HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



93 



ruby-coloured in young specimens of freshwater 

 species). Beneath there are numerous swimming 

 legs. Behind the body diminishes and ends with two 

 long tail filaments. Near the base of these may often 

 be seen two dark objects, one on each side of the 

 tail. These are the ovisacs of the female. There 

 is a drawing of a common freshwater cyclops (with 

 ovisacs) in April number of Science-Gossip, i88i. 



A Lady's Pet Fishes. — A friend of mine residing 

 in America has communicated to me the following 

 rather remarkable information. A Mrs. Burgess, re- 

 siding on the borders of one of the most beautiful 

 lakes in America, has been in the habit once or twice 

 a day for a considerable period of feeding the fish in 

 this lake, and my friend was favoured with an invita- 

 tion to witness this novel feast. She first splashed 

 the water with her hand, when in a moment there 

 were seen approaching from every direction, hundreds 

 of large shiners ; then eels, varying in size from one 

 to about three feet in length, swimming very 

 cautiously. Next turtles appeared on the surface, 

 ten, twenty, and thirty feet away, their necks 

 stretched apparently to see whether it is friend or foe 

 who is disturbing the waters. In less than three 

 minutes, these various species had collected directly 

 before her, and as she commenced to feed, the water 

 was fairly alive with them. They take bread directly 

 from her hands, and turtles would allow her to take 

 them entirely out of the water, and while she held 

 them in one hand, they would eat with the greatest 

 voracity from the other. But the eels were the most 

 amusing : there was one she called Quinn, measuring 

 about three feet in length, that repeatedly came to 

 the surface, and would glide back and forth through 

 her hands, and several times she lifted him partially 

 out of the water, but he was careful to keep his head 

 under. He seemed to feel that she would take no 

 undue liberties with him so long as his head was in 

 its natural element, but the moment he saw daylight, 

 he would dart back with rapidity. Another small 

 one about a foot in length, seemed to be particularly 

 fond of her caresses, and could be handled about as 

 she pleased, it being understood though that he was to 

 remain under water. — Diplon Burn. 



Rare Bird. — A few days ago a friend of mine was 

 shooting when a bird rose from a wheat stubble that 

 he took for a land-rail> but on picking it up it fairly 

 puzzled every one to name it. Perhaps by a short 

 description some of your readers may assist. Length, 

 tip of beak to tip of tail (if it can be said to have one), 

 lo inches. Tip to tip of wings \o\ inches ; weight, in 

 good condition, 12 oz. ; general colour brown, with 

 darker markings, feathers of the back and rump edged 

 with dirty white, belly dusky brown, whole plumage 

 very much resembling a hen pheasant; throat white, 

 eyes pale yellow ; the crop contained a quantity of 

 wheat corns and knot grass seed. There is no sign of 

 any spur on the legs, which are rusty brown. It^was 

 far advanced in decomposition when brought to me 

 and dissection difficult, but I believe it to be a/emale, 

 and (open to correction) the Andalusian quail. — G. T. 



Scarcity of Larks. — Does not the accompanying 

 advertisement in offering "fine healthy live larks " 

 help to account for the gradual disappearance of these 

 delightful songsters? Thousands of small birds, at 

 two shillings a dozen, can be seen exposed for sale in 

 the London poulterers' shops. How can the saci^ilege 

 be put a stop to ? — W. T. Greene. 



Will some one recommend me a book on the 

 British ferns that explains clearly their several 

 characters ? — K. M., Kuigsmill, London, IV. 



Bifurcation of the Fir. — In further reply to the 

 query of Ivlr. G. T. Harris, in Number 186, I may say 

 that cases of bifurcation of the fir are by no means 

 unusual in this neighbourhood. I have seen many 

 instances of it on various kinds of fir. Some notable 

 examples may be seen on the Dublin road about twO' 

 miles from Enniskillen, in the demesne of Castle 

 Coole, the seat of the Earl of Belmore.— 7. // //. 



Wagtails. — During the spring this year I was 

 aroused by something tapping at my bedroom window 

 and on getting up I found it was a wagtail ; the poor 

 thing kept at it for several days — apparently wearing 

 itself out. I opened the window to see if it would 

 come in, thinking its mate might have fallen down 

 the chimney, but I don't think it ever came in. Of 

 course the servants said somebody was to die ; but 

 though I had a very ^severe illness soon after, I am 

 still in the land of the living. We could only see the 

 one bird. What could have been the reason for the 

 poor thing doing so ? I always thought the wagtail 

 was too shy a bird to come near windows. — 

 IV. R. T. 



Parrots. — We have a small Australian parrot, 

 which came to us when about six months old, having 

 been taken from the nest when quite young. It is 

 always supplied with water, and drinks, but not 

 frequently. It takes a bath every day in warm, and 

 twice a week, at least, in cold weather, and appears 

 greatly to enjoy it. — M. E. Pope. 



Spring Flowers. — I observed the male flowers 

 of the hazel, and the female flowers of the filbert, 

 fully open during the second week of January. The 

 male flowers of the filbert were opening during the 

 third week of January. — M. E. Pope. 



White Heather. — Last July, whilst walkingalong 

 the road between Douglas and Laxey (Isle of Man), I 

 came across a patch of heather {Calluna vulgaris) the 

 flowers of which were quite white, and within a yard 

 or two of it, grew plenty of the common purple 

 heather. — G. H. 



Variety of Woodcock, &c. — A beautiful variety 

 of the woodcock {Scolopax vusticola) was recently shot 

 at Thornton, near Pickering, Yorkshire, and was sent 

 to Mr. Helstrip, taxidermist, of this city, for preserva- 

 tion, where I had the opportunity of examining it. 

 The bird was very lightly coloured with cinnamon 

 and white, a few deep dashes of black showing con- 

 spicuously here and there. The head alone was of 

 the normal coloration. The woodcock seems to be 

 frequently met with as a lusus naturce, a white 

 variety I had in my collection being recorded in 

 Science-Gossip a year or two ago. I may also 

 mention that several specimens of the great gray 

 shrike (Lanius excubitor) have come under my notice, 

 being killed in this part of Yorkshire during the 

 present winter. — C. D. Wohtenholme. 



Setting Lepidoptera. — I have lately been relax- 

 ing a great many Lepidoptera, some which I have 

 had in papers, and others I wish to alter from the 

 " English "to " Continental" style of setting. But 

 I find that after the insects are again taken off the 

 setting board the wings nearly always "spring" out 

 of place. This has happened with insects which I 

 relaxed over wet sand for two and even three days, 

 and which I dried in a warm place for three or four 

 days. Would your readers kindly suggest any 

 remedies they know as soon as possible ? I should be 

 especially glad if they would write to me direct, as I 

 am wanting to reset some more insects. — G. H, B, 



