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HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



that they need not necessarily have been carried by 

 land-plants, but that they might have been torn from 

 the sea-floor by marine algre, some of which may 

 have have had a more buoyant character than those 

 of modern seas. He cited the case of a sandy beach 

 in the neighbourhood of Youghal, which is strewn 

 with limestone fragments, which had been conveyed 

 by sea-weeds thrown up after storms from submarine 

 banks. It was suggested that the occurrence of 

 natural fissures in the rocks and cracks produced by 

 concussions from large masses, hurled about by the 

 waves, might sufficiently explain how the fragments 

 could be freed from the main mass of the reefs under 

 the stress of the waves. 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



A Spider's Contrivance. — When residing in 

 Lugano, in Switzerland, some time ago, I was much 

 interested in observing the method by which a garden 

 spider had adopted to keep its web extended under 

 difficulties. I had four small pollard acacia trees 

 about seven or eight feet high, planted in tubs, nine 

 feet apart, in front of my house. A garden spider 

 {Epcira diadema) had spun its web between two of 

 the trees, and had jnade fast its threads, or stays, to 

 various top and side branches ; but as there happened 

 to be no branches to which it could fix its threads 

 below the web, it must have thought of some other 

 means, and devised a mechanical contrivance for the 

 completion of its web by placing a weight on the 

 lower side of the web to serve as a stay. The spider 

 must therefore have descended from its half-finished 

 web to the gravel walk by one of its threads, and 

 selected a small stone, nearly \ inch cube, to which 

 it attached the thread by which the spider had 

 descended ; then by running up this thread to the 

 web, it hoisted up the stone to an elevation which it 

 considered a safe position, and out of the way of any 

 small animal that might pass underneath the web. 

 The stone was hanging about two feet off the ground, 

 and three feet below the spider's web. It was oscil- 

 lating with the wind. I placed my hand very gently 

 under the stone and raised it up an inch or two, upon 

 which the web immediately began to collapse, but, 

 on lowering my hand again, the web became extended 

 as before. — G. E. G. 



Kangaroos on Leith Hill. — Some fourteen 

 years ago some kangaroos, kept in confinement by 

 Mr. W. J. Evelyn, Wotton House, escaped and made 

 their home on the common on Leith Hill and sur- 

 rounding district, where they have lived and bred 

 ever since. There is no abundance of them, however, 

 and great regret was felt some three years ago when 

 one was shot. Another has just been killed by a 

 large dog, and as it is felt that these interesting and 

 timid creatures should be propagated rather than 

 destroyed, it is to be hoped that persons passing over 

 the hill will be careful, when accompanied by large 

 dogs, to see that they do not attack or destroy the 

 only specimens of the kind running wild in this 

 country. The above paragraph from the "West 

 Sussex Gazette " of Feb. 2nd last is interesting. — 

 William Jejfay, Ralham, Chichester. 



Heron and Water-Rat. — It may interest 

 W. Finch, jun. (Science-Gossip, p. 7), and other of 



your readers, to know that Captain Knox in his 

 " Ornithological Rambles," 3rd edition, published 

 in 1885, nas figured a heron flying off with a water- 

 rat. Also I have been told by a Chichester bird- 

 stuffer that he, in one season, took three water-rats 

 from the stomachs of herons sent to be preserved. In 

 corroboration of the remark as to a heron capturing a 



2 lb. trout, which seems almost incredible, a friend 

 of mine told me a few days ago, of a heron, on being 

 chased by a rook, dropping a trout which was ascer- 

 tained to weigh 2 lb. — William Jeffery. 



Shooting Immigrant Birds.— I truly sym- 

 pathise with your correspondent in last Science- 

 Gossip, who wishes "to raise a howl of execration 

 against the shooting of our immigrant birds." The 

 most practical remedy I can suggest to prevent this 

 bird slaughter, is to take every possible opportunity 

 of enforcing the provisions of the Wild Birds Pro- 

 tection Act of 1880, by which all wild birds are 

 protected, more or less, between 1st March and 1st 

 August. Every offence against this Act, if supported 

 by satisfactory evidence will, I am sure, be readily 

 taken up by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty 

 to Animals, if reported to the secretary, and the 

 culprit brought to justice, and I can say from actual 

 experience, that a single conviction in any district 

 will have a most salutary effect. At this time of 

 year it may be useful to shortly state, that it is an 

 offence against the Act for any person in the United 

 Kingdom, bejtween the 1st March and 1st August, 

 (1) To shoot, or attempt to shoot, or use any boat 

 for the purpose of shooting, or causing to be shot, 

 any wild bird. (2) To use any lime, trap, snare, 

 net, or other instrument for the purpose of taking 

 any wild bird. (3) To expose for sale, or to offer 

 for sale, or to have in his possession after the fifteenth 

 day of March, any wild bird recently killed or taken. 

 (4) Any person who shall be found offending against 

 the Act, and refusing to give name and place of 

 abode, shall also be subject to a further penalty as 

 provided by the Act. May I also take this oppor- 

 tunity of bringing to the notice of the readers of 

 Science-Gossip, the Selbome Society, which has 

 for its objects the preservation of our native fauna 

 and flora, and is already doing some excellent work. 

 The annual subscription is only 2s. 6d., which also 

 entitles members to copies of the Society's magazine, 

 andall information can be obtained from J. L. Otter, 

 Esq., 3 Dr. Johnson's Buildings, Temple.— John 

 R. B. Masejield, Rosehill, Cheadle, Staffordshire. 



BOMBYX RUBI.— In reply to Mr. Finch and 

 others, to the rearing of the above. I have bred it 

 for a good number of years, and it has always proved 

 very successful ; generally breeding five or six out of 

 every dozen of larvae. Mr. Finch should get a good 

 sized box, say 18 in. square and 12 in. deep, and put 



3 in. of good mould into it, and place over it two 

 square sods of grass with a few roots of narrow 

 leaved plantain in it, then place the larvae into the 

 box, covered with wire gauze, and put it outside, so 

 that they will get full exposed to the winter. I have 

 never failed in the above. If kept indoors during the 

 winter they will all die. — Peter Kirk. 



Ducklings. — Last summer I had two broods of 

 ducklings of eleven each. When two days old, the hens 

 under whom they were hatched were placed in coops 

 on my front lawn. The young ducks had their liberty 

 to wander where they pleased, and when about nine 

 days old, found their way down some steps into a 

 pond close by. After swimming about for some 

 time they returned, and attempted unsuccessfully to 



