HAEDWICKE'5 SCI EN C E-GOSSIP. 



45 



within the aperture between it and the animal. I 



have never met with this species in a hybernated 

 state, nor heard of any instance. I do not think 

 that it hybernates at all ; its hardy nature renders 

 such a resource unnecessary. But I am inclined to 

 think that it sestivates in extremely hot and dry 

 weather, though I cannot remeniber having met 

 with it in that state naturally. Perhaps some of the 

 readers of Science-Gossip can throw a little light 

 on tiiis part of its economy.— i^. G.Binnie, Herlaugh 

 Lodge, Tadcaster. 



Mice in Traps. — Your correspondent " Pliilo- 

 mys," in last month's number of Science^Gossip, 

 notices the fact of mice dying whilst uninjured in 

 live- traps. That this occasionally, but not gene- 

 rally, happens, must be known to most persons who 

 have employed live-traps for the capture of these 

 vermin ; but it does not appear to me, from actual 

 observation, that the little creature " seems to resign 

 itself to its fate, and at once die." On the contrary, 

 1 have always found the dead mouse to be bathed in 

 perspiration, giving out a most unpleasant odour ; 

 and I infer that death is the result of the fearful 

 but vain struggle to escape from the prison-house, 

 and is most probably caused by the rupture of some 

 internal organ. The sufferings of mice in the grasp 

 of a cat are possibly not so severe as we should 

 naturally imagine, for in Livingstone's " Missionary 

 Travels in South A.frica,"p. 12, the doctpr describes 

 his own sensations when caught by a lion. " The 

 shock produced a stupor, similar to that which seems 

 to be felt by a mouse after the first shake of the 

 cat. It caused a sort of dreaminess, in which there 

 was no sense of pain nor feeling of terror, though 

 quite conscious of all that was happening. The 

 shake annihilated fear, and allowed no sense of 

 horror in looking round at the beast. This peculiar 

 state is probably produced in all animals killed by 

 caruivora, and, if so, is a merciful provision by our 

 benevolent Creator for lessening the pain of death." 

 — JF. B. T., Scarborough, 



White Varieties. — In your last, Mr. Blow 

 speaks of the Cichorhcm Intybus, with white flowers, 

 as an uncommon plant. 1 may state that previous 

 to so much building round the_ town of Epsom, it 

 was not unfrequently met with in the Parade Fields. 

 About three years ago, I found at Half-mile Bush 

 (Epsom) the Solanum Dulcamara, withwhite flowers 

 ana yellow berries. I went after it this last season, 

 and although I found, in the same locality, plants 

 with purple flowers and red berries, I could not see 

 a vestige of the white variety I have alluded to,_ and 

 would suggest whether plants may not sport from 

 coloured to white, and, under favourable circum- 

 stances, return to their pristine condition. — }V, T. 

 Iliff, Upsom. 



Ebgotized Grass. — When I sent to Science- 

 Gossip the notice of the ergotized Alopecurus 

 agrestis the weather was fine and open, and I 

 never dreamt of all the frost which has followed. 

 This frost, 1 am bound to say, scattered all the ergot 

 in a few hours, having left the affected culms per- 

 fectly bare of ergot and seed ; and of course the cold 

 has not let any fresh ergot become developed. These 

 facts I was first led to suspect on noticing that the 

 crops of a brace of partridges shot in the field were 

 literally stuffed with the ripened seeds and ergot 

 from the grass; and upon going to look for it in 

 the field, I was vexed at finding it all destroyed. I 

 mention this that jou may kindly, in your next 



number, intimate to my numerous correspondents 

 the cause that I have not responded to their request 

 for specimens. I sent you all that 1 had gathered 

 before the frost came, and will, if possible, satisfy 

 my friends either with the ergot or something of 

 interest, as I should be sorry to appropriate their 

 stamped envelopes. — Jas. Biiikman. 



SiiiiEw-MousE. — In Staffordshire, this much-per- 

 secuted little animal is called the Nursrow. Bailey's 

 Dictionary gives another odd name, viz. Shrove- 

 mousc, and defines a shrew-mouse as " a field-mouse 

 of the bigness of a rat, and colour of a weasel, very 

 mischievous to cattle, which going over a beast's 

 back will make it lame in the chine; and its bite 

 causes the beast to swell to the heart and die." 

 Bailey derives shrew-mouse from the Danish 

 skoumusz; but, as applied to a scolding woman, 

 derives shrew from the Teutonic scheyren (modern 

 German, schi-eien), to make a bawling. Webster 

 gives as the derivation of shrew, used in either 

 sense, the Saxon word screawa. Which is correct ? 

 —G. H. H. 



A Hare Eish. — In a recent number oi Land and 

 Water there was a note on the capture of a rare fish 

 off the Northumberland coast — t!ie Long Flounder 

 {Platessa elongata). Only four or five specimens 

 of this fish are on record. It is still more singular 

 to find it ranging so far north as Northumberland. 

 The specimen has been placed in the Newcastle 

 Museum. 



Stag-beetle.— Has "A. E." fSciENCE-GossiP, 

 p. 283, vol. vii.) ever been bitten oy a stag-beetle ? 

 His observations would imply as much without 

 actually asserting it. They were numerous where I 

 formerly lived, and I have often tried to get them to 

 bite a stick, but never succeeded in doing so ; indeed, 

 the insects always appeared remarkably inoffensive, 

 and, so to speak, tame. Notwithstanding the for- 

 midable appearance of the masculine mandibles, 

 their length would rather tell against their power ; 

 and I should certainly feel more shy of a nip from 

 the less imposing, but I suspect more effective, jaws 

 of the female. — Q. Gmjon, Fentnor. 



Processionary Moths (pp. 106 and 184, vol. vii.). 

 —In the first of these articles we are told, after 

 naming the three species of the so-called " Proces- 

 sionary Moths," that " neither of the species is found 

 in England ;" and in the latter, that the larva3 have 

 made their appearance in a garden in Dorset " for 

 the last dozen or fourteen years." It is well known 

 to those who have paid attention to insects, that 

 the species in question are none of thern British. 

 Are we to understand by the communication of our 

 fair friend that these species of caterpillars were 

 introduced, and are now thriving in her garden? 

 1 su'^pect the caterpillars of the Lackey-moth 

 {B. Neustria), and not the Processionary Moth, are 

 those observed in Dorset. It is a well-known fact, 

 that several species of caterpillars found in England 

 possess an urticating nature from the spines adorn- 

 ing their bodies ; amongst which those of A. Caja, 

 L. auriflua, B. trifoUi, and many others, are lamiliar 

 examples to those who are in the habit of rearing 

 them. — G. B. C., Bingicood. 



Talking Bullfinch.— A male bullfinch, in the 

 possession of Mrs. Cooke, Old Catton, Norwich, 

 cin speak three separate sentences,— "Come along,' 

 " Look here," Pretty, pretty, pretty dear, the 

 first very distinctly.— //^. B. 



