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HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



persons in a low state of health. In the Middle Ages 

 leprosy was prevalent over nearly all Europe, and 

 salted fish formed in that time almost the only food 

 during the winter months. Whether leprosy can be 

 inoculated is not yet proven. Rake and Kobner 

 have not been successful in their attempts at inocula- 

 tion in animals, but a case published by Gairdner in 

 the "British Medical Journal" of June llth, 1887, 

 appears to show that in some cases the disease may 

 be communicated by inoculation, for example, by 

 vaccination. — J. W. Williams, Middlesex Hospital, IV. 



A Tame Squirrel. — A friend writes : '' Of 

 course we went to Plas Newydd, were much inte- 

 rested in the old place, particularly in the grounds, 

 which are very fine, and well kept. Here I saw a 

 live squirrel for the first time in my life ; it is quite 

 tame, evidently a pet. It hopped about in its pretty 

 graceful fashion, jumping into our laps, begging for 

 nuts or bits of biscuit ; unfortunately we had nothing 

 eatable with us, so squirry ran up to the top of a 

 high tree and looked down upon us, no doubt 

 thinking what a shabby lot we were." — F. S. 



House Martins. — A colony of house martins 

 have built their nests in the porch above our door, 

 and are busy rearing a second brood of young. One 

 afternoon the servant's attention was drawn to a 

 black-headed gull standing on one of the cross- 

 beams, evidently trying to reach one of the nests in 

 spite of the attacks made upon him by the whole of 

 the old birds. Soon afterwards he was seen to fly 

 away with what was evidently a young bird in his 

 beak, pursued by the enraged martins ; but whfether 

 he got away with his prey, I am unable to say. A 

 few days afterwards, when out walking, I saw a 

 number of house martins chasing a dovecote pigeon, 

 which was evidently quite blind with fear, and did 

 not know where to go. It at last took refuge on the 

 roof of a house close to where a number of persons 

 were standing watching the curious scene, and where 

 its tormentors contented themselves with making 

 sudden dashes at it. — W. Hamian Watson, Airthrey 

 Croft, Bridge of Arran. 



Prolongation of the Tadpole condition. — 

 Mr. Ullyett says, in Science-Gossip for September, 

 that he had a tadpole which remained in that con- 

 dition up to January 9th. A friend of mine had a 

 few that had not undergone metamorphosis, or even 

 grown at all, evidently, in November 1888. They 

 were kept in an aquarium in a somewhat dark place, 

 and this may account for the circumstance, for tad- 

 poles require plenty of light to develop into perfect 

 frogs. 1 believe, however, that some species do 

 hibernate during the larval state. — F. P. Perks. 



Prolongation of the Tadpole condition. — 

 The larval forms of the batrachia may be kept from 

 assuming their adult stage for a considerable period, 

 and it is no unusual thing to retain them in the first- 

 mentioned condition for a much longer time than 

 that mentioned by Mr. Ullyett. Some years ago, in 

 experimenting in this direction, I kept tadpoles of 

 the common and palmated newts {Molge vulgaris and 

 Molge palmata) for over two years. I had also a 

 tadpole of the bull-frog which I received from New 

 York, and which I kept in that state for, I think, 

 over that time. I cannot at present lay my hands on 

 my notes regarding it. The late Mr. Darwin, with 

 whom I at the time had some correspondence on the 

 subject, wished me to endeavour to breed them in 

 the tadpole stage, but my efforts in that direction 

 were unsuccessful. Cold and insufficient food will 



at all times retard their development. — J. Macnaiight 



Campbell, Glasgow. 



Development of Tadpoles. — Like your corre- 

 spondent, Mr. H. Ullyett, I have often wondered 

 whether any one has ever noted if tadpoles do some- 

 times go through two seasons before developing into 

 the frog. I think it is very possible they may do so, 

 as I found some years ago in a pond near here a 

 fairly sized tadpole, early in February. Captain Aitk en, 

 who was with me, and myself both came to the 

 conclusion that it must have been of the previous 

 year's hatching. My experience last year has been very 

 similar to that of Mr. Ullyett. From spawn gathered 

 early in April I find from my notes that two were 

 alive on December 3, development having been ap- 

 parently stationary since October 7. I was away 

 from home during the latter part of December, and 

 on my return on January 5, 1SS9, I found the 

 aquarium, an inverted bell-glass, and which was in 

 an exposed situation, had been frozen and broken, 

 and so the tadpoles came to an ultimely end, much 

 to my regret, as I thought I was in a fair way to solve 

 the question. — Albert Morrison. 



Maimed Ants. — It may interest Mr. Bowman to 

 know that I have just observed an ant which had 

 lost its abdomen (how, I do not know) carrying 

 considerable pieces of earth about as if nothing was 

 the matter. I cannot, however, get these insects to 

 take any notice of vibrations on the outside of their 

 bell glass, or to take the trouble to tell each other 

 when any choice article of food is placed within their 

 reach. — F, Winn Sampson. 



Protective Action of Poisonous Properties 

 and Bad Tastes in Plants. — It is generally sup- 

 posed that evil-tasting and poisonous constituents in 

 plants serve the purpose of preventing the attacks of 

 enemies. As far as some of the worst of these 

 enemies — snails and slugs — the protection is not 

 always sufficient. Evei^ one must have noticed that 

 slugs will feed upon the leaves of the poisonous fox- 

 glove, as readily as a cow will upon cabbage or 

 clover, and with as little injury. This season I have 

 observed that the deadly properties of the common 

 laburnum, which extend to all parts of the tree, 

 afford no protection. The leaves of a young labur- 

 num in my garden have been eaten to such an extent 

 that the tree looks quite shabby, and I have caught 

 both slugs and snails in the very act. As to offensive 

 tastes, it is difficult to imagine anything more re- 

 pulsive than that of Vallota purpurea, known by 

 some as the " Scarborough lily " — an absurd name. 

 Yet this plant, if set out in the garden in the summer 

 months, is eaten by snails to a ruinous extent. On 

 the other hand, the leaves of Eschscholtzia Californica, 

 as far as I have observed, escape the attacks of slugs, 

 though their taste is by no means so oftensive as that 

 of the Vallota. We are sometimes told that the 

 prickly leaves which the holly bears on its lower and 

 outer branches keep off the attacks of browsing 

 quadrupeds. This is not universally the case. I 

 have seen some lambs nibbling very perseveringly at 

 the twigs of a holly hedge ; this was at a time and 

 in a place where there was plenty of other food 

 available. The acrid, poisonous character of the 

 bark of the mezereon is no protection agninst hares 

 and rabbits. Hence, if plant-poisons have been 

 evolved as a protection against animal enemies, the 

 latter have, in turn, acquired a special immunity 

 from their effects. — J. W. Slater. 



Query in reference to "The Cuckoo's 

 Song." — Your able correspondent, Mr, W. P. 



