HARDWICKE'S SCIEN CE-GOSSIP. 



283 



without there being one of a ChaflBnch hard by, often 

 on a branch of the very same tree, and the reason 

 assifsjned is that the Chaffinch seeks the protection 

 of the Missel-thrush from hostile birds, especially 

 the Magpies, which, as every one knows, are allowed 

 to do pretty much as they like in most parts of that 

 country, the Chaffinch on its part giving early 

 warning to the Thrush as soon as the common enemy 

 approaches to pilfer any unprotected eggs." We 

 are inclined to think the above statement may be 

 correct, as in the early spring of this year, while 

 walking through our plantation with a gentleman 

 friend, curious in the matter of birds and their nests, 

 we startled what we thought was a chaffinch, from 

 its peculiar cheery sweet note ; it evidently did not 

 wish us to find its nest, as it decoyed us amongst 

 the shrubs some distance without our being able to 

 discover its whereabouts. Now, as the Missel- 

 thrush has built for many years in our garden always 

 two, and sometimes three nests, I thiuk it is very 

 probable that the above anecdote from " Cassell's 

 Egg Collection " may be correct. Perhaps I 

 ought to state the Latin name for the Chaffinch is 

 Frhigilla coslebs, the latter name, or rather I should 

 say, the specific name being given on account of the 

 separation of 1he sexes at one period of the year. 

 Vvhite, in his "History of Selborne," says that in 

 his neighbourhood, towards Christmas, vast fiocks 

 of chaffinches appear in the fields, most of whom are 

 the hen bird — at least fif'.y toone. LiiintBus remarks 

 "all their hen chaffinclas migrate through Holland 

 into Italy." In hard winters no females are seen 

 in North Staffordshire. 



Reptiles savallowing their Young.— Meeting 

 with two intelligent men the other day, whose know- 

 ledge of Natural History was, I found, rather above 

 the average, I questioned them as to their belief in 

 the above, and they both unhesitatingly expressed 

 their firm conviction of its truth. One of them had 

 resided for a considerable time in a viper country, 

 and had iiad many sheep killed by the bites of these 

 reptiles ; he therefore knew a great deal as to their 

 habiis, but was obliged to confess that he had never 

 met with an instance of their swallowing their 

 young alive. The other man, whose knowledge of 

 vipers was more limited, advanced what was to me 

 an entirely new assertion, viz., that the common 

 snake (Natrix torquata) swallows its young when 

 the latter are in danger. — W. II. Warner, Kingston, 

 Abingdon, 



The Lakge Tortoise-shell. — This morning 

 (July 16, lS7i), I observed a number of the large 

 Tortoise-shell butterfiy {Vanessa pohjchloros), — so 

 many, at first, as twelve dotted all over the pinkish 

 flowers of the Orpine everlasting [Sedum Telephiuvi], 

 which edges one of the flower-beds in my town 

 garden. We first saw them about nine o'clock. 

 During the day they increased considerably, were; 

 on nearly every flower-head, and now, at half-past 

 four, they have risen in quite a swarm, and are 

 resting in numbers on the brick walls of my hus- 

 band's office, and on several shrubs. They seemed 

 as if only lately emerged from the pupa state, so 

 fresh and brilliant in colour. 1 cannot account for 

 their appearance, as I found neither caterpillars 

 nor chrysalides of this particular butterfly, either 

 during the autumn of 1S73 or this past spring, 

 though finding numbers of others ; amongst them 

 those of the Tiger-motii, whose favourite food, 1 

 may here remark, seems to be the spotted-leaved 

 dead-nettle, Lamium maculutum. I reared eight of 

 these caterpillars on it tiiis season, and they have 



passed through their several stages successfully : 

 and one splendid molh has just deposited over fifty 

 eggs on the bell-glass of ray insect vivarium. One 

 May evening, about thirty years ago, I saw several 

 of another species of butterfly, the Orange-tip 

 {Euchloe cardamines), asleep on a rose-bush, and very 

 lovely they looked ; but a swarm like that of this 

 afternoon I never saw, and can give but a faint idea 

 of the beautiful begemmed flower-border, covered 

 as it was with their outspread wings, glistening 

 beneath the mid-day sun. Can the presence in my 

 garden of all these winged beauties be attributed 

 to its being, like that of " Lady Corisandes," con- 

 fined to old-fashioned, sweet-smelling flowers, such 

 as stocks, campanulas, and other dear old friends, 

 which were my childhood's admiration ? and even 

 now they charm me more than the present system 

 of gardening, though it has such wealth of glorious 

 colouring both of flowers and foliage. — H. R. B., 

 Limerick. 



The Eagle at Dare. — I see in a late num- 

 ber the so-called golden eagle at Dare, in Somerset- 

 shire, has again made its appearance, where it was 

 first mentioned by Mr. Gifford in Science-Gossip 

 for 1872. I soon after sent you a note asking! for 

 further particulars and some description of the bird ; 

 and about the same time " G." wrote, throwing 

 doubt on the ideutityof the bird. Neither of these 

 notes were answered' in Science-Gossip, and 1 have 

 not been able to go over and see the bird myself, 

 but two ornithological friends of mine have seen it, 

 and from their description there can be no doubt 

 about it, that the bird is a young white-tailed eade, 

 as the tarsi are bare of feathers ; in the golden 

 eagle, as you know, the tarsi are at all ages feathered 

 dovyn to the junction of the toes. This distinction 

 of itself is sufficient to settle the question at any 

 time as between the white-tailed and the golden 

 eagle, and can hardly be mistaken by any one who 

 looks at the birds for the purpose of identification. 

 —C. S. 



Centaurea calcitrapa.— Whilst out on my 

 usual rounds I was attracted by some yellow patches 

 in a field of lucern. I thought at first that they 

 consisted of hawkweed picris, but tliey appeared too 

 gaudy. On reaching them, I found to my surprise 

 that they were most luxuriant plants of Centaurea, 

 calcitrapa with brilliant lemon yellow - coloured 

 blossoms. G. calcitrapa is abundant here, but I 

 have never found it with other than pink flowers. 

 Will any of your correspondents kindly say if the 

 yellow variety is found elsewhere ? I shall be pleased 

 to forward a specimen to any subscriber to Science- 

 Gossip on receipt of stamped envelope. — Br. Morton, 

 New lirompton, Kent. 



Cats' Imitation. — A gentleman of Falmouth 

 informs me that his dog (like many others) has been 

 taught, to beg for a bone, sitting on his haunches 

 and bending his fore paws. His master was lately 

 surprised to see one of his cats, having observed the 

 success of the dog's attitude, imitate it. Another 

 cat followed the example of its nnieh younger com- 

 panion. Such a copying by one animal of the 

 acquired habit of another of a different genus seemed 

 worthy of notice. 



Swarms of Ants. — Did any of the readers of 

 Science-Gossip notice on Wednesday, the 19th of 

 August, the vast swarms of ants (winged and or- 

 dinary) which covered the ground in large patches ? 

 I shall feel obliged if some one will tell me the 

 reason of this phenomenon. — J. L. J. 



