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HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



question has been suggested. Take the fry, say of a 

 typical cygnea, and place batches under different 

 conditions. If on growing, all develope into typical 

 cygnea, it will be something of an argument in 

 favour of Dr. Williams's theory ; if on the other hand 

 some take the " anatina " form, it is proof positive 

 that this is merely a variation. The futility however 

 of recklessly creating varietal names seems at last to 

 be dawning on Dr. Williams's mind, if one may 

 judge from the concluding sentences of his article. 

 "There must be some hard and fast line drawn in 

 naming varieties, or we shall all be overwhelmed in 

 a deluge of variety names." The "we" evidently 

 refers to those who acknowledge and make worthless 

 varietal names, and they will be the only ones to 

 suffer, since every true naturalist discreetly ignores 

 the products of their wasted energy. The case of 

 the variety-monger and varieties is parallel with that 

 of Dr. Johnson and strong-drink. " I can abstain," 

 said he, " but not be temperate." To what can 

 Dr. Williams's welcome change of opinion be re- 

 ferred ? Can it possibly be due to the experience of 

 his "Slug Gossip"?— Wilfred Mark Webb. 



The Social Instinct in the Rabbit. — Some 

 few years back a curious instance of this universal 

 and most wonderful of instincts, which even at times 

 influences our fellow creatures in the sense refined, 

 came prominently beneath my notice. To amuse 

 my little nephew and nieces a rabbit hutch was 

 procured. What became of the majority of the 

 occupants is sad and hard to tell, but out of the 

 batch one eventually remained, which by way of a 

 treat was from time to time let loose to gambol on 

 the turf. Within that rabbit bosom the fraternal 

 yearning smouldered true ; he began to run round 

 and round a little, every living thing does ; and then 

 he fairly ran round my father's legs while mowing 

 with the mowing machine. The next followed the 

 nursery maid out into the road, was twice captured 

 madly scampering up Church Hill, and finally one 

 Sunday morning, he or she, fairly followed the 

 congregation into the church. As in the episode 

 of Sir Launcelot, more could not be tolerated from 

 a rabbit. — A. IP. Swinton. 



Pallas's Sand Grouse {Syrrhaptcs paradoxus). 

 — A male of this bird was shot at Kenmoor, near 

 Yatton, Somerset, in the early part of July. The 

 bird was verified by Mr. Charbonnier, taxidermist, 

 Clifton. (Perhaps this may be of interest to your 

 readers.) — H. A. Francis, Clifton. 



Galls on Ground Ivy. — The galls on leaves of 

 ground ivy are the work of the gnat Cecidomyia 

 Bursaria, Bremi. Mr. E. A. Fitch, in his account 

 of the Galls of Essex ("Trans. Essex Field Club," 

 vol. ii. part 6), thus describes them : " Small, hairy, 

 tubular galls, occurring in some numbers on the 

 upper sides of the leaves. When mature, the galls 



readily fall from the leaf, leaving several round holes 

 in it. The single pale yellow larva pupates within 

 the fallen gall." I have occasionally found them 

 about here, but I think they are not very common. — 

 Reginald W. Christy, Chelmsford. 



Ground Ivy. — The excrescences on A T epeta 

 glechoma, noticed by F. H. W. in the September 

 issue, are the galls of Aitlax glechoma:, a hymen- 

 opteron. They appear to have been specially 

 abundant this summer. — E. Step. 



Vanessa Antiopa in Kent. — On August 22nd, 

 I received a letter from my friend, Mr. J. Wood, of 

 Chatham, written the day previous, stating : " To 

 our great surprise this morning, we saw a Camberwell 

 Beauty in the garden, feeding on an over-ripe 

 gooseberry which had fallen from the bush. We 

 watched it for some time, it looked so beautiful. It 

 flew up, and actually settled on me, and then on my 

 sister." Upon receiving this news, and knowing 

 the habit the Vanessidoe have of returning day after 

 day to sweets, I arrived at my friend's house about 

 mid-day, and was glad to hear it had been again 

 feeding upon the gooseberry that morning, and I had 

 the fortune to secure it, while settled on a gravel 

 walk. It is a fine specimen, 3^ inches in expanse, 

 and very richly coloured ; the margins are of a 

 straw-yellow colour. With the exception of the 

 margins being slightly chipped, it apparently was 

 freshly emerged. — F. W. Frohawk, Balham, S. IV. 



BOTANY. 



Botanical Examination.— I have often heard 

 students who have failed in their examination lay all 

 the possible blame on the examiners, who are 

 singularly unfair to these same sad students, but I do 

 not remember one before, rushing into print to air 

 his grievances. To shew that I am not writing this 

 because I happen to have been successful, I may tell 

 " Inquirer " that I am just as disappointed in Biology 

 in the late examination, as his friend is in Botany. 

 As to the questions he asks, I may say that, in my 

 opinion, there is no available way of obtaining official 

 answers to his, to say the least, singular queries. 

 As one who has sat some fifteen or sixteen times at the 

 Science and Art Department Exams., I may be 

 allowed to answer these questions to the best of my 

 ability : (i.) The examiners do not require a candidate 

 to have passed all the previous stages before granting 

 a pass in honours, (ii.) The stupidity of the question 

 forbids my answering it. (iii.) I do not think the 

 number of passes is regulated by the amount of grant, 

 for many external students sit the exam, and no grant 

 will be claimed upon their success, (iv.) It is not so 

 difficult to pass in some subjects as in others, e.g. one 

 can more easily take honours in agriculture than the 



