21G 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



[Sept. 1, 1SG6. 



NOTICES TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



H. G.— Your " fly " is the " Golden wasp," Chrysis ignita. 



H.J. B. must think that we know everything:, or he would 

 not ask us to name a moth from its eggs. 



H G. (Bangalore).— Your fern appears to he Pleopeltis le- 

 pidota, Wild. See Beddome's " Ferns of S. India," pi. clxxxi. 

 Said to be common about Ootacamund. 



\y. R._Your moth is Anthrocerafilipendtdos (Burnet moth). 



R. S.— All specimens announced for distribution or ex- 

 change must be applied for during; the current month, or no 

 notice can be taken of the communications. 



G. S. (Oporto).— Use Condy's Disinfecting; Fluid for per- 

 manganate of potash. . 



Bangalore.— To what work on " Humming Birds by 

 Mr Gould do you allude? The volume published by H. G. 

 Bonn in 1851 is not by Mr. J. Gould. Gold and silver shells 

 (as they are technically called) are used for illumination, and 

 may be had of an artist's colourman. 



J. McK.-We decline the responsibility of recommending 

 any special apparatus for microscopists, whilst there are so 

 many makers, and each offers some advantage. 



J. L. C. will find more information on Ligurian bees than 

 we ca'i furnish in the " Gardener's Chronicle " during the past 

 twelve months. On August isth, a summary of the experience 

 of one correspondent was given. 



j. ji — We know of no cheap and good manual. 



G. M.— Our search for the contribution named has been 

 fruitless. We do not preserve rejected MSS. 



C. A. J.— A solution of silicate of potash will harden chalk. 

 —A. M. 



A. M.— It is entirely your bookseller's fault. Science 

 Gossip has always been published in good time. 



J. E. T. should wait till the capsules of Tortula are ripe; 

 the use of spirit is unnecessary.— C. F. W. 



H. T.— It often takes place if the caterpillars are disturbed 

 or cannot find a suitable place to spin. 



T. A. K.— It is the female (wingless) of the vapourer moth, 

 Orgyia antiqua, with its cocoon and eggs.— F. M. 



J B. D.— Not a fungus, but the eggsof amite (Trambidium). 

 See Science Gossip, vol. i. p. 22. 



S.A.— The glowworm is the larva of Lampyris noctiluca. 

 See " Popular Science Review " for July, 1866. 



Oak Spangles.— The insect which produces "oak span- 

 gles" is Cpnips longipennis, whilst the button galls are caused 

 by Neurobius Reaumuri. 



M. M.— Nos. 3 and 4 are the same plant, which is a species 

 of Lepigonum. No. 2 is Plocamium coccineum. No. 1, pro- 

 bably, Fucus cana.licula.tus. The fragments are too small to 

 name with certainty. 



G. E.— You had better have the species of your fern first 

 correctly determined. Many kinds are given to variation. 



J. G. O.— Perhaps, like some other people, they don't 

 believe in the existence of such a thing. 



S. J. N.— It is acommon fungus, named Cyathus vernicosus. 



W. H. K.— Put theanmial in an anthill. 

 K. D.— A complete list of British injects is in preparation in 

 a cheap form by the Rev. F. O. Morris, MA. 



B. (Melle).— Your fears are groundless. The journal you 

 name has passed into the hands of other editors. 



T. Brittain would oblige T. W. W. and others, by stating 

 where he can obtain the glass cells-he describes at ninepence 

 per dozen. . 



J. S. P.— We know nothing of the manufacture which you 

 allude to. It is to be regretted that our correspondent does 

 not permit some friend to copy his queries legibly. 



R. M.— The fronds are those of Cystopteris fragilis. 



C. H. G.-We regret that we can recommend no cheap 

 work on dissection of insects for the microscope. 



C. P. (Moulmein).— We have received two specimens of 

 Pwai-nyet, and one of the resin of Hupeet odurata, for which 

 our Moulmein correspondent will accept our thanks. 



J. H. M.— The fly is Platystuma seminationis, Fabr. It is 

 not rare in chalk and limestone regions.— F. W. 



C. F. G.— The bee is Osmia rufa, Linn.— F. W. 



R. 8. — The " List of British Diptera," published by the au- 

 thorities of the British Museum, 1853, compiled from the 1st 

 and 2nd vols, of " Diptera Britannica." It is incomplete, 

 since the contents of the 3rd vol. of the above work are not in- 

 corporated. No other list has been published since Stephens's 

 and Curtis's. 2. " List of British Hymenoptera," published by 

 the authorities of the British Museum, 1853, is complete. The 

 Rev. F. O. Morris it about to publish a complete list of British 

 Insects, price 5s. — F. 11". 



British Plants.— A parcel received for identification, but 

 with no name enclosed. We cannot identify twelve specimens 

 for the same individual, and we decline to examine any unless 

 accompanied by name and address. 



T. S. — No. 2, Pacilus cuprens, one of the commonest Biitish 

 heetlcs belonging to the family Carabida and sub-family Har- 

 palides.— J. 0. W. 



W. N. — The fern is Lastrea cristata. 



Einna. — The plant is Cynoglossum officinale. — W.C. 



W. W. S. — The Acarus is quite new to me. The only mite 

 I know with the fix fore legs of equal size, terminated with 

 curved hooks, and with the two hind legs terminated by a 

 very long thread, is the Elephant mite (Homopus Elephantis) 

 of Furstenberg's fine monograph.— I. 0. W. 



F. W.— Two specimens of Schistidium apocarpum, var. rivu- 

 lare, the commonest form of the species on wet stones. — 

 G. E. S. 



E. T. S.— Your galls on evergreen oak (not Quercus Ilex) 

 are allied to oak spangles, but evidently distinct. We cannot 

 name the insect, which we have not seen ; the only way to do 

 so is to rear it from the galls. 



EXCHANGES. 

 Pvrenean Plants for rare British or other European 

 plants. J. Howse, Garrybank, West Hill, Upper Sydenham. 



Mounted Objects for unmounted tiurirella nobilis or S. 

 lata, Pleurusigma formosum, or P. fasciola. — J. B., 3, White- 

 hall-street, Tottenham. 



Poplar Hawk-Moth. — A few specimens for distribution 

 on receipt of box with stamps for postage.— J. Skelton, 52, 

 High-street, Bedford. 



Plants of the North of Ireland (dried) for desiderata from 

 other districts.— S. A. Stewart, North-street, Belfast. 



Plusia Festuc.*: for other Lepidoptera.— J. H. Y., 22, 

 William-street, Prussia-street, Oldham-road, Manchester. 



Mosses. — Wanted Hyprtum Silesiacum, Buxbaumiu, Bryttm 

 trichodes, and other northern for southern species.— E. M. 

 Holmes, 2, Arundel- crescent, Plymouth. 



Yai.lisneria.— Several plants for pupre ormoth of Atrnpos, 

 Saturnia, Carpini, or other good species.— M. D., Roundhay 

 School, Leeds. 



Bo.mbyx Quercus for other species. — K. D. Hinton, St. 

 George, Taunton, Somersetshire. 



Sand, containing diatoms foraminifera, and sponge spi- 

 cules, for spores of any but the common ferns.— G. Edey, 

 High- street, Christchuvch, Hants. 



Trechus Discus and other beetles for British beetles or 

 birds' eggs. Send lists to T. M., 14, Union-place, Lower 

 Broughton, Manchester. 



Diatoms from Northfleet marshes, and desmids from 

 Keston, sent on receipt of stamped envelope.— H. J. Bacon, 

 44, Camberwell-road, London. 



Fossils wanted for Lias fossils, &c, from Lyme Regis, and 

 fossil wood from Isle of Portland.— J. R., 57, Pitfield-street, 

 Hoxton, N. 



Quails' Eggs, from near Bedford, for other rare eggs. — 

 J. Shelton, 52, High-street, Bedford. 



Spine of foreign Echinus (section) and cuticle of Beutzia 

 scabra for fossil or foreign diatoms.— J. S. Tute, Markington, 

 near Ripley, Yorkshire. 



Rich Foraminiferous Sand from Turkey, for objects of 

 interest.— T. F., jun., 2, Ashley-road, Bowden, Cheshire. 



British Birds' Eggs for British Sphingidre. Apply for 

 list to W. M. Cole, 93, St. Helen's-street, Ipswich. 



Hypnu.m Crista-castrensis (fruit) for the rarer mosses of 

 the South of England.— M. C. C, care of the Editor, 192, Pic- 

 cadilly. 



Camel's Hair (unmounted) for mounted objects of interest. 



— L.A., care of the Editor. 



BOOKS RECEIVED. 



" First Report of the Harrow School Scientific Society," 

 Harrow. Crossley & Clarke, 1866. 



" Journal of the Transactions of the Victoria Institute, or 

 Philosophical Society of Great Britain." No. 1, July, 1866. 

 London : Robert Hardwicke. 



" On the Application of Disinfectants in Arresting the 

 Spread of the Cattle Plague," by William Crookes, F.R.S. 

 London : J. H. Dutton. 



" The Technologist," for August, 1866. New Series, No. 1. 

 8vo. London : Kent & Co. 



" First Report of the Quekett Microscopical Club." Lon- 

 don: 1866. 



Communications Received. — J. S. — R. R. A.— G. S. — 

 A. M.— R. Wood. — S. K.— E. M. H.— J. L. C— T. W.— 

 T. D. M.— H. W— C F. W.— J. Mc-H. T.— C. P.— H. S.— 

 J. S.— J. H.— J. S. T.— H. C— R. S.— G. K.— G. H— G. T. P. 

 — W. L. S.— J. B. D— T. A. K.— T. S.— E. T. S.— F. T. M.— 



D. G — B. T.— T. P. B.— J. W.— J. K. M.— H. W.— H. G.— 



E. M. H.— M. M.— R. H.— H. A. A.— G. E.— J. G. O.— M. F. B. 

 — W. S. G.— S. J. N.— T. B.— W. H. G.— B. (Melle)— K. D.— 

 J. B. G— W. H. K.— J. B.— G. H. L.— W. T.— N. D. L.— F.- 

 D. J.— L. N.— D. P.— W. C— T. R.- J. W.— A. R. B.— N. S.— 

 T. M.- R. M— J. S. P.— T. W. W.— H. G.— C. H. G.— C. A. J. 

 —J. Y— H. J. B.— Dr. E.— C. D.— J. R— P. S. B— J. S.— 

 J. P. G.— W. J. G— J. B.— S. A. S.— H. G.— W. R.-F. W.— 

 W. M. C— T. F.— E. W\— R. M.— M. M. A.— R. A. S.— J. G. G. 

 —Wilde.— P. M— H. R.— F. F. S.— Einna.— M. H— G. M.— 

 p.— W. N— J. W.— T. G. P.— J. S. (Leeds).— B. H.-A. B. 



*** Other " notices " must stand over fur want of space. 



