118 



SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



[May 1, I860. 



ptera, and Diptera) were brought on the sand, 

 near Osteud, by the flood. They formed on the 

 shore a black line of 25 centim. (1 foot) broad, and 

 more than 1 mile in length. — Bernardin. 



Spring Notices.— On the 21st March last, I 

 noticed a solitary martin (Iliruudo urbica) circling 

 about the surface of the river Tone; and on the 

 26th, which was a warm spring day here, I saw 

 three or four butterflies on the wing ; they were the 

 large white {Pontia Brassier), and the small tortoise- 

 shell {Vanessa JJrtica). The cuckoo [Cuculus ca- 

 norus) was heard here, I am told, on the morning 

 of the 2nd April. — A. J. N. Macdonald, Taunton. 



Local Name for the Frog. — The common 

 name for the frog in the neighbourhood of St. 

 Austell is « c Wilkin."— W. It. T. 



Birds on Sheep. — In answer to H. Blight, 

 who iu your last number (in a note on the mag- 

 pie), says that he believes the Corvida to be the 

 only family of birds that perch on the backs of 

 sheep, I beg to say that I have seen starlings 

 (family Stumidoe) do so, and a friend of mine says 

 it is quite a common thing in the country to see 

 them on the backs of sheep. — /. B. N. Al. 



Parasite on the Limpet— Cau any of your 

 readers inform me of the generic and specific name 

 of the small red parasite found on the limpet ? It 

 appears to me to resemble a mite, but I cannot find 

 it described in Duges' " Memoir on the Acarinse," in 

 the A/males des Sciences Naturelles, nor, in fact, in 

 any work I have consulted. — T. G. P. 



The Dipper, or Water - ousel (Science 

 Gossip, p. 93). — I beg to put in a word in the dis- 

 cussion about the water-ousel walking in the water. 

 This walk can be eifected, I think, notwithstanding 

 the specific lightness. When this bird moves 

 its wings like oars, or rather as screws, it gives the 

 great impulsion with them, and with his feet clings 

 to the ground, just as the newly-invented river-tugs 

 or tow-boats cling to a chain immersed in the flood ; 

 the resultant of these two forces is stronger than the 

 force which impels the bird to the surface, and it 

 continues wailing ; I believe it has never been seen 

 standing motionless in the water. — Bernardin, Melle, 

 near Ghent. 



Dipper Walking under Water.— That late 

 accurate observer, Charles St. John, in his " Natural 

 History and Sport in Norway," p. 88, writes of this 

 bird : — " It has a peculiar habit, while flying along a 

 stream, of suddenly dropping into the water, where 

 it either swims, or rather floats, on the surface, or 

 dives down at once to the bottom, where it searches 

 actively for its food: the beetles, which form great 

 part of its food, being found on the stones and 

 gravel at the bottom of the water. I never saw the 

 water-ousel feed on any insect which it caught out 

 of the water, or even on the surface •. its whole 

 food seems to be found at the bottom. Though the 

 fact has often been doubted, it certainly runs and 

 scratches up the stones while at the bottom in 

 search of food." Furthermore, in Morris's "British 

 Birds," p. 17, it is stated—" That this bird has the 

 power of walking at the bottom of the water, is an 

 established fact. The argument against its being 

 able to do so, is that to the reasoning powers of 

 some persons it does not seem possible. Its feet 

 are admirably adapted for holding on to the stones 

 over which it makes its way, and for stemming, at 

 the same time, the force of the current ; for that no 



effort is required to keep its place below the surface, 

 is what no one has said. On dry land it is by no 

 means an expert walker, being there evidently out 

 of its element." To characterize a well-ascertained 

 fact, corroborated by the experience of trustworthy 

 observers, as "an absurd story" seems rather a 

 hasty and uncalled-for epithet on the part of Geo. 

 E. Smith, Durham. For further information on the 

 subject of the submergence of water-birds, I would 

 refer him and the readers of S. G. to a paper in 

 the Naturalist, vol. i. p. 5, by Dr. Morris, "On the 

 Power that certain Water-Birds possess of remain- 

 ing partially submerged in deep water."— /. Gifford, 

 Minehead, Somerset. 



Insect Vivaria. — I believe _that_ an insect 

 vivarium, of really efficient dimensions, is not to be 

 purchased for less than three or four guineas. This 

 circumstance militates against the general adoption 

 of these cases, as the majority of amateur naturalists 

 would hesitate to spend so much upon what must 

 as yet be regarded as an experiment. Has any- 

 tliing of a more moderate character been devised, 

 intermediate between these expensive structures 

 and the ugly old-fashioned boxes used for rearing 

 Lepidoptera? We have economy and elegance 

 combined in fern-cases, why not in vivaria? — 

 W.H.G. 



Hybernation oe Swallows— I recently pointed 

 out in another journal the curious'similarity between 

 the opinion of the Chinese on this subject as re- 

 corded by M. Hue in his " Chinese Empire," and a 

 narrative of the discovery of a ball of torpid swal- 

 lows in the sand on the banks of the Iiibble, 

 contributed to Kingston's Magazine for Boys by 

 an anonymous subscriber. In the next number, 

 Mr. Gould, the celebrated writer on British birds, 

 forwarded an extract from his work, embodying the 

 opinion of Professor Owen, that it is a vulgar error 

 to suppose that any swallows remain torpid in this 

 country during the winter, and that they are phy- 

 sically unable to do so. In reply, I forwarded an 

 interesting letter in support of my statements, 

 written by a gentleman of undoubted veracity, well 

 known in the Channel Islands — the Rev. Daniel 

 Dobree, M.A., rector of the Forest and Torteval, 

 Guernsey. The subject is undoubtedly a difficult 

 one ; but when gentlemen assert that they have 

 found swallows in a torpid state in the winter, I 

 cannot see why Professor Owen or Mr. Gould 

 should dispute the truth of their statements. 

 Mr. Dobree says : — " I perfectly coincide in your 

 opinion, and for the following reason. In the 

 winter of 1845 I was engaged in pulling down the 

 rectory of my parish of Torteval, which had cer- 

 tainly stood since the time of Charles the Second. 

 The weather was exceedingly cold, as it was in 

 November or December, but on pulling down the 

 roof I found six swallows in a torpid state under the 

 old rafters, and took I hem home in my pocket. On 

 arriving at the Forest Rectory, I placed them at a 

 certain distance from the fire at night, to the great 

 amusement of my wife and servants. On the follow- 

 ing morning they were all perched upon the kitchen 

 grate, chirping as if in spring. I regret to say that 

 subsequently, for want of flies and other suitable 

 aliment, which I in vaiu endeavoured to procure 

 them, they all died. I wish to say that they were 

 certainly not young birds ; many of them having that 

 red throat by which an old cock swallow is always 

 distinguished. I am glad you have given me an 

 opportunity to express an opinion for which 1 have 

 so often been laughed at." In conclusion, I would 

 observe that I hope the question may be soon 



