HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



263 



eight days out from port, so that it is not likely the 

 moth had been on board all the time, and unless it 

 had flown off some passing ship it seems a very 

 long flight for so heavy a moth. — Thomas Winder, 

 Sheffield. 



AcHEROXTi.v Atropos AT NORWICH. — There 

 were seven or eight specimens of this rare moth 

 caught at the electric light in this city between the 

 I2th and iSth of September. They were all very 

 good specimens, and I think all males. Mr. A. G. 

 Hewitt also found one by the river side. — E. P. 

 Dyball, NoT-iuich. 



Names wanted (p. 23S). — The name of the bird 

 about which E. H, R. inquires is the spotted fly- 

 catcher {Muscicapa grisola), a common and most 

 interesting species. — IV. H. JVarner, Standlake. 



Curious Conduct of a Dog. — Allow me to 

 thank Dr. Keegan for his note in reference to the 

 curious conduct of a dog recorded by me in the June 

 number of Science-Gossip. Though failing to see 

 eye to eye with him, I have read his communication 

 with much pleasure and interest. I am unwilling 

 again to trespass on your space ; but may I ask in 

 what way Dr. Keegan distinguishes between actions 

 resulting from association of ideas, and those that 

 are confessedly guided by reason? He makes a 

 somewhat sweeping assertion that " no animal other 

 than man can speak, or does possess the power of 

 thinking about absent objects by means of signs." In 

 what way, then, does association of ideas operate in 

 the lower animals if they have not this power ? The 

 altered expression on a boy's face- — granting that his 

 theory holds good in this respect — is, to the dog, as 

 nmch a sign as written symbols are to man. It is 

 only by association of ideas that written or printed 

 characters convey any signification to our minds ; yet, 

 while it is granted that the power to interpret these 

 involves an effort of reason, it is denied that the 

 similar power on the part of the lower animals is 

 derived from the same source. Then as to the power 

 of speech, it is at least open to question whether they 

 are not endowed with this ; true, they cannot express 

 their thoughts to us ; but does it follow that they 

 cannot do so to one another? The observations, not 

 only of the uninitiated, but also of careful and scien- 

 tific investigators, lead us to favour a different con- 

 clusion. — Alex. Geddic, J/.A. 



NOTICES TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



To CORRESPOKDENTS AND EXCHANGERS. — As we nOW 



publish Science-Gossip earlier than heretofore, we cannot 

 possibly insert in the following number any communications 

 which reach us later than the 8th of the previous month. 



To Anonymous Querists. — We receive so many queries 

 which do not bear the writers' names that we are forced to 

 adhere to our rule of not noticing them. 



To Dealers and others. — We are always glad to treat 

 dealers in natural history objects on the same fair and general 

 ground as amateurs, in so far as the " exchanges " offered are fair 

 exchanges. But it is evident that, when their offers are simply 

 disguised advertisements, for the purpose of evading the cost of 

 advertising, an advantage is taken oi our gratuiious insertion of 

 "exchanges" which cannot be tolerated. 



M. G. — Lowe's " Our Native Ferns" (2 vols.) is the best we 

 have. Every species, and many of the varieties. It contains 

 79 coloured plates and Soo woodcuts. The price is, we believe, 

 £2 2S. 



W. G. W.— The plant is not a Dianthus, although belonging 

 to the same order. It is the soapwort (SaJ'onaria officinalis). 

 The other is Geranium sylvaticum. 



F. Farmer and others. — We have received several notes 

 relating to the capture of the Death's Head Moth, which it is 

 perhaps not necessary to publish, but they prove that this 

 insect has been peculiarlj' abundant this season. 



John Simm. — Accept our best thanks for the coal fossils. 



F. H. P.\rrott. — Your fossils are as follows : No. i, Portion 

 of flattened stem of Encrinite ; 2, Beletiinifcs }nini)iius (Gault) ; 

 3,; Area; 4, Producta Martini (young, carb. limestone); 

 5, young of Ostrea ; 6, Cyrena (?) ; 7, Cyclocyathus (coral, 

 Gault) ; 8, obscure ; 9, Inoceravius sulcatus (Gault). 



E. B. (Folkestone). — i. Please look over our advertisement 

 sheet. 2. The shamrock, as used in Ireland, is a species of 

 trefoil, equally common in England. 3. The bluebell is the 

 Endymion you refer to. 4. Examine Dr. Hooker's " Student's 

 Flora," there are a great nuntber of British roses. 



R. A. BuLLEN. — The mulberry leaves are a later growth, 

 caused by abundant flow of sap; it is frequent in other trees this 

 autumn. 



E. A. D. (Hebden Bridge). — Atrickitin undulatmn ; it is 

 very closely allied to the one you name. 



C. C. H. (Greetland). — Only one species came to hand, which 

 is the Stachys arvensis, L. The Lamium is a much larger and 

 coarser plant. 



J. S. R. (Bridport).— You are quite correct, it is a curious 

 transformation ; the corolla is formed out of the pistil, exactly 

 the same as in the flowering cherry. Examine the latter. 



H. R. A. (Beulah Hill). — First, mosses : i, AtrichuTn tittdu- 

 latum ; 2, Hypnum rutabitlujii ; 3, correct; 4, a form of 

 No. 2. Flowering plants : A, Epilobiiitn hirsutuvi ; B, Oe?-- 

 ani7im safigni^teuin ; C, Trifoliuvi Ji li/orrne {^) ; D, Carda- 

 mine syhiatica ; E, Eiepaioriuiii caniiabinmn ; F, Agriinotiia 

 eupatoria ; G, Pulicaria dysenterica; H, Ononis spinosa ; 

 M, Metitlux aquatica, but it is difficult to form an opinion from 

 a single leaf. 



E. B. Wkiggleworth. — The fossil looks more like lilodiola 

 carinata than the caridata; but we should like to see another 

 specimen or two before determining. We have not heard of 

 either having been found in the Yorkshire coal-held before. 



EXCHANGES. 



Wanted, a few gatherings of marine diatoms, especially of 

 the genus Pleurosigma ; also a small quantity of Cuxhaven mud. 

 Mounted objects in exchange. — C. V. Smith, Carmarthen. 

 . Wanted, a correspondent on the Pacific coast of North 

 America with a view to microscopical exchanges. — C. V. Smith, 

 Carmarthen. 



Offered, L.C, 7th ed., 99, 121, 457, 533, 676, 737, 912, 924, 

 1349, 1359, 1360, 1361, 1362, 1412, 1436, 1458, 1478, and others, 

 in exchange for English plants. — Send lists to P. Ewing, 

 97 IMcAslin Street, Glasgow. 



Botanical duplicates dried. L.C, 7th ed., 6, 10, 26, 40, 

 127b, 153a, 157 mountain van, 162, 248, 254, 288, 296, 297, 305, 

 351, 374. 3S6, 394, 406, 506, 539, 548, 550, 560, 726, 859, 868, 

 824, 825, 871, 89r, 932, 936, 1004, 1040, 1051, 1 198, 1209, 1276, 

 1281, 1306, 1330, 1359, 1413. — Rev. M. Hick, Staindrop, Dar- 

 lington. 



Scotch " Disruption Worthies," by Wylie, complete in fifteen 

 2^^. clean and perfect parts. Wanted, micro slides, accessories, 

 or offers. — Morrison, 148 Clarence Street, Bolton. 



Roses, brambles, and other good things in exchange for 

 plants or birds' eggs. — Send lists to J. W. White, Clifton, 

 Bristol. 



Offered, Messer's " British Wildflowers by Natural Analy- 

 sis," in exchange for "The Field Naturalist's Handbook," by 

 Rev. J. S. Wood. Also, what offers for a white Peru cabinet 

 to hold 100 micro slides flat ? — F. Bewlay, Vine Street, York. 



Wanted, specimens of English palmated newt, edible frog, 

 living or in spirits ; also foreign amphibia, in spirits, in exchange 

 for birds of paradise and other birds' skins, &c. — G. E. Mason, 

 6 Park Lane, Piccadilly, London. 



Offered, L.C, 7th ed., i, 40, 125, 163, i6s, 259, 560, 586, 

 591, 677, 73T, 946, 974, 1031, 1059, 1072, 1258, 1327, 1348, 1619, 

 1605. Send lists. Plants or coleoptera. — W. G. Woollcombe, 

 The College, Brighton. 



"Rambles in Search of Shells," by J. E. Harting, and 

 "Manual of the Land and Fresh\vater Shells," byW. Turton, 

 revised by Dr. Gray ; both equal to new, for British marine 

 shells or fossils from red crag.— A. Loydell, 10 Aulay Street, 

 Ossory Road, S.E. 



London Cat., 146, 1S4, 237, ss6..577. 706, 730, 913,929, 

 114c, 1274, 1280, rctragenolobus siliqiwsus, Planiago are- 

 narih, Nigella at-uensis, offered in exchange for good fronds in 

 fruit of Nos. 1603, 1607, 1613, 1614, 1616, 1617, 1622, 1623, 1625, 

 1626, 1630, 1631, 1643, 1647.— J. Tempere, Storrington, Sussex. 



Offered, slides of plates of a rare species of Thyone, 

 Grantia compressa, Clione celata, &c. Wanted, British marine 

 shells or histologial slides. — Dr. Keegan, Holy wood, near 

 Belfast. 



