Nov. 1, 1S66.] 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



255 



instantly, but was afterwards resumed. I noticed 

 this particular picture-frame on another occasion, 

 and found the insect still there making his ticking 

 noise ; but, being still anxious more fully to satisfy 

 myself, I waited until I could hear the sound from 

 sonic other place, and a very few evenings after 

 heard it coming from a bookcase ; and, after listen- 

 ing with my ear close as before, soon found a lively 

 specimen from whom the sound came. How the 

 noise is made, whether by the mouth or by tapping, 

 I cannot tell ; I only know that this insect makes it. 

 I think the sound is made as a signal or call to the 

 mate, because the insect is on the run the whole 

 time, as if in search of something. — E. Bailey. 



Pensile Spider's Nest.— Whilst engaged in 

 the garden a few weeks since, my wife observed an 

 object somewhat resembling the case of a caddis worm, 

 suspended from the under side of a raspberry-leaf. 

 Upon a near examination, it proved to be a pensile 

 nest, from which a large number of juvenile spiders 

 issued on removing it from the leaf. The nest 

 consists of a tube, not quite two inches in length, 

 and about the diameter of an ordinary lead-pencil ; 

 the materials of which it is composed being small 

 pellets of garden mould, minute pebbles, &c, united 

 by silken threads, or rather interwoven in the meshes 

 of the netted structure — the interior not appearing 

 to be lined with a liner or softer web. The filament 

 by which it was suspended is not of a silky nature, 

 but is evidently a human hair, or so closely re- 

 sembles one, even under a high magnifying power, 

 that I cannot distinguish the difference. As I do 

 not possess a similar object in a rather large col- 

 lection, and cannot find any description of it in 

 such works on entomology as I have perused, or 

 in " Homes without Hands," perhaps some friend, 

 who may be acquainted with the object, will kindly 

 describe the little architect. The young spiders 

 were so small, that I could not recognize them 

 from a mere casual observation.— i?. H. R. 



An Old Cat. — On looking over the number of 

 Science Gossip for last March I see 16 years 

 given as the greatest age of a cat ; however, I can 

 state with perfect certainty that a cat, belonging to 

 some intimate friends of mine, died about two weeks 

 ago aged 22 years. — William S. Green, Youghal. 



Hairworm. — Reading an article in Science 

 Gossir, vol. I., p. 107, on the "Hairworm," re- 

 minded me of one of my boyhood days, when, with 

 one or two of my companions, I was playing by a 

 small brook and looking in saw something just like 

 a hair in size and appearance moving, or rather 

 swimming, about ; too slender for a young eel. I 

 caught it between my fingers, when it gave me a 

 sharp sting (or, at any rate, a stinging sensation) 

 which very soon made me let it go again. I have 

 no doubt about its being the Gordius aquatictis, 



and the circumstance was impressed and never for- 

 gotten by the very acute pain it occasioned, though 

 only momentary. As Mr. Bailey made no mention 

 of this, nor the others who have communicated on 

 this subject, I thought that they might not have 

 experienced it. Perhaps it may be new to them. — 

 Charles Bel amy. 



The Dipper. — The following extract from Mr. 

 Lord's " Naturalist in British Columbia " deserves 

 attention from all — the angling fraternity more 

 especially— who persecute the Dipper without think- 

 ing or perhaps knowing that they are injuring a 

 friend. If it were not for the above error, we might 

 have this cheerful bird on many rivers wdiere now 

 it is scarcely known. From the few specimens I 

 have dissected I have not been able to gather any 

 evidence against the Dipper. Perhaps some of your 

 correspondents who have facilities for examination 

 would send their experiences. 



" Believe me it is not with any felonious intent 

 that the Dipper visits the spawning-beds. He would 

 not give a chirp to breakfast on the daintiest fish- 

 eggs that speckled trout or silver salmon ever laid. 

 Pat larvae, plump and savoury water-beetles, and 

 delicate young fresh-water molluscs, are his delight, 

 and he knows well the weakness such robbers have 

 for new-laid eggs, and, like a sensible bird, goes 

 where the eggs are to find them — an obedience to 

 instinct that often costs him his life. I have opened 

 the stomachs of dozens of dippers when collecting 

 for the purpose of natural history . . . and never 

 in a single instance did I discover other than the 

 remains of insects and fresh-water shells." 



The above is conclusive enough for anything.— 

 H. Smith. 



White Puffin.— On the 11th of June last a 

 puffin was shot at Skomer Island whose plumage 

 was pure white, with the exception of three black 

 feathers. I brought it to London and had it stuffed 

 by Mr. Gardener, of Holborn. A white puffin, 

 doubtless the same bird, had been seen about the 

 same part of the island the preceding summer. — 

 E. K. B. 



The Grey Phalarope.— About the middle of 

 September last, during the stormy weather which 

 then prevailed, a grey phalarope, Phalaropus lobatus, 

 made its appearance on a pond close to the house 

 at Caldy Island, Pembrokeshire. It was very tame, 

 but kept apart from the swans and ducks which 

 frequented the pond, remaining there for several 

 days, and was never seen but on the water. It 

 swam with ease and dexterity, but with a "jerky" 

 motion, constantly nodding the head, and caught 

 flies on the surface of the water with great rapidity. 

 If approached too closely, it would take wing, utter- 

 ing a sort of chirp, or whistle, and alight a few yards 

 further off— E. K. B. 



