70 



IIARDWICKE'S SCIENCE. GOSSIP. 



be coated round its edges and the angle between it 

 and the slide completely filled up with any quickly- 

 drying cement, such as that composed of equal parts 

 of gold-size and Brunswick black, or what is perhaps 

 better, the India-rubber and oxide of zinc cement. — 

 /. W. Groves, London. 



As stupid as a Goose !— A common/ though 

 unfair saying, this might be demonstrated to be. 

 Geese have their follies and stupidities, though 

 not in a larger share than many of their near rela- 

 tives. I am told that in the New Forest, where 

 from the cottages and homesteads they are allowed 

 at certain seasons to wander out in the woodlands, 

 it is most interesting to observe how a large assem- 

 blage of these birds will, when the time arrives for 

 their return home, break up into its component parts. 

 Not only does each flock know exactly where to 

 return, but also who are members of it, and should 

 any blundering individual by accident get into a wrong 

 party, he or she is soon taught by hostile demonstra- 

 tions that no intruders wilt be allowed to fall into 

 the homeward-bound party, though before that they 

 may have been feeding together amicably enough. 

 Even'their peculiarity ofhissing, with neck extended, 

 at the by-passer, which has been insisted on as a 

 proof of dulness, because it is done in concert 

 without seeming reason, may be interpreted other- 

 wise. Most persons must have noticed that a flock 

 of geese may sometimes be passed without their 

 taking any heed, sometimes not. The reason is 

 stated to be that there is one individual in the flock 

 from whom the rest take their cue, and if he does 

 not trouble to notice the by-passer, the others remain 

 still. Surely to " follow my leaders " is not more 

 foolish in feathered than in featherless bipeds. 

 Apropos of the goose, it is said that in a certain 

 country village this notification posted up by a re- 

 sident occasioned much wonderment to the traveller. 

 "I cures a goose, my wife cures the janders ! " In 

 fact it was inexplicable until inquiry was made, 

 which would result in the discovery that the man, 

 who pretended to possess some medical skill, treated 

 those who suffered from agues, and his better moiety 

 professed to relieve those afflicted with jaundice. — 

 J.R.S.C. 



Old Yews (p. 215, for 1874).— Mr. Pryorsays 

 that some of the ancient trees mentioned in this ex- 

 tract have ceased to exist sinceLoudon's work — 1838. 

 The Darley Yew was in a flourishing state in 1S69. 

 I saw it in that year ; the circle, roughly paced, round 

 it was 12 yards. I saw the Fountains Yew, near 

 Ptipon (Earl de Grey's), in 1872. One side of it is 

 healthy, but one of the limbs is resting on a crutch, 

 and, if I remember rightly, another is secured by a 

 chain. _ It is more decayed than the Darley Yew. 

 There 'is a very ancient yew in the churchyard at 

 Kirkheaton, near Huddersfield ; the bark is cut all 

 over with initials. The inhabitants of the village 

 have a tradition that the church, ! .which dates before 

 1245, was built to the tree, not the tree planted to 

 the church. It was living in 18G4, but is now dead. 

 — G. Roberts. 



Viper-bites. — In the November and December 

 numbers of Science-Gossip I see the fatality of the 

 viper's bite is once more brought up. Undoubtedly 

 the viper is venomous, but I think not fatal; at least 

 my experience teaches me so. Last summer I had 

 upwards of forty vipers through my hands, and I 

 had the fortune of being bitten by four different 

 vipers at four different times, and in no case did I 

 call iu medical aid. I did let one medical gentleman 



see the result just as a curiosity, but nothing further. 

 The only inconvenience I had was a large amount 

 of swelling, a slight discoloration, and a deadening 

 sensation of the arm and hand. After bathing the 

 hand and arm with hot water, and then rubbing 

 with oil, these symptoms gradually died away. I 

 had not the slightest pain from the bite. From this 

 I come to the conclusion that death does not result 

 from the direct cause of the bite, that is, if the 

 person is in good health and of a good constitution. 

 Fontana, the French writer, says in his experiments 

 (and he has tried 6,000), that the viper possesses one 

 grain of poison, and that it requires three grains to 

 kill a man ; also that the viper must bite two, or 

 even three times, to exhaust the whole of its poison. 

 I think from these statements the bite cannot be 

 fatal. — Jas. Kirby. 



Anatomy of the Caterpillar. — I have a great 

 dislike to finding fault or throwing cold water on 

 any one's attempt to instruct and edify others, but I 

 I cannot allow an article like Mr. Tylar's in 

 November Science - Gossip to go unnoticed. 

 Several of the remarks are scientifically untrue, and 

 as such, are likely to do harm in misleading young 

 beginners, who, seeing certain statements in such 

 a reliable publication as Science-Gossip, are apt to 

 accept them as bond-fide facts. Passing oyer the 

 diagram and internal structure, I object to his state- 

 ment that the eyes of caterpillars are compound. 

 Having studied micro-entomology for the last three 

 or four years, I make out the eyes to be simple 

 lenses, varying in number from one to six, situated 

 on each side of the head, just below the antennse, 

 and by no means compound (as the term is generally 

 understood by entomologists). According to Bur- 

 meister (than whom we have no better authority), 

 the eyes of larvae or caterpillars are always simple, 

 and perfectly agree in form and structure with those 

 eyes of the perfect insect, termed ocelli, or simple 

 eyes. Again, the statement as to caterpillars 

 " possessing two kinds of legs — two at the back, 

 called pro-legs," — although the first portion is right 

 enough as to the two kinds of legs, yet Mr. Tylar 

 ought to know that they usually possess eight pair 

 of abdominal pro-legs, in addition to the anal pair 

 (unless, indeed, he has restricted his observations to 

 the Loopers). I have thoroughly examined the 

 structure of these anal pro-legs, but I cannot make 

 out either their structure or functions to be sucker- 

 like, but that they each consist of a broad sole, 

 which is clapper-shaped, i.e. composed of an in- 

 terior and exterior flap, which move in opposition 

 to each other, like a pair of pliers, aud thus form a 

 claw suitable for grasping small twigs and the like, 

 whilst the fore part of their body is at liberty to 

 search for fresh foothold. If Mr. Tylar wishes to 

 verify my statements, and to assure himself that he 

 is wrong, I shall be happy to send him a few speci- 

 mens preserved in glycerine, &c, for further dis- 

 section, on receipt of his address. — /. S. H. 



Old Tales Revived : " The Toad and 

 Spider." — I am surprised to see in your 

 excellent Science-Gossip" for Jan., 1S75, p. 21, 

 the old story of the spider and the toad. I have it 

 now before me almost verbatim in Topsel's 

 " History of Serpents," published by E. Cotes, of 

 London, 1G58 ! A severe accident to my right hand 

 prevents me from writing much ; but every incident 

 is given, even to the " Herb, which, to his judgment, 

 was like a Plantain " (Topsel, p. 729). The original 

 narrator was " a true honourable man, and one of 

 the most charitable Peers of England, namely the 



