HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



21 



M-hich are inverted and placed on tlie top of the hive. 

 Tliis pan does not fit cjuite closely round the cdt;;es, 

 especially when I am supering on the top of the hive. 

 Various insects select this spot for a haV)itation. 

 Frequently in the spring of the year, have I discovered 

 the queen hornet, commencing her nest on the under- 

 side of the pan, and at other times its removal 

 reveals quite a museum of insects and their eggs. 

 Then at this season of the year, wlien the resources 

 of nature begin to fail and the chilling winds drive 

 insects to winter quarters, queen wasps find their way 

 to this strange hiding-place, and the quilt on the top 

 ■of the hive is an additional attraction. Of course I take 

 care to keep my stocks of bees strong and healthy, so 

 that any insect intruders that may chance to pass the 

 bee sentinels at the entrance of the hive may be 

 ■overcome. Failing to effect an entrance, it is but 

 natural that they should one and all take up their abode 

 when possible on the top. Honey is a prize coveted, 

 by all insects, and failing to obtain a taste, they would 

 fain be content with the aroma at the top of the 

 hive. Warmth may furnish an additional attraction. 

 One day this summer, upon examining a hive upon 

 which I had placed a crate of one pound sectional 

 supers covered with a quilt of wadding, I heard a 

 ■tremendous hubbub, and a closer examination dis- 

 covered a nest of humble bees. They were of a very 

 small variety, and throughout the summer afforded a 

 most interesting opportunity for observation. Upon 

 the wadding being removed for the purpose of 

 inspection, the noisy way in which they resented the 

 interference was very remarkable, and in the course 

 •of a few hours the wadding was invariably replaced 

 by the little creatures themselves, and as the colony 

 grew the ball of wadding expanded. But the humble 

 bees have entered upon their last sleep, and are now 

 quite torpid, many have been overtaken by the 

 autumnal cold, ere their cells were vacated. One 

 can but admire the selection of so remarkable but 

 suitable a home, by the little humble bees. They must 

 have gained some help, from the warmth derived 

 from the hive bees underneath them, while the 

 wadding formed a good non-conductor of heat above 

 iind around. It is rather strange that the wasps did 

 not attack 'them, or were they deterred by the noisy 

 protest of the inmates of this conical heap of wad- 

 ding ? One autumnal day two field mice took 

 possession of another corner of this same sheet of 

 wadding, but without interfering with the bees. 

 They were soon summarily ejected by me, and being 

 very fat I wondered whether they were keeping the 

 ]iumble bees' nest in reserve as a dainty morsel for 

 winter consumption, certainly they had not lain so 

 close to the nest for several days without discovering 

 it. I should be glad to know if any of the readers 

 of your interesting magazine, who are beekeepers, 

 have ever found a colony of humble bees in such close 

 proximity to their educated and domesticated neigh- 

 bours. — J. A. Smith. 



Frog Spawn.— Li answer to the query of P. W. A. 

 in the November number of Science-Gossip, I 

 may say three causes would contribute to solve the 

 mystery, (i) Water-snails often eat the jelly ur- 

 rounding the young tadpole, thereby causir^ the 

 death of the same ; (2) they ought to have plenty of 

 food, both vegetable and animal, or else they fall on 

 their nearest relations, " and finish them right away ; " 

 (3) without a good light they will never come into 

 frogs, but will gradually die off. — A. Fiddscnd. 



iMiLDNESS OF THE SEASON. — As I was taking a 

 walk on Sunday, the 20th of November, along the 

 road between Donnybrook and Blackrock, to the 



southern side of the city of Dublin, I noticed the 

 following plants (twenty-six species) in blossom, a 

 remarkable number I think for this time of year. 

 Ranunculus acris, J\. repcns, Stellaria media, Draha 

 verna, Capsella bursa-pastoris, Sisymbrium officinale, 

 Rubus discolor, R. crsius, Geum 7irhanum, Geranium 

 Robertianum, Veronica arvensis, ]'. polita, Bcllis 

 perennis, Leonlodon taraxacum, Lapsana communis, 

 JPypocfucris radicata, Scnecio jacob^ca, S. vulgaris, 

 Soiiclius okraceus, S. asper, Petasites fragrans, 

 Acfiillea millefolia, Lamiuin purpureum, Eupfiorbia 

 Iielioscopia, Rumex obtusifoliiis, l^olygomun persicaria. 

 Most of these were in considerable profusion, but the 

 herb robert certainly eclipsed every other flower, 

 covering whole banks with its pretty pink blossom. 

 Among the few that showed only a lingering knot of 

 flowers, here and there were the two brambles, the 

 avens, and the whitlow-grass. — Cfiarlcs B. Moffat. 



Mildness of the Season. — It may interest some 

 of your readers to hear that a very fine bunch of Viola 

 odorata was brought me on Thursilay, December 1st, 

 which had been picked by some ladies during a walk 

 from Limpley-Stoke to Bath, a distance of about four 

 miles. Primroses are also in fine bloom in the same 

 locality. — Cfiarles F. JF. T. Williams, Bath, 



The jMild Autumn. — As I walked down the 

 road to-day (November 12th) I saw a pliit of 

 Jasminus nodiflorus in full bloom ; is it usual for those 

 plants to be out so late in season as this ? We have had 

 very mild weather lately, so that may account for it. 

 — Alex. Win. Ogilzy, Windsor. 



Turnstone. — There can be no doubt that the 

 description by Edward of the habits of this bird is 

 correct. Edward has been for many years well 

 known to many naturalists, and without at any time 

 being suspected of misrepresentation. It seems to 

 me not very good taste for your correspondent to 

 throw doubts on Edward's statements, because your 

 correspondent in his small experience (as is proved 

 by the fact that he thinks the bird web-footed) has 

 never seen a similar act performed. — Heniy Laver, 

 F.L.S., Colchester. 



Query as to a Moth. — On referring to Newman's 

 " British Moths," published 1869, under the heading 

 Canned he says, "The moth has been taken in the 

 fens of Cambridgeshire." I can find no mention of 

 Neurica;. Can your correspondent mean Myric?e ? 

 Ofthat moth he says, " Occurs plentifully at Rannoch, 

 in -Scotland, and has also been taken at Killarney, 

 in Ireland, but hithert© not in England." — R. E. 

 Selrake. 



Botany of Spain. — Can any one inform me 

 whether there is any book similar to Hooker's 

 " .Student's Flora") on the botany of the east coast 

 of Spain, written either in English, French, Italian 

 or Spanish ? — II. Hi ickleb ridge. 



Late Appearance of " Hirundo rustica." — 

 On November the 9th, I noticed a swallow flying 

 strong on the wing for a considerable time over my 

 garden and the buildings adjoining. — W. Cregson, 

 Baldersley, Tliirsk, 



Do Parrots require Water ? — In a recent 

 issue Mr. James Hooper stated that Mr. Bartlett, of 

 the Zoological Gardens, says they do not require it. 

 With all due deference to such authority, I think 

 they do. I have a parrot thirty years old, and 

 apparently as fresh as if four years old. I give it a 

 drink of fresh milk in the morning, which it relishes. 



