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HA RD WICKE' S S CIENCE- G OSS IF. 



five minutes' walk' from tliis spot, in the same lane, 

 on the left-hand side to the nearest village ; that 

 almost opposite the hedge six years ago, I found a 

 fine reversed yellow Helix hortcnsis ; that a quarter 

 of an hour's walk further on, my sister, Miss Jessie 

 Hele, found a few years ago a young reversed Helix 

 aspersa, which she reared to maturity. And I, where 

 she found this shell, took my second yellow Helix 

 hortensis reversed. So that in one district of Bristol, 

 within half an hour's walk of one part of the lane to 

 to the other, we have taken three reversed Helix 

 aspersa, and two plain yellow Helix hortensis reversed. 

 A little further off to the right of this lane I found 

 about the same time a beautiful reversed banded 

 Helix hortensis ; and at Keynsham, near Bristol, my 

 sister found a Helix hortensis, plain yellow, reversed. 

 Shortly after, my servant at Yates found a fine 

 reversed Helix aspersa. So, taking a circle of about 

 twenty to thirty miles round Bristol, in six years 

 we have added from the neighbourhood to our 

 collections four reversed Helix aspersa and five 

 reversed Helix hortensis. Some of the most curious 

 monstrosities in the British Museum of Helix aspersa, 

 I believe, were found near Bristol ; and were it not 

 for the snail-eaters round this city, I believe we 

 should add many more rare discoveries, to the 

 interest of the Bristol neighbourhood in the eyes of 

 conchologists. — Fanny M. Hele, Bristol. 



The Rook. — As far as my experience goes, 

 " Rook " is an exclusively English word. I never 

 heard it used in Scotland or Ireland by country 

 people. "Rooks" are always "Craws" there, 

 causing no little confusion. I think, however, but 

 am not sure, that many Scotchmen have a distinction 

 of their own, calling rooks, crows ; and crows, 

 corbies. I have also often heard them call crows, 

 hoody craws. These were the carrion crows, not the 

 royston kind.— ZT. J. Mottle. 



Curious Habit of Fish. — It has struck me that 

 perhaps some 'of the readers of Science-Gossip 

 could explain the following curious freak : — Several 

 gold fish which I have kept in my aquarium, after a 

 time have acquired a very ridiculous — and, it appears, 

 fatal — habit. They swim up to the top of the water 

 with great velocity, thrust their heads out of the 

 water, and take in a mouthful of air. Then, swim- 

 ming towards the bottom of the tank (which requires 

 great exertion, as the air in the mouth buoys the 

 head upwards), they discharge the air from their 

 mouths, in a succession of bubbles. This perform- 

 ance evidently causes great exhaustion, as the fish is 

 hardly able to swim for some time after. This habit 

 after a time ends with the death of the fish. Now 

 what can be the motive for such a fatal habit ? I 

 have now one of my fish which is constantly at it. 

 I expect he will die ere long. I may as well say it 

 is not for want of fresh water, as the other fish are 

 all right and they take no notice of his freaks ; and 

 he will do the same, on being put into a tank of 

 fresh, clean water. — IV. Finch, jun. 



Abundance of Star-fishes. — Visiting the shore 

 between here and Pendine (Carmarthen Bay) on 

 February 2nd, after] several days of rough weather, I 

 was surprised at the immense numbers of starfish left 

 by the receding tide. For a distance of fully a mile 

 and a half by one hundred to two hundred yards in 

 width, the shore was heaped with scores of thousands 

 of Uraster rubens (five finger stars) and Ophiocoma 

 rosula (brittle star), and for miles the sands were 

 covered with shells, such as Ceratisolen legiimen, 

 Solen ensis, S. siliqua, B. zmdatum, Tellina tenuis. 



Venus gallina, JMactra sttiltorum, occurring by 

 millions, and many other species in less numbers. 

 — C. Jefferys, Langharne, Carmarthenshire. 



Eider Duck.— On visiting the Feme Islands on 

 the 24th of May last year (1883), for the purpose of 

 collecting a few specimens of birds' eggs, having 

 previously obtained the permission of one of the 

 Association for the Preservation of the Birds and 

 Eggs of these islands to do so, I had my attention 

 drawn by the "keeper" who accompanied me to an 

 eider duck [Somateria mollissitna) which had dropped 

 an egg into the nest of a lesser black-backed gull 

 (Larus fiiscus), and taken possession of the latter's 

 nest and three eggs, and was sitting them ; she had 

 occupied the same for three or four days to the know- 

 ledge of my guide. I secured the eggs. In my 

 experience of egg collecting, extending over thirty 

 years, with the exception of a pheasant taking pos- 

 session of a partridge's nest after laying two eggs 

 among the other's thirteen, I have not found similar 

 instances. — R. Turnbtdl. 



Domed Nests. — I was much interested with 

 Mr. George Roberts's remarks on domed nests. 

 Nevertheless, I do not agree with them in every 

 particular. In the first place, I do not think that the 

 rook has a greater number of enemies than the 

 grouse. The latter, in its moorland home, has foes 

 to contend with that never molest the rook. 

 Secondly, the advantage of the domed nest is said 

 to be apparent, from the number of individuals of 

 the species which build in this manner. With us, 

 the linnet, greenfinch, hedge sparrow, and numbers 

 of others, are quite as numerous as any of the dome 

 builders. I also fail to see the disadvantage of these 

 birds being unable to see the approach of enemies ; 

 that is to say, I do not think this disadvantage exists. 

 Take the willow wren as an example. The nest is 

 usually placed against a stump, or bank side, and 

 hence the enemies of the bird must approach from 

 the front to obtain admittance to the nest. As the 

 bird sits with its breast towards the opening, it easily 

 sees anything approaching from this side. Several 

 birds that have very conspicuous eggs, lay them in 

 very exposed nests. The magpie's eggs are quite as 

 dark as those of the rook ; and the eggs of the green- 

 finch as likely to catch the eye, as those of the willow 

 wren or house sparrow. I may add, that with us the 

 long tailed titmouse always has two openings into its 

 nest ; and I can confirm the fact of the robin 

 frequently making an arch over one half of its nest, 

 in the absence of overhanging foliage. There is 

 also very often a heap of dead leaves in front of the 

 nest.— y. .•/. Wheldon. 



GoLD-FlSH. — The experience of G. M. in keeping 

 gold fish is very similar to my own, but as I have 

 lately established an aquarium differing from his in 

 some interesting particulars, I venture to say in as 

 few words as possible in what this difference consists. 

 When I started the aquarium— about three months 

 ago — I set it in order and have never since touched 

 it, except occasionally adding a little water to make 

 up for the evaporation. Finding it difficult to obtain 

 an aquarium made exactly in the manner I desired, 

 I made one myself. It measures twenty-four inches 

 long, twelve inches wide, and thirteen inches deep, 

 nearly a double cube. The bell glass aquarium is 

 neither so picturesque nor so useful as a square shape. 

 There is certainly more comfort in the latter. The 

 framework is of zinc, the bottom of slate, and the 

 glass is t's sheet glass, not plate, although the 

 latter is better when procurable. The rockwork 



