HA R D WICKE ' S S CIE NCE- G O SSI P. 



191 



to our gardens. At other seasons, as far as I know, 

 his visits are harmless enough. — IV. H. Warner, 

 Fy field, Abingdon. 



Seasonal Notes. — May 11, swifts seen ; 

 May 13, white clover in flower, Geitm rivale in 

 flower ; May 16, ash in leaf; May 18, holly in flower, 

 mountain ash, horse-chestnut and oak, Anthyllis 

 vulneraria ; May 19, butterwort and Veronica 

 beccabunga in flower ; May 23, ox-eye daisy in 

 flower ; May 26, foxglove in flower ; May 28, yellow 

 iris and Orchis metadata in flower. June 3, ash- 

 leaved potatoes dug in open ground ; June 7, wood- 

 bine and Rosa spinosissima in flower ; June 9, 

 dog-rose in flower and elder ; June 10, butterfly 

 orchis and Gymnadenia eonopsea'm flower; June 13, 

 rubus and guelder-rose ; June 14, Lathynts pratensis 

 in flower ; June 16, horse-fly'seen ; June 17, CEnanthe 

 croeata and ragweed in flower ; June 22, young 

 wasps on figwort flowers ; June 23, sea convolvulus 

 and jasione in flower ; June 25, wild carrot, yellow 

 bedstraw and yarrow in flower ; June 28, rest-harrow 

 and Plantago major in flower ; June 30, Erica cinerea 

 in flower. — Rev. S. A. Brenan, Cushendun, co. 

 Antrim. 



Dytiscus marginalis. — Very likely the meat 

 your correspondent, Mr. Kirkald, feeds his beetles on 

 is the cause of the " milky, turbid water," if un- 

 devoured particles are allowed to remain in the vessel. 

 I should recommend that they be fed, instead, with 

 small worms, flies, or other insects, which constitute 

 their natural food, and would not be likely to taint 

 the water. I have often kept water snails of the 

 commoner kinds, as Planorbis, Limnrea, Paludina, 

 etc., with specimens of D. marginalis, and have 

 never found them to fall victims to their insect fellow- 

 prisoners ; but dispositions vary, even in the lowest 

 orders, and so it is with our friend the " great water 

 beetle." I should imagine operculated molluscs would 

 be the least likely to be eaten up, as they are 

 naturally better protected from enemies by their 

 possessing a "door" to their shells. I have noticed 

 leeches endeavouring to fasten on the operculum 

 of a closed Paludina, and found them unable to do so 

 from the concavity of that organ. As to allowing the 

 water to become putrid, I should advise Mr. Kirkald, 

 unless the vessel in which he kept his pets is of 

 sufficient dimensions, not to allow any impurity to 

 remain. I have found them live very well in clear 

 water. They should always have a little weed or 

 shingle to cling to, as their specific gravity is lighter 

 than that of water. I have a glass case measuring 

 about ten inches by six inches, in which, for some 

 time, I have been keeping various denizens of the 

 water, and I have not touched its contents, except for 

 the occasional introduction of food, or fresh stock, for 

 nearly a year, and all the decaying matter it contains, 

 while giving rise to numerous microscopic beings, has 

 not in the least affected the transparency of the water, 

 though, no doubt, it would do so if the case was 

 shaken up. I think, therefore, that so long as the 

 aquarium is of tolerable size, and is supplied with 

 sufficient mollusca, etc., to check the too rapid 

 increase of conferva, there would be no need for 

 Mr. Kirkald to trouble about changing the water. — 

 F. P. Perks. 



Aquaria. — I should be pleased to correspond with 

 one or two gentlemen, interested in natural history in 

 general, and the aquaria in particular, with a view to 

 promoting Saturday afternoon excursions to the 

 suburban districts for the observation and collecting 

 of natural history objects. — F. P. Perks. 



NOTICES TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



To Correspondents and Exchangers.— As we now 

 publish Science-Gossip earlier than formerly, we cannot un- 

 dertake to insert in the following number any communications 

 which reach us later than the 8th of the previous month. 



To Anonymous Querists. — We must adhere to our rule of 

 not noticing queries which do not bear the writers' names. 



To Dealers and Others.— We are always glad to treat 

 dealers in natural history objects on the same fair and general 

 ground as amateurs, in so far as the " exchanges " offered are fair 

 exchanges. But it is evident that, when their offers are simply 

 Disguised Advertisements, for the purpose of evading the cost 

 of advertising, an advantage is taken of our gratuitous insertion 

 of " exchanges," which cannot be tolerated. 



Wb request that all exchanges may be signed with name (or 

 initials) and full address at the end. 



Special Note. — There is a tendency on the part of some 

 exchangers to send more than one per month. We only allow 

 this in the case of writers of papers. 



_ F. T. (Oldham).— Your beetles belong to the family Dermes- 

 tidse ; generic name, Tiresias ; specific name, Serra ; both insects 

 are alike. This insect is not very common, occasionally taken 

 beneath the bark of willows, &c, but there is no accounting. 



J. W. D. M.— " Half-Hours in the Green Lanes " is pub- 

 lished by Messrs. W. H. Allen & Co. at 2s. 6d. The bifurcated 

 variety of the hart's-tongue fern is very common. 



W. H. Warner.— Address, Mr. W. Harcourt Bath, Lady- 

 wood, Birmingham, re British dragon-flies. 



C Carus Wilson.— Address Offices of the U.S. Geological 

 Survey, Washington. 



Pebble-Ridge.— You will find a full description of the 

 singular bicoloured inflorescence of laburnum in the earlier 

 vols, of Sciknce-Gossip. 



D. W. Barker.— Thanks for the excellent photos of 

 Campanularia and Plumularia, to which reference will be 

 made in next Science-Gossip. 



Mottet. — We hope to print your excellent paper on the 

 South of France in our next issue. 



H. P. Frederick. — We are much obliged for the specimens 

 of Plantago lanceolata, which has run riot this summer. 



W. D. R. — Newman's "Butterflies and Moths," have ex- 

 cellent uncoloured illustrations of each species. Kirby's work 

 includes coloured illustrations of the insects in different stages, 

 and food plants. It came out a few years ago in yd. parts and 

 was published (we believe) by Messrs. Cassell. Mr. W. Wesley, 

 28 Essex Street, Strand, and Mr. W. P. Collins, 157 Great 

 Portland Street, have frequently good second-hand copies for 

 sale. 



M. Crowley. — The editor was much pleased with the 

 monstrosity of cauliflower leaf. A similar specimen is en- 

 graved in "The Sagacity and Morality of Plants," where also 

 a suggestion is made as to the probable relation between it and 

 pitcher-plants. 



W. H. Tyndall.— Dr. McCook's work on "American 

 Spiders and their Spinning Webs," is published at about a 

 guinea. Apply to Messrs. W. Wesley & Sons, 28 Essex Street, 

 Strand. 



H. Durrant.— See Taylor's " Aquarium " (London : W. H. 

 Allen) for illustration of self-acting fountain. You will also 

 therein find instructions for mixing ingredients for artificial sea 

 water. 



F. T. W. — The wheat plants sent us are attacked at their 

 bases by the larvas of a wire-worm beetle, probably Agrotis 

 lineata. 



Dr. M. — Will inform you in our next. It is very singular. 



EXCHANGES. 



Oolitic and liassic fossils offered in exchange for those of 

 the same or other horizons. — T. Stock, 16 Glen Park, East- 

 ville, Bristol. 



Offered, Planorbis lineatus, Helix hortensis, H. arbus- 

 torum, H . cantiana, H. ericitorum, Pupa secale, Cyclostoma 

 elegans. Wanted, Bythi?iia Leachii, Helix pomatia, H . con- 

 cinna, H. fusca, &c. — Frederick Harding, Shipley House, 

 York Road, Eastbourne. 



Offered, land, freshwater and marine shells. Wanted, 

 foreign correspondents, especially in S. Africa and S. America. 

 — A. Whitworth, 65 Talbot Street, Southport, Lancashire. 



Will one or two gentlemen join the writer in a geological 

 trip to the Isle of Wight, during the last fortnight in 

 August. — Particulars: G. E. East, junr., 10 Basinghall Street, 

 London, E.C. 



