HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



received. There can be no doubt as to the adequacy 

 of the cause thus suggested, when we consider the 

 vast quantities of volcanic dust resulting from the 

 eruptions of August last. 



The abnormal sunsets Mr. Lockyer traces directly 

 from the Seychelles to Brazil, not omitting Vene- 

 zuela and Trinidad, at both which places the sun 

 was observed of a bluish-green between | noon and 

 3 P.M. The line thus recorded is from east to west, 

 but an almost equally definite path of the pheno- 

 mena is indicated by observations made in places 

 north and south of the scene of the eruptions. 

 Mr. Lockyer's argument is that the phenomena have 

 not only travelled at a definite rate and in definite 

 directions, but have also varied precisely as they 

 might have been expected to vary. At Java the 

 immediate result is darkness, or at any rate a long 

 obscuration of the sun ; then as the cloud moves, the 

 pall becomes thinner, the grosser particles have fallen, 

 but the blue and red molecules remain suspended in 

 the upper air, and produce the singular reflected lights 

 that have been lately the wonder of the world. The 

 spectroscope, in fact, has furnished such conclusive 

 evidence on this point that it practically supersedes, 

 while it confirms, the results obtained by the mere 

 record of the phenomena. There can be little doubt, 

 we think, that the volcanic theory, whether true or 

 false, will give a new interest to meteorological 

 studies. 



CONCHOLOGICAL NOTES. 



J TELIX LAMELLATA (Science-Gossip, 

 J. J. p. 147). This shell occurs near Huddersfield, 

 which is much, farther south than Scarborough. See 

 " Quarterly Journal of Conchology " for May, 1874, 

 where it is described as having been found in 1870. 



Helix riifescais. — This species seems to " run out " 

 in the county of Durham. It is found sparingly near 

 Sunderland, and this may be near its northern limit. 

 It does not occur in the list of Middlesbrough-on- 

 Tees shells given by Mr. Hobson in Science-Gossip 

 for July. In the " Zoologist " for June, 1881, Mr. 

 R. M. Christy states that it is very scarce in the 

 immediate neighbourhood of York. The question 

 might be asked : Whether is this species extending 

 northward, retreating southward, or at a standstill ? 

 I should like to ascertain if there are any records of 

 its occurrence farther north than Durham. 



Helix Cantiana. — This species is exceedingly com- 

 mon in Yorkshire, on the chalk on the east coast, on 

 the red sandstone south of York, and on the mag- 

 nesian limestoi;e, but seems to thin out rapidly on the 

 carboniferous sandstone westward ; very few being 

 found west of a line drawn from Leeds to Sheffield. 

 On August 6th, after a shower, there were thousands 

 of Cantiana in all stages of growth in a lane leading 



from Pontefract to Ferrybridge, the hedges and 

 ditches, on both sides of the road, being completely 

 lined with them. In this lane there were consider- 

 able numbers of Helix aspersa and H. nemoralis, 

 but no hortensis. In one place about ten species of 

 shells were congregated on a large bed of mown and 

 half dead nettles, so thickly that several cracked 

 under the feet at every step. Some conchologists 

 think that the Kentish snail is slowly progressing 

 westward. 



Helix aspersa. — Many of the helices climb nearly 

 to the top of the hedges. I noticed Helix aspersa 

 perched on the top of a giant cow-parsnip which 

 grew in a garden close to a hedge. The plant was 

 ten feet high. 



Helix iienioj-alis. — On the red sandstone near 

 Milford Junction I found two specimens of white- 

 lipped Nemoralis ; the same variety I suppose that 

 was mentioned by Mr. Crowther in January SciENCE- 

 GossiP as occurring near Leeds. 



Enemies. — On August 9th I found several speci- 

 mens of Sphcerium 'laciistre which had been taken 

 out of a ditch and on to a high bank and cleared of 

 the animals by water-shrews. I also found several 

 empty Zonites on a dry bank, the shells having been 

 one-fourth eaten away, probably by land-shrews, to 

 get at the animals. 



I have taken Zua liibrica and Helix hispida from 

 the crops of young sparrows, and Helix caperata from 

 the crop of the ring-dove. Many beetles kill snails. 

 A friend informs me that he has seen black ants 

 feeding on Helix Cantiana. Query : Could ants be 

 made useful in clearing small shells of the animal ? 



Collecting and packing shells. — Mollusks when 

 confined together rasp the epidermis off each other. 

 This fact is well known to "old hands," but I 

 should like to warn beginners in the study, when 

 sending living shells from one to another through 

 the post, not to pack them all together in a tin 

 canister, but to keep them separate by partitions or 

 in small boxes. Helix aspersa should never be 

 associated either with themselves or with other 

 shells. 



George Roberts. 



Hedgehogs. — Can any of the readers of Science- 

 GossiP suggest an explanation of the alleged fact that 

 hedgehogs are proof against the effects of the most 

 virulent poisons ? How can the phenomenon be 

 physiologically accounted for ? — Albert Waters. 



Grubs in H. caperata. — "Whilst cleaning H. 

 eaperata obtained to-day, I found in several large 

 white grubs, and wherever these grubs occurred the 

 snail was partially eaten. I should say about fifty 

 per cent, of the shells contained these unwelcome 

 intruders. Will some reader tell me what they are ? 

 I presume the larvae of some fly. — Baker Hudson. 



B 2 



