4S 



H A RDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



NOTICES TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



A. F. Buxton. — Carbuncle is the name pivea to a variety 

 of the precious pmet [Pympt;). It belongs to the cubical 

 system, and it is composed principally of silica, alumina, 

 protoxide of iron, with lime, magnesia, and protoxide of 

 mangnnese. !t is found ia Bohemia, Saxony, and Ceylon. 



H. T. M.— The following are the names of the moths 

 sent:— No. 1. Lesser Broad-border {Tiyphaena ianthina) ; 

 No. 2. Large Mallow (Eukitlia cercinaria) ; No. 3. Cabbage 

 MotU (Mumeitra hrus-ica:) ; No. «. Marbled Minor (Miana 

 gtrigilis) ; No. 5. Small China Mark (Catarlysta lemnalis). 



John Dawsov. — The Testucelln Mangei isof adark brown 

 colour, sometimes mottled or speckled with black, red, or 

 white. Its shell is larger and more cylindrical than that of 

 the nearly allied species T. haliotuiea. The Black Slug 

 (Arion ater) is carnivorous, and devours earth-worms. Tne 

 Teft'wella haliotidea also preys upon the earth-worms, and 

 will follow them up inio their burrows. 



W. K. — The name of the Horse-eye Nut is Mucunn 

 vigiintea, a native of the East Indies, but extensively grown 

 in the West Indies. The Calabar Bean is quite distinct from 

 it, being oblong, round, slightly curved, and of a deep 

 mahogany. colour. The Horse-eye Nut is round, compressed, 

 grevish in colour, with a black band round the margin.— 

 J. f. 



A. Stormont. — Will you kindly communicate your address 

 to us, as it was not given in your note ? 



"When the Swallows Homew'ard fly." — We received 

 several scores of notices of the late stay with us of the 

 Swallows, all testifying to the extraordinary mildness of the 

 present winter up to Christmas. We thank our correspond- 

 ents for their trouble, and this reference to the number sent 

 will be an apology for not publishing them all ! 



W. H. W. — Your description of the animal answers exactly 

 to that of the Barbastelle Bat (Burbastellus Ouubentonv), 

 given in Bell's " British Quadrupeds." It is well known as 

 a native of France, but only of late years discovered to inhabit 

 this country. It is in the southern comities that one would 

 expect to find it most commonly ia England. 



W. Bknn'et.— It is the Pellucid Limpet {Patella pellucida), 

 of deeper water habits than the common limpet, and known 

 by its pellucid she.l and pretty bright blue lines radiating from 

 the apex. 



J. A., juN'.— The only trustworthy work on Exotic Butter- 

 flies that would come within your means is Hewitson's, 

 published in parts, by Lovell Reeve, at, we believe, 2s. fid. 

 each. 



J. L. H. — Exchanges of Natural History objects are inserted 

 gratis, if not more than three lines in length. 



E. L.— You will by this doubtless have seen that the 

 announcement of the Dodo being still alive has been con- 

 tradicted. It was a bird called by Prof. Owen a " Dodlet." 



R. P. — Your sketch is that of the fossil root of the Sigil- 

 laria, one of the commonest of the coal plants. It goes by 

 the name of Stigmarta /icoides. 



P. Thomas. — It is the Hair-worm (Gordiua aquaticus), 

 usually believed by schoolboys and others to be the transfor- 

 mation'of horse-hairs by immersion in running water. The 

 larval stages of these worms are usually passed parasitically 

 in insects. 



S. A. S. — You had best obtain the volume of Labels for the 

 Herbarium, by Robson, published by Hardwicke, Piccadilly, 

 last year. It is the completest list yet i«sued, printed on one 

 side for herbarium use. The generic names are, if we re- 

 member right, given as you desire. 



Bklkmnitk. — For preserving your Gault fossils, first gently 

 brush them with a weak solution of common glue. This 

 will prevent them falling in pieces. Afterwards, when this 

 has dried, brush them over with copal varnish, to produce 

 the shiny appearance you desire. We think, however, you 

 had better omit the latter, as it warms in summer and gets 

 sticky, so that the dust adheres to it. 



J. P. Greklv. — A crirrespondent has kindly recommended 

 us the following receipt as an antidote to wire- worms: — 

 Sprinkle the ground well with soot, and then plant it with 

 potatoes ; when the potatoes are taken up, the wire-worms 

 should be taken out and destroyed. If this be done for a year 

 or two, the ground will be entirely cleared from them. If 

 the land is heavy and clayey, a heavy dressing of lime, at the 

 rate of so tons per acre, will prove beneficial. 



Erratum.— On page KS of last No. of S.-G., and in 32nd 

 line, for " terrestrial," read " arboreal." 



E. C— You will find a note respecting the connection of 

 the Eagle with St. John, olfered as an explanation of the 

 " Liver '' on the seal of the Liverpool arms, in the February 

 Ko. of SciE.vCE-Gossip for 1372. For St. James and the 

 Scallop, and other hagiographical matters, consult Husen- 

 beth's " Emblems of the Saints." 



W. L. W. E. — We are very torry to remark that, though 

 we got your note, the bees have not yet " turned up " ! 



Original SuBscRiBKR. — We are not aware that you can 

 purchase collapsible tubes ready filled w.th Canada balsam 

 but it is not difficult to get the tubes first and to fill then\ 

 afterwards. You had best inquire at a gtiod chemist's. The 

 cheap perfumery is sold in the collapsible tiibe>. 2nd. You 

 had better apply to any good microscope dealer for the 

 material you desire, and we doubt not he will be glad to 

 send you hiu catalogues. 3rd. For the purpose of studying 

 the dissection of animals, you cannot do better than obtain 

 Hulk & Henfrey's " Anatomical ManipuUtinn." London: 

 Van Voorst. The second edition (just issued) of Davies " On 

 Mounting, &c.'' (London : Hardwicke) is still cheaper. 



EXCHANGES. 

 W'anted: Clansilia biplicata, C. dubia, and Bulimus mon- 

 tanus. Offered: B.monlanus, C laminatu, Cyclontuma elegant, 

 and others. — Miss F. Hele, EUenslea, Redlands Grove, 

 Bristol. 



Pkiilaris paraduxa, Sisymbrium pa7i»onicum, Sic., for 

 grasses in general, particularly of genera Bramus, Fentuca, 

 and Paiiician.—J. Harbord Lewis, 18o, Mill-street, Liver- 

 pool, S. 



From eighty to a hundred Foreign Land Shells all duly 

 reported, tt)r which should be pleased for Northern English, 

 Irish, and Scotch Algae. — Henry Goode, 13, CUrence -street, 

 Penzance, Cornwall. 



A Stamp Alb CM containing about 650, open to ofiers. — 

 Address, J. L. Copeman, 12, The Walk, Norwich. 



I SHOULD like to exchange Bird Skins with some British 

 reader of the Scikxce-Gossip.— Frankhn W. Hall, 14, Park- 

 street, New Haven, Ct., U.S. 



Wanteo, good mounted Injections. I will give Stained 

 Tissue. — Send stamped envelope to Wm. Sarjcant, Jan., 

 Caverswall, Stafford. 



Wanted, good slides of Js/Amia necL'osrt,goodNaviculEE, and 

 Cuxhaven Mud Diatoms for first-class Slides. — H. B. Thomas, 

 Boston, Lincolnshire. 



Wanted, Storm-tossed Scraps, Marine objects of interest, 

 Sec, dried and named. Can offer Slides, Fossils, and other 

 objects of natural history. — E. Lovett, Holly Mount, 

 Croydon. 



Wanted, Larvre of P. cratiegi, C. Darus, E. Medea, L. 

 Sibylla, A. hvs. and ova of any hairstreak exc-pt Quercus, for 

 Microscopic Slides, or other Lepidoplera. — W'. L. Sarjeant, 

 0, Dagnallpark Terrace, Selhurst, Surrey. 



Arhimenes, Gestieru, and Euconodium bulbs, for well- 

 mounted Slides, Diatoms, &c. — Address, 135, St. Owen. street, 

 Hereford. 



Bone Sections, long and transverse. Camel, Horse, Ox, 

 Sheep, and Pig, mounted or unmounted, for good Slides or 

 material.— W'. Officer, Wilmington, Hull. 



Scales of Bream unniouned, for other good objects. — 

 Stamped envelope to Miss Watkins, 15, Union-street, Deptford, 

 S.E. 



Microscopic FvNc,i,(Ecidiumrubelht>ii, (E.i(rticcE,C\iister- 

 cups from Coltsfoot, Pilewort, and Goat's-beard, all mounted, 

 for well-mounted objects — Anatomical or Polarizing subjects 

 in preference.— G. Garrett, Harland House, Whersted-road, 

 Ipswich. 



I have the following duplicate Nos. in the London Cat. of 

 British Plants :— 762, 746, 92i), 103tJ, 1052, 1037, 732, 418, 229. 

 67tj, y57, 8(i7, 881, 698, 472, 1165, 187, 425, ] I'y, 1168,1234, 

 897, 180. Ueniderata sent on application. — E. A. Hall, Trinity 

 Hall, Cambridge. 



Wanted, Papilio Machaon. Will give Pumphila Actceon. — 

 R. M. Glazbrook, Lower Caversham. 



Hair from tail of Indian Elephant (trans-section), part of 

 Wing of Locust, and many other good objects. Shell 

 sections preferred.- Send list to C. C. Underwood, 25, Glou- 

 cester-place, Portman- square, London. 



Diatoms (rom Litcham, cleaned.— Send stamp and address 

 to W. White, Litcham, Norfolk. Any material acceptable. 



Foraminifera and other Microscopic Shells, and Diato- 

 macese well mounted for other mounted objects. — H. Cock- 

 son, 24, Rodney-street, Liverpool. 



Beautiful Crystals of Spinel Ruby and rough Amethysts, 

 Topazes, and other precious stones, for Microscopic Slides. — 

 G., 20, Maryland-road, Harrow-road, W. 



Alq.'b frora the Channel Island-!, North and South Devon, 

 and Cornwall, for any or all of the following Sea-weeds — 

 good specimens required : — Caltithamniun floccnsum, pluma, 

 and liriidicei, pucus Machieii, Dehssrriu angustissima, Pfiyl- 

 li)/i/iora Brudiai, JtlwJymenia cristata, Punctitria tonuissima, 

 Sphdcelaria plumosa, Arthrocladia tilloiia. S/ioructienes pe- 

 duncutalus, Polysiphonia parasitica (very fine in Scotland), 

 Nitophyllum laceratum (very fine in the 0:kneys).— Henry 

 Gaode, 13, Clarence-street, Penzance, Cornwall. 



