bring the air-bubbles to the sur- 

 face. Put by for an hour or so ; it will " set " in 

 a few minutes if the plaster is good, but must not be 

 removed until it is quite hard. Thus far I have 

 described the process ; there is much to be learnt, 

 but experience teaches. When any difficulty 

 arises with any particular object, I will gladly ex- 

 plain it away. I could have said much more, but 

 he will learn as he goes on. He should try a flat 

 surface first ; say a half-crown or medal. — H. J. B. 



Sparrows Boosting. — Is there anything remark- 

 able in sparrows roosting ? I ask the question, 

 because Mr. Tate mentions the circumstance in 

 Science Gossip ; and I am able to confirm his ac- 

 count, having seen them roost in England and 

 Wales, though I did not at the time think it extra- 

 ordinary. There used to be a long walk, shaded on 

 one side by trees, leading from the house to the 

 dairy, and these trees (sycamore) were the nightly 

 roosting-place of a number of sparrows. The cook, 

 in going to fetch cream after dai'k with a lighted 

 candle, always causedagreat commotion among them; 

 and I remember how pleased I used to be, if I ac- 

 companied her, at witnessing the flutter. Here, at 

 Hambledon, there is a large old holly-tree close to 

 my bedroom window, where all the house-sparrows 

 congregate ; and a precious noise they make of 

 an evening before settling themselves to their 

 satisfaction. — H. E. Watney. 



Chirping Beetles. — When collecting aquatic 

 insects for microscopical purposes, I have often 

 caught a small beetle, the popular name of which I 

 was told is the screech beetle, and always knew by 

 its chirp, long before I found it in the net, that it 

 was there. It is a small insect, about half an inch 

 in length, very active, and merry enough in an aqua- 

 rium, where it may often be heard if alarmed by a 

 fish, or touched by a stick. I think it is predatory, 

 but do not know its scientific name._ The elytra, 

 when soaked in potash, and mountedin balsam, are 

 very beautiful polariscope objects. _ Kirby & Spence 

 treat the fact of beetles making noises as a common 

 occurrence. — S. J. M. 



