08 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



NOTES AND aUERIES. 



Glowwoems. — In my rambles last summer I fre- 

 quently came upou those beautiful objects, glow- 

 worms. I have caugJit them and put them on the 

 grass near the house, but very seldom saw anything 

 of them after a night or two. I had a fancy to try 

 and keep some through the winter, so I procured a 

 white pot, bored a hole in the bottom for ventilation, 

 and a glass shade with a small hole in the top, such 

 as night lights are burnt under. After partly filling 

 the pot with earth and moss, I cemented the glass 

 to the pot with plaster of Paris, then got a small 

 brass ring, a little larger than the hole at the top, 

 and had some musliu tacked over it to form the 

 cap, to prevent them getting out, then my cage 

 was complete. I enclose a rough sketch, as I find 

 it very useful to keep eggs in, &c. I next sup- 

 plied the case with worms as food, but they did 



Fig. 48. Glowworm Cage. 



not seem very fond of them as diet, as I frequently 

 saw worms lying on the nioss close to my 

 friends witliout molestation, and most of them 

 are now alive, and come to the surface occasionally. 

 After I have watered the earth, which 1 do to purify 

 them, they will eat a dead worm if hungry. Slugs 

 seem their favourite food. Directly one is put into 

 the case they all seem alert, and as it passes, first 

 one and then another gives it a gentle reminder; and 

 to judge from its actions, I should fancy it has a 

 great objection to tiie bite, which generally kills it 

 in an hour or so. In consequence of the dry season, 

 I was unable to obtain any subject until the latter 

 part of August, and am afraid I had not many eggs. 

 I only saw about half a dozen on the moss. I kept 

 the case indoors, and the last time I saw them glow 

 was on December 1st. After sprinkling them with 

 water until the 4th of Pebruary, when they seemed 

 rather unlicalthy, I put them out of doors, the night 

 being warm and rather damp, and I saw one glowing. 

 I have a great wish to catcii a male, and should feel 

 obliged if any friend can inform me how I can 

 manage it, and also Mhere I can obtain inTormation 

 about them, as none of our libraries in tliis neigh- 

 bourhood seem to have it, and in return I will try to 

 procure specimens for any reader who may wish to 

 try to keep them in ferneries or elsewhere.— 1'. Buclc, 

 Chelmsford . 



The Unicorn. — In answer to "Query" in the 

 Pebruary number of Science-Gossi?, I beg to 

 state that from Astle's " Seals of the Kings, &c., 

 of Scotland," in which the signet of Margaret, 

 queen of James 111., figured at page 4, is engraved. 



we learn that the unicorn was one of the royal 

 badges of King James III., who struck gold 

 coins called " unicorns " and "half-unicorns." In 

 Boutell's " English Heraldry " we read (page 274) 

 that two silver unicorns, "royally gorged and 

 chained or" were assumed as supporters by 

 James IV., and retained in use. At the union of the 

 two kingdoms under Jamds I. and VI., the lion of 

 England and the unicorn of Scotland were adopted, 

 and with tlie exception of Protector Cromwell, 

 who used the lion of England and the red dragon 

 of Wales on his broad seal and privy seal, they 

 have so continued to the present day. So much 

 for the history of the use of this elegant though 

 apocryphal beast. Whether Margaret adopted it as 

 her husband's badge, or James used it in compli- 

 ment to his wife, may be left an open question ; 

 but I think that the ornamental addition of the 

 crown and chain may be considered to represent 

 the fierce and dangerous animal after his subju- 

 gation by the force of female purity and loveliness. 

 —T. G. Bayfield. 



Alauda akbokea. — I do not wish to be too 

 critical, but may I ask your pleasant correspondent 

 "Mr. Joseph Drew, of Nansladron." which, of two 

 vei7 difi^erent — and by me lona: confounded — birds 

 he means by the " Tree Pipit" ? The Tree Pipit's 

 book-name is Anthis arhoreus, and it is, it seems, 

 the Alauda trivialis of Pennant and Montagu, 

 The true Tree Lark, becoming, alas! scarce in 

 Hampshire, is Alauda arborea, of a difterent sub- 

 genus, being a true lark. If killed— which heaven 

 forbid any man should do by them, the two birds 

 maybe distinguished thus roughly:— The Tree 

 Pipit has the longer bill and short hind claw of 

 the AidJius, and a spotted stomach ; the Tree Lark 

 has the shorter bill and long hind claw of the 

 Alauda, and a stomach without spots. It is also 

 a thicker and less grey-colouied bird. The habits 

 of the two, when singing on the wing, are so alike 

 as to have puzzled me often. The distinction which 

 I should make is, that the Tree Pipit, in hovering, 

 spreads its tail like a fan, and curves its wings 

 downward, which I have not seen the Tree Lark 

 do. The Tree Lark certainly sings at night, as 

 described l)y Mr. Drew, and its song is one of the 

 most exquisite and flute-like I know, far surpass- 

 ing that of the Tree Pipit. But when Mr. Drew 

 speaks of being unable to distinguish his bird (after 

 singing ceases) from the titlarks, I am doubtful 

 which of the two birds he means. — C. Kingsley. 



Abnormal Tulip Stamens. — The transition 

 betwixt petals and stamens, or stamens and petals, 

 in the white Water-lily (Nympfuea alba) is well 

 known to botanists. In this case it is only a normal 

 state of the flower ; but in the following case of the 

 single Due Van Tholl tulip the transition going on 

 was abnormal. Upon looking over a bed of garden 

 tulips last June, I observed several flowers witii the 

 stamens in an abnormal state ; some of the stamens 

 were similar to those observed in the Water-Iily,_ 

 with the anthers elevated, apparently on one of 

 the petals, or, to make it more plain, the filament 

 was changed to a petal. In the other case the 

 anther, instead of being placed at the summit of 

 the transformed filament, was growing out of its 

 side. In both cases the transformed filament was 

 coloured the same as the normal petals. The above 

 is only one of the many illustrations of the rule 

 long ago advocated by Lindley, that all the parts of 

 the floral whorl are transformed leaves. — James F. 

 liobinsoii. 



