HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



119 



pets for more than forty years, I may, perhaps, be 

 allowed to indulge a little obstinacy in holding my 

 opinion still. I am compelled to notice this subject 

 again, because " F. K." has become catechist. I 

 leave my unknown questioner to guess for himself, 

 assuring him, at the same time, that my little scraps 

 of scientific knowledge induce me to attribute 

 "Apostolic succession" alike to cats, rats, mice, 

 and — Paste Eels ; and to the belief that there is a 

 much greater difference between " Paste Eels " and 

 ' Wheat Eels " than there is between a slieep and a 



goat. 



-A. Nicholson. 



The Eumine in Nokth Wales (p. 71). — Your 

 correspondent " W. P." is, it seems, unaware that 

 the Ermine is in reality the Stoat in its winter 

 dress. This animal, like the Scotch or varying 

 hare [Lepiis-variahilis), turns white in winter. The 

 change from brown to white is more apparent in 

 Northern Europe, but I have myself seen a speci- 

 men of the Mustela erminea hanging up in a wood 

 here which was quite white, except a tinge of 

 brown along the back. The M. erminea, whether 

 in its summer or winter dress, whether as a stoat 

 or an ermine, may easily be distinguished by the tip 

 of the tail being always black. — W. H. Warner. 



The Ermine. — I believe the cause of the con- 

 fusion is that the majority of stoats do not, in this 

 comparatively mild climate, fully change their coat 

 in winter. They are seldom pure white. — G. E. E. 



The Ermine in North Wales (p. 71).— It 

 would seem probable that the discrepancy in ques- 

 tion may be due to the comparative mildness of our 

 climate, and the exceptional mildness of the past 

 winter. It appears quite certain that the change 

 observed in i the fur of our stoat, the Ihtstela 

 erminea, is a result of the effect of severe cold. As 

 a boy I was familiar with the Stoat in farms at the 

 south of England, but I never met with it in what 

 is called its winter coat. The finest ermine comes 

 from northern latitudes. If all our stoats were 

 found to produce the fur called ermine in perfec- 

 tion, no doubt we should cultivate the trade for our 

 home market. — A. H. 



Rats at St. Helena. — A gentleman who has 

 passed many years of his life at St. Helena, told 

 me lately several stories about rats, so curious 

 that I thought them worthy of record. He said 

 that at one time the common brown rat was ex- 

 tremely common all over the island, in fact, a per- 

 fect pest ; and to avoid its attacks his father had 

 constructed a large store, rat-proof ; i.e., a rat once 

 in could not get out again. A number, however, 

 came in with produce and goods from the ships, and 

 bred there. Around this store were Venetian blinds 

 to the windows, and one day one of his men, when 

 it was raining, watched a rat sitting on the Venetian, 

 and putting out his tail to collect on it the drippings 

 of water at the edge : he then withdrew it and 

 licked it. The servant told his master, who imme- 

 diately understood that the rats could get no water 

 inside the store, and therefore directed that a but- 

 ter firkin should be cut down to four or five inches, 

 and in the top a large circular wire rat-cage trap 

 should be fixed. Several small planks were placed 

 for the rats to get up to the entrance to the cage, 

 which exactly fitted the firkin. No food would 

 have induced the rats to enter the trap, but water 

 did, and many were thus captured. When caught 

 they were given to the dogs ; but there was one rat 

 which would not leave the trap for many days. He 



was well identified day by day, till, becoming in- 

 cautious, he leapt down, and was immediately killed. 

 There is one peculiarity with these rats, viz., their 

 very often building or making their nests in the 

 trees. I have in India several times found rats' 

 nests in trees ; but then they have always been stolen 

 nests, such as deserted abodes of the squirrel or 

 sparrow ; but here my friend, who is no naturalist, 

 tells _mc that they construct them principally of 

 fir spines, on the ends of the boughs, some twelve or 

 fifteen feet from the ground, in the common fir-trees. 

 The spots selected are just where the overlapping 

 bough nearly meets the lower one. He said that 

 all know the rats' nests, and that he had seen them 

 fired at, when many rats were killed, and fell out to 

 the ground. He could tell me no more, and I think 

 that, if original nests, as he held them to be, some 

 grass must be woven in during their construction, 

 as fir spines have but little power of cohesion. 

 The situation of these nests was worthy of notice, 

 although there is scarcely a situation where a rat's 

 nest has not been found.— C. Home, F.Z.S. 



Gryllfs viRiDissMrs. — I am sorry I cannot at 

 present render much assistance to "E.A.M." (p. 59). 



1 have occasionally kept these large green grass- 

 hoppers for a few days : they never voluntarily at- 

 tempted to eat anything ; but when a fly, stuck on 

 the point of a needle, was held near the mouth, they 

 would readily take and eat it. If possible, next 

 summer I intend to study this insect more minutely : 

 the larva is very pretty, and a brighter green colour 

 than is the perfect insect. — C. G, R. 



LiPARis dispar.— At p. 69 Mr. Laddiman ex- 

 presses a desire for information respecting this in- 

 sect. I have reared several broods (" in-and-in ") ; 

 in 1870 my moths were very fine, most of them, both 

 males and females, were as large as those figured 

 by Mr. Newman. I have this day carefully 

 measured a female in my collection, and find it to 

 be, from tip to tip of the expanded wings, two inches 

 and three-quarters, which is exactly equal to the 

 figure in " British Moths." Measuring a male in 

 the same manner, I find he exceeds Mr. Newman's 

 by one-twentieth of an inch. Last summer my 

 Z. dispar were not so fine, but I believe this was 

 owing to the unfavourable season, as several other 

 species were comparatively small. I have not met 

 with much variety in L, dispar; the principal varia- 

 tion consists in the general ground-colours, most 

 observable in the female, some being of a creamy, 

 while otliers are of an ashy-white tint, with the 

 blackish wavy lines more or less developed. Al- 

 though my moths were not so large, they were well 

 marked last year, and the males displayed more . 

 variety than usual, the upper wings of some ap- 

 proaching to a sandy-brown colour, and others were 

 quite dark or cinerous. I have a few eggs of L. dispar 

 to part with. If Mr. Laddiman or Mr. Henderson 

 would like to have some of this strain, I shall be 

 most happy to oblige them. The Editor has my 

 address, and will kindly furnish it if required.— 

 C. G. R. 



How TO Stock a Pond.— Will one or other of 

 your experienced readers give me some hints for 

 stocking with fish a newly-made lake of water con- 

 sisting of about two acres ? The depth averages 



2 feet 9 inches, with several holes of deeper water. 

 The bottom is gravelly. There is a constantly run- 

 ning spring, but not very rapid. What fish should I 

 put in with a view to angling ? Would it be any use 

 to try trout? Where should I obtain a supply of 

 fish for the purpose ? — F. C. 



