HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



1S9 



the flowers. Sagina— Linnaeus says this plant was 

 so called because it is valuable for sheep-food, and 

 is generally found on dry pastures. The name in 

 Latin means something nourishing. Illecebrum— 

 This name was applied by Pliny to a kind of wild 

 purslane,— its meaning is unknown. The name has 

 been adopted by modern botanists, though it is not 

 now applied to the same plant. Knawel (Scleranthus) 

 —This appears to be a corruption of the French 

 designation "Gnavelle, Annuelle." Elatine— The 

 leaves of this plant have been compared to those of 

 a fir-tree; hence its name. Hypericum— Meaning 

 unknown. — G. Hardey. 



Parsley.— Why is it said that parsley to be well 

 curled must be sown on Good Friday? Also, that 

 parsley-seed goes nine times to the devil and back, 

 before it comes up ? — M. E. G. 



Flights of Swifts.— To-day (June ISth), _ at 

 3 p.m., just as a heavy thunderstorm was bursting 

 upon us, a large flight of swifts was observed over- 

 head from a point on Ashdown Forest about 800 ft. 

 above the level of the sea. These birds do not 

 haunt there, nor are they to be found in any numbers 

 even at the neighbouring villages. Can any expla- 

 nation be given of this ?— T. C. T. 



Sexes in Hermit-Crabs.— Can any crustaceo- 

 logist among your readers point out how the sexes 

 are distinguishable in living hermit-crabs ? I have 

 several in an aquarium, but they only seem to differ 

 in size, and skirmish indiscriminately with their 

 companions. In descriptions of their habits they 

 are spoken of as only quitting their adopted shell 

 to 'change it for a larger one, which I have seen 

 them do, but there are probably other occasions on 

 which they venture from their shelter. — G. G., 

 Ventnor. 



LathRyEA. squamaria. — Can any'of your readers 

 tell me of habitats in this neighbourhood? I have 

 found it on a hill near here on the roots of sycamore- 

 trees, but have not seen it elsewhere. — W. Bradley, 

 Dudley. 



Remarkable Halo.— I am induced to send you 

 a diagram of a (to me) very remarkable halo which 

 I witnessed last Saturday, June 6th, while driving 

 in the Isle of Wight ; the wind at the time was 

 S.W., the sky in that quarter looking what sailors 

 call "dirty"; the sun's rays at the time were in- 

 tensely hot. Rain subsequently fell in the night and 

 early morning. — Windsor Hambrough, Rector. 



Etymologies (p. 143).— If " W. G. P." will refer 

 to' Paxton's "Botanical Dictionary," he will find 

 explanations of the scientific names of most plants. 

 Thus, taking his list: — Frankenia — "Named by 

 Linnaeus, in honour of John Frankenius, professor 

 of Botany at Upsal, who died in 1661." Dianthus — 

 " From dios, divine, and anthos, a flower, in reference 

 to the fragrance of the blossoms and the unrivalled 

 neatness of the flowers." Sagina — "From sagina, 

 fatness, in allusion to its presumed nourishing qua- 

 lities for sheep." Illecebrum — " From illicebra of 

 Pliny, which is derived from illicio, to allure; 

 pretty, enticing plants?' Elatine—" From elate, 

 signifying a fir in Greek ; its leaves have been com- 

 pared to those of the fir-tree." Hypericum—" The 

 name is said to be derived from uper, above, and 

 ■eikon, an image; the superior part of the flower 

 represents a figure." According to Miller's " Gar- 

 deners' Dictionary" (176S), the name "Depti'ord 

 pink " was applied to Dianthus armeria, from the 



fact that among other localities in England rtgrew 

 " particularly in a meadow near Deptford, in Kent." 

 — Geo. II. Ilankinson. 



Contributors' Corrections. — I read the re- 

 marks of your correspondent "E. B.," in the June 

 number, with considerable interest. My acquaint- 

 ance with your very interesting journal commenced 

 with the issue of its first part. Now, I quite agree 

 with him that contributors should be very careful 

 to know they are right before seeking to correct 

 others ; and this should always be done courteously 

 and considerately. Of course, to a lady this is the 

 more due ; at the same it would not be a wholesome 

 practice to let manifest inaccuracies or misleading 

 statements pass unchallenged. Whatever amount 

 of fancy may be indulged in, in describing facts, we 

 must, to be instructive, strive after something like 

 accuracy. It is a pity that so talented a lady as the 

 one to whom your correspondent refers should 

 rather pride herself upon this careless style, and 

 give room for corrections which seem often posi- 

 tively needful. As an instance of want of care let 

 me point out "The Upas-tree," in your recent 

 number. In the first clause it is evidently meant 

 that the fabled accounts as to the poisonous atmo- 

 sphere said to be diffused by this tree are found to 

 be either entirely without foundation or greatly ex- 

 aggerated. Then, after rightly ascribing the cause 

 of these pernicious effects to the carbonic acid gas 

 which escapes from crevices in the ground, the 

 sulphurous vapour is spoken of, which is quite 

 a different agent to the carbonic acid gas, and one 

 not at all likely to be present. It is perfectly true 

 that the natives use the inspissated juice for render- 

 ing their arrows poisonous, and that its poisonous 

 effects are owing to the presence of antiarin. But 

 if it is intended to mean that the natives use this 

 antiarin itself, it is au error, it being far beyond 

 the reach of their chemical powers to extract. — 

 W. C. H. 



Monkey's Cup.— The other day as I was walk- 

 ing around my garden I saw the phenomenon pro- 

 vincially called the Monkey's Cup. From the mid- 

 rib (in some cases the midrib rises from the leaf 

 altogether), in about the centre of the leaf of a 

 cabbage (Brassica oleracea), grew up what looked 

 like the peduncle of a flower 2%, inches long, on the 

 top of which was a deeply-concaved cup about 

 T V of an inch wide, in which dew collects. On 

 another close by I found one on a stalk 6 inches 

 long, which had grown from the root. Can any 

 of your readers say what is the cause of these singu- 

 lar cups, and if they are of common occurrence ? 



— l. jr. 



Animal v. Vegetable Life. — A friend has 

 asked me to try and find for her what will kill 

 animal but not vegetable life. It is very probable that 

 among your large circle of readers there are those 

 who have had the same difficulty to contend with. 

 In her garden she has a considerable-sized fountain, 

 with water-lilies growing in ; and there also come 

 (uninvited) a large number of horse-leeches, which 

 latter is the animal matter she wishes to destroy. 

 My scientific friends cannot_ help me in this matter, 

 but have advised me to write and ask you to help 

 me. If in an early number you can advise me I shall 

 feel favoured.— i?. Emilie. 



Do Fishes utter Sounds? (Note, p. 111). — 

 This question I am able from personal observation 

 to answer in the affirmative. A few years ago 

 I was trawling in Donegal Bay, when we caught a 



