262 



HAEDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



supplicatory position is quickly abandoned, and the 

 hands, lately raised to heaven, descend with unerring 

 aim on the wretched victim. Only those who have 

 seen this leaf insect can appreciate its extraordinary 

 form, — a form which constitutes, perhaps, the most 

 remarkable instance of natural mimicry in existence. 

 — E. C. Lefroy. 



How TO SEND Objects by Post.— I find 

 "H.U.J.'s" plan has been recommended by the 

 Quekett Club in their rules for the exchange of 

 slides, and printed in each of their annual reports 

 for the last seven years. Science-Gossip, vol. iii., 

 June, 1867, p. 14^2, also contains the rules ver- 

 batim, with a drawing of the box. — A. 8. 



Migration of Swallows. — A resident _ at 

 Worthing was walking along the road to Lancing 

 with her husband and two young nephews one 

 afternoon in May, 1872, between six and seven 

 o'clock, when she perceived a vast flight of swallows 

 come from over the sea. There were thousands of 

 these birds, and so intent were they on their progress 

 inland, that they took no notice of these persons, but 

 flew around them and well-nigh interrupted them 

 in their walk. I closely questioned my informant, 

 and she stated repeatedly that they " came from the 

 sea." Did any one on the coast of France observe 

 the departure of these birds for the North on this 

 occasion ? — E.M.P. 



EerN-SHADE and AQUAKIUM,p.21-i.— "W. K. G." 



will probably find both his trouble and cement 

 wasted : neither the frame nor the glass of a fern- 

 shade is likely to be strong enough to bear the 

 weight of the body of water required, unless the 

 quantity be very small. — B. P. 



Eye op Beetle. — Can you or one of your readers 

 kindly inform me the method in which to set up a 

 microscope so as to show a photograph in the eye 

 of a beetle, as is sometimes'showu at the microscopi- 

 cal soirees, &c. ? I have tried but have not been able 

 to succeed in getting a good multiplied image. — 

 M. W. 



Micuo-Lepidoptera. — Can you or any of your 

 talented correspondents give me any information as 

 to killing, pinning, wi^settingMicro-Lepkloptera, or 

 whether there is any work whereia the information 

 I require is contained, as I find that Stainton's 

 " Entomologist's Companion," the most likely one 

 I know of, has been out of print some years ? — James 

 Edwards. 



Poison of Spider. — While looking at the fang 

 of a spider {Tegenaria domestical just killed, which 

 fang 1 had forced back, I saw a white matter issue 

 from the aperture at the end. Will any of your 

 readers kindly inform me if this would be the poison 

 itself ?—F. F. 



Queen Bees and Drones.— I do not think that 

 the queen bee is ever impregnated in the hive, but 

 takes her flight when the drones are taking theirs. 

 I judge this also from the fact that the German bee- 

 masters, in order to keep a breed pure, such as the 

 Ligurian, contrive to keep the queen in a little 

 cage, and when the drones of other kinds have 

 settled, she is set at liberty with the drones of her 

 own kind, when they take their flight. This they 

 kept a secret, charging 10s. for it, and requiring 

 each person to whom it was made known not to 

 reveal it, so that for some time they made a good 



deal by it. With regard to the death of the drones, 

 it is known that they are driven from the hive and 

 killed by the bees at a certain period of the year, 

 commencing generally at the end of July, when I 

 have frequently found them in the way described, 

 i.e. with their wings spread out. Whether the 

 drone dies after impregnation I cannot say ; if so, 

 it is like the silkworm moth, which dies immediately 

 after, and the female as soon as she has done laying 

 her eggs. — T. 0. IFood. 



Moles. — Can any of your readers suggest a 

 means of destroying moles otherwise than by traps, 

 or what trap is the most successful and least dis- 

 figuring to the grounds ? — B. Brn. von B.ube. 



Names of Birds. — " Molly-mawk " is the com- 

 mon name of the Albatross. " Mallemoke " is the 

 term applied by Bewick to the " Eulmar Peti-el." 

 The latter is evidently a corruption of the former. 

 Both the "Eulmar" and the "Albatross" are con- 

 stant attendants upon whales, and therefore I have 

 no doubt but that in different parts of the world 

 they may both be called " whale-birds." — C. B. 

 Bree, M. D. 



Bats in Daytime. — A few days ago, as I was 

 walking near Shide, in the Isle of Wight, about half- 

 past one o'clock in the afternoon, I saw a bat flying 

 about and chasing its insect prey just as uncon- 

 cernedly as it would have done at its usual hour. I 

 watched it for about ten minutes ; the light did not 

 seem to affect it in the slightest degree. Will any 

 correspondents tell me the reason M^y an animal so 

 strictly nocturnal in its habits should venture forth 

 in the middle of the day beneath a glaring sun ? — 

 Frank Morey. 



Rare Butterflies. — If your correspondent, 

 Maberly, procures Coleman's book on British 

 butterflies, published at Is., he will there find the 

 information he desires about the varieties ; but I 

 may mention there are over forty different species 

 taken in this neighbourhood ; among which are 

 P. daplidice (Bath White), V. Antiopa (Camber- 

 well Beauty), A. Lathonia (Queen of Spain), all 

 the blues with one exception, and P. comma (Silver- 

 spotted Skipper). — /. H. Allchin, Dover. 



The Aquarium in Winter.— Can any of your 

 readers suggest a plan by which I may keep my 

 aquarium out of doors during the coming winter? 

 It is in an inclosed yard, and is supplied constantly 

 with fresh water by a small tube communicating 

 with a tank inside a wash-house. I kept it out of 

 doors all last winter, but there were no animals in it, 

 with the exception of a few snails. It was frozen 

 repeatedly without injury to the glass, and the 

 snails took no harm. I have it in working order 

 again (for the frost broke all the cement away and 

 completely spoiled it for the season), and the fish, 

 which have been its inhabitants for some months, 

 are quite healthy. I had a male and female newt 

 in it for a week or two ; but by some means one 

 morning one had disappeared, and, shortly after, the 

 other was missing too. As I had a close wire cover 

 over it during the night, it is dilficult to account for 

 their disappearance. I have sometimes thought 

 they were eaten by a perch that was in at the same 

 time and is still a healthy inhabitant. Have any of 

 your readers ever known a perch gobble a newt ? 

 If your readers will kindly inform me what kinds 

 may be advantageously kept together, I shall be glad, 

 I allude to fresh-water fish. — JF. Swatman. 



