HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



95 



shallow. But there seems to be an opinion amongst 

 many persons that the dread which cats feel for 

 water is so strong as utterly to prevent them ven- 

 turing to catch fish in their native element ; but, as 

 far as I have observed, this is not the case. I am 

 not quite certain that cats fear water so very much, 

 and I am quite certain that tliey often frequent both 

 still and running waters in the hope of a finny prize. 

 1 1 may mention one instance which lately came 

 under my own observation. Near the junction of 

 a mill-sluice with the river Kelvin, where the water 

 flows very rapidly, I observed a cat crouching on 

 a projecting stone. Every now and then it would 

 dart its paw into the water, but always without suc- 

 cess ; it once, however, seemed to have caught 

 something, and then both its fore-paws and its head 

 were immersed in the water for a moment or two. 

 I did not see, howeyer, if it had made a capture. I 

 have several times observed a cat in a similar posi- 

 tion, but not having taken notes at the time of 

 occurrence, cannot give the esact circumstances ; 

 and I can confidently vouch for the veracity of 

 many cases which have indirectly come under my 

 notice, but which do not need to be repeated here, 

 as they would be nearly a repetition of the foregoing. 

 Any one living near a pond or stream, and being in 

 the possession of a cat, may, with a little circum- 

 spection, soon satisfy themselves that cats will, 

 without hesitation, dare water to obtain fish. — 

 W. Sharp. 



Ladybirds. — If " G. C. L." will refer to Cassell's 

 German Dictionary, he will find both Sonnen- 

 kafer and Marienkafer given for Ladybird. In 

 Chambers's Encyclopaedia, Marienkafer is also 

 mentioned. Perhaps the two words are used in 

 different parts of the country. — R. H. 31. 



Moths in Repose.— If " S. A. B." will refer to 

 Newman's works on British butterflies and moths, 

 he will find that moths when in repose fold their 

 wings round their bodies. — R. H. 31. 



Moths' Wings.— Moths, as a rule, only arch 

 their wings, as butterflies, on emerging from the 

 chrysalis, but as soon as they are fully distended and 

 dried they are drawn up round the body. Doubt- 

 less the specimen that " S. A. B." captured had 

 recently emerged. — R. Hay ties. 



Urticating Effects of the " Brown-tail ' 

 Caterpillar. — When the caterpillars of the Brown- 

 tail (L. chrysorrhcea) have be taken themselves to 

 their winter abodes, their nests may be handled 

 freely even by those who suffer at other times from 

 their irritating powers. But before the caterpillars 

 have come forth to feed up in April, an unpleasant 

 warning is given that they are rousing from their 

 winter sleep, by their crawling about within their 

 nests, and thus set adrift particles of fine dust or 

 hair, which soon make themselves felt if the nest 

 is handled unwarily, or even approached.— J.R.S.C. 



Spring Appearance of the Humming-bird 

 Hawk-moth. — Though this moth is always supposed 

 to hybernate and reappear in the spring, it is seldom 

 noticed at that season by entomologists. I saw a 

 specimen flying briskly in the vicinity of Gravesend, 

 on April 2nd, 1874. 



Supplying Caged Birds with Green Eood. 

 — Among other advantages derivable from the 

 regular supply of such plants as duckweed, 

 shepherd's purse and groundsel to caged birds, 

 especially finches, I find that these almost always 



increase the appetite, leading them to eat more 

 seeds, in cases when they appeared falling off a 

 little from their ordinary food. In early spring the 

 leaves of the plantain are much relished by bull- 

 finches and canaries, and they seem to have a whole- 

 some effect. I should like to hear the opinions of 

 the bird-fanciers who read Science-Gossip regard- 

 ing the statement often repeated in books, that 

 birds derive no benefit, but rather the reverse, from 

 green food given in frosty weather. I have not 

 found any evil result on a small scale, provided the 

 food is not given too damp. — J.R.S.C. 



Birds and Elowers. — You request your corre- 

 spondents to note down their experiences on this 

 subject; consequently, although a little note of 

 mine in Land and Water of the 30th May relates to 

 the same matter, I send you the following gossip : — 

 I have constantly observed that most caged birds 

 are particularly partial to primroses — canaries are 

 especially so ; and this spring I noticed some finches 

 guilty of considerable mischief amongst primroses, 

 oxlips, and cowslips. All three flowers were grow- 

 ing on the same bank, at the bottom of the garden, 

 and I had several opportunities of watching the 

 birds at mischief. Sparrows are partial to the 

 bloom-buds of the Wisteria, and I think that many 

 birds are attracted to different flowers by a love of 

 brilliant colours ; for a robin I had invariably flew 

 to the plants in blossom in my bedroom window, 

 when he was let out of his cage ; but in the case of 

 the finches attacking the primroses, I attributed it 

 to their fondness for the nectar contained in the 

 flowers, for 1 picked a great many primroses and 

 oxlips, and did not find a single insect in them. — 

 Helen E. Watney. 



Seaside Shrubs. — I think, in answer to Mr. 

 Edward H. Verney's query just recently, a shrub 

 commonly called Tamarisk grows well in exposed 

 places by the sea, as the slopes of the Parade or 

 Sea-front here are thickly planted with it, as also many 

 gardens near the sea at Brighton ; and I have seen 

 beautiful shrubs in a garden here in Devonshire- 

 place, sonie 15 or 20 feet high. I daresay you 

 know it is an evergreen with foliage very similar 

 to'.&jnniper, and having a feathery appearance. The 

 (smaller) branches are a reddish tint. Wall-flower 

 also grows on the same [slopes, and is now very 

 abundantly in flower, and gives the Parade quite a 

 pretty'appearance. There is also an evergreen shru b, 

 with small oval leaves, bright and shiny, I think a 

 kind of bay-tree, which grows well in gardens here, 

 and is very bright and pretty. I don't know its 

 botanical name. 



COKRESPONDKMCE RuCBIVED UP TO 12TH ULT. PROM: — 



T. B. B— F. K— Dr. G. D. B.— G. L. H.— G. H. K.— F. J. A. 

 — H. M. J. U.— W. H.— T. B.— H. G. G— R. T. C.— A. L.— 

 E. S.— W. G.— G. F. B— C. S.— H. E. W.— F. H. A.— H. O. S. 

 — W. W. P. H.— S. H.— W. M.— E. L — W. S.— J. S.-J. T.— 

 W. R. H.— T. C.— C. C. A.— A. B.— W. J. S. S — H. J. McG.— 



E. H.— W. C.— L. R.— J. H— T. E— T, VV. W.— J. B.-E. W. 

 —J. C. D.— W. E. G— J. S. H.— J. H.— J. G. R. P.— L. S. F. 

 -C. B.— W. T.— F. W.— W. E.— G. G— E. J. L.— M. S. B.— 

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

 H. G. G.— H. B. T.— A. T.— J. C— F. E. F.— S. S.— M. D.— 

 G. P. H.— C. J. C.— H. M. C. A.— G. W.— T. McG.— B. G. C.— 

 C. O. G. N.— T. H.— A. F. M.— H. H. B., jun.-I. G. H.— 

 M. H. M.— E. L.— C. P. H.— C. S.-J. T. T. R.— E. L.— W. S. 

 — W. G. P.— T. B.-P. B.— F. C. C.— M. H. C.— J. J. H.— 

 T. W. B.- W. H. G.— A. H.— F. C. P. H.— W. W.— A. D.— 

 W.T. G.— H. R.W.— W. H. R.— S. CD.— C.E.B.— A. J. B.— 



F. E. F.— G. G.— W. K. M.— H. I.— M. Y— C J. W— E. T. S. 

 — W. W. N.— J.C. H.— R. R. F.— T. E.— W. J. H.— A. B. H.— 

 T. H.H.— G. B— M. H.— A. C. H.— G. D. P. M— E. H. G.— 

 W.J. S. S. 



