i66 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



perfect state, but in all the stages of larva, pupa, and 

 imago. No more moths emerged that winter, not- 

 withstanding the breeding-cage was kept in a warm 

 kitchen. In April of next year I determined to see 

 the condition of my pupse. It was a fortunate resolu- 

 tion, as the earth which I had been at such pains to 

 sift had become hard as any turnpike road. One 

 moth had indeed come out of the pupa, only to perish 

 miserably, being quite unable to force its way through 

 the mould. Two of the pupa; I found were dead. It 

 is generally easy to discern whether any vitality exists 

 in pupre or not by their colour, which changes in 

 defunct specimens to a dull black. The rest I took 

 up and laid in damp moss and still kept before the 

 kitchen fire. The June of iJiyS was exceedingly hot, 

 and thinking it would be better for the pupce to 

 be subjected to solar, rather than to artificial heat, I 

 carried the cage into tl# greenhouse. A few days 

 after, viz. on the iSth, I was delighted to see that a 

 fine male had emerged, and on the 23rd another male 

 came out. The next day a large female made her 

 appearance, on the 25th another male, on the 28th 

 another male, and on the 29th likewise. The tem- 

 perature then became very low, and it was not till 

 July 5th that my eighth and last specimen emerged. 

 "1 may remark that they all, with, I believe, one 

 e.xception, came out between 6 and 8 o'clock in the 

 evening, and just after they had been treated to a 

 shower-bath. All of them were loud squeakers. 

 My advice then to Mr. "Wilburn would be to deposit 

 his pupa; in moss, which, as soon as we get hot 

 weatlier, should be kept damp, though well drained, 

 and either place them in a warm room, or better still 

 in a greenhouse, as I did with mine ; and I hope at the 

 proper season he will have the pleasure of seeing the 

 imagines developed in perfect condition. — Joseph 

 Anderson, jun., Chichester. 



Wagtails. — In reply to the query of W. R. T., I 

 can say that the wagtail was in search of flies and 

 insects, which are very apt to creep for winter 

 quarters in the cracks between the window and 

 masonry, or else it saw flies against the dark window 

 and in snatching at them flew against the window. 

 All this winter a gray wagtail has considerably 

 annoyed us by continually dashing at the glass, using 

 the clothes line as its watching "post." Nothing 

 would drive it away, and I am quite at a loss to 

 understand its action, unless it is that it saw gnats &c., 

 against the dark shade of the window. I watched it 

 repeatedly, and am quite sure there were no flies either 

 inside or outside on the glass. Perhaps some other 

 correspondents can throw some light upon it. I have 

 known robins and tits cling for some minutes to 

 the woodwork and peck at the cracks. — Edward E. 

 Evans. 



Redstart [Pha-niciira rulicilla). — I saw yesterday 

 (April 3rd) a female specimen of this bird perched on 

 a pump a few yards off from where I was standing, 

 and uttering its feeble call-notes. Is not this a re- 

 markably early appearance ? I have seldom seen the 

 redstart till the middle or end of the month. This is 

 the first emigrant I have yet seen. — W. H. Warner, 

 atandlake, IVitney. 



Earth Worms in a Garden Path. — May be 

 got rid of in the following manner ; take 5 pound of 

 good chloride of lime and mix it with two gallons of 

 water. Now after rain, well water the paths, and the 

 worms will come to the surface, and can be picked 

 up and made away with. Do not water your flowers 

 with it, or you might kill them. — Albert Smith, 

 Islington. 



Tadpoles were "all alive" in this neighbourhood, 

 Kingstown, co. Dublin, by the end of February, and 

 I found Hydra vulgaris and viridis at the commence- 

 ment of the month. The chiff"- chaff was heard early 

 in February, and on April ist I had the unexpected 

 pleasure of watching a humming-bird hawk-moth 

 {Macroglossa stcllatariim) in my garden. Is not the 

 latter a remarkable visit at this season of the year 'i 

 Of remarkably early wild flowers we had quite a 

 garland. — Jaincs Borjker, F.R. G.S.I. 



MiTEs IN Entomological Collections. — 

 Carbolic acid is an excellent thing for preventing 

 mites, well rub it into the woodwork, also creosote. 

 • — Albert Smith. 



Snails and Hydras. — On 21st January last, I 

 found in the canal and in a pond near to it Hyd7-a 

 vulgaris, fusca, viridis, and put them in my 

 aquarium. They multiplied, and last Sunday made 

 quite a show. I noticed a slight green formation on 

 the glass inside, and resolved to put more snails in (a 

 number of small planorbis having been in all the 

 time), so I got two large Lymnea stagnahs and put 

 them, in. Yesterday I thought the hydra had left the 

 glass and gone to the weeds, but on closer examina- 

 tion this morning, I find that out of about 100 hydras 

 there are now only two or three left {viridis). — 

 y. Shawcross. 



Goat Moth. — I have now at the present time 

 (April), three of the rank-smelling, peculiar-looking 

 caterpillars of this moth, which were dug up in a 

 neighbouring garden, and yesterday I saw another 

 specimen, which had been turned over by the harrow 

 used in getting in order a particularly weedy piece of 

 the above. In our garden, which is better cultivated, 

 I never meet with these singular larvre. Specimens 

 of these caterpillars are brought to me nearly every 

 season from the garden mentioned. Now is it not 

 rather singular to find these caterpillars in the earth 

 at all ? The works on entomology which I have in 

 my possession never hint at such a thing.— IF. If. 

 Warner, Standlake. 



Origin of Jet. — AVill any of the readers of 

 Science-Gossip inform me whether it has been 

 really decided what is the nature and origin of jet? I 

 myself am of opinion that jet is not fossil wood, as, 

 I believe, is generally supposed ; but that it has been 

 some kind of bitumen or petroleum, similar to that 

 we find nowadays in the chambers of many fossils. 

 I will say no more at present ; practically, I am alto- 

 gether unacquainted with jet, having never sought for 

 it in its native state ; but if a discussion on the 

 subject is opened, I will forward you my opinions in 

 full— T: p. Dotchon. 



The Birds of Jersey. — Owing to the short 

 space of time at my disposal, I was unable to reply 

 to Mr. Cecil Smith's observations on my notes on the 

 Jersey birds, which appeared in the May number of 

 Science-Gossip, before this. I have in the mean- 

 time, however, revisited the island, where I am 

 writing this, and have carefully investigated the 

 evidence of my former .notes, which I now give in 

 response to the remarks of Mr. Smith. As already 

 stated, it is chiefly to the kindness of Mr. J. Sinel, 

 of Eagot, Jersey, that I am indebted for the results of 

 careful observations made by him, exclusively in 

 Jersey, for a period extending over twenty years, and 

 all my notes on the birds of the island either eman- 

 ated from him or received his endorsement. First, 

 as regards the occurrence of the golden eagle, about 

 which Mr. Smith expresses himself not a little 

 sceptical. The following is an extract from a letter 



