HA RD WICKE'S SCIENCE- G OSS I P. 



215 



tains that what is generally regarded as obstinacy 

 and perversity, arises in most instances from nervous 

 excitement. I can testify that, in the numerous mules 

 I have seen for about a score of years in his stables, I 

 have never seen one vicious or obstinate. Doubtless 

 these hybrid fillies would partake of the mule char- 

 acter, and require gentle handling and careful treatment 

 to break them in satisfactorily. It is essential that an 

 animal should acquire confidence in man. Another 

 point of some considerable interest may possibly be 

 determined at Theobalds— namely the fertility of the 

 hybrids. These two fillies are now running about 

 almost in a state of nature with a troup of ponies, 

 they are well fed, and are under such conditions that 

 their fertility, if it exists, may be demonstrated. 

 The experiment of trying to breed from them from 

 an entire pony is one of considerable interest, and 

 whether it prove successful or otherwise will add a 

 definite amount to our knowledge of the constitution 

 of these hybirds." 



Bees and Jubilees. — Some of your readers may 

 recollect the bees which White, in his Natural History 

 of Selborne, mentions as having their home in his 

 time (now probably a hundred years ago, as he died in 

 1793), on the summit of Mount Carburn, near Lewes, 

 in this county (Sussex). I visited the spot a few days ' 

 ago, but I could not see a single bee or any appearance 

 of bees, work there. Seeing a shepherd at a short 

 distance, I went to him and inquired whether he 

 knew anything about the bees I was looking for. He 

 said, " Oh, yes ! I have often been driven away from 

 the top of Carburn by them, but the Jubilee fire did 

 for them, for I have not seen one since then." So 

 that it would appear that this colony of Anthophora 

 acervonim is now extinct. The site of this colony 

 covered a very small space of ground, and no doubt 

 the fire which was of huge dimensions consumed all 

 the mature bees then and there and baked all the 

 'eggs, larva; and pupae that were underground. It 

 would appear, therefore, that even Jubilees have their 

 drawbacks, for that of last year was the occasion of 

 the destruction of a colony of insects that may be said 

 to be historical, and which though now destroyed, will 

 certainly live for ages yet to come in White's delight- 

 ful " History of Selborne."— R. B. P., Eastbourne. 



Mr. Ruskin's Museum at Sheffield. — Half a 

 dozen years have passed since Mr. Ruskin offered to 

 Sheffield all his art-treasures, providing the town 

 would find a suitable building for their preservation. 

 He even went further in his spirit of" munificent 

 liberality by undertaking to personally superintend 

 the arrangement of the objects in the Museum, and 

 be responsible for its management during his life-time. 

 It was proposed that the new building should be 

 built at Endchffe, one of the most beautiful spots 

 within the boundaries of the old town. Money was 

 not wanting ; ,£10,000 were subscribed ; plans were 

 prepared, and the design was admitted by Sheffield 

 experts to excel anything they had thought possible. 

 Then an irritating obstacle occurred. Matter-of-fact 

 municipal magnates intervened. They did not under- 

 stand the naiure and purposes of the St. George's 

 Guild, and distrusting its continuance, made it a 

 condition of subscription that the Museum should be 

 satisfactorily guaranteed to Sheffield for ever. 

 Technical difficulties arose as to the title and the 

 nature of the guarantee that the Museum should 

 remain the inviolable and permanent possession of the 

 town. Mr. Ruskin has a scornful contempt for 

 superficialities, and he cannot bring his mind down 

 to legal hair-splitting. He declined to read any 

 further lawyers' quibbles, and his indisposition left 

 the matter in abeyance. It is satisfactory, however, 



to know that the settlement of the whole question- 

 will no longer be delayed, and that soon the new 

 building will arise in all its fair proportions. Mr. 

 Ruskin has deputed the trustees to cut the Gordian 

 knot by telling the lawyers to draw up a conveyance 

 between the Mayor and Corporation of Sheffield and 

 the St. George's Guild. The pictures and objects, as 

 well as the building, are to remain the property of the 

 public for ever. The new Museum will be a 

 splendid memorial to its founder, and a permanent 

 embodiment of his ideas. May he long be spared to- 

 advise in all its counsels and to direct its resources. — 

 Edward Bradbury, in "The Magazine of Art" for 

 August. 



The " Spectre of the Brocken " on Snowdon.. 

 — During an ascent of Snowdon on July 5th two 

 friends and myself witnessed the strange phenomenon 

 known as the " Spectre of the Brocken." We left our 

 tents near Lake Ogwen in heavy rain and crossed 

 Tryfaen and Glyder Fach in thick mist, dropping 

 down on Pen-y-Gwryd Hotel for refreshments. The 

 mist still hung heavily on Snowdon, but we determined 

 to try the ascent by the Crib Goch Ridge. About 

 7.30 p.m. the mist lifted to the west, revealing a 

 magnificent view seawards, while the Crib Goch 

 glowed red in the sun's level rays. Our shadows, 

 enormously magnified, suddenly appeared on the 

 dense bank of fog to our left, encircled by two 

 concentric rainbow rings. The shadows would be 

 about 50 feet high and the outer ring fully 300 feet 

 diameter. Every movement we made was faithfully 

 represented, and by standing together the three 

 shadows were produced in one circle. This curious 

 sight occurred four times in forty-five minutes,, 

 disappearing only when the mist obscured the sun. 



Ipomcea, &c. — In his "Tour Round My Garden," 

 quoted by Julie Hodgson (Science-Gossip, p. 166), 

 A. Karr means evidently Ipomcea pupicrca, L. It is- 

 frequently sown round houses and windows, and its 

 flowers close early in the morning. Their popular 

 names are volubilis and sometimes liseron, though 

 this is rather Convolvulus sepinm. The original text 

 says " volubilus " in the first passage, and " liseron " 

 in the second. — C. C. Doullens, Somme. 



Preserving Bats. — Could any reader of Science- 

 Gossip give me instructions how to kill and preserve 

 a blind bat 1—John J. Holstead. 



NOTICES TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



To Correspondents and Exchangers. — As we now- 

 publish Science-Gossip earlier than formerly, we cannot un- 

 dertake to insert in the following number any communications 

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



To Anonymous Querists. — We must adhere to our rule of 

 not noticing queries which do not bear the writers' names. 



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 of our 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. 



H. E. Jones. — The best and cheapest polish that would 

 bring out trie structure of an already worn pebble would be 

 common coach varnish. _ 



G. A. G. — Thanks for the specimen of white Geranium 

 Robertianum. It is, however, of not uncommon occurrence. 



A. Howes.— The "Selborne Society" publish through Elliot 

 Stock, from whom you may get the address. 



A. Pittis. — The caterpillars reached us in such a shrivelled- 

 up condition that it was quite impossible to identify them. 



