HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



277 



years, I have had the eggs just laid, and the young 

 from previously-laid eggs more than a month old at 

 the same time, with others of all intermediate ages. 

 I beg to refer " G. S." to a paper on the subject in 

 Science- Gossip, vol. for 1S74, p. 104, where the 

 manner of laying the egg is described. I think 

 " G. S." is quite right about the tails of tadpoles being 

 absorbed, and not thrown off. I have had both 

 toads and frogs under observation, and have always 

 seen the tails gradually diminish until quite gone, 

 but never saw one thrown off. I have witnessed 

 the development of both frog and newt from the 

 egg, of which I have sketches by me taken at the 

 time. The frog tadpole was free from the egg in 

 about five days ; the tadpole of the newt was free 

 from the egg in about twenty-four days after it was 

 laid. The development of the frog is very rapid. — 

 /. Fullagar, Canterbury. 



The Pope or Ruffe (Perca cemua). — In answer 

 to the question by Mr. Thomas C. Oborn, in the last 

 number of Science-Gossip, the pope is a fish of the 

 Perch family, and therefore a predacious species. 

 It is fond of worms and other animal food; and 

 unless well supplied therewith is not likely to be, 

 while alive, a very quiet tenaut of an aquarium. The 

 pope may be kept very well, if properly fed, in an 

 aquarium, the food being appropriate, but by no 

 means too abundant. Probably Mr. Oborn's popes 

 died from want of any proper food. 



English Humble-bees in New Zealand. — 

 Two nests of English humble-bees have just been 

 sent to New Zealand, by Mr. Frank Buckland, for 

 the Canterbury Acclimatization Society. These 

 insects are specially desired in New Zealand for 

 the purpose of fertilizing the common clover; the 

 proboscis of the common bee is not sufficiently long 

 to reach down to the pollen of the clover flower, 

 while the humble-bee is enabled to do so. In this 

 way the insect is expected to do great service to 

 the agriculturist by largely extending the growth of 

 the clover. Such a practical application of " Dar- 

 winism " never occurred before ! The bees were 

 packed in their own nests in two boxes, and will be 

 under the charge of a member of the New Zealand 

 Council, who is provided with every necessary for 

 their welfare during the voyage. They are expected 

 to arrive about the middle of January — midsummer 

 at the antipodes. 



Camberwell Beauty. — A fine specimen of this 

 rare butterfly was caught at Aldborough, in Suffolk, 

 during the last week in October. 



Popular Science Lectures. — We are glad to 

 draw attention to a very ingenious Dissolving View 

 lantern which has been recently invented by Mr. 

 W. C. Hughes, optician, of 151, Hoxton-street, N., 

 and which will be found highly useful in illus- 

 trating popular science lectures, whilst its easy 



manipulation makes it exceedingly valuable to 

 extemporaneous speakers. Adjuncts such as these 

 are undoubtedly useful in advancing the dissemi- 

 nation of scientific knowledge. 



Convolvulus Hawk-moth.— In the November 

 number of Science-Gossip allusion is made to the 

 plentiful occurrence this season of Sphinx convol- 

 vuli. I know of as many as ten having been got ; 

 six were caught by collectors, aud the other four 

 were picked up in the streets by different persons. — 

 R. H. F., Aberdeen. 



White Bees. — The instinct of the hive bee 

 teaches it not to permit the population of the hive 

 to increase to an inheritance of starvation ; and 

 thus, when continuous bad weather forbids honey - 

 gathering, the workers destroy aud throw out of 

 the hive the helpless, immature young, which in 

 both larvae and pupa state are white. These are 

 sometimes expelled by thousands, even although the 

 stores of the colony are far from exhausted. The 

 steady in-come of honey stimtdates breeding, and this 

 is taken advantage of by the scientific apiarian in 

 the early spring, who, by gently aud continuously 

 feeding his bees before nature affords a supply, has 

 the satisfaction of finding the population of his hives 

 rapidly increasing, and ready to take the utmost 

 advantage of the bountiful yield from the fruit blos- 

 soms which an ,all-wise Providence provides. But 

 woe betide the negligent or forgetful beekeeper; for 

 if this artificial supply be intermitted for a few days, 

 and nothing comes in from the woods and fields, the 

 bees permit no " bowches inutiles" and the massacre 

 commences. This state of things has been particu- 

 larly apparent during the last summer and autumn, 

 and before the May flowers make their appearance 

 again nine-tenths of the stocks of bees throughout 

 the length aud breadth of England will be found to 

 have perished. Although a labouring man will feed 

 his pigs, lie rarely feeds his bees, and, when he does, 

 he gives an ounce where he should a pound. — John 

 Hunter, Eaton Rise, Ealing. 



Convolvulus Hawk-moth (p. 259). — At the 

 October meeting (of 'the Watford Natural History 

 Society, Mr. Arthur Cottam read a " Note on the 

 Appearance of Sphinx convolvuli," in which he 

 mentioned that several specimens of this moth had 

 recently been taken in the neighbourhood of Wat- 

 ford. Two were taken by'a postman, who, when 

 delivering the letters in the morning, found them on 

 door-knockers. — J. H. 



A Gigantic Hydrozoan.— Professor Allman 

 has forwarded to Nature an account he has re- 

 ceived from Professor Wyville Thomson, of a large 

 gymnoplastic hydroid recently obtained by the 

 Challenger in the North Pacific, lat. 34° 37' N., 

 long. 140° 32' E., at a depth of 1,875 fathoms, 

 or more than two miles. This zoophyte is of such 



