192 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



NOTICES TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



To Correspondents and Exchangers. — As we now 

 publish Science-Gossip at least a week earlier than hereto- 

 fore, we cannot possibly insert in the following number any 

 communications which reach us later than the 8th of each 

 month. 



Ellen Fisheb (West Brompton). — Your foreign mosses 

 are: — !, Climarium dendroides ; 2, Dicranella varia ; 3, 

 Tortulu tortuusa ; 4, Gymnostomum rupestre, — a.\l natives of 

 Britain. 



J. A. P. — Procure Robinson's "Alpine Flowers." 



T. P. J.— No. 1 is the mouse-eired chickweed. Ceraslium 

 ar cense. No. 2 is a portion of a grass, IIolcus mollis. 



Sic; ma Tait. — The insect sent is an Ichneumon, Ophion. 



P. G — The mineral in small red box is Galena (lead 

 sulphite) ; the other is dark Fluor Spar ( " Blue John," so 

 called by the miners to distinguish it from " Black Jack," the 

 name they give to zinc sulphite). 



Miss E. N. — Your plants are: — 1, Geranium molle ; 2, 

 Epipactis palustris ; 3, Drosera intermedia; 4, Erythrea 

 centnurea. 



H. L. Edwards. — Veronica becca-bunga has a decidedly 

 blue flower, although some specimens have a light purple 

 tint. 



W. Roche. — Your geological specimens are undoubtedly 

 from the carboniferous limestone. No. I is a worn specimen 

 of Syringipnra ; 2, Producta Martini; 3, Spiri/era rotundata ; 

 4, S. glabra ; and 5, a fossil coral, Lonsdalia. 



M. J.— There is a Field Club and Natural History Society 

 in connection with the Working Men's College, Great 

 Ormond-street, Bloomsbury. Meets every Tuesday, at 

 8 p.m. 



E. M. C. — A geological book of the most elementary 

 character is Taylor's " Geological Stories," illustrated with 

 200 cuts, and published by Hardwicke, 192, Piccadilly, at 4s. 

 Other valuable elementary geological books are Clifton 

 Ward's " Elementary Geology," Sharp's " Elementary 

 Geology," and Page's " Elementary Text-book." 



S. M. Evans.— The gas always burns better at the upper 

 part of a building, because the pressure carries a greater 

 quantity there, thereby receiving the amount supplied to the 

 lower burners. The amount of carbonic acid in the lower 

 region of the theatre also tends to weaken the light. 



W. N. T.- Get Mr. Kitton's edition of Lankester's " Half. 

 Hours with the Microscope " (London: Hardwicke). You 

 will find there the best chapter on polarized light and the 

 phenomena of polarization with which we are acquainted. 



W. T. Greene. — Cayenne pepper is usually given to birds 

 in captivity as a stimulant, mixed in such a way with their 

 food as will insure its being devoured. Its effect on drooping 

 or moulting birds is very striking. Canaries and parrots are 

 especially benefitted by it, and their plumage is restored 

 afterwards in a marked degree. 



S. S. Barnes. — Your specimens did not "fall'' with the 

 rain, anil undoubtedly your friend's explanation is correct. 

 They are called Nostoc commune. For an account of them, 

 and for an illustration, both of external shape and internal 

 structure, consult the November number of Science-Gossip 

 for 1871. 



W. J. Horn. — Your specimens reached us in a high state 

 of decomposition, so that all we could tell about them was 

 that they were the larvre of one of the burying beetles. 



Chemist. — Fluorine cannot be isolated, because it de- 

 composes the vessels used, whether they be of glass or metal. 

 See Brande's " Chemistry '' for the reactions you require. 



B. M. — The insects are the Death-watch Beetle, Anobium 

 tesse/atum. Trie shells found in the crop of thrush are 

 Clausilia, a coumon land shell in many places. 



Hon. Mrs. S. W. — The moth sent is tolerably common. It 

 is the male of the Ghost Swift, Hepiulus /tumuli. 



C H. M. — The names of the zoophytes will be given as 

 soon as possible. Your insect seems to be a Beckia, but tor 

 information on the Thysanuradte, see the December number 

 of Science-Gossip for 1872, and the January number for 1873. 

 Both articles are illustrated with the commoner British forms 

 of Pod ura. 



C. H. R. — The plant which sprung up so unaccountably 

 from manure is the Tobacco-plant, Solatium nicotianvm. No. 2 

 is a common British species, the Perennial Dog's Mercury, 

 Mercurial is perennis. 



H. Joss.- The specimens are the larva? of the Saw-fly. 



EXCHANGES. 



Papilio Machaon.— Fresh, and well-set specimens of the 

 above offered for any of the following, in any stage : — Bombyx 

 cecropia ; B.pernt/i; B.polyphemn* ; Actmsluna ; Saturnia 

 pavonia major, or any other good foreign Lepitioptera. — 

 Robert Ladd man, Cossey-terrace, Upper Hellesdon, Norwich. 



Terebratula biplicata ; Solarium omnium; Ostren frons, 

 and other Fossils from Greensand, for other common Fossils. 

 — J. H. Webb, 9, Millard-road, Stoke Newinpton, N. 



Gerard van Swibten, " Commentaria in Hermani 

 Boerhavi Aphorismos de Cognoscendis et Curandis Morbis," 

 5 large vols., for other Books, or offer. — R. S., 34, Manchester- 

 street, Notting Hill, W. 



Plants of Lnstrea cristate for L. rig'nla, Cystopteris 

 nlpina, Psendathyrium alpestre, Cystonteris montana , 

 Osmundu regaiis (tasselled), Woodsias. — Rev. S. A. Brenan, 

 Pomeroy, County Tyrone. 



L. adonis, L. corydon, H mulcts, H. tages, S. ligustri, &c. ; 

 pupae of C. do m inula, L. dispar, L. chrysorrhma, D. caruleo- 

 cephala, and many others. Lepidoptera, Birds' Eggs, and 

 Mollusca, wanted in exchange. — W. K. Mann, Granby House, 

 Granby H 11, Clifton, Bristol. 



Continental Plants. — Orobus canescens, 0. canescen<:, 

 var. ungustifolia, 0. jordianus, Saxifrnga pulchella, S. 

 orient alis, Erinus alpinus, Draba aizoon, Aubrielia grandiflora. 

 Geranium nepaleitse, Campanula pumila, Saponaria ocymodes, 

 Scutellaria ambigua, for English Plants, offers. — Alex. 

 Macindoe, Maryhill, N.B. 



Six Torhay Bonnets, Pileopsis ungnricanus, six Polish 

 Slabs of Madrepore, six Minerals, six Fossils. Six of the 

 above specimens will be given for two perfect specimens of 

 the Dudley Trilobites.— A. J. R. Sclater, Teignmouth, 

 Devon. 



Diatomaceous Earth, containing all the forms of, and 

 supposed to be identical with, Bermuda Earth, for any 

 microscopic object of interest, preferably mounted. — Address, 

 until 15th of August, Swan M. Burnett, 13, Montague-street, 

 Russell square, W.C. 



For beautifil Leaf of Rhododendron Gibsonii, with scales, 

 send stamped directed envelope, .vith any good unmounted 

 Object, to J. Graham, Borough Cemetery, Ashton-under- 

 Lyne. 



Wanted, 276, 574, 1259, 1330, 1383. 1515; in exchange, 

 277, 576, 831, 1333, 138», 1494.— Rev. F. H. Arnold, Fishbourne, 

 Chichester. 



Pyrola arenaria, for other rare plants.— John W. Burton, 

 35, Heman's-street, Liverpool. 



For Leaf of Smyrnium olusutrum, with cluster cups, send 

 stamped, directed, large, commercial-size envelope to J. 

 Turner, Davenport, Stockport. 



The new British Carcx ornithopoda, Willd., and Jsnardia 

 palustris, for distribution. Wanted, Nos.^511, "21, 937, 1234, 

 1236, 1243, 1266, 1279, 1451, and Zostera nana, in fruit.— 

 Dr. F. A. Lees, F.L.S., Middleton, Teesdale. 



Hair of Bombyx yama-mai, send a stamped directed 

 envelope to W. H. Gomm, Somerton, Taunton. 



Specimens of Sphinx ligustri for other Lepidoptera. — 

 H. Wiggles worth, 1, Lewisham-terrace, Lewisham. 



Crystals of Zeolite, from the basalt of Giant's Cau«ewav ; 

 make brilliant polariscops objects. Specimens for any other 

 micro-geological materials or Slides.— W. Gray, Mount 

 Charles, Belfast. 



Colias hyale and Cherocampa porcellus, for large Beetles, 

 as Astinomex wdilis, I/ucanus cercus, &c. — R. Haynes, 3, 

 Snargate-street, Dover. 



Shells.— Living or prepared specimens of Cyc/as cornea 

 for any other species of Bivalves.— W. E., 84, East-street, 

 Chichester. 



I have for exchange a great many Silk Cocoons (living) of 

 the Bombyx mori. Will shortly have some eggs of the same- 

 — For particulars, Joseph Gaunt, 23, Martin-street, Wood, 

 land-terrace, Halifax. 



Foraminifera from chalk well, mounted in balsam, for 

 any other good Slide, mounted. No seeds or crystals. 

 Many others to exchange. — M. D., 116, E-planade, Deal. 



Good Micro. Objects for Mole Crickets, Great Green, 

 Grasshopper, Stag Beetles, Field Crickets, Locusts, &c. — 

 G. E. Quick, Long-lane, Southwark. 



W. G. Piper wishes to exchange Fruits, Seeds, and other 

 Vegetable Products. A large number of Duplicates on hand. 

 Wants especially, Woods (timber, dye and ornamental), 

 Indiarubbers, and Guttaperchas.— Address, Bank Plain, 

 Norwich. 



Lepisma Scale3 (mounted), or Peruvian Guano, containing 

 Diatomacea?, for Barbadoes Earth, or any other Diatomaceous. 

 Deposit.— H. C. S., 72, Brougham-street, Handsworth, 

 Birmingham. 



Wanted, complete set "Journal Quekett Micro. Club " ; 

 good Micro. Slides given in exchange. Also Smith's 

 " Diatomaceae," in 2 vols.; will give Cash or Slides in 

 exchange.— A. Allen, Felstead, Essex. 



I have a larg? number ot Forest Birds' Eggs, blown with 

 one hole, for those of Sea and Coast Birds. Amongst my 

 duplicates are Green and Great Spotted Woodpecker, 

 Nuthatch, Creeper, &c— W. Watkins, 25, Rutland-street, 

 Hampstead-road. 



Prokessionallv-moi-nted Slides of Zoophytes, &c, offered 

 for eood unmounted specimens ot the rarer forms of Hydroicla 

 and Polyzoa. Good Lepralias particularly wanted.— Edward 

 Ward, Higher Broughton, Manchester. 



