HARD WICKE ' S S CIE NCE - G SSIP. 



39 



outlet being blocked with perforated zinc of a very 

 fine mesh. The soil of the pond in question was 

 excavated from a brook where trout must have 

 previously spawned, and the ova although buried in 

 mud and flung heedlessly about, survived, and the 

 fry came to life when water had been let into the 

 pond. This is another proof of the enduring capacity 

 of Salmonidge ova. 



Autumnal Migration of Birds. — An article 

 appears in the January number of the " Zoologist," 

 by Mr. Allan Ellison, on the "Autumnal Migration 

 of Birds in Ireland." Mr. Ellison says that the 

 migration movement of last autumn in Ireland was 

 in all respects a most exceptional one. Some of the 

 migrants appeared unusually early, and all in much 

 larger numbers than he had ever before observed. 

 On October 8th he saw the first flocks, both starlings 

 and redwings. On the same day, and for about a 

 week after, immense numbers of golden plovers were 

 passing over, flying towards the west and south-west 

 in large V-shaped strings. This was about the 

 usual time for starlings and redwings, but early for 

 golden plover. On the nth, again, both redwings 

 and starlings were constantly passing. On the 16th, 

 he observed a great host of fieldfares, many thousands 

 in number, winging their way across the sky towards 

 the south-west. From October 17th to the beginning 

 of November, the starling migration was at its height, 

 the flocks being much larger and more numerous 

 than he had ever observed in former years. He saw 

 within a quarter of an hour on the afternoon of the 

 1 8th. At 4 p.m. on the 22nd the largest flock he 

 ever saw passed over. It was in the form of a column, 

 perhaps nearly a mile long, and must have numbered 

 thousands, spanning the sky from horizon to horizon, 

 for more than half a minute, and was followed in a 

 short time by two smaller flocks. All the latter part 

 of October skylarks were from time to time flying 

 over, generally large straggling flocks or scattered 

 individuals, flying nearly out of sight, but their call- 

 note being distinctly audible. Mr. Ellison hopes 

 that those who are favourably situated for observing 

 the arrival of winter birds will report whether they 

 have noticed a corresponding abundance of migrants 

 this season. 



ANIMAL PSYCHOLOGY. 



Mister Pup. — She is a sftiid lady of seven years, 

 but such is her name, is a half-bred Bedlington, of 

 undeniable mental acuteness, which is proved, I 

 think, by the following acquired habit. She always 

 drinks from a saucer placed beneath the stone filter 

 in a corner of the dining-room. Finding the saucer 

 frequently empty, she has learned to turn the tap for 

 herself by licking vigorously. She has taught another 

 dog the same habit, but, unfortunately, they forget to 



turn the water off when thirst is assuaged ; con- 

 sequently a pool too often stands on the carpet. A 

 new and firm tap has had to be placed on the filter, 

 much to Mister Pup's indignation and wrath. 



Shag and Gull. — Mr. Winwood Reade, in his 

 " Martyrdom of Man," speaking of morality in 

 animals, says : " If they have human virtues, they also 

 certainly have human vices." The following incident, 

 vouched for by a scientific friend of mine in Guernsey, 

 shows that some of our feathered friends are about on 

 a par with humanity, in, at least, the matter of " lex 

 talionis." Near Guernsey harbour, a few days ago, a 

 shag (Cormoranus cristatus) was diving for smelts, 

 which, when captured, he came to the surface to 

 dispose of. Having caught one that was too large 

 to bolt, he cut it in halves, and while he was swallowing 

 the first of these, a gull, that was swimming near by, 

 "annexed" the other. The shag, after a moment's 

 deliberation, commenced proceedings in swordfish 

 versus whale fashion ; taking a dive, he came up with 

 great force below the gull, giving it such a thrust with 

 his strong bill as to knock it right out of the water, 

 following up the onslaught by seizing the gull's leg, 

 and for some seconds striving hard to drag the loudly 

 expostulating, or, perhaps, apologising, culprit under 

 the surface. Instinct ? — J. Sine!. 



BOTANY. 



Campanula glomerata and Gentiana cam- 

 pestris. — The note by R. B. P. on these plants on 

 page 21 of January Science-Gossip, must be my 

 excuse for mentioning the fact, that the former plant 

 is frequent in S. Beds, on the chalk hills, and often 

 assumes the unifloral diminutive form described by 

 your correspondent as characterising it on Beachy 

 Head. The Gentiana campestris does not appear to 

 grow in S. Beds, at least, I have searched for it 

 diligently for six or seven years, but without success. 

 Gentiana amarella is abundant here, and it frequently 

 occurs with tetramerous flowers, so that at first sight 

 it is easy to mistake it for G. campestris : in fact, the 

 numerical arrangement of the floral organs is of little 

 use in distinguishing the species, the only safe guide 

 being the deeply-divided calyx of the latter. Not 

 having ever found G. campestris, an exchange of 

 specimens with R. B. P. would be acceptable to 

 J. Saunders, Rothesay Road, Luton. 



Flowers and Fruits.— The question put by 

 A. G. Tansley is one which has engaged my thoughts 

 a good deal, as I have always believed that botanists 

 had not been happy in their choice of words to describe 

 the relations between foliar and floral organs. On 

 reading that a leaf is much more highly organised 

 than a petal, it is well to remember that a petal is not 

 an essential organ ; that is, not an organ of repro- 



