HARDWICKfi'S SCIENCE. GOSSIP. 



277 



valida. Long. J 2 diam., 2i-2i millim., Ap. 2 J- millim. 

 longa, 13 lata, fag. 91, 95, 198." Mr. Jeffreys 

 further remarks, " I believe this is the same variety 

 which Pareyss of Vienna has named eximia, but that 

 name has not been published," adding, " the inter- 

 mediate gradations between Claasilla riigosa and its 

 var, dubia, are very numerous." The new variety 

 referred to is apparently confined to one or two 

 spots in the counties of Northumberland and 

 Durham, the best specimens being found in the 

 latter county, in a particular locality, not very far 

 from the coast ; they are generally larger, more 

 elongated, smoother, and more transparent than 

 Clniisilia rugosa, var. dubia, the colour likewise 

 different whereas the latter attains occasionally a 

 fine purple colour, and runs generally through the 

 usual shades of brown to purplish-brown, the 

 former appears only in a pale brown form, frequently 

 resembling in external appearance ClaiisUia lamiiiata, 

 both in smoothness and in transparency.— W. F., 

 Sutton. 



How THE Puffin Ascends to its Nest. — In 

 the November number of Science-Gossip there 

 appears an extract from the Zoologist, under the 

 above heading, by Mr. H. M. Wallis. As this 

 extract appears to me to be erroneous, and likely to 

 mislead, I shall endeavour, with all respect to Mr. 

 Wallis, to point out the fallacy. In the first place 

 the proper and only answer to the question " How 

 does the pufiin ascend to its nest ? " is the simplest 

 one that can be given ; viz., it flies there. I have 

 frequently observed puffins flying, and all the books 

 to which I have referred speak of the bird as a 

 "good flyer." Besides, bad flyers have their choice 

 to build in rabbit-warrens. If the question were 

 asked about the Great Auk or the Penguins, it 

 might be more desirable to have an answer as to 

 the modus operandi, for these birds have only 

 flappers, or we might say " feathered fins," and yet 

 build on high rocks. The paragraph in question 

 goes on to say, " The bird rose from the water some 

 way from the shore, flying so as barely to clear the 

 tops of the waves until within fifty yards from the 

 cliff, when it appeared to depress its tail, which was 

 fully spread, and by extending its webbed feet on 

 either side to nearly double the surface of resistance, 

 its course was changed, and the bird rose without 

 any apparent difficulty to its nest." If this theory 

 is correct, the Puffin forms a little law of nature for 

 itself. The depressed tail and feet spread out would 

 just exactly send the puffin down towards the water, 

 instead oinp towards the nest. The tail of a bird 

 is analogous to the rudder of a ship. The tail being 

 depressed, impedes the lower side of the bird, and 

 the bird would turn head downwards, whereas rais- 

 ing the tail would impede the upper part of the 

 bird's body and the bird would turn upwards. Place 

 a large stone under one wheel of a cart when in 



motion, and the cart will be turned towards the 

 impediment. The same with a boat ; the rudder 

 impedes one side and the boat turns in the direction 

 of the impeded side ; the same with a bird. Now 

 we see by practice that this is correct, if we observe 

 a pigeon alighting on a road, as it swoops down it 

 spreads out its tail and turns it up. The body 

 immediately balances backwards, i.e., the head 

 turns up and the pigeon alights. The same effect 

 can be seen in the poising of a hawk, or the gyra- 

 tions of sea-gulls on our tidal rivers. I can perfectly 

 easily account for the error into which Mr. Wallis 

 has fallen. It appeared to depress its tail, i.e. from 

 his point of view ; as the bird sailed upwards 

 the tail appeared lower. He considered the depres- 

 sion of the tail the cause of the rising of the bird. 

 He should have taken the rising of the bird as the 

 reason of the apparent depression. I believe the 

 action of the feet described to be quite accurate, and 

 1 hope your correspondents will excuse any errors 

 they may discover in either the length or style of 

 this correction.— C C. Russell, Neiotownards, co- 

 Down. 



Papilio Machaon.— In reply to "II. A. K.," 

 who asks whether it is not curious to find this 

 butterfly miles away from any fen— on the Lion 

 Mound at Waterloo,— I reply that it by no means 

 confines itself to such localities on the Continent. 

 At Freiburg, in Baden, I found a clover-field so full 

 of this sp(;cies that there were one, if not two, for 

 every stalk of clover. They were all settled ; and 

 so intent upon sucking the iioney of the flowers 

 that ihey hardly flew away when disturbed. 

 Wherever I have travelled on the Continent 1 have 

 found this insect, and its congener P. podalirius. 

 In my opinion, no continental specimens come up 

 to the genuine fen ones of England in beauty. The 

 depth of the black transverse band on the fore- 

 wings is not so strikingly delineated, and we may 

 almost call those specimens, which justly stand at 

 the head of our native collections of Lepidoptera, 

 typical varieties of the European species. There 

 is as much difference between them as between the 

 fen C. dispar and the C. hippolhai of the Pontine 

 Marshes, near Home.—/. C. M. 



The Late Dk. Lankesteu, F.Pl.S.— It is our 

 sad duty to record the death of another distinguished 

 scientific man. Dr. Lankesier, E.R.S., was one of 

 those few men who, in addition to holding a high 

 position in his own profession, was also distinguished 

 for original research, and still more so as one of 

 our ablest and most eloquent popularizers of science. 

 His works are widely known and read, and every- 

 where highly appreciated. Tliose who personally 

 knew him will sadly miss his genial and hopeful 

 presence, and his outspoken and concise expression 

 of opinion on scientific subjects. He died in his 



