25° 



HA RD WICKE'S SCIENCE- G OSSIF. 



A nest of I'kus minor, L., was found at Powick in 

 a hollow tree, birds not disturbed. 



The great spotted woodpecker, P. major, is occa- 

 sionally met with hereabouts. 



Inyx torqtiilla, L., the wryneck, was seen 

 in May once, preceding the cuckoo by a day 

 or two. 



The kingfisher is fairly common in the 

 Teme Valley. 



I caught a fine specimen of the tawny owl 

 (Syrnium aluco, L.), in broad daylight. 



A pair of common buzzards (Buieo vulgaris. 

 Leach) have been recently shot on Lord 

 Coventry's estate, Croome. 



A peregrine falcon {F. peregrinus, Tun- 

 stall)» from the same place, I have seen shot 

 this year. 



Ardea cinerea, L., the heron, is not un- 

 common. 



Columia anas, L., stock dove, breeds at 

 Powick ; C. palunibus, common. 



The com crake {Crcx pratensis, Bechst.), is 

 one of the commonest Worcestershire birds. 



The moor-hen is also fairly plentiful. 



The common sandpiper (Totanus hypoleu- 

 cus, L.), keeps to the Teme very much. 



A splendid specimen of the great crested 

 grebe (^Podiceps cristahis, L.), was shot on the 

 Severn last winter, with rich brown crest in 

 fine condition. 



These notes are by no means complete, and 

 I may be able to add to them in the future. 

 Three bullfinches' nests were destroyed this 

 spring in these parts, to my knowledge. A 

 curious local name for this bird is the " nope." 



F. G. S. 



P.S. — ^The writer begs to state that these 

 notes were sent more than a year ago. His list now 

 reaches Il8 — more than double the number given 

 above. 



[To be contimeed.) 



NOTES ON ECONOMIC BOTANY. 

 By J. T. Riches. 



ZINGIBERACE^ (GINGER).— This spice is 

 the produce of a plant largely cultivated in the 

 East and West Indies, China, Sierra Leone, etc. 

 {Zingiber officinale, Ros.) 



The plant has a persistent root-like stem (rhizome) 

 which sends up annually leaf and flower-bearing 

 stems ; leaf-bearing stems 3-4 feet in height with 

 linear-lanceolate, subsessile, smooth leaves ; flower 

 stems (spikes) elevated ; bracts acute, imbricate, 

 single-flowered ; anther two-celled, crowned with an 

 incurved beak. 



Ginger was the name known to the ancient 



Greeks ; Pliny says it was thought to be the root of 

 Pepper, and called " Zimpiperi." 

 The young shoots of the rhizome are taken off and 



Fig. 146.— Ginger Plant {^Zingiber officiiiale). ..^^^-^ 



preserved in syrup, and constitute that most delicious 

 condiment known as "preserved ginger," largely 

 imported from the West Indies and China, Jal though 

 the West Indian production is much more esteemed 

 than that of China. The ripened root-stock after 

 preparation constitutes the ginger of shops. The 

 mode of preparation is simple ; the rootstocks are 

 dug up when about a year old, cleansed, dried in the 

 sun, in that state they are known in commerce as 

 " coated ginger," but if the skin is removed previous 

 to drying, they are known as "uncoated ginger." 

 The soft kinds are preferred by merchants, the hard 

 kinds being used for grinding. 



The hot pungent taste of ginger is due to a volatile 

 oil ; it also contains starch, gum, an acrid resin, 

 yellow colouring matter, etc. 



Its uses are numerous and varied. A large amount 

 is consumed in the manufacture of gingerbeer or 

 gingerade ; it is also largely used as a spice, and in 

 medicine in the form of powder, tincture and syrup, 

 as an aromatic stimulant, stomachic, rubifacient, etc 



