HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



115 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



Sandpipers. — ^Ifc is not usual for any sandpipers, 

 except the Purple Sandpiper, to do what "H. G. R." 

 describes. — 0. 



Sugaring for Noctua.— Will some of the 

 correspondents of Science-Gossip be kind enough 

 to advise me how to make the best mixture for 

 " Sugaring for Noctua " ?— //. Elliott. 



EiELD Clubs. — The Leeds Naturalists' Pield 

 Club and Scientific Association meets every Tues- 

 day evenino:. Rooms, Leeds Mechanics' Institu- 

 tion, Cookridge Street. President, Thomas Hick, 

 B.A., B.Sc. Joint secretaries, James Brodie and 

 Wm. D. Roebuck. 



Golden Eagle in Somersetshire. — It is 

 worthy of record that a pair of golden eagles were 

 seen some years since in the extreme west of 

 Somerset, above Porlock. One of tiiem was killed 

 on Oare Common, near Badgworthy Wood; and 

 this bird, preserved and mounted, is now in the 

 possession of Mr, Snow, of Oare. — /. Gifforcl, 

 Parks, Miuehead. 



Erratum.— In "Canine Gyrations," page 53, 

 eight lines from the bottom, instead of the words 

 " may perhaps," read " can scarcely." — E. C. L. 



House Plies and Blow-flies (p. Oi). — 1 take 

 leave to doubt the assertion that, either in England 

 or New Zealand, the former species would in any 

 way assist in exterminating the latter. Where one 

 is abundant, it may sometimes happen that the 

 other is scarce or absent ; but, frequently enough, 

 both are numerous and annoying at the same time. 

 How shoukl one affect the otiier ? Their larvae 

 feed upon different substances ; M. domestica 

 breeds in dung and stable refuse, while its relative, 

 M. vovtitoria, is, as all know, a meat-devourer. 

 The blow-fly, however, has its insect enemies ; 

 and amongst them is, I think, a parasite of the 

 Dipterous order, whose history I have read, but 

 cannot at this moment refer to. — /. R. S. C. 



The Clione. — I have carefully investigated 

 oyster-shells, stones, &c., and find similarly sized 

 cavities in stones, and as clustered as in oyster- 

 shells. There is invariably, on close examination, 

 to be found a shell, in some stage of development, 

 in the tunnel, as far as my observation goes. I 

 go against the theory that tlie sponges bore for 

 themselves. I have found this shell as small as 

 a butterfly's egg in the tunnels both of limestone 

 rock and oyster-shells. — 0. E. B. 



A Suggestion. — Having seen in Science- 

 Gossip several complaints of the inaccui'acy of 

 Local Ploras, Botanists' Guides, &c. &c., I think 

 the following (if practicable) would be a remedy. 

 To form a botanical club or society, with a re- 

 corder to keep the lists of localities sent, &c. ; and, 

 when complete, to have them published. I think 

 that a great number of botanists in all parts of 

 Great Britain would be willing to give aid to such 

 a plan. I should like to hear the opinions of other 

 correspondents on this subject, through the medium 

 of this journal. — /. B. Bloio. 



Himenophyllum Tunbiudgense. — In the 

 March number of Science-Gossip, Mr. R. M. 

 Middleton says tliat he kuov.-s a locality for this 

 fern not far from Llauberis. I find tlie following 



in Davies's "Welsh Botanology," page 99 (pub- 

 lished 1813); — "//. Ttinbridgense ■ Y\\mY.\&&VQdi 

 Pern. At Trewilmot and Holyhead mountain ; 

 very scarce." It would be interesting to know 

 whether it is to be found in those localities now or 

 not. — Bev. JF. Davies. 



Clothes Moths.— I should feel greatly obliged by 

 your informing me how to destroy thoroughly the tiny 

 moths that eat woollen garments. I have suffered 

 a wholesale destruction of coats, trousers, flannel 

 shirts, &c., that has driven me, a very poor man, to 

 the verge almost of madness. I liave tried cam- 

 phor, insect-powder, pepper, &e, ; but all in vain. 

 What can I do to save the remnant of my clothing 

 that may be yet left to me, for I hardly dare to 

 examine my clothes ? Being short of boxes, I kept 

 these garments mostly in bags that originally 

 brought coffee or rice to England ; but they have 

 entered my two boxes even. I have caught and 

 killed hundreds of these {Tinea, I think they are 

 called) in only a week during last summer and 

 autumn.— TT. I\I. 31. 



Endromis versicolor. — In the March issue of 

 Science - Gossip, an article appears on " Web- 

 weaving Caterpillars," and among those instanced, 

 is that of Endromis versicolor (the Kentish Glory- 

 moth). I should like to ask the writer (C. Lovekin) 

 whether he so terms this larva from personal obser- 

 vation, and if not, whence his authority ? During 

 a series of years I reared hundreds of the larvae and 

 distributed thousands of the eggs, yet never saw the 

 least approach to web-weaving ; indeed its habits 

 are directly opposed to that theory. When hatched, 

 the young larvae are black ; they proceed at once to 

 station themselves oa the twigs of the Birch, in a 

 position so as closely to resemble the small black 

 stumps so numerous on that food-plant. After 

 their first moult they are green, and it is then al- 

 most impossible to distinguish them from the cat- 

 kins of the Birch ; when more advanced in growth, 

 they resemble the developed leaves _ in colour and 

 contour : tlms protection by assimulation is afforded, 

 and. web-spinning is not only unnecessary but would 

 be contrary to the usual economy of nature. A 

 life history of this insect may be found in the 

 Entomologist for April, 1865, page ISi. — George 

 Gascoyne. 



Hybernation of Swallows. — Prom time to 

 time there have appeared, in Science-Gossip, papers 

 on the supposed Hybernation of sv/allows, whether 

 above or beneath the water. The followhig incident 

 may perhaps throw light on the origin of some of 

 the ideas current on this subject. In the early part 

 of the year 18-43 I was residing at Great Glcnham, in 

 Sufiblk. One morning about the beginning of March, 

 I was told that a swallow had been seen coming 

 out of a pond near our house. _ I expressed my dis- 

 belief in the correctness of this information, but was 

 assured that there could be no mistake. Some days 

 afterwards our gardener came to me in triumph, and 

 told me that he had brought me the swallow, which 

 had been found dead near the pond where it had be- 

 fore been seen. On taking it in my hand, I saw at 

 once, from its webbed feet, that it was a storm petrel 

 {Thalassidroma pelagica or T. LeacJiii) ; but, being 

 quite a boy at the time, I was not then aware that 

 there was more than one species. I must confess 

 that, at first sight, it looked very like a swallow, and 

 I should not have been surprised had the mistake 

 been made by far better observers. Doubtless the 

 poor bird had been driven inland by a violent gale, 



