HAKDWICKE'S SCIENCE- GOSSIP. 



191 



pass beyond the imaginary barrier. I do not keep 

 jjeese myself, nor do my neighbours, so I cannot 

 try the experiment. Perhaps some one will do so, 

 and let us know the result. At present I am fully 

 prepared to accept the statement as a fact, in the 

 case either of the "rooster " or the "gobbler."— 

 J.R.S.G. 



Canterbury Discoveries.— Upon reading the 

 communication of Mr. J. Anderson, jun., in the May 

 No. of Science-Gossip, it suddenly came to my re- 

 collection that two collections of British Lepidoptera, 

 " principally taken this season (1873) near Canter- 

 bury" had been offered by auction in London about 

 a year ago. The catalogues teemed with specimens 

 ■of Ieucania,L. album, L. albipuncta, C. erythrocephala, 

 Folia nigrocincla, many A. tathonia, Pacheira leuco- 

 phcea, &c. I never heard what prices were realized, 

 but I fear there are many rich dupes in the entomolo- 

 gical world who would not scruple togive £2 or £3 for 

 several of the rarer of the above-named. _ Of course, 

 the auctioneer is in no way to blame; his duty is to 

 set the best price he can for his customers, and he 

 is not supposed to be responsible for their untruth- 

 ful statements ; but if the public are so easily taken 

 in by so evident au imposture, so long will that im- 

 posture flourish, and before long become formidable 

 enough to strike a death-blow at all that is charm- 

 ing, fresh, and innocent in a true, insect-loving 

 career. The ridiculously high price given for rare 

 British insects of course tends to make dealers more 

 greedy of gain ; and what can be easier than to ob- 

 tain from Europe certain specimens, which, though 

 common there, are almost unique or very rare with 

 us, and to pin and set them English fashion ? It is 

 much better to keep two separate collections, one of 

 foreign (European insects), and one of British, than 

 (ill the latter with evidently spuriously-native speci- 

 mens. Dealers who so unscrupulously write to the 

 leading magazines about a wonderful capture at 

 sugar or at rest of this or that species, only known 

 to exist, heretofore on the Continent, com- 

 mit (anything but a pious) fraud, and if detected, 

 and detection is sure to come sooner or later, 

 would no doubt be cashiered from the field of 

 •entomology, as they richly deserve. I have two 

 dealers, in particular, in my mind as I write ; I shall 

 not mention their names, but would recommend 

 them in future to take as their example such an 

 upright and conscientious entomologist as Mr. 

 liarwood, of Colchester, and they will find them- 

 selves the better for it iu the long run.— 6'. 31. 



Gooseberry Caterpillars, and How to Get 

 Hid of Them. — Eor some time this subject has 

 been discussed in our Gossip. I am surprised no one 

 has mentioned powdered hellebore as a most effectual 

 method of destroying the pest. It is used largely 

 in this neighbourhood, where a large quantity of 

 gooseberries are produced not only for our own con- 

 sumption, but for the Bradford, Leeds, and other 

 markets. Good powdered hellebore is about Is. 

 to Is. id. per pound ; it is mixed with about the 

 same quantity oi fine sand, and dredged upon the 

 trees after a shower or dew, sometimes the trees 

 are watered before dredging them. I have seen it 

 largely used, and have used it in ray own garden. 

 This year an attack was made upon my trees ; my 

 gardener used the hellebore once, and we have seen 

 no more of the caterpillars. — E. E. M. 



Cats and Music. — The instance which 

 "Musicus" brings forward in the June Gossip, 

 of a cat showing pleasure at a particular tune 



whistled to her, is certainly curious and interesting. 

 We, too, possess a cat which is very sensible of the 

 whistling of tunes, and which will, even when with 

 her young kittens, show great uneasiness immedi- 

 ately the whistling commences, and rise and leave 

 them to follow the person about, ending by trying 

 to seek for the unaccountable sounds in the very 

 mouth of the performer. Still, unlike the cat of 

 " Musicus," she seems to experience more uneasi- 

 ness than pleasure. I have never heard of any other 

 instance in which it has a similar effect. — F. C. R., 

 Gwastad. 



Natural History in Novels. — The incident 

 about the rooster, taken from " Katerfelto," the accu- 

 racy of which appears to be doubted a little by "R. 

 S. T." in your last month's number, is quite in accord- 

 ance with fact. I have often heard of fowls being 

 thus " mesmerized," and can vouch for the truth of 

 it from personal observation ; in fact the experiment 

 is easily tried. Catch your chicken, hold its beak 

 close down to the edge of a large slate, or a board, 

 and draw a line with chalk from the beak right 

 across for a foot or two. The bird will remain per- 

 fectly motionless, _ its eyes fixed ou the line, and 

 you will find it quite a difficult matter to frighten it 

 away. The head appears as if glued to the edge of 

 the board. — F. C. It-, Gwastad. 



"White Clover (Trifolium repens).— Even un- 

 scientific observers are aware of the fondness of this 

 plant for lime, and some of them are believers in 

 the theory that white clover can be raised without 

 seed. Some extraordinary instances of lime or 

 chalk producing a crop of white clover, where it 

 did not previously exist, are on record ; but I do not 

 remember meeting with anything like a satisfactory 

 explanation of the phenomena. — W. Macmillan. 



BOOKS, &c. RECEIVED. 



"Rudiments of Geology." By S. Sharp, F.G.S. London : 

 E. Stanford & Co. 



" Principles of the Marine Aquarium." By W. R. Hughes, 

 F.L.S. London : Van Voorst. 



" Flora of Eastbourne." By F. C. S. Roper, F.L.S. London : 

 Van Voorst. 



" The Lepidopterist's Calendar." Sec.ind Edition. By 

 Joseph Merrin. Gloucester : Herbert Marsden. 



" Insectivorous Plants." By Charles Darwin. London : 

 John Murray. 



" Birds of the North-West. " By Elliot Coues. Washing- 

 ton : Government Printing Office. 



"American Naturalist." June. 



"Canadian Entomologist." June. 



" Popular Science Review." July. 



"Monthly Microscopical Journal." July. 



" Land and Water." July. 



" Journal of Applied Science." July. 



"The Colouies." July. 



"The Linguist." July. 



" The Educational Review " July. 



" Boston Journal of Chenvstry." June. 



" Ben Brierley's Journal." 



Communications Rkceivkd up to 6th ult. from: — 

 A. H. L.— G. E. Q.-A. S.— W. H.— T. C. M.-T. G. E.— 

 G. V. D.-M. K.— G. H. H.-M. P. M.-W. H — H. W.— 

 A. T. J.— E. E.-G. H. H.— B. D. J.— W. M— W. E— R. H. 

 — E, M. C— H. B.— W. S.— R. S.— S.A. B.— H. A.— J. O. S — 

 W. G — H. W.— F. C— W. K. M.— L. W.— W. H. G.— J. H. W. 

 —J. G.— J. R. D— F. E. M.— W. J. S.— J. C— F. C. R.-A. B. 

 — C. H. M— R. L— M. E. G.— T. C. T.— H. J — G. G.— 

 W. G. P. — H. J. M— C. H. R.— T. E.— E. E.- Dr. k\ A. L. 

 — W. C. H— H. E. M— T. G. E.— W. H.— E. F. L.— S. M. P. 

 — H. M. J. U.- F. W. R.— T. P. J.— A. J. R. S.-J. R. T.— 

 F H. A.— A. M— M. A. W.— S. M. E— H. E. W.-J. T.— 

 F K.— J. G— G. G— P. L. 8.-W. H. W.— F. II. A.— 

 c ' H. M.— H. G. G— G. H. K.— E. W. -W. W.— E. T. N.— 

 "" H.-A. A.— H. M.— W. T.— W. E. S., &c. 



