18 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



to the boundary of tlie coal-field in this directiou, 

 and of the impeudiug exbaustiou of the fuel-supply 

 of the "Black Couutry." The seam lies at the 

 depth of four hundred and twenty yards from the 

 surface. 



EossiLS OF Arctic Circle.— In the report of 

 the lloyal Society, printed ia the Times of Decem- 

 ber 1st, mention is made of fossils recently brought 

 from Greeuland, whicli prove that the region within 

 the Arctic Circle once enjoyed a tropical climate. 

 Would any fellow-subscriber kindly give particu- 

 lars ?--&. P. F. 



[The fossils referred to are of Miocene age, and 

 principally plant-remains. Some hundreds of spe- 

 cies have been brought to light from the Lignite 

 beds, and their general character indicates that 

 when they grew a warm climature prevailed in 

 Greenland. It is more than probable that, at this 

 time, no ice-cap existed at our North Pule. — 

 Ed. S.-G.] 



ZOOLOGY. 



Bats. — During the wa«n summer months it is 

 pleasant to watch these wonderful little creatures 

 seeking their food and sporting in tlie twilight ; but 

 who can tell where they hide themselves during the 

 day, and throughout the winter? Having been 

 mucli interested in some that came under my notice, 

 I forward the following particulars. 



About the beginning of xlugust, in passing through 

 a .wood in this neighbourhood, 1 observed a poor 

 little bat fluttering on the ground, apparently unable 

 to rise. Supposing it to be a youug one injured in 

 its fall from a nest, or a more mature one dazzled 

 by the brightness of the sun, I carefully caught it, 

 •when, on examination, 1 found a number of large 

 brown ants fastened on to various parts of its body, 

 sucking ^the blood from even the wings and eyes. 

 Having been obliged to remove these with some force, 

 I carried the little sufferer home in my umbrella, 

 where he rode very comfortably suspended from the 

 ribs by his hinder claws. He did not long survive 

 his bleeding, being found dead next day. 



On the night of the 19th of August my attention 

 was drawn to a noise like a number of mice squeak- 

 ing in my rainwater-butt, and on looking in I was 

 surprised to find about twenty bats, some drowned 

 in the water, some.struggling to get out, and others 

 clinging .to the sides of the cask. I took them all 

 out and laid them in the open air to dry themselves 

 and fly away if they could. Next day all the live 

 ones had disappeared, but I found there were some 

 in the shoot or stack-pipe, which is about tvi'O inches 

 in diameter, and conveys water from the roof to 

 the cask. I took it down to see if there was any 

 sort of nest iu the top of it, but could find none. 

 On shaking it over a large pan, no less than forty of 



these little creatures fell out, many of them clinging 

 to each other. Some appeared to be older than 

 others, but all able to fly, and eat flies and sugar 

 from the hand. Their bodies were about two inches 

 in length, and their .wings about six inches when 

 extended, ears short, and teeth very sharp. There 

 were numerous fleas in the fur, but I did not ex- 

 mine them minutely. — G. M, 31. 



The Magazitie of Natural History for Decem- 

 ber has a note of great interest to ornithologists. 

 Messrs. Sharp and Dresser describe two new species 

 of European birds. One of them {Picus Lilfordi) 

 is named after Lord Lilford, who shot it in Epirus. 

 It is distinguished from an allied species by its 

 crimson crown and barred rump. The other ncAV 

 species is from the British islands, and has been 

 named Parus britaiinictis, or "Coal Titmouse." 

 It differs from the continental examples by its 

 olive-buif back. These species have hitherto been 

 classed with others. 



Insects ix Winter. — We might naturally sup- 

 pose that by the end of winter all those little birds 

 which are solely supported by insect food would 

 find some difficulty in providing for their wants, 

 having consumed, by their numbers and exertions, 

 nearly all that store of provision which had been 

 provided in the summer and deposited in safety ; 

 but 1 have found the stomachs of the Tree-creeper 

 and the small Titmouse, even iu February, quite 

 filled with parts of coleopterous insects, which, by 

 their activity and perseverance, they had been 

 enabled to procure beneath the mosses, on the 

 branches, and from the chinks iu the bark of trees, 

 where they had retired in autumn. Such plenty 

 being procurable after the supply of so many 

 months, renders it apparent that there is no actual 

 deficiency of food at any one period of the year. 

 The small slugs and some few insects may be con- 

 sumed by the severity of winter, but the larger 

 portion of them are so constituted as to derive no 

 injury from the inclemency of the season, but afford 

 during many months provender to other creatures, 

 multitudes yet remaining to continue their race and 

 animate the air when the warm days of spring shall 

 waken them to active life. — Journal of a Naturalist. 



Work for Naturalists.— The oyster-dredging 

 at present carried on along our coasts affords 

 facilities for investigating our marine zoology at 

 moderate depths, which, I think, might be more 

 fully taken advantage of. Those who have never 

 spent a day with the oystermcn have little idea of 

 the almost inexhaustible supply of material which 

 would be highly prized by the microscopist and 

 student iu Natural History, that is thrown over- 

 board after every haul of the dredges. The great 

 objection to accompanying " the toilers in the 

 deep" is that their avocation is principally carried 



