166 



SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



[July 1, 1S66. 



Robin, the " Bird of Death."— The quotation 

 from "Once a Week" in the April number of 

 S. G., stating the robin received the name of red- 

 breast because it extracted a thorn from our Lord's 

 crown at the crucifixion, adds another instance to 

 the general belief that the robin is the " bird of 

 death." This idea was strong with the English 

 peasantry as long ago as the tale of the " Babes in 

 the Wood." Cock Robin covers the dead children 

 with leaves. Shakespeare takes up the superstition 

 (if superstition it be), and writes, when the brothers 

 in "Cymbeline" mourn the supposed death of 

 Imogen, they add their intention to strew flowers 

 over the corse : — 



" The Rudduck would 

 With charitable bill (oh, bill sore shaming 

 Those rich-left heirs, that let their fathers lie 

 Without a monument) bring thee all this ; 

 Yea, and furred moss besides, when flowers are none 

 To winter gown thy corse." 



Tales are numerous in out-of-the-way country 

 villages of this pretty bird's watchfulness when 

 death is taking place, or has taken place. A poor 

 widow told me that the night before her husband 

 died, a robin-ruck flew many times against the 

 window," because," she said, "it knew //<? would 

 die." After a death in my own family a robin flew 

 into the chamber, and did not leave it until the in- 

 terment had taken place ! I attach no superstition 

 to these facts ; on the contrary, I attribute them to 

 the peculiar scent that prevails on these sad occa- 

 sions, and to the kindly feeling the robin possesses 

 towards mankind. Besides the provincial name of 

 redbreast, is "robin-ruck" and "rudduck" in the 

 north ; where red is called rud, we still say ruddy 

 to express rosy cheeks. 



Since writing the above, I see it is stated in the 

 June number of S. G., that a robin had recently 

 built its nest on a newly-made grave. Surely this 

 little incident supports the old thought, that the 

 robin is the "bird of death."—/?. C. 



Preserving Saline Plants.— Is there any better 

 method of preserving saline plants for the herbarium 

 than merely drying them ? I have in my collection 

 a number of these so-called Halophytes. Some of 

 these as the Samphire, Golden Samphire, Salicornia,_ 

 and Sueda, have in their tissues a large amount of 

 soda salts, and attract moisture from the air to such 

 an extent that the specimens become quite damp ; 

 and in addition to their own unsightliness, they 

 injure such plants as may be in contact with them. 

 A plan to get rid of this property of deliquescence 

 in the species referred to is a desideratum.— S. A. 

 Stewart, Belfast. 



Nest oe the Kingfisher (Alcedo ispida).— 

 Much has been written about the nest of the King- 

 fisher. I am humbly of opinion that no nest is made, 

 or intended to be made. The bones of the small 

 fish, which constitute their food, are ejected from 

 the stomachs of the birds, and on the bones so 

 ejected upon the floor of their nesting places the 

 eggs are laid, a hollow place being scraped among 

 them to prevent the eggs being broken by lying on 

 the bones. The bird is not at all uncommon here, 

 and I have had frequent opportunities of examining 

 their nests, and I never found the bones laid in any 

 order, but scattered about. ^ Where does the King- 

 fisher roost ?—J. Sanson, Fork. 



Deep Sea Soundings.— Can any of your corre- 

 spondents inform me how to operate on soundings 

 taken in white lead, tallow, &c, with a view to 

 finding foraminifera, diatoms, &c. ? — B. H. L. 



EOSSILS OF THE UPPER CHALK FORMATION. — 



These fossils with me are constantly crumbling 

 away. Can any one tell me of the cause and a cure 

 wherewith to prevent this sometimes serious loss in 

 specimens ? — C. A. J. [Have you tried immersing 

 them in a warm solution of gelatine ? — Ed.] 



Toxonidea. — I have had slides of this genus for- 

 warded to me from Cornwall, Exmouth, and White- 

 haven ; and am now inclined, with Mr. Kitton, to 

 believe that the diatoms found by Dr. Donkin on 

 the Northumberland shores may, if searched for, be 

 found on any part of the British coasts. Has any 

 correspondent found Attheya decora? It is very 

 abundant on the Northumberland coast. — T. P. 

 Barkas. 



The Sword-grass. — " R. S " (page 119) in- 

 quires which of the Grasses is the " Sword-grass " 

 mentioned by Tennyson in " The May Queen "— 

 "the Oat-grass and the Sword-grass, and the Bull- 

 rush in the Pool." A correspondent writes the 

 Sword-grass is the common yellow-flag (Bis pseudo- 

 acorns). It is presumption for me to doubt this, 

 unless I had a specimen of the plant I suppose to be 

 the one meant by Tennyson. Nevertheless, I believe 

 the poet's thought to be the Boa aquatica " Reed 

 Grass." It grows on the banks of rivers with the 

 Bullrush, &c. ; is from 4ft. to 6ft. high, leaves 

 bright-green, polished, with the edges very sharp. 

 I remember, when a child, being warned by a fond 

 mother not to touch "the Sword-grass." The 

 advice not being heeded, bleeding fingers was the 

 consequence. If your correspondent is wrong it is 

 a matter of congratulation, his opinion having led to 

 the relation of the interesting anecdote of the origin 

 of the lilies in the arms of France. — >$. C. 



Dissection of Mosses. — Must the sporangium 

 be quite ripe for the complete development of the 

 peristome ? When ripe, and the operculum removed, 

 should not the peristome be distinctly visible ? I 

 have taken a capsule of Tortula muralis, moistened 

 it with spirit, and then dissected it in water. I 

 removed the lid and divided the sporangium, but 

 can find no peristome. — J. E. T. 



Aquarium Pest. — What is it which forms on 

 the sides of my aquarium, and on the leaves of 

 Vallisneria, like a gelatinous slug, dotted all over, 

 and of a similar shape ?—C. L. 



Muddy Water.— I stocked my tank early this 

 spring, and all w r ent well till about three weeks 

 since, when the water suddenly became thick, so 

 that it is impossible to see any of the animals 

 unless thev come quite near to the sides of the 

 tank. It affects the health of the inmates but little, 

 though CaUitriche seems disposed to decay. What 

 can!do?-£. B. P. 



Mounting Cinchonidine— Can any one tell me 

 the best way to prepare microscopic slides of this 

 alkaloid? I have tried fusion and solution, but 

 cannot equal the slides usually sold. — M. I). 



Nightingales in Victoria Park.— I have 

 heard Nightingales this spring, and also during the 

 spring of last year, in the Victoria Park. An 

 enthusiastic admirer of our British song-birds, whom 

 I occasionally meet in this park, tells me that he has 

 listened to them for several years past, in the planta- 

 tions surrounding the lakes.— T. Davies, 47, Rutland 

 Road,N. 



