HARD JVICKE'S SCIENCE- G OSS IP. 



261 



I have observed the leaves of the ash falling, or 

 fallen. In that instance, at all even's, the leaflets 

 fell from the leaf-stalk singly, and afterwards the 

 bare leaf-stalk came down. Whether this is com- 

 monly the case I cannot say, but it has a practical 

 connection with the question of what are compound 

 leaves. I used to understand that a compound leaf 

 fell as a compound leaf. 



Laburnum trees this year put forth a second crop 

 of blossoms. They have most likely done so before. 

 The second bunches of flowers were small, and few in 

 number, and they seemed to be of a rather deeper 

 colour than the first. They hung on the trees for a 

 Jong time. 



SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



" Through Magic Glasses " is the title of a new 

 work from the pen of Arabella B. Buckley (Mrs. 

 Fisher) which Mr. Stanford has nearly ready for 

 publication. It will be a sequel to the same author's 

 " Fairyland of Science" now in its 23rd thousand, 

 and will have numerous illustrations. 



Dr. James Croll is once more in the field with 

 a new work, to be entitled "The Philosophical 

 Basis of Evolution," which Mr. Stanford will publish 

 shortly, uniform in appearance with the other works 

 from the same pen. 



One of the most useful contributions to British 

 Botanical literature is the " Annual Report of the 

 Botanical Exchange Club." That for 1889 is just 

 to hand, and contains very useful notes as to the 

 habitats of rare plants, new varieties, etc. 



We give the following information for what it is 

 worth. It is a dodge for converting one's watch into 

 a pocket compass, and therefore if it turns out 

 correct, it is a very useful tip. — Point the hour-hand 

 of a watch to the sun, and the south is exactly 

 half-way between the hour and figure XI. on the 

 •dial. For instance, suppose that it is eight o'clock, 

 point the hand indicating eight to the sun, and the 

 the figure X. will then be due south. Of course, we 

 are referring to the experiment as relating to the 

 orientation of the Northern hemisphere ; one would 

 like to hear the opinion of some Australian scientist 

 as to how he would make the experiment practically 

 available for the Southern hemisphere. Most men 

 carry watches who do not possess compasses, and if 

 his watch can be made to do double duty, all the 

 better. 



MICROSCOPY. 



A new Clearing Agent. — The July number of 

 Science-Gossip has reached me to-day — 26th August, 

 and I find it contains my note on this subject. I 

 also observe that I omitted to state that in many 



cases, especially where milkiness is obstinate in an 

 object, it will be found advantageous to transfer the 

 object from the carbolo-turpentine to pure spirits of 

 turpentine. The latter may have to be changed 

 once or twice if used in small quantities, but it 

 removes all traces of milkiness, and of course further 

 fits the object for the balsam. This method of 

 mounting will be found expeditious, and for most 

 objects quite satisfactory. — W. J. Simmons, Calcutta. 



ZOOLOGY. 



Cocaine in Scorpion Stings. — Assistant- 

 surgeon Hari Datt Pant, of Srinagar in Garwal, 

 writes to the " Medical Record " here, to say that he 

 injects cocaine hydrochlorate (J to I grain in 10 to 

 15 drops of water) hypodermically, at or near the seat 

 of the sting, with the result that the pain is gone 

 before the nozzle of the syringe is withdrawn. A 

 fresh solution acts better than one long kept. Mr. 

 Pant has used it in nearly one hundred cases, and no 

 untoward symptoms have ever resulted from it. He 

 says that during May, June and July, scorpions 

 abound in Srinagar, particularly after a stormy or 

 rainy evening. Between seven and nine groups of 

 boys may be seen in almost every street, armed with 

 a lantern, a pair of tongs and a black bottle, searching 

 for scorpions ! A village a few miles from Srinagar 

 was deserted simply owing to the scorpions in it. 

 The natives often resort to jogis (devotees) and 

 ckamdrs (a low caste from which shoemakers, 

 tanners, etc., are drawn) who are reputed to relieve 

 the pain of scorpion-stings by mantras, and who do 

 sometimes alleviate it by the skilful massage which 

 accompanies the muttering of the charm. But 

 cocaine is growing in public estimation, and is 

 preferred by most to the mautras. Your readers 

 must not suppose that all India, like Srinagar, is 

 overrun with scorpions : many people who have 

 been here for years have only seen the pickled 

 specimens in museums ; and it is well to note this, 

 because the old belief entertained by many, that in 

 most parts of India tigers prowl around like dogs, 

 and that you have to shake cobras out of your boots 

 every morning, whilst centipedes, scorpions, etc., are 

 as common as flies, is on a par with the popular 

 notion that every drop of water in creation is a 

 teeming world of "animalcules"! — IV. J. S., 

 Calcutta. 



BOTANY. 



CrepisTaraxacifolia.— Sussex botanists will be 

 glad to hear that Crepis taraxacifolia, a plant not 

 hitherto recorded as occurring in this country, was 

 in June last discovered growing in considerable 

 abundance at Willingdon, near this place. There 

 cannot be the least doubt about the identity of the 



