HA R D WICKE ' S S CIENCE- G O SSI P. 



143 



eggs really are, neither do they assist in any way in 

 " searching out of new facts." From careful observa- 

 tion of birds for many years — nearly half a century — I 

 believe a pair of birds can rear a full brood as easily 

 as a part only, which they are obliged to do if 

 orthodox collectors {sic) take a portion of the eggs 

 from a full clutch. These collectors had far better 

 procure a good set of plates representing the eggs of 

 birds and leave the birds in possession of their jewels. 

 Your correspondent Mr. Mosley is not very far wrong 

 when he says, "Generally the eggs in the same nest 

 are ver}' much alike," but doubtless he is aware that 

 in the nests of some birds, two and sometimes three 

 types of egg are always found. It is to this fact I 

 have more than once called the attention of zoologists. 

 There is another fact which appears to have been over- 

 looked, namely, the relationship which exists between 

 the colour and the fertility of eggs. I have waded 

 through volumes of ornithological literature, and fail 

 to find a single paragraph devoted to it. I should 

 exceedingly like to know if the three light-coloured 

 raven eggs forming part of a clutch of five — which 

 Commander J. B. Young mentions in his most 

 interesting letter — were fertile or infertile, for I so 

 often find when blowing a clutch of eggs, that an 

 abnormally light-coloured egg is infertile. By the end 

 of the present breeding season, I hope to be able to 

 say more upon this subject. I believe it is generally 

 supposed that the light-coloured eggs in a clutch are 

 the last laid, but so far as I have at present been 

 able to ascertain it is not the case. In defence of 

 Vandalism, I am sure no true collector will take 

 every clutch of eggs he can lay his hand upon. — 

 Josiph P. Nunn, Royston. 



Snow blinding Fish. — It is a common idea 

 along this part of the south coast that a south snow 

 blinds the fish, and that they may be had in large 

 numbers in consequence. Can any of the readers of 

 Science-Gossip inform me if this be really a fact ? — 

 A. Vigai-. 



White Moles, and Apple-trees. — In answer 

 to N. P. Chrzastow, (i) White moles are by no 

 means unknown, and the mole varies also to orange, 

 brown, &c. : see "Zoologist," 1886, p. 332; "Nat. 

 World," 1 886, p. 40. It is always interesting to 

 have records of such variations. (2) Apple-trees bear 

 fruit and blossom at the same time in Madeira, but 

 the fruit is of inferior quality. — T. D. A. Cockerdl. 



Sense of Smell. — Allow me to correct error in 

 note under above heading. It should have been Bex- 

 hill Harriers, not BoxXvlW. May I also ask why my 

 communication forwarded to you three months ago 

 did not — if published at all — appear in an earlier 

 issue "i—W. E. Windus, BexJiill. 



NOTICES TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



To CORRESPOKDENTS 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 of 

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



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 omx gratuitous insertion 

 of " exchanges " which cannot be tolerated. 



Wk 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. 



HuLWiDGEON. — ^The best means of testing your knowledge 

 on the subjects you mention would be to pass the South 

 Kensington examinations in them. Write to the South Ken- 

 sington Museum, enclosing u. id. in stamps for their directory, 

 in which you will find the questions that have been put on the 

 subjects for many years past. 



J. E. Black. — We have no doubt the Rev. W. Fowler, 

 author of the work on "British Coleoptera," now appearing, 

 would assist you in naming your specimens. 



Mks. C. — No eharge is made for naming objects in our 

 columns, but it is always better students should try to name 

 them for themselves. 



A. F. Robin (Adelaide). — You will see in our Scientific 

 Directory the names and addresses of the secretaries of our 

 chief natural history, &c., societies, all of whom are interested 

 in the preservation of plants and wild animals. 



W. Mackie. — The "London Catalogue of Mosses" is out 

 of print. Mr. J. A. Wheldon, of York, is publishing the 

 "York Catalogue," to take its place. 



K. E. Styan. — All the papers in S.-G. are contributed 

 gratuitously. 



E. Clifton. — The plant called the water soldier {Siratioles 

 aloides) is very common in the rivers and broads of Norfolk. 

 If you have any friends in Norwich, they could easily procure 

 it for you. 



H. C. B. — ^The " Journal of Microscopy " may be obtained of 

 Mr. Alfred Allen, i Cambridge Terrace, Bath, and the "Journal 

 of the Quekett Microscopical Club" of Williams and Norgate, 

 Covent Garden, London. 



P. Thompson. — H. caperata may be distinguished from 

 H. virgata by the strong rib-like stria; with which its surface 

 is covered, as well as by its more depressed spire and larger 

 umbilicus ; A . anatina from A . cygnea. by its shell being 

 smaller and longer in proportion, by the hinge line being 

 raised instead of straight, and by the abrupt instead of gradual 

 slope of the posterior side ; and U. pictonan from U. iumidus 

 by its oblong shape and thinner shell, by the straightness of 

 the upper and lower margins, as well as by the beaks being 

 less tumid and its hinge and teeth being more slender. See 

 Rimmer's " Land and Freshwater Shells." 



S. G. — The coco-de-mer {Lodoicea sechellarum) is found in 

 Praslin and Curieuse, two of the Seychelles. The male tree 

 when full grown, which is not before it has attained the age of 

 100 years, reaches the height of 100 feet. At the age of thirty 

 it commences to blossom. It takes ten years for the fruit to 

 mature. The nuts average a weight of about forty pounds 

 each. For a fuller account, see " Treasury of Botany." 



J. T. Johnston. — You may obtain the " Botanical Gazette" 

 (American), and the "Journal of Botany," from Mr. VV. P. 

 Collins, 157 Great Portland Street, London, W. The "Popular 

 Science Monthly" is, we believe, no longer circulating. 



Z. — Get Rye's " British Beetles," price \os. 6d., coloured 

 illustrations. 



J. R. B. M. wishes to know if there are any natural history 

 societies in Cheltenham or the neighbourhood. Perhaps some 

 correspondent will kindly let us know. 



J. M. D. K.— Jerdon's " Birds of British India" is the great 

 book on the subject. The land and freshwater shells of that 

 country have, we believe, been described in one of the British 

 Museum Catalogues. 



J. P. G. — (i) To calculate the rainfall of one inch it is neces- 

 sary to know the area. (2) Snow is usually ten to twelve times 

 more bulky than water. (3) If the sun's rays do put out a fire 

 it is because of the rarefaction of the air by solar heat, and 

 consequent scarcity of oxygen. 



EXCHANGES. 



Wanted, some living specimens of anemones and zoophytes, 

 &c., for a marine aquarium ; good exchange given. — H. Parritt, 

 103 Camden Street, London, N.W. 



For slide of Heliopelta inetii (selected), send other slide, 

 preferably diatoms, spicules, or polariscopic. — G. H. Bryan, 

 Thornlea, Cambridge. 



What offers for "Leisure Hour" (1883), "Birds' Eggs and 

 Nests," by Atkinson, and " Birds, their Nests and Eggs," by 

 W. H. Bath? Will exchange for natural history books or 

 apparatus. — Hodder, 40 Wimborne Road, Alfreton Road, 

 Nottingham. 



What offers for "Nature," vols. 28, 3s, 36, 37. bound in 

 cloth, vols. 38 and 39 unbound ; Science-Gossip, 1884-7, bound 

 in two vols., cloth, 1888 unbound ; "Annals of Botany," vol. i. 

 parts I and 2? — G. A. G., i Lansdowne Road, Sheffield. 



Wanted, living examples ai Li>ftax Icmis and Limax tcnellus. 

 British and foreign land and freshwater shells in exchange.— 

 W. A. Gain, Tuxford, Newark. 



Wanted, Polydonta maculaius, Elenchus triodon, Terebra 



