HARDWICKE'S SCIENC E-GO SSIP. 



187 



same property will prevent the easy reversion or 

 alteration of the motion, which is so necessary in 

 chasing most insects.— Frank Allen. 



Glasgow Botanical Club.— Can any of your 

 readers inform me if there is any club or society in 

 Glasgow for the purpose of improving their know- 

 ledge of botany by trips, &c. ? If so, the name and 

 address to apply to for admission would oblige ; 

 if not, the writer would be willing to join with any 

 person for the formation of such a club in Glasgow. 

 ~E. JF. E. H. 



Ornitiiogalum tTMBELLATUM.— On some hilly 

 pasture land, surrounded by thick woods and plan- 

 tations, far removed from any garden from which it 

 could have escaped, it was with much pleasure that 

 i and a friend came upon numerous plants of Or- 

 nithogalum tmhellatum, the Star of Bethlehem. I 

 have frequently seen this flower iu gardens, but 

 have never before met with it growing wild, though 

 m other parts of the country it may perchance be 

 common.— </. Anderson, juu., Alresford. 



_ Southern Birds.— In reply to " H. G.'s " ques- 

 tion, I send the names and a few particulars of birds 

 which are, I think, identical with those he de- 

 scribes:— 1. "A large brown bird, called by the 

 sailors stink-pot,' " is, doubtless, the Hoactz'in, or 

 Stink-bird (Opisthocomus cristatus). This bird is 

 2i in. long, the wing 13 in., 'and the tail 11 in. It 

 has a slender body, rather long neck, and wings that 

 extend to the centre of the tail, which is composed 

 of ten long broad feathers, graduated at the sides. 

 Ihe plumage on the nape, back, wings, and portion 

 ot the tail-teathers is brown, the hinder quills beino- 

 enlivened by a metallic green gloss, the feathers of 

 the wing-covers whitish, under-parts light rust-red 

 It has a long flowing crest. The Hoactzin is pecu- 

 liar to the northern parts of South America. The 

 flesh has an unpleasant odour of musk combiued 

 with that of wet hides, called by the Brazilians 

 catinga, and it is therefore uneatable. So powerful 

 IS the musky smell that the natives employ the flesh 

 as bait for certain fish. 2. "'Parson-birds,' with white 

 marks upon their faces," are probably synonymous 

 witii the Widow-duck {Dendrocygnn viduata) This 

 species has the face and throat white, the back of 

 the head, nape, and sides of the neck bright reddish- 

 brown, back reddish-olive, darkly-spotted tail, and 

 entire under-side below the breast black ; sides of 

 the breast like the back, reddish-olive, darkly 

 spotted and marked; sides of the body greyish- 

 white, striped with blackish-brown. The white 

 marks on the face and throat, and the dark colour 

 round them, with black below, doubtless suggested 

 the name Parson-bird as well as Widow-duck All 

 travellers who have visited South America describe 

 this bird as occurring in amazing multitudes, more 

 especially in the marshy grounds of the prairies 

 and travellers in Africa assert that it is equally 

 abundant in the southern and western regions of 

 that continent 3. "Ice-birds," beautiful little 

 creatures, slightly larger than Mother Carey's 

 Chickens, with delicate silvery-grey plumage. These 

 are Ice-gulls {Pagophild), but these, I think, chiefly 

 inhabit the Arctic regions. The "Ice-birds" may 

 possib y be white or silky terns {Gygis Candida) — 

 beautiful birds, with sleuder bodies, the pluma"-e 

 ol silky soitness and pure white. The White Tern 

 inhabits the Pacific Ocean. Mr. Gumming states 

 that on visiting Elizabeth Island, in the South Seas 

 which is entirely destitute of inhabitants or fresli 

 water, he found this, or an allied species. Darwin 



'at i^'^ 1 t"^""™^^ ^f Researches in Geology and 

 JNI atural History," speaking of Keeling Island, says : 

 Iliere is one charming bird, a small and snow- 

 white tern Little imagination is required to fancy 

 that so light and delicate a body must be tenanted bv 

 some wandering fairy spirit." 4. "Molly Manks,'"' 

 nearly as large as albatrosses, with white bodies 

 and dark wings. The Wandering Albatross (Bio- 

 medea exulans), called also the Cape Sheep, is, with 

 tlie exception of its black wings, entirely pure white. 

 Ihese birds vary in size from 10 to li feet across 

 the?,wings. It is possible the "Molly Manks" 

 "i.ay be a small bird of this species, or the Yellow- 

 billed Albatross {Biomedea chlororhjnchus), smaller 

 birds, which have the iff/«7-feathers, however also 

 brownish. 5. " Whale-birds," about twice as large 

 as storm petrels, with white bodies and dark wings. 

 1 cannot find a satisfactory description answering 

 to these birds ; the nearest approach to it is that 

 ot the Broad-billed Prion, or Duck Petrel {Frion 

 vittutus), which is peculiar to the southern hemi- 

 sphere. The colour of the plumage is light greyish- 

 blue on the back, and pearl-white on the under-side. 

 Ihe borders of the wing and tail-feathers are black. 

 Length, 10| in. ; breadth, 22 \x\.~R. H., Shrewsbury. 



Singing Mice (p. 91).— I fancy these are much 

 more ^requent than some observers may think, but 

 their vocal performances are often made at times 

 and in places where human listeners don't take cog- 

 nizance of them. One was noticed in a house in 

 Chelsea rather crowded with poor tenants, and 

 created some wonderment, as it migrated from floor 

 to floor, though it was scarcely ever seen, and all 

 eflorts to entrap it failed. By general testimony 

 the sound was rather a low whistle than the song 

 ot a bird ; and this favours the theory that it is con- 

 sequent upon some disease of the breathing organs. 

 So that the truth may be that what some folks call 

 a melody" is nothing more or less than an asthmatic 

 wheezing. There does not appear to be any neces- 

 sary connection between the fact that some mice do 

 thus utter sounds from some cause, and the well- 

 ascertained fact that they are susceptible to musical 

 influences as a species— with differences.— /. ^. /S". C. 



The Devil's Coach-horse {Ocypus oleus), (p, 

 115).— There is no doubt that this beetle has an 

 odour peculiar to itself, and not agreeable, though 

 at some times it is scarcely noticeable, and it is 

 perhaps, in some way connected with the food upon 

 which the beetle has been preying. I can hardly 

 think that it is of a defensive nature, as in some 

 other 'species. At night Ocypus oleus is said to be 

 occasionally luminous ; but tliis I have never ob- 

 served myself. Why should it have received the 

 name of the "Devil's Coach-horse" in our ver- 

 nacular? Its imp-like api)earance and seemiu"- 

 malignity might connect it with the powers of evil" 

 but the movements of the insect are too tardv to 

 suggest a comparison to a quick goer of the equine 

 species, such as our ancestors admired, when rail- 

 ways and steam were only dreamt of. Unless, 

 indeed, the name contains an allusion to the old 

 funeral conveyance, now likely to be superseded.— 

 J. R. S. C. 



Rosa arvensis.— Professor Babington and Dr 

 Hooker agree in calling this rose " scentless." I 

 cannot help thinking libellously. As far as I can 

 judge, in its typical form (A', arvenis proper) it 

 certainly has a decided, though delicate, fragrance 

 and that peculiar to itself and very different froin 

 that of any other wild rose witu which I am 



