BARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



23 



a natural appearance. The nearer we can copy nature 

 in the aquarium, the more successful are we likely to 

 become. The main object is to have a proper balance 

 between plant and animal life. The plants supply 

 oxygen to the fish, while the latter in return nourish 

 the plants with their dung and carbonic gas. Place 

 the aquarium in a window with a westerly exposure, 

 as too much sunlight is objectionable. A few trumpet 

 snails look well, and serve as scavengers to clear off 

 the vegetation which gathers on the glass and stones. 

 Their spawn, which is a jelly-like substance, adheres 

 to the glass, and is eaten by the fish. Arrowroot 

 biscuit is a good food, and may be given in very small 

 quantities at a time, not more than the size of a pea 

 for three fish ; if more be given it is not eaten, and 

 sours the water. Small worms and a fly occasionally 

 are dainty morsels. Select the smallest fish, and four 

 will be quite sufficient for the space I have described. 

 I kept minnows amongst the gold-fish ; and out of 

 five gold-fish, two have lived with me over three years. 

 I change the water only twice in the j'ear. If Mr. 

 Easton is a microscopist, he will find tiiis aquarium 

 teeming with an endless variety of aquatic life. — 

 G. M., Brechin, N. B. 



GoLD-FisH IN Glass Aquaria. — There is no 

 difficulty in keeping gold-fishes in glass aquaria that 

 I am aware of, providing they are not overcrowded. 

 Mr. Easton should have his tank or vase (he does not 

 say which) as broad as possible in proportion to its 

 depth. Cover the bottom two inches or more in well- 

 washed sand, plant some vallisneria and anacharis in 

 the centre, arrange some rockwork, beneath which 

 the fish can retreat (otherwise they are apt to worry 

 themselves), fill the aquarium up with water from a 

 brook or river, and do not be constantly changing it. 

 Let the aquarium stand three or four days until the 

 water is perfectly clear, before the fish are introduced, 

 and let these be of small size and few in number. Be 

 careful never to let the direct rays of the sun fall on 

 the glass. By attending to these directions,'! have no 

 doubt Mr. Easton will succeed in keeping his fish a 

 long time. I take it for granted he knows how to 

 feed them, so I have said nothing about this. — Albert 

 Waters, Cambridge. 



Medicinal Plants. — My query as to medicinal 

 plants has received due attention in the November 

 number of Science-Gossip, pp. 262-263, from 

 three correspondents, and for which I thank them. 

 Their explanation does not elucidate matters, as, for 

 instance, " St. Peter's wort " is referred to different 

 l^lants by the three correspondents. Bishop's-weed, 

 again, is stated to be a name used for plants with 

 different medicinal qualities. It would not be safe 

 therefore to make a decoction from Robinson's Herbal 

 unless one were sure of the plants. — S. A. B. 



Local Naturalists. — Any of your readers visit- 

 ing Australia and wishing for conchological, geo- 

 logical, botanical specimens or birds of Victoria, 

 Ent., I should be pleased to see them at 191 

 Swanston Street, Melbourne, and would be most 

 happy to show them the best localities for collecting, 

 especially tertiary fossils. — J. F. Bailey, \Melbourne, 

 J Ictoria, Australia. 



Query as to Strange Birds. — On the 17th of 

 last month I visited the famous " Warden Landslip" 

 in the Isle of Sheppey, and when near the edge of the 

 cliffs was surprised at seeing a small and very bril- 

 liantly-coloured bird flying very close to me. It 

 settled in a tree, but on my attempting very cautiously 

 to approach it, flew off inland. It was not so large 

 as a robin, of a brilliant scarlet, approaching crimson 



on the head, and shading into orange on the coverts. 

 The wings and tail were brown. Neither my friend, 

 who was accompanying me, nor myself, knew of any 

 English bird answering to this description, and we 

 came to the conclusion that it was a foreigner. Can 

 any reader tell me what this is most likely to have 

 been ? — W. H. Summers. 



Wood Pigeons and Owl. — I am pleased to 

 testify to the truth of the species mentioned in 

 Science-Gossip, feeding on birds. In September a 

 friend of mine at the Werribee on several occasions 

 missed his chickens, and as it appeared to be at dusk 

 they disappeared, he this evening kept watch, and 

 was astonished to see a large bird swoop down into 

 his yard and seize a chick. He struck at the bird 

 and brought it down, breaking its leg. He killed it 

 and sent it to me for preserving ; it duly came to 

 hand, when I was astonished to find it to be a beautiful 

 specimen of Strix flamviea. Reading the notes in 

 Science-Gossip, I venture to hope this may prove 

 of interest to your many readers. I exhibited the 

 specimen last night at our Victoria Field Naturalists' 

 Club, and the facts 'above mentioned created con- 

 siderable discussion among the members. Some of 

 our members who have observed the habits of this 

 bird (very scarce out here) are very decided to the 

 fact that it will attack anything when hard up for a 

 feed. — J. F. Bailey, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. 



Soap-Bubbles. — On pp. 80-81 of "On the 

 Various P'orces of Nature," by M. Faraday, edited 

 by William Crookes, F.C.S., there is a description 

 of an experiment with a soap-bubble, whereby, by 

 introducing one end of a glass tube into the bubble, 

 it may be shown " that it has the power of contract- 

 ing so powerfully as to force enough air through the 

 tube to blow out a light," and an illustration of the 

 experiment is given on p. 82 (fig. 22). Would some 

 one of your numerous readers kindly inform me how 

 the experiment should be conducted ? I can of course 

 blow a soap-bubble on a plate, and insert one end of 

 a glass tube as directed, but my bubbles are so 

 obstinate they will not contract. Why is this? — 

 //. J. G. 



NOTICES TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



To Correspondents and Exchangers. — As we now 

 publish SciKNCE-GossiP earlier than heretofore, we cannot 

 possibly insert in the following number any communications 

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



To Anonymous Querists. — We receive so many queries 

 which do not bear the writers' names that we are forced to 

 adhere to our rule of not noticing them. 



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 ol o\ix gratuitous insertion of 

 "exchanges" which cannot be tolerated. ^ 



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

 initials) and full address at the end. 



T. Boyle. — White varieties of blue flowers are not uncom- 

 mon. In every instance they may be regarded as reversions 

 to an ancient style of colouring. 



C. F. Oakley. — The " IMarine Objects" sent are not ani- 

 mal, although they much resemble Bryozoa at first sight. 

 They are undoubtedly some kind of Algoid growth, but we 

 have been unable to detect the species. 



J. W. R. AND others. — Write to Mr. Thomas Bolton, 57 

 Newhall Street, Birmingham, who, we have no doubt, will be 

 able to supply you with aquarium objects, or tell you where 

 you can procure them. 



