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HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



little preparation would he needed to preserve tliem, 

 as the Yitrine is not a great traveller, generally 

 remaining in the same leaf-beci the mnjor pHrt of his 

 natural \\i&.—Hngh Perkins, Sibford, near Banbury. 



Poisoning Dried Plants.— As requested by 

 your correspondent in the last number of Science 

 Gossip, I beg to submit my experience with 

 regard to the above subject. I have never used 

 any poisoning process at all, and though I have 

 had some of the most delicate plants in my posses- 

 sion for five years, I have never been troubled with 

 mould or insects. ' I think tliat any persons who are 

 auuoyed with either (especially mould) have them- 

 selves to blame, as they dry their specimens in too 

 great a hurry. If the plants are carefully dried, it is 

 reasonable to suppose that they wnll keep for years 

 without the addition of any chemical substance. — 

 E. McE. II., Glasgow. 



The Tufted Duck.— On or about the 2Sth of 

 January a specimen of the Tufted Duck {Anas 

 fuligula of Pennant), otherwise known as the Black 

 Widgeon, was shot on "Wetmoor, near the town of 

 Laugport, in Somersetsliire. It was a male bird, of 

 the usual dark olive-colour, with this peculiarity, 

 that the greater wing-coverts had much less white 

 about them than ordinary,— merely a narrow v/liite 

 streak in fact, and the lower part of the breast was 

 buff instead of white. Is it not rather unusual to 

 meet with this bird so far west ? The variation of 

 colour soems, I think, something uncommon. 



The country has been covered with deep water 

 for many miles in this neighbourhood, more so than 

 usual, and wild birds of various kinds have been 

 very numerous. — P. P. 



Wasps. — It perhaps is not generally known that 

 these insects will hawk at and carry off flies. 

 Sitting one day in my ofBce, I observed a wasp 

 giving chase to a house fly. It captured its quarry 

 on the wing, made a circuit of the room, and then 

 flew to the window, and devoured the fly in less than 

 a minute. Another instance has come under my 

 notice. Walking along a country road during the 

 autumn, my attention was attracted by a buzzing 

 sound, and looking down, I was aware of quite a little 

 cloud of dust raised by a fierce struggle between a 

 wasp and a large fly, commonly known as the " Blue^ 

 bottle." Several times the fly shook itself clear of its 

 adversary, but it was too much injured to rise; the 

 wasp very quickly returned to the attack, running 

 swiftly over the ground. I was on the point of 

 taking the poor fly's part by killing them both, but 

 the wasp was too quick ior me, and rose on the 

 wing, bearing the fly with it. 1 however succeeded 

 in knocking thein both to the ground by a smart 

 blow with my hat ; but although struck down, the 

 wasp kept its voracious hold, rose again, and bore 

 off its prey. I think this an extraordinary example 

 both of the strength and voracity of these insects. 

 — G. J. L. Lamar q^te, Dover. 



Geological Guide to Sicily.— Could yon tell 

 me if there is any Geological Guide-book to Etna, 

 or Sicily generally ? 1 intend to be a month or two 

 during this summer in Sicily and southern Italy, 

 and should like to observe the more important 

 geological phenomena. There must be a good many 

 books on the subject surely, if one knew where to 

 find them. 1 have Phillip's "Vesuvius." If I could 

 get something similar for Etna, that would be the 

 very thing. I don't mind whether it is in English 

 or French ; German would be better than nothing.— 

 A Subscriber. 



Justices' Science. — A recent number of Nature 

 states that at Chelmsford the magistrates declined 

 to grant the use of the Shirehall for a lecture on 

 the sun, illustrated by experimen's in spectrum 

 analysis, on the ground that the electric light 

 might endanger the safety of the building ! 



Do Animals ever commit Suicide?— Tnthe 

 recently published volume of additional selections 

 from the miscellaneous writings of De Quincey, one 

 paper, rather brief, takes up the question of suicide, 

 and asserts, incidentallj', that animals do not, and 

 cannot, be guilty of it. He adduces two cases, on 

 which much stress was laid ; one that of a ram, the 

 other of a horse, both of which were supposed to 

 have thrown themselves down a declivity. The 

 occurrences, he believes, were matters of accident ; 

 yet, on the other hand, I cannot but tliink that if 

 animals become mad, as is granted, such a perver- 

 sion of natural instincts may ensue that self-preser- 

 vation ceases to hold any sway. And again, the fact 

 that the scorpion, when surrounded by perils, will 

 deliberately sting itself to death, has been reported 

 i by a number of independent witnesses.—/. R. S. C. 



Paste Eels. — I think I am safe in promising 

 disappointment to all who attempt to obtain paste 

 ' eels in the way suggested by " F. K." in last month's 

 Science- Gossip. I have known many persons try 

 ! his plan, and the result, in every cise, was total 

 failure (unless the receptacle previously held some) ; 

 j and necessarily so : success would be a demonstra- 

 ■ lion of spontaneous generation ; and our philosophy 

 ; has not jet reached that point ; and, besides this, 

 ' there is the fact that these creatures produce 

 i young, which would be superfluous if paste alone 

 • generated them. They are a lively set of interest- 

 ing beings to every one who possesses a microscope 

 and patiencp, and easily bred, if a few specimens are 

 placed on the surface of the paste, which I prefer 

 ! rather thin. " F. K." refers to tlie young, coiled up in 

 the body of the parent ; and if reference is made to 

 Science-Gossip of December, their surprising mode 

 \ of exit thence will be learned. — In a preceding 

 ' paragraph "F. K." mentions soundings.from Porto 

 I Seguro; will he favour me with one of his slides 

 : in exchange for one prepared from the same 

 1 material in a different way "^—A. Nicholson, Fare- 

 I ham. 



CoRMOHANTs AT HoME. — " T. J. B." in his notice 

 i of habits of coi'morants has omitted one very 

 1 curious practice they pursue. After diving for fish, 

 ! their wings appear to become too wet to allow of 

 I their flying, and it is a very amusing sight to see 

 them standing on rocks with their wings spread 

 out, evidently to dry. This I have witnessed on 

 the nortli coast of Ireland near the Giant's Cause- 

 way, where they are common. — A. JF. M. 



Late Tadpoles. — In the'pools of a'deep quarry 

 a few miles from here, frequented by Natterjacks 

 {Bufo calamiia), I saw, so late as November Sth, 

 a dozen or more tadpoles in a half-torpid stute, 

 some with, and some without legs. Is this not a 

 somewhat uncommon occurrencs? — W. H. JFarner, 

 Kingston, Abingdon. 



Alauda arrokea (p. 44).— What bird does Mr. 

 Drew refer to by the name of Tree Pipit (Alauda^ 

 arborea) ? Alauda arborea is the sjcieutific name of 

 the Woodlark ; Anthiis arboreus that of the Tree 

 Pipit. 1 suppose he means the latter bird, but has 

 made a mistake in the scientific name. — W. H. 

 Warner, Kingston, Abingdon. 



