IIARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



47 



the -^reat obligations under which the club laboured 

 to Mr. Symonds, for his able and long presidency. 

 The presentation was made, on behalt ot the club, 

 by Sir AVilliam Guise, Bart., President of the 

 Cotteswold Naturalists' Club. 



Bony Excrescences in Skin of Tuiibot.— Can 

 any of your readers inform me of the use of the bony 

 excrescences in the skin of the common turbot f 

 They are scattered at too Jjreat distauces tobeot 

 any 'service as defences. These bodies are chieily 

 confined to this and other species of fish all of winch 

 I believe are what are commonly called tiat-tisli. 

 —H.B. 



PAKTPaDGE's Plight.— The velocity of the Par- 

 tridge's flight is curiously illustrated by an occur- 

 rence recently communicated to me by a friend. A 

 covey of partridges got up in a field and flew oil 

 towards a road, along which ran the telegraph. One 

 of the birds was observed to strike the wnes and 

 fall after continuing its flight a short distance. On 

 being picked up it was found that the wire had 

 completely severed the head from the body. The 

 bird was a fine cock partridge, and the spot where 

 it had fallen was twenty-two yards distant Irom the 

 telegraph. — 0. H. H. 



Singing Mice.— It appears to me, from personal 

 observation, that the phenomenon of the so-cailed 

 singing mouse must be referred to some other cause 

 than that of happiness. Two cases have fallen under 

 my notice. The first mouse was caught lu a live-trap, 

 and soon drew attention to itself by the peculiar 

 sounds it uttered. It is some years ago, but I re- 

 member the huddled-up form which it assumed, and 

 the apparent indifference to anytliing which it mani- 

 fested. I forget whether it ate food in captivity. It 

 lived but a short time, continuing the sound in the 

 presence of a friend. The second mouse was noticed 

 under a sofa, and when attempts were made to cap- 

 ture it, it would merely run to the other end of the 

 sofa, and, assuming the same luiddled-up form, con- 

 tinue the sound. This was killed whilst being cap- 

 tured; but both gave me the idea of their being 

 diseased and wretched. I would rather refer the 

 cause to disease of the respiratory organs,— in fact, 

 call it a kind of wheezing. Something analogous to 

 this occurs to an old lady of my acquaintance, who 

 is liable to a peculiar affection of the bronchial tubes, 

 which produces a constant twittering or chin-upin^, 

 remiudiug one strongly and ludicrously of a bird. 

 This is called by the lady herself "the little bird m 

 her throat." There is also a resemblance between 

 mice in this state and birds at certain seasons, which 

 favours the theory of their being under the iufluence 

 of the tender passion. A goldfinch, in particular, 

 that was in my possession for several years would, 

 at a certain time every year, puff up his body and 

 ruffle the feathers, keeping up, at the same time, an 

 incessant twittering, increasing the sounds vehe- 

 mently on my approaching the cage. I have every 

 reason to believe that rats utter the same sound, 

 but in a lower key.— -ff. /. Bacon. 



AuBOREscENT SiLVER.— I have prepared many of 

 these beautiful slides as described by "P. K.," 

 SciENCE-GossiP, p. 17, but finding it very diSicult 

 to remove the piece of copper wire without disturb- 

 ing the crystals, I adopted the plan of using a long 

 piece of thin copper or brass wire, and bent a portion 

 into a T shape to rest on the table, or the coil itself 

 did as well, the end of the wire being bent down to 

 touch the slidii in the centre of the drop of nitrate 

 of silver solution. When the feathery deposit of 



metallic silver was formed, the finger or n pencil 

 passed under the wire would raise it without disturb- 

 ing the crystals, it being simply a perpendicular lift. 

 If the action is continued too long, a blue tinge will 

 result from the formation of nitrate of copper. By . 

 using different thickness of wire and strength of 

 solution various effects are obtained.— G^. Giiyon, 

 Ventnor. 



Oak Egga-R. — I believe the nrticating properties 

 of the Oak Eggar [B. Qiiercils) larvre are more known 

 than "E. H. S." thinks, for in the south of Devon 

 it is a very common insect : the side hairs are those 

 that are injurious. I have taken one of ihose crea- 

 tures in my hand with a kid glove on, and the hairs 

 so stuck into the glove that every tiaie I used it I 

 had a fresh sting, and the irritation continued for 

 several weeks. The larva; of the Pox (L. Riihi) has 

 the same properties, only stronger ; even touching 

 the cocoon of either larvte, which is composed partly 

 of the hairs of the caterpillar, the fingers are stung. 

 As to the effect only occurring on persons of delicate 

 health that is not correct, but it may be more pain- 

 ful on fine skin. If the insect is handled very ten- 

 derly, there will not follow any iuconveiiieuce. — 

 J.G. 



PoDTJRA Scales.— I have in my collection and now 

 take especial care of it, a slide of test scales of the 

 Podura, mounted by the late Mr. R. Beck. I re- 

 member him telling me that he found the Podura in 

 the rock-work in his mother's garden. He was, as 

 is well known, a keen observer, and mightthus 

 make discoveries which would escape the notice of 

 some. After reading Mr. M,Iutyre's excellent 

 article in Science-Gossip, I commenced a hunt for 

 them, and in the cellar found a lead-coloured species, 

 some few of wliich yielded a scale equal to Mr. 

 Beck's. I must, however, say that I did not get one 

 slide in twenty, nor one scale in five thousand, that 

 was of any use. Perhaps it is this diificulty in meet- 

 ing with well-marked scales which makes "L.L.B." 

 doubt if they can be found. In Mr. Beck's slide I 

 notice there are only two well-marked ones. Perhaps, 

 as suggested, the age of the insect has something to 

 do with it. At all events, they appear the exception, 

 not the rule.— £". G., Matlock. 



A Bare Plant.— At page 168 of your vol. for 

 1S67 is a notice of that curious plant Bhyllactidiim 

 pulchelbm, and as localities were asked lor, it may 

 be worth while to state that it is very abundant in 

 the neighbourhood of Chester. While examinmg 

 recently some anacharis under a low pov/er, 1 

 observed the under surface of the leaves thickly 

 dotted with it, in some cases forming a riband 

 nearly the length of the leaf. Tlie anacharis was 

 taken from an out-door tank supplied with water 

 from the Dee. It has also been found in one or 

 two ponds in this neighbourhood.— C. Mills. 



Initial Letters.— The following is the reply of 

 the Secretary of the Post Office on this important 

 subiect:-ru/e paragraph 200, page l^Bnlish 

 Postal Guide. "Letters addressed to imtials 

 at the Pcste llestante, or to a District or Branch 

 Office, are returned to the writers " Ihis does not 

 apply to receiving-houses, where the letter-receivers 

 mav take in letters addressed to " ini lais it they 

 consider that they would be lustihed m so doing. 

 At Provincial Post Offices also, the postmasters 

 may take in letters addressed to initials if 

 they think proper. 



