238 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP, 



and there has not yet been found in Europe food 

 for its sustenance. It stays all day long perched on a 

 tree, seeming to deplore its captivity. I enclose an 

 engraving, showing you the animal on its tree. — E. 

 I^jivre, 35, Place des MarcMs, Rheims, France. 



Notes qn Flowers. — Referring to I. Snell's note 

 on " White Flowers " in "Notes and Queries " for 

 August, I have seen white forms of C. scabiosa and. C. 

 nigra in profusion on the N.E. coast of Norfolk. One 

 stem of C. scabiosa bore inflorescences whose central 

 florets only were bleached, the outer speading ring 

 having the usual carmine tint. A. Kingston mentions 

 in "The Wild Flowers of 1882" (September) that 

 C. oxyacantha flowered with him in the last week of 

 April this year. It may not be generally known that 

 at the entrance to Hyde Park Gardens, opposite 

 Stanhope Terrace, a fine May tree was in flower on 

 the 1 2th of April last. Readers may like to know 

 that a flora (though a very imperfect one) of 

 "Cromer and its neighbourhood" has just been 

 published by a resident collector. The worst part of 

 the book is the carelessness with which it has been 

 set up, mis-spelt words abounding on every page, 

 such things as Bursa pastoris (instead of Capsclla 

 b. p.) are also frequent. It however gives a 

 good idea of the unique wealth of this locality. — 

 £. G. H. 



White Flowers. — I have seen a large patch of 

 Ccraniitm pyrcnaicjim, the blossoms of which are 

 pure white, and appear year after year on' a country 

 road near Ipswich. A white blossom of the Laiimini 

 p2irpnrcHvi was brought to me some time ago and 

 we have found several plants of the Agraphis nutans 

 and also of the Cainpamda rotiindifolia quite white. 

 I found a white Scilla antuiiinalis in Jersey two 

 years ago. Every flower seems to be subject to the 

 same change in colour, and I should like to know 

 the true cause of it. I find every year a patch of 

 the Chclidoninm majus with double blossoms, whilst 

 plenty of the same plant round the spot is single. 

 How can this be accounted for ? The Saponaria 

 officinalis occurs both double and single in large 

 quantities, and in several fields and hedges far sepa- 

 rated from one another, and some distance from any 

 dwelling.— C. E. J. G. 



What Bird? — A correspondent of Science- 

 Gossip lately inquires what bird, and I think I can 

 answer. On the 25th of July last, just outside 

 this library window, believe me, there sat on the 

 top of the apple-tree a bird sufficiently mysterious in 

 his actions to have been the king of Persia named 

 13eder transformed by the inhumane Giauhara. He 

 sat there and chirped, with all the monotony of a 

 spinning wheel. As far as I made out it was a very 

 ordinary large-beaked finch, with a stripe on its 

 wing. Maybe it was the greater redpole {Fringilla 

 cannabina). — A. H. Sivinton, Guildford. 



Names Wanted. — Will some of the many readers 

 of Science-Gossip kindly furnish me with the names 

 of the following ? A small, plain-plumaged bird, 

 about a third less in size than the common sparrow ; 

 head, back, and wings dull brown ; throat, breast, 

 and under side generally brownish-white ; bill slender, 

 and somewhat rising from base ; insectivorous, taking 

 its station tipon post, rail, or stake, and darting 

 thence upon passing insects. Sometimes rising to the 

 height of two or three feet, at others poised in air 

 before a shrub, or over long grass, catching flies, &c., 

 with a snapping sound, returning immediately to its 

 station. Note generally somewhat harsh. — E. II. R. 



■ The Domestic Arrangements of Swallows. 

 — In the year 1878, while Messrs. Dyer of Alton 

 were building a new mansion (Tylney Hall) for C. E. 

 Harris, Esq., Winchfield, Hants, a pair of swallows 

 built their nest on the ledge of an iron girder in the 

 drawing-room, the birds having access through the 

 windows. The nest was finished and five eggs laid. 

 But before all the young ones were hatched the work- 

 men had to go into the drawing-room to lath and 

 plaster the ceiling. The work could not be delayed 

 in favour of the feathered occupants of the room. 

 Fortunately, however, for the little strangers, one of 

 the workmen, Mr. T. Kemp, was a bird fancier, and 

 also a bird stuffer. He made a box and carefully plac- 

 ing the nest into it, suspended it from the ceiling by 

 a piece of copper wire. The nest hung about six feet 

 from its original position, the old birds then became 

 very timid, and did not seem at first inclined to take 

 to the box ; but their natural instincts soon prevailed. 

 Before however the parents regained confidence, and 

 took to the new spot, the young ones began to get 

 cold, so Mr. Kemp very thoughtfully saved the poor 

 little creatures by warming them in his hands till the 

 old ones resumed their nursing. This they did, not- 

 withstanding the noise of the workmen's hammers, 

 and the usual busy stir in the room. And when the 

 young ones were strong enough, they would sit on the 

 edge of the box to be fed, without heeding the men 

 or their noise. After this brood was flown, the 

 parents turned their attention to a second family, and 

 five more eggs were laid in the box, all of which were 

 successfully hatched and reared. — J. Boggnsf, jun., 

 Alton. 



Hens and Horsehair. — A lady sends me the 

 following facts, asking me to find her an explanation. 

 I feel I can do nothing better than to lay the matter 

 before your correspondents, which I do in her own 

 words. "I chose two fresh-looking eggs from ,a 

 basketful and had them boiled for breakfast this 

 morning. On opening one, I observed a number of 

 horse-hairs wound round, over, and through the white 

 part. Not much liking the look of it, I put it away, 

 and opened the other, which also had horse-hairs 

 wrapped round it. Six of our family witnessed it. 

 There were seven hairs in one, and eight in the other, 

 each hair was about eight inches long ; I enclose 

 some as specimens. None of the other eggs in the 

 basket were remarkable. N.B. — Both eggs were 

 fairly fresh." I greatly regret that I have lost the 

 hairs sent to me ; they certainly appeared to be thick, 

 strong horse-hairs. — C. B. Moffat, Ballyhyland, 

 Enniscorthy. 



Curious Conduct of a Dog. — Mr. H. Geddie in 

 the June number (p. 143) records the curious conduct 

 of a dog on a certain occasion, and asks whether such 

 conduct can be explained by reason or by instinct. 

 It seems to me, however, that this case is not referable 

 either to the one or to the other. W' hen a bird builds 

 a nest, or a spider a web, or when bees construct the 

 beehive, &c, we observe certain means employed for 

 the accomplishment of certain ends. Shelter, pro- 

 tection, capturing or storing up food, protection of 

 offspring, &c., these are the ends in view, and the means 

 adapted thereto are such as we all observe and admire. 

 But when a dog merely objects to stir and walk when 

 he usually does so, or vice versa, we do not perceive 

 any act of intelligence or any exercise of instinct or of 

 reason in their higher operations. The conduct of the 

 dog in this instance may be explained by associations 

 of ideas founded upon or derived from an eminently 

 keen and sensitive faculty of obsei-vation. There 

 is little doubt that animals in general, but more 



