2iO 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



NOTICES TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



We must remind our frienrls, who make use of this column, 

 that the fullowing- rules should be strictly adhered to : — 

 First. That perfect specimens be sent. Secondly. That all 

 tlie infnrmation as to haliitaf, &c., that the inquirer can give 

 should be forwarded with them. Tliirdly. To bear in mind 

 that drawings, uidess very perfectly executed, are useless, 

 and a tyro is very apt to omit some distinctive characteristic 

 which would enable the examiner to decide the genus and 

 species of the object sent. Lastly. Never to send an object 

 for identification until the inquirer has used his best endea- 

 vours to find out for himself all the information he requires. 

 Quetions are very frequently sent, which the slighte^t effort 

 oil the part of the querist, in looking through some elementary 

 treatise, would have given all the knowledge required. 



H. J. McGiLL. — Your botanical specimens should not be 

 sent in cotton-wool, and they should be each numbered. 

 They are as follows: — Red Campion (/^i/r/jntA' diurmi), Am- 

 phious Polyeronura {Polygonum ampldbium), and Toad-rush 

 {Juncus bvfonius). 



A. K. Laslett. — The moth is the common Swift (Sepialus 

 lupuliiuis) : thecaterpillarand cocoon are those of the Lackey 

 Moth [Uombyx wjustrid). The parasitic growth on the colts- 

 foot leaf is a microscopic fungus, probably ^cii/tMm composi- 

 tarum, var. Tussilnginis, 



W. Pkrry. — There can be little doubt that your inclosure 

 consisted of minute particles of iron. Under the microscope 

 they exhibit a crystallographic shajie. Magnetic iron in sea- 

 sand is not of uncommon occurence. The celebrated 

 Taranaki iron of New Zealand occurs in this manner. 



Gko. Lek.— Webster's Dictiimary, edited by Dr. Porter 

 and Dr. Goodrich (London: Bell & Daldy), gives the list 

 and pronunciation of most scientific terms. The " Imperial 

 Dictionary " does the same, perhaps more copiously. 



Manchkster. — Therewas some littls difficulty experienced 

 in regnrd to your specimens, as -we do not undertake to 

 name/ore/g'W specimens. No. 1 is the pupa of some insect. 

 No. 2, the excretions of a species of Aphis attached to the 

 hairs of the leaf. No. 3 is a Micro. tungus, but not suffi- 

 ciently developed to determine the genus. 



E. Clarke. — Many thanks for your welcome and well- 

 mounted specimen of Gentiaiia verna. 



J. F.— Your specimen of Stuc/tys annua came duly to hand, 

 for which accept our best thanks. 



T. Roper. — Apply to Van Voorst, London. 



J. Makinson. — No. 1, Bnlxmina ubtusa; 2, Denfalina 

 aculeata ; 3, Rutulhia ohlnnga ; 4, Textuluriii varitibilis. 



Em,en M, — Your specimen is Asplenium viride—& rather 

 rare fern. 



Mr. White, Ealing. — Your specimen of minute fungus 

 found on dry cowdung is Peziza granuluta. 



J. G. R. Powell. — The specimens came duly to hand, for 

 which accept our thanks. 



F. A. Stekle. — Your plant is the common Centaury 

 (KrythrcBa centaurium), belonging to the natural order 

 Gmtianacece. 



W. Jambs. — Your specimen is the narrow-leaved Cotton- 

 grass {Eriophorum angustifulium). 



F. DuiGNAu.— Write to Mr. T. D. Russell, 37, Arundel- 

 street, Stiand, London, for his catalogue. See article on 

 "Collecting and Preserving Geological Specimens" in 

 February No. of Gossip for 18/2. 



R. M. wishes to k'ow the best method of preserving sea- 

 anemones for collections. We never heard of such a thing, 

 but perhaps some of our readers have, and if so, wdl knidly 

 answer R M. 



C. J. Evans. — We should imagine you would find no diffi. 

 culty in obtaining the " Frog-bit " from any aquarium-dealer 

 -say King's, Portland-road, London. If you have any 

 Norfolk friends, they would have no difficulty in procuring 

 any quantity for you. 



G C. Druce. — Your specimen is the upright Cudweed 

 (Gnnphalium sy/miticiim). Perhaps ."^ome of our readers will 

 k niily take the hint, and give us the name of the best flora 

 o ■ Northamptonshire. 



J. NuNN. — We have no doubt that Mr. Thomas Brittain, of 

 the Manchester Aquarium, will supply you with information 

 as to shingle for the aquarium. 



H. C. Chad WICK. —You will see full instructions about 

 preparing skeleton leaves in an article in Science-Gossip for 

 February, )87J. 



EXCHANGES. 



MiCROGRAPHic Dictionary, and oth erworks on Micro- 

 scopy or Botany wanted, for Micro. Slides. — Wm. E. Green, 

 47, Park-street, Bristol. 



C. Davus, Pamphilm, M. margaritata, E. fasciaria, 

 S. rhuinbuidaria, P. tre.pidaria, F. piniaria, L. pectinitaria, 

 T. firmatu, B. f'lsralis, for other Lepidoptera. Accepted 

 offers answered within a week. — James J. F. King, 137, West 

 Prince's-street, Glasgow. 



Sea Birds' Skins, British Marine Algae, and a few minerals 

 for Birds' Eggs or Lepidoptera. — J. T. T. Reed, Ryliope, 

 Sunderland. 



North America and We.st Indies.— Zoological and botani- 

 cal specimens for scientific publications. — J. Matthew Jones, 

 Halitax, Nova Scotia. (Nova Scotian postage 3d.) 



Minerals, Rocks, and Fossils, wanted for British Lepi- 

 doptera. — F. Duignau, St. Paul's-terrace, Walsall. 



Good Birds' Eggs or Lepidoptera wanted for well-mounted 

 Microscopic Slide or Material. — Address, VV. T., care of 

 Mr. Martin Burges, 10, Ashby-place, Brockley-road, S.E. 



DiATOJiACEous Material from Gravesend and Greenhithe, 

 for good mounted objects.— Geo. Elisha, 2, Cross-street, 

 Sheplierdess-walk, City-road, N. 



LoND. Cat. Brit. Plamts, Nos. 90, 30/, 468, ll60 (verus), 

 1166 (Cornwall, 1262*, Ike, offered for other rare species. — 

 W. H. Beeby, 41, North-end, Croyilon. 



Parasite of Partridge, for other well-mounted Parasites. 

 — A. C. Tipple, Hi, Ennis-road, Finsbury-park, N. 



For Tongue of Limpet, Patella vulgata, unmounted, send 

 stamped, directed envelope to C. L. Watchurst, 33, Blessing- 

 toii-road, Lee, London, S.E. 



Membrane of Bpfs Wing well mounted in balsam, for 

 any good Slide.— E. Lovett, Holly-mount, Croydon. 



Will any reader of SciKNCE-GossiPsendme a few Berries 

 of Mistletoe, for other plants or leaf fungi? — H. W. Hallen- 

 bush, 320, Spring garden-street, Reading, Pennsylvania, U.S. 



Nos. 307, 483, .'i58, 919, 942, 1242, Lond. Cat., and Trifolium 

 stcllatum, for other rare, local, or critical species. — Lists to 

 A. Bennett, High street, Croydon. 



I have the following plants : — Cropus minimut, C. nudi- 

 flurus, Thf^.iiuin hnnpltyllum, Gfrnnhim phieum, Lathyrus 

 nissolia. Campanula patula. Orchis ustulafa, Ctiscuta 

 Eunipiea. Desiderata : British Lepidojitera. Names sect on 

 application. — E. A. Hall, Whatton Manor, Nottingham. 



Scirpvs parvaliis, from Arklow, co. Wicklow, the only 

 Briti>h station at present existing, for other rare British 

 plants.— Richard M. Barrington, Fassaroe, Bray, co. 

 Wicklow. 



For genuine Larva, unmounted, of Chinchilla laniga, 

 and Arvicola arvulis, send stamped envelope to J. O. Harper, 

 Dereham-Foad, Norwich. 



BOOKS RECEIVED. 



" On the Relation of the Parish Boundaries in the South- 

 East of England to great Physical Features." By W. Topley, 

 F.G.S. 



" The Philosophy of Evolution." By B. Thompson Lowne, 

 F.L.S. London: Van Voorst. 



" The Natural History of the British Diatomacese." By 

 Dr. Donkin, part 3. Van Voorst. 



" Micrngraphic Dictionary." Parts J) and 12. London: 

 Van Voorst. 



" Les Mondes." 



"American Naturalist." July and August, 1873. 



" Coal, its Nature and Uses." By the Rev. J. M. Mello. 



" Monthly Microscopical Journal." September. 



" Grevillea." September. 



"Astronomical Register." September. 



COMMU.NICATIONS RkCKIVED UP TO THE /TH ULT. — 



Dr. C. C. A.- F. A. S. — E. A. H.— A. K. L.-C. B. K.— C J. E. 

 _F. K.— W. S.-T. E. A.-E. A. H.-J W.-G. E.— W. T. 

 — E. H. W.— T. B.— F. D.-T. W.-R. M.— W. B.— Capt. 

 J. A. P.— W. J.— W. T. I-E. D. B.— E. L.— T. VV. W.— 

 J. H.— H. A. M.-G. L.-Dr. A. M. E.— J. W. R.— E. L.— 

 E E.-T. C. O.-A. C. R.— W. T. P. W.-T. S. D.— C. L. W. 

 — C. B. B.— W. H.W— J. M.— J. F. K.— W. W.— J. M. J. 

 — T. M. H.— F. A. -J. P. S.-C. C.-J. G. R. P.-H. J. McG. 

 — T. B.— H. W. H.— J. T. T. R.— E. L — W. H W.— A. B.— 

 W. N. L.-A. C. T.-E. C. J.-H. C. C— H E. W.-J. D.— 

 R. H. W— J. C. D,— W. H. B.— G. O. H.— R. M. B.— 

 I.O. H.J &c. 



