212 



HARD WICK E'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



Sertularia. — In Mr. Taylor's account and plate 

 of the Sertularia, in page 180, he has not repre- 

 sented the capsule with a lid. In some I have, the 

 capsules show a lid partly opened like a box with 

 a lid on hinges. I should be glad to know if the 

 capsules have any of them lids which really open, or 

 whether the appearance of them is merely caused 

 by the membrane of the capsule bending up when 

 the ova issue forth. — E. T. Scott. 



Flowers of Laburnum.— With regard to the 

 question of " L. A. B. " about the flowers of the 

 Laburnum, I cannot tell him anything; but this year 

 I had a heartsease with yellow and purple flowers 

 on the same plant. I think the difference in flowers 

 from their regular colour must be caused by some- 

 thing they imbibe when growing, just as nearly all 

 my purple crocuses changed to yellow this year. — 

 E. T. Scoit. 



Argynnis Niobe. — There are at least two 

 authentic records of the occurrence of this butterfly 

 in England; one may be found in the "Natural 

 History of British Butterflies," by Edward Newman, 

 F.L.S., page 30. It was taken by Mr. Gerrard, of 

 Lyndhurst, and is or was in the collection of the 

 Rev. Windsor Hambrough ; and Mr. Gregsou tells 

 me that he once captured a specimen in the North. 

 — J. Anderson, juti., Alresford, Hants. 



Uses of Tails in Animals. — The interesting 

 article on "The Uses of Tails in Animals," in the 

 June number of Science-Gossit, ends with a con- 

 fession of ignorance as to the uses of the tails of 

 rats and mice. I would suggest that their tails are 

 often useful as a balancing-pole when running along 

 a narrow piece of wood, and to steady them by 

 curling round if it be thin enough. They also press 

 against walls with their tails when ascending, and 

 they thus serve as a support while they get a fresh 

 foothold— A. C. H. 



The Uses of Tails in Animals-— We ento- 

 mologists would be much obliged to any one who 

 could give us a hint as to the uses of the tails found 

 amongst insects— caterpillars of several species es- 

 pecially. I have long felt that the notion of the 

 old entomologists with regard to the appendages of 

 the " puss " and " kitten " caterpillars of the genus 

 Dicranitra, — namely, that they were designed to 

 drive or whip off the ichneumons, is scarcely tenable, 

 when the habits of the larvae are examined. Even 

 this explanation would not serve to account for 

 tails that are not pliant, such as the rigid spike at 

 the extremity of the little caterpillar of the 

 Chinese character (Cili.v spinulu). Then how 

 puzzling are the horns situate just above the 

 aims in numerous species of the Hawk-moth 

 tribe, though these are scarcely to be called 

 " tails." Perhaps there is something plausible in 

 the assertion of some natural philosophers, that 

 objects of the kind referred to may be designed 

 merely for ornamentation. — J.R.S.G. 



Botanical Experiments.— Having read in the 

 May Number of Science Gossir, Agnes Lury's 

 account of the growth of an acorn placed in water, 

 and in the June Number of the same magazine a 

 description of a similar experiment made by I. G. 

 Halliday with a horse-chestnut, and having been 

 most successful in rearing an oak in water, I think 

 it may interest some of the readers of Science- 

 Gossip to know exactly the different stages of my 

 experiment, and its result. On the 1st November, 



1870, I picked up a large dry-looking acorn ; the 

 same evening I half filled a transparent hyaciuth 

 glass with water, cut a circular piece of cardboard 

 to fit into the lip, or ledge of the glass, pierced a 

 hole in the middle, and drew through it a piece of 

 string, tying one end round a small piece of stick, 

 and drawing it close to the cardboard ; with the 

 other end of the string I suspended the acorn, 

 allowing it just to touch the water; it was kept in 

 a warm room through the winter, and in April 1S71 

 it showed signs of life, sending down its root and 

 upwards its stem, for which I prepared a way 

 through the cardboard ; in May it had seven leaves, 

 which remained beautifully green throughout the 

 summer, and then assumed the autumnal tints, fall- 

 ing off in October. As the water in the glass eva- 

 porated it was replenished, and in April, 1872, the 

 young oak again put forth its spring foliage, this 

 time bearing nine leaves, which in the autumn faded 

 and dropped. In May, 1873, the little tree sent out 

 its first branch, and bore in all fourteen leaves. In 

 September, 1873, I very carefully transplanted the 

 oak from the water into a large flower-pot, filled 

 with fine good soil, and put it in my garden in Nor- 

 wich, where it now flourishes (June, 1875) a small, 

 but healthy tree, eleven inches high, with four- 

 branches. It is protected from hurt by a balloon- 

 shaped galvanized wire cage ; but since it was put 

 abroad has had no protection from frost. For two 

 years and tes months it grew in water, without even 

 the aid of a dead leaf, or dust of soil to nourisb it.— 

 Anna E. Bidder. 



To Clean Corals.— Many readers will be in- 

 debted to A. J. R. Sclater for his receipts, but if he 

 includes Echini in the " dead shells which can be 

 made to look very nice served in the same way," let 

 your readers be careful in not subjecting them even 

 to an application of warm water: the warm water at 

 ence dissolves the animal matter which holds the 

 plates together, your beautiful specimen will drop to 

 pieces, and only leave you to admire the wonderful 

 nicety with which the plates tit into each other, &c. 



— W. Buddcn, Ipswich. 



Anodonta cygnea. — The largest specimen which 

 I have been able to obtain from Mr. Beckwith's 

 mill-pond at Holbrook, near Ipswich, where they 

 are very abundant, only measures 7 inches. As 

 Mr. Sclater has obtained specimens S?- and 9 inches 

 from the river Dart, a warmer climate seems best 

 suited to their constitution.— W. Budden, Ipswich. 



Natural History in Novels. — In Wood's 

 "Natural History,— Birds, Canary," p. 172, he 

 says,—" A feather waved over the eyes of a canary 

 while it is lying on its back has the effect of depriv- 

 ing it of all power, so that it will be quite motion- 

 less until taken up." It is " in accordance with my 

 observation" and experience, that if you place 

 a cock on a table or floor, placing its legs under- 

 neath the body of the bird, put his beak to the 

 board, and draw a chalk line from the beak straight 

 along, the bird will continue for a considerable time 

 perfectly motionless, as if tied or dead. They are 

 apparently subject to a kind of mesmeric influence. 



— JF. Budden, Ipswich. 



The Stoat. — While we are waging a war of 

 extermination against the stoat (Mastela Erminea), 

 it seems that our colonists are desirous of import- 

 ing them. An advertisement appears in one of our 

 local papers offering 5s. each for two hundred stoats, 

 and 1 uelieve they are wanted for New Zealand. It 



