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HA RD WICKKS SCIENCE- G OS SIP. 



markings there is in these eggs. Some we have 

 almost white and spotless, or nearly so, others with 

 cream grounds, and again others with green grounds, 

 spotted and fantastically streaked and blotched. In 

 looking over eggs of this bird I have often been 

 struck with the thought, what is the reason of this 

 great diversity of markings, etc. ? Is it because some 

 birds have the power of secreting a certain colour 

 more developed than others have, or is it because 

 there is a tendency to vary in the birds themselves ? 

 Speaking of the guillemot, Mr. Darwin says (" Origin 

 of Species," p. 72): " Graba estimates that about 

 one-fifth of the guillemots in the Faroe Islands 

 consist of a variety so well marked that it was 

 formerly ranked as a distinct species under the name 

 of Uria lacrymans." Assuming that we have the 

 same tendency to vary in other localities also, would 

 this variation have a tendency to alter the colour of 

 the eggs, or what is the reason of so much variation 

 in the eggs of this bird ? My reason in introducing 

 this subject is merely to obtain if possible a little 

 more information about this bird. Not being near 

 the sea-coast, I have not the same opportunity of 

 observing these birds as those who live on the coast. 

 Will those of your readers who have carefully 

 observed this bird give us the benefit of their obser- 

 vations, so that we inland folks may get a better idea 

 of the probable causes of variation ? — F. W. Paple, 

 Bolton. 



The Nebular Hypothesis. — A reader of 

 Science-Gossip who has followed the series of 

 articles by E. P. Ridley on the " Nebular Hypo- 

 thesis " with great interest — if imperfect compre- 

 hension — would esteem it a favour if the writer, or 

 other astronomical correspondent, would supply an 

 answer to the following question : — " The moon," 

 the last article states (Science-Gossip, p. 49, 

 March), "appears to afford an example of the 

 universal death which, in a remote future, awaits all 

 the members of the solar system." Granted the 

 perfect truth of this statement. But, if the moon at 

 one time possessed an aqueous belt, with water on 

 the surface like our own planet, how did the laws of 

 gravity and attraction permit the same to disappear ? 



Hawfinches. — Two hawfinches were shot by a 

 farmer of this parish on January 15th in his garden. 

 I don't know whether this is worth taking a note of. 

 No one had seen one before here, so they must be 

 rare in this neighbourhood. I don't think they 

 would have been shot if it had been known they were 

 not as mischievous as bullfinches. — R. Abbay, Earl- 

 Soham. 



The Sting of the Adder. — I venture to add a 

 few remarks to those of your correspondent on the 

 sting of an adder. Not long ago I had the misfortune 

 to be bitten by one when attempting to capture it 

 alive. I immediately sucked the wound vigorously, 

 but beyond that I took no other remedial measures. 

 The symptoms were exactly those of a severe bee 

 sting. The swelling commencing at the wound in 

 my finger, rapidly extended up the arm as far as the 

 shoulder, but no farther, the skin of the arm and hand 

 being distended to the utmost and remaining so for 

 two or three days, at the end of which time it 

 changed to a yellowish green colour, and then the 

 swelling gradually subsided, leaving no ulterior effects. 

 I may here mention that the viper, so far from being 

 disturbed by this little incident, appeared at the same 

 spot the following morning, and now adorns my 

 " curiosity shop." There is not the slightest doubt 

 that the effects of an adder's bite depend entirely on 

 the condition of the blood of the individual or animal 



bitten. I know of two dogs who have entirely 

 recovered from the effects of adder bites. And I 

 have no doubt that those persons who are severely 

 effected by bee's stings would succumb in a very 

 short time to the bite of an adder. The adder is 

 naturally very shy, but when about to shed its skin its 

 sight is impaired and its movements are then com- 

 paratively sluggish, and I think that it is generally 

 under these circumstances dogs are bitten. The 

 short tailed field-mouse is the viper's principal food. 

 The one by which I was bitten (a large one) con- 

 tained three of these in various stages of digestion. 

 At one time I had several young vipers, and was at a 

 loss to know what to feed them on until I tried young 

 frogs, just changed from the tadpole stage, ,which were 

 swallowed voraciously, three or four being taken at 

 one meal. By the bye, is it correct that adders are 

 fond of the water ? In this district they are always 

 found in dry places on the hills, and I have never 

 heard ,of one taking to water. I am strongly of 

 opinion that the idea of vipers allowing their young 

 to wriggle down their throats when in danger, is 

 erroneous. The rustics about here all believe the 

 theory, but I find that they have generally formed 

 their opinion from the fact that they have at one time 

 killed vipers containing eggs, and at another time 

 containing young, not knowing that the viper is ovo- 

 viviparous. — Edward Goodwin. 



Monstrosity of Hyacinth. — After seeing Mr. 

 Perrett's note upon this subject, I examined some 

 hyacinths I had, and found one similar to the flower 

 he mentioned. Also, upon asking a friend who had 

 a number of hyacinths if he had noticed anything 

 like it, he brought me three abnormal flowers, each 

 from a different plant. Of these, two had thirteen 

 segments to the perianth, fourteen stamens, and two 

 perfect ovaries each ; while the third consisted of 

 two normal flowers upon one pedicel, attached to 

 each other throughout their length. These flowers 

 were from single hyacinths. I have frequently seen 

 cases of these monstrosities, but never remember 

 having seen them reproduced by the same bulb the 

 following year. — Geo. Parish, Oxford. 



Vandal Naturalists and Pilferers. — Mr. 

 Blagg's careful experiments in removing eggs 

 strengthen rather than weaken my argument, for, had 

 he not substituted some extraneous substance for the 

 eggs taken, the birds would, in all probability, have 

 forsaken their nests. Pilferers, I regret, do not take 

 that trouble, neither do they " carefully coax the 

 birds off their nests." I beg to inform Mr. Blagg 

 that, for many years, I was a large keeper of all kinds 

 of poultry, and I consider that " pumping a pigeon " 

 has no more bearing on the case than the very free 

 handling of the proverbial cow's tail. Birds in their 

 wild state and those receiving domestic treatment 

 live under two quite different conditions ; but if 

 Mr. Blagg's theory will hold water, i.e., that by 

 clutch-collecting the birds will soon become barren, 

 the common sparrow (Passer dotnesticus), whose eggs 

 have been most systematically taken for a great 

 number of years, should, by this, time, have become 

 quite extinct : nevertheless, the cry is, We have far 

 too many sparrows. 



Accidents to Birds. — Reading Mr. Liu's ac- 

 count of a fatal accident to a sparrow in the March 

 number recalls to my mind three interesting cases 

 which came under my notice a few years ago. A 

 long-tailed tit had nearly completed its dome-shaped 

 nest, when by some means, its tail getting entangled 

 with the moss of its nest, it had hung suspended, and 

 in its efforts to free itself the feathers of its tail and 



