H4 



HARD WICKE ' S S CIE NCE- G SSIP. 



The submersion of this island brought great 

 destruction upon them ; but a whole colony escaped 

 to another island, which made its appearance at the 

 same time in the immediate vicinity of their former 

 home. To this island the name of Eldey was at once 

 transferred. It was the last known home of the 

 great auk. For fourteen years systematic expeditions 

 were made to this island, and some sixty birds and a 

 number of eggs were despatched from thence to 

 Copenhagen. 



A single bird in 1834 is known to have fetched £8 ; 

 the two last captured in Iceland £g, and about the 

 same time ,£20 was refused by certain fishermen in 

 Iceland for two auks and two eggs. 



A recent issue of the " Illustrated London News " 

 gives the following statement, with reference to the 

 gradual increase in the value of the few remaining 

 eggs— 



1852 — 2 eggs sold for ^29 and .£30. 



I85<5— 1 egg „ £21. 



1865—4 eggs „ £30 (average). 



1869— 1 egg „ £6c. 



1880 — 2 eggs ,, 100 and 102 guineas. 



1887— 1 egg „ £168. 



1888-1 „ „ £225- 



The same paper also adds that of the sixty-seven 

 recorded specimens extant, twelve are to be met with 

 in eight British museums, and thirty-two in British 

 private collections. 



The Rev. J. G. Wood records that, owing to the 

 extreme value attached to these eggs, and the high 

 price which they fetch in the market, various in- 

 genious attempts have been made to forge copies. 

 Not many years ago, he adds, several apparently 

 genuine auk's eggs were offered for sale at a low 

 price, but they turned out to be nothing more than 

 forgeries admirably manufactured, and really valuable 

 as copies of the egg. This attempt at fraud is 

 scarcely to be wondered at, when such fabulous 

 prices as those above recorded are given for a single 

 specimen. 



S. COODE HORE. 

 264, Dalston Lane, Hackney, E. 



SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



During the approaching summer a new branch of 

 the London Geological Field Class will make a detailed 

 study of the chalk formation about London, under 

 the direction of Professor H. G. Seeley, F.R.S. 

 The other branch, under the same direction, will 

 follow the course of former years by investigating the 

 principal geological features in the neighbourhood of 

 London. Full particulars can be obtained by intend- 

 ing students on application to Messrs. G. Philip & 

 Son, 32, Fleet Street, and from many booksellers in 

 the suburbs. 



During March and April, Dr. J. E. Taylor, 

 Editor of Science-Gossip, delivered lectures on 

 various subjects connected with geology and natural 

 science before large audiences in Ipswich, North- 

 ampton, Chelmsford, Loughborough, Lowestoft, 

 Manningtree, Hadleigh, and elsewhere. He is now 

 booking a few engagements for next winter. 



The " Dicky Bird " Society in Newcastle now 

 numbers no fewer than 148,000 children-members, 

 all of whom are pledged to discourage birds-nesting, 

 catching, etc. 



The French Association for the Advancement of 

 Science recently met at Oran, in Algeria. 



Mr. Howard Saunders is the author of a very 

 attractive-looking book, capitally illustrated, now 

 appearing in shilling monthly parts, entitled " An 

 Illustrated Manual of British Birds." Publishers : 

 Messrs. Gurney & Jackson. 



The well-known " Introductory Text-Book on 

 Geology," by Professor David Page, has been re- 

 written by Professor C. Lapworth, and is now, 

 therefore, one of the best in the field. 



The first part of Mr. R. A. Proctor's "Old and 

 New Astronomy " has been published. As was 

 expected, it promises to be the finest work of the 

 kind yet issued. 



No fewer than ten Fellows of the Royal Society 

 have died within four months. Their average age 

 was 79, so that science is long-lived. 



The " Selborne Magazine " will in future be 

 published by Mr. Elliot Stock. 



ZOOLOGY. 



The Genus Clausilia. — On p. 26 I suggested a 

 possible explanation of the presence of species of 

 Clausilia in the West Indies and South America, the 

 genus being absent in North America. I have since 

 received a copy of Conrad's list of the Eocene fossils 

 of North America, and find the problem complicated 

 by the presence of three species, C. contraria, 

 C. vermicula, and C. teres in the Eocene strata of 

 Dakota. (There is a European C. teres, Oliv., which 

 I believe has priority, in which case C. teres, Meek & 

 Hayden, may be called C. occidentalis.) At present I 

 am unable to offer any satisfactory explanation of the 

 existence of these Dakotan species, and commend the 

 matter to conchologists for solution ; but it is just 

 possible their origin was Asiatic, as there are several 

 of the genus in Japan and China (the Japanese 

 C. martensi being one of the largest species of 

 Clausilia), and in many ways the fauna of Eastern 



