172 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. ' 



one on the foot up to the hip. To scratch the wound 

 causes the inflammation to extend widelj', especially 

 in children : in a little child of five years old bladdery 

 pustules appeared on the hand, wrist, and lower arm, 

 exactly as though she were suffering from a severe 

 burn. The irritation remains about a week. In 

 fact the annoyance and pain caused by this animal 

 in our temperate zone appear to be scarcely less 

 than what the so-called poison-bug produces in the 

 hotter regions of Persia and Egypt. 



The body of this interesting tick has a flat ap- 

 pearance from above. It is entirely without seg- 

 ments, but is provided with slight impressions, the 

 largest of which, of an oval form, are situated on the 

 fore part; most of the remainder, which arc smaller 

 and whitish, inclose in tlie lower half a festoon-like 

 space, which is cut in half by a groove or elongate 

 depression. The upper surface is a rusty yellow ; 

 the outer rim, the legs, and the under surface of a 

 dirty white — at least, this is the case in the animals 

 after death. The legs lie close together at their 

 attachment to the body, and terminate each in two 

 strongly bent claws without cushions. These claws» 

 however, do not coalesce with the last joint of the 

 foot, but are connected with it by two very thin 

 rings, which must give them much more play. Just 

 in front of the first pair of feet is situated the short 

 horizontal beak in a cavity provided for the purpose. 

 It appears to be in every respect similar to that of 

 the true Ticks. 



Besides this species {reflexns) and the poison-bug 

 (Persicus), there are two others — A. Fischer/., from 

 Egypt, and A. Mauritianus from the island whose 

 name it bears. But our knowledge of these (as is 

 the case with most of the members of this order) 

 extends only to their outward appearance. As re" 

 gards A. Mmiritianus it has been ascertained that it 

 lives on poultrj-, and often causes their death. 



A fifth species {Savignyi), from*Egypt, is referred 

 by Koch to a distinct genus, Ornithodoros, on ac- 

 count of the presence of eyes, which are situated on 

 the lower surface of the body. 



E. L. Taschenbekg. 



BIRDS AND FLOWERS. 



IT has been with peculiar interest that I have 

 read the remarks in Science Gossip (p. 135), 

 entitled " Birds and Primroses." For several years 

 I have noticed with wonder the havoc made in our 

 garden upon the primroses and crocuses just as 

 they first appear in the early spring. Having a 

 -considerable number of primrose-roots growing in 

 our plantation and orchard, we have been greatly 

 surprised to find as the flowers first appear they are 

 bitten ofi', or rather pulled out from the calyx, and 

 lie round the roots as if some little children or 

 dogs had amused themselves with this apparently 

 thoughtless work of destruction ; indeed some few 



years ago, we flogged our little dog, who used with 

 great pleasure to watch our gathering the flowers, 

 and we suspected him to be guilty of afterwards 

 pulling the primrose flowers off to eat them (as 

 the petalsVere partially eaten) ; but when, after his 

 death, the flowers were still pulled off in the same 

 manner, we discovered they were cut off by the birds, 

 which seem to select the more solitary roots in 

 preference to those growing thickly together. 



My attention was much called to this being the 

 case while visiting, in April this year, some friends 

 living in a lovely part of Staffordshire. 



In their garden there was one large primrose-root, 

 which I noticed each day while there until all its 

 flowers were pulled off, or nearly so, and lying, 

 many of the petals half eaten away, round this one 

 solitary root ; while in the lanes round the hall, the 

 banks of which for one or two miles in every direc- 

 tion were thickly studded with primroses, looking 

 more beautiful than I can describe, I only on one 

 occasion observed any roots whose flowers were 

 pulled off in the same way, and tlien it was the case 

 with a few roots growing by the side of the public 

 road. TVe have never noticed any of our poly- 

 anthus flowers thus destroyed, but the crocuses 

 very much ; for some time we believed they were 

 cut oft" by the mice in order the better to get to the 

 roots, of which they are very fond, but for the last 

 year or two we have felt sure that it has been the 

 birds which have thus bitten off both the primrose 

 and crocus flowers. 



We are inclined to think the chaffinches and 

 the sparrows are the birds that commit the largest 

 devastation upon these sweet, early spring flowers, 

 especially the latter, which are known to pull off the 

 cherry blossoms in the same way. But why they 

 thus pull off the flowers of the primrose and crocus 

 I know not, I should like much to know, and also 

 why they choose the more solitary roots in prefer- 

 ence to those growing together. I have long pon- 

 dered over the subject, though I did not know it 

 was now occupying the attention of others, until I 

 saw the article in your valuable magazine last week. 



If I may be allowed to venture an opinion, I 

 think it is more than probable that the birds are in 

 search of the small insects as well as the nectar 

 found in these flowers, which come out before the 

 birds perhaps are able to find other food they like 

 so well. 



Often, too, the little white slug, so destructive to 

 our plants, shelters under the primrose-leaves, 

 especially in damp situations, which may be another 

 source of attraction to the birds. Perhaps others 

 may not liave remarked that in May and the end of 

 April, the primroses are for the most part left to 

 develop themselves in their sweet modest beauty. 

 It will be with very great pleasure I shall look for- 

 M-ard to further information upon a subject of so 

 much interest. E. Edwaeds. 



