188 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



be brought face to face with tlie remnants of a vast 

 antiquity, excites in the mind of the spectator a 

 deep and thrilling interest, as he sees in these rude 

 emergencies of almost primitive man the gradual 

 development into higher and still higher types of 

 civilization. The splendid work on " Stone Imple- 

 ments," by Mr. Evans, I'ecently published, will have 

 given additional zest to the prehistoric branch of 

 this subject.— aS. C. S. 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



Migration or wood-boring Caterpillaks. — 

 It was formerly supposed that such species as the 

 Goat (0. lujniperda), and the Leopard {Z. JUscnli) 

 would not quit the tree in which they were nurtured 

 unless driven from it by some alarm. But, recent 

 observers have stated that the Goat caterpillar does 

 thus wander from one tree to another when of 

 considerable size, — a proceedins which certainly 

 exposes it to some danger. The Leopard cater- 

 pillar, as I have recently noticed on a pear-tree, 

 leaves its mine occasionally, and crawling to another 

 part of the tree, re-enters it, and drives another 

 burrow. One will thus remain sometimes in close 

 proximity to the bark for awhile, its presence not 

 being detected until the "frass" left behind 

 gradually decays and loosens the bark, and the gap 

 left becomes the resort of earwig?, beetles, and 

 other wanderers of the insect race.^-/. R. S. C. 



TiNiiE destroying PuPiE. — Like others, I have 

 observed various Tiniaj on the watch for opportu- 

 nities to deposit eggs in cages; one species in 

 particular, which is not the one mentioned by Mr. 

 Greene (psendo-sprefelia), but, as I think, the bisel- 

 liella of modern authors ; the destructor of Stephens, 

 depositing its eggs on the gauze covering of flower- 

 pots containing pupse, and the young larvae drop- 

 ping to the moss and earth beneath, make their way 

 down to their choice pabulum. Until I discovered 

 their mode of proceeding, I was astonished to find 

 that these moths were emerging from pots and cages 

 which had been kept carefully closed from these 

 marauders. — J. li. S. C. 



Scientific Guide-Books_(p. 142). — I think Mr. 

 Warrington's suggestion is a very good one. 

 Many of our guide-books arc faulty both in style 

 and arrangement, and few can be called really 

 excellent. As a good specimen of what a guide- 

 hook ought to be, I would refer to the Rev. J. G. 

 Cumming's "Guide to the Isle of Man," published 

 by Stanford. It contains not only an excellent 

 itinerary and history of the island, but also an 

 account of the peculiarities of its geology, zoology, 

 botany, and conchology. — G. H. 11. 



Canine Gyrations. — A canine contributor 

 (p. 140) has given us his ideas on this subject, but 

 1 do not think he is altogether right. The dogs 

 who "gyrate" most are smootii terriers and other 

 short-haired animals, while shaggy poodles and 

 hairy creatures in general sink down complacently 

 on the mat with which nature has provided them, 

 without any unnecessary ivolutions. As for our 

 correspondent "Fido" liimself, if there be any 

 truth in Mr. Darwin's theory, we shall soon see 

 him in human, or at any rate in monkey, form. — 

 E. C. Lefroy. 



Crows. — A lady of my acquaintance resident at 

 Dorking, in Surrej', was very much surprised some 

 mongths ago at seeing about twenty crows sitting 

 on a neighbouring tree apparently in solemn con- 

 clave. After an hour's deliberation they all flew 

 away, and shortly afterwards a crow, almost pecked 

 to death, was found at the foot of the _tree._ Stan- 

 ley mentions the same thing as occurring in Scot- 

 land and the Eeroe Islands.—^. C. Lefroy. 



Two Birds from one Egg (p. 164).— This may 

 well be, for eggs with a double yolk occasionally 

 come to table. Also, poultry-breeders often find a 

 brood with one chick in excess of the number of 

 eggs put with the " sitting." This is sometimes 

 attributed to an additional egg, surreptitiously laid, 

 but is more probably from the double yolk. — A. H. 



Orchis militaris. — Can any of your correspon- 

 dents give me privately exact localities in Berk- 

 shire, Oxfordshire, or Buckinghamshire, for Orchis 

 militaris and 0. Simia ? I shall, of course, not 

 abuse such confidence by playing the part of exter- 

 minator. — R. Payne. 



Separating Spicules. — Your correspondent 

 Mr. R. Battersby finds a difficulty in separating 

 spiculse from the animal matter of Syuaptse, 

 Holothurise, &c. May I be allowed to suggest 

 that, as there are no bone-cleaners like ants, 

 so these minute anatomists might assist your 

 friend in his preparations. ]3y placing the 

 specimens, either in a fresh state or well steeped 

 in water, upon a plate, or some other convenient 

 receptacle, in close ])roximity to an ant-heap, 

 it is more than probable that he will find his 

 work done for him after a short period, or, at 

 any rate, so far as to render the spiculaj then fit 

 subjects for the boiling in liquor potassa;, steeping 

 in strong ammonia, &c. — Metcalfe Johnson. 



Charlock. — Under this head, in Science- 

 Gossip of last month, Major Holland has given the 

 name of brassica to Sinapis arvensis (wild mustard). 

 It is not a brassica, aud, though belonging to the 

 tribe Brassiccfc, is no more a brassica than the 

 Diplotaxis, which also belongs to the tribe Brassicea. 

 {See Hooker, Lindley, &c.) Major Holland refers 

 to Sowerby's " English Botany ; " in my edition it 

 is called Sinapis, but said to resemble brassica. To 

 call it brassica, therefore, tends to mislead the 

 vounger botanical readers of Science-Gossip. — 

 T. B. W. 



Natural HistoPvY Societies.— In reply to Mr. 

 Davies's inquiry after a Natural History Society 

 somewhere near Clapton, E., I would bring under 

 his notice the East London Naturalists' Society, of 

 which I have the honour of being secretary. It 

 was founded in 1S70, and is now in a thriving con- 

 dition. I shall be happy to furnish him with all 

 particulars on application to 23, Eairfoot-road, 

 Bromley-by-Bow, K—Jolm IF. Love. 



Caterpillars in Confinement. — I think 

 "J. R. S. C." would find the following plan pre- 

 ferable to the usual way of keeping caterpillars. 

 Get two flowerpots, or boxes if he prefers them, 

 one of which will slip not halfway into the other. 

 Into the bottom one he can put some earth, moss, 

 aud damp sand; then he can put tlie stalks of the 

 plants on which he feeds the caterpillars through 

 the hole of the top pot, into which he can put the 

 animals, and cover with glass. A small bit of nitre 

 will keep a plant fresh a good deal longer dissolved 

 in water.— ^. T. S. 



