HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



95 



abound the fatal disease among sheep called Loupin- 

 ill is very prevalent. The exceptional humid summer 

 we experienced conduced to the development of 

 various parasitic fungi, — J/. King. 



Mildness of the Winter.— To show the mild- 

 ness of the winter about Colchester, two specimens of 

 Btifo vulgaris, which I kept last year with several 

 other amphibians in an outdoor vivarium, came out 

 of the heap of leaves and rubbish in which they had 

 hybernated and moved about the place on the 31st 

 December. The sun was shining, and the atmosphere 

 was very warm, which I suppose was the cause of 

 their appearing. They have, however, gone back 

 again now that the weather has turned cold. — Frederick 

 S. Croydon. 



Pied Wagtail. — Whilst walking through a thickly 

 populated part of the town yesterday morning, I 

 noticed this bird picking amongst the snow in com- 

 pany with three sparrows ; is it not unusual for this 

 bird to be seen in towns ? — F. H. Thompson. 



The New Metal. — Concerning the new metal 

 ■discovered by Dr. Kruss in Cobalt and Nickel little 

 is known yet. It has not yet been named, but will 

 probably soon be so. Particulars of it, as far as yet 

 published, will be found in a paper read by Dr. Kruss 

 before the Munich Chemical Society, and quoted in 

 "Nature," January 31, 1889, p. 325. Also see " Phar- 

 maceutical Journal," January 19, p. 576 ; "Chemist 

 and Druggist," January 26, pp. 104, 126 ; Febuary2, 

 p. 168.—/'. //. Marsden. 



ACRIDIA VIRIDISSIMA. — Is it an unusual thing 

 for the great green grasshopper of the south of 

 Europe {A. viridissima) to be taken in England ? 

 Several specimens of what I believe to be this insect 

 have lately appeared in a conservatory at a florist's in 

 this town ; one was brought to me alive, but I failed to 

 keep it so for more than a few days, the comparatively 

 cold temperature of the dining-room, the warmest 

 apartment in the house, killing it. When brought 

 near the fire it became quite lively ; but at other 

 times it remained clinging to the side of its cage in a 

 semi-torpid condition. I could not induce it to feed. 

 Another specimen, a dead one, also came into my 

 possession. The larger one measures upwards of three 

 and a half inches from the head to the end of the 

 ovipositor, and two inches from the head to the end of 

 the closed wings. The ovipositor is about two inches 

 in length. The insects are of a bright emerald green 

 tint, with a whitish blotch at the base of the face. — 

 A. E. Gibbs, F.L.S,, Si. Albans. 



Beavers in Bute. — In 1872, the Marquis of Bute 

 informed me that he wished to procure some beavers, 

 &c. Frank Buckland, "Notes and Jottings of 

 Animal Life," page 27. — G. IVorledgc, Woodbridge. 



The Bute Beaveky.— I note in replies to cor- 

 respondents last month " B. B. Le T. " wishes for 

 information about the Bute beavery. There is a 

 good account of it in the "Midland Naturalist," 

 (pp. 100, 161), vol. v., by Mr. Egbert de Haniel ; 

 perhaps this will meet the requirements of your 

 correspondent. — G. Sheriff Tye, 



NOTICES TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



To Correspondents and Exchangers. — As we now 

 publish Science-Gossip earlier than formerly, we cannot un- 

 dertake to insert in the following number any communications 

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



To Anonymous Querists. — We must adhere to our rule pf 

 not noticing queries which do not bear the writers' names. 



To C)ealers ano 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 AuvERTisEMiiNTs, for the purpose of evading the cost 

 ol advertising, an advantage is taken of our gratuitoics insertion 

 of " exchanges " which cannot be tolerated. 



We request that all exchanges may be signed with name (or 

 initials) and full address at the end. 



Special Note. — There is a tendency on the part of some 

 exchangers to send more than one per month. We only allow 

 this in the case of writers of papers. 



A. T. — Mr. Abbot's paper is from the " Proceedings of the 

 American Association for the Advancement of Science," and is 

 printed at the Salem Press, Salem, Mass. You could most 

 probably get .Mr. Montague Browne's paper from the author. 

 Town Museum, Leicester. 



EXCHANGES. 



Fine casts of two ammonites, in exchange for curios of 

 foreign shells, either land or marine. Also curios to exchange. 

 — Archibald Hy. McBean, S. Denys, Southampton. 



Wanted, good wings of foreign lepidoptera; must be cor- 

 rectly named and localised. A large selection of unmounted 

 material in exchange, or mounted objects. Send list to— R. M., 

 24 Park Road. Clapham, London, S.W. 



Small duplicate cjUection of land and freshwater shells, and 

 a number of British birds' skins, in exchange for magic lantern 

 slides, or offers. Lists sent. — Jas. Ingleby, Eavestone, near 

 Ripon. 



Parasitic plants. Wanted, from all parts, Orobanchaceae 

 (broom-rapes) and other parasites attached to host ulants ; 

 fresh, in spirit, or dry. — J. Guardia, F.R.M.S., Helston House, 

 Rozel Road, Clapham, London. 



Wanted, autograph letters of celebrated naturalists, in 

 exchange for good botanical micro slides. — B. Piffard, Hill 

 House, Hemel Hempstead. 



Wanted, a few specimens of hydroida or polyzoa, living, or 

 mounted with the tentacles extended. Will exchange, or 

 purchase. Write to— Rev. A. C. Smith, 3 Park Crescent, 

 Brighton. 



Offered. — "Midland Naturalist," vols. vii. and viii. (1884, 

 1885), unbound, clean as new; "The Naturalists' World," 

 vol. iv. U887), unbound; "Knowledge," vol. iv. (1883), five 

 numbers missing, and other periodicals. Wanted, a vol. of 

 Jeffreys' " British Conchology," rare British land, freshwater 

 and marine shells, or offers. — A. Marshall, care of W. Handley 

 Kay, Gresham Chambers, Nottingham. 



A HUNDRED rare rough Devon corals and sponges, in ex- 

 change for the same number of good silurian or Yorkshire 

 corals, to cut up for specimens. Also the following micro 

 objects or British shells — Polysiomella crispa, Orbulites striata, 

 Nmnmulites complanatus, various spines of echinus, minute 

 corals and shells, perfect and rare sorts. Wanted, Pecien 

 glaber, var. sulcata (Adriatic Sea), Anomta striata, lantkina- 

 exigiia, I. rotundata, Lima hians, Tellina balaustina, Pecten 

 nivens, Troclms gramilatus, and Einargimila fissura. — 

 K. J. R. Sclater, M.C.S., 23 Bank Street, Teignmouth. 



Wanted, to exchange a few birds' eggs and Persian stamps 

 for thoroughly good micro slides.— Miss Nicolson, 15 William 

 Street, Albert Gate, S.W. 



SciENCE-GossiP, Feb. 1882 to June 1886; Owen's "Pale- 

 ontology ; " a collection of over 1000 fossils. Offers wanted. — 

 J. A. Floyd, 5 Hospital Road, Bury St. Edmunds. 



Offered. — Hudson and Gosse's "Rotifera" (perfectly clean 

 copy, unbound), nine lantern slides, " Humorous Tale of a 

 Cat," rock micro slide box, polished bay wood, to hold 144 

 slides. Wanted, lantern slides. Pen and Pencil series art 

 journals. — J. E. Lord, iC Mount Terrace, Rawtonstall. 



Wanted, Bell's " British Quadrupeds," and any of the 

 following of Reeve & Co.'s British Handbooks, viz. : " Butter- 

 flies and Moths," "Spiders," "Grasses," "fi^erns," or other 

 reference works on Fnglish natural history, in exchange for 

 one or more of the following books, all in best condition, viz., 

 vols. iv. and v. of "Science for All," "Scientific Recreations," 

 "Midland Naturalist," 1883 and 1884 (2 vols.), Lubbock's 

 "Ants, Bees, and Wasps" (uncut), "Contributions to Natural 

 Hi-tory by a Rural D.D.," and Slack's "Pond Life."— 

 F. Hayward Parrott, Walton House, Aylesbury. 



Vekv fine i-inch, by Scibert, 30° angle ; ditto by Swift, with 

 short mount for binocular, and adapted for monocular, 70° 

 angle, also good student's i-inch, about 90°, all corrected for 

 pho.ography.— Dr. Bousfield, 363 Old Kent Road, S.E. 



Wanted a good serviceable microscope, one suitable for 

 petrological work preferred. Offered, Jeryis' " Mineral Wealth 

 of Central Italy;" "Curiosities of Animal Life; Woods 

 "Common Objects of the 'Sea Shore;" Skertchly's "Physical 



