190 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



situated in an apple-tree. I learn, also, that four 

 young hawfinches are now to be seen tog;ether, 

 engaged in plundering green peas ; so that at least 

 two nests of the species have been built here this 

 season. Moreover, the bird has been repeatedly 

 shot hereabouts. I am acquainted ■ with several 

 preserved specimens. I may add, as showing the 

 likelihood that the Hawfinch is pretty generally 

 diffused, that, on my casually mentioning the sub- 

 ject to a Lancashire friend, he replied that in a 

 narrow space in his own locality one or two nests 

 are found every year. Perhaps the nest is not 

 found so often as, from the frequency of the bird, 

 might have been expected. If this is so, I should 

 be prepared to hear that it is not always built in 

 such an exposed situation as those to which I have 

 referred. It is, however, a large nest, including a 

 broad foundation of twigs : and the general testi- 

 mony of writers seems to be that the situation is 

 usually an exposed one. ^ B. P. P., Haslemere, 

 Surrey. 



The Bite op the Stag Beetle.— Might I add 

 the following extracts to the correspondence which 

 has appeared in your Magazine on this subject? 

 The Rev. J. G. Wood says : " The female is, as far 

 as regards the shape of the body, like the male, but 

 her jaws are very diffei'ent in form, being much 

 smaller, curved, and sharply pointed, as any one can 

 testify who has been bitten by them. The male can 

 pinch very severely with his enormous mandibles ; 

 but the female bites much more viciously, as I can 

 testify from much personal experience of the bites 

 of both sexes." And in "Insect Miscellanies" 

 Westwood says, regarding them : " The size (of 

 male and female), however, is not the only distinc- 

 tion, for the female possesses little more than the 

 rudiments of the very remarkable horn-like man- 

 dibles with which the male is furnished. This 

 organ in the male is no less formidable than it 

 appears, as the unwary school-boy often ex]jeriences: 

 for it can be used as a pair of pincers, so powerfully 

 as to inflict considerable pain." The above, and all 

 the notes which have appeared in the Magazine, 

 lead one to the conclusion, I think, that stag 

 beetles do not bite unless in self-defence, and only 

 occasionally then, as I have handled them without 

 their attempting, when I gave them the chance.— 



J . Li, Li. 



Green Lizaeds. — I opened a green lizard, which, 

 from a few hairs in the moutli, I presume was killed 

 by the cat in my garden. As is well known, this 

 species snaps sharply at the fingers if touched, 

 though it cannot inflict a wound. The poor little 

 creature I knew was in an "interesting" condition, 

 and in fact the whole cavity of the body, from the 

 sternum to the anal orifice, was occupied by eggs, 

 thirteen of which averaged -gths of an inch in length, 

 by fths in breadth. The liver and digestive canal 

 were almost literally nowhere. The length of the 

 cavity was three inches. 1 ani sorry to say that 

 dealers are advertising here for green lizards. — 

 Pev. J. J. Muir, Jersey. 



The Influence of the Moon upon Lunatics 

 (p. 117).— Modern science refuses to recognize this, 

 though the belief is of veiy considerable antiquity. 

 And yet, so far as 1 am aware, no observations of 

 importance liave been made by those having oppor- 

 tunity to give a fair test to the supposition. It is 

 an unquestionable fact that in most of the forms of 

 insanity there aie changes more or less periodic in 

 the condition 6f the patient. The old idea which 



has been variously stated, however, was, I believe, 

 to this effect : that lunatics were better at the new 

 moon, and worse at the full. There is a passage 

 somewhere in Byron, which I cannot precisely re- 

 member, referring to this, as an opinion existing 

 amongst Orientals. Dr. Leslie thinks, from his ex- 

 amination of the Syriac and other versions of the 

 Scriptures, that the "lunatics" mentioned in the 

 New Testament were "sleep-walkers," who, through 

 some disease of the brain, were led to wander about 

 by moonlight over the flat roofs so common in 

 Eastern houses.—/. R. S. C. 



^ Irkitating Effects of Caterpillars' Hairs.— 

 The only larva I have ever found to have this 

 irritating property when handled is that of ^. Rtibi, 

 the Pox-moth. It is an insect that I have takeii 

 much pains in breeding and have been very suc- 

 cessful with, but always have needed to handle 

 them with care. On one occasion the place broke 

 into an open sore, and continued for some months 

 to heal and break open again. Lately, when I have 

 been handling them, I have singed my fingers over 

 the gas or a match before touching anything, and 

 have felt no _ inconvenience since I adopted that 

 plan. The skin at the finger-ends appears too thick 

 for the hairs to penetrate far enough to irritate, 

 and it is only when they get to some more tender 

 place that they affect it injuriously. They must 

 penetrate with either end, for they will leave the 

 finger-ends for any other part that may be touched. 

 1 have handled B. Querciis, A. Caja, mmflua, and 

 many other "hairy worms," but never found any 

 other species than PvM to have this irritating 

 effect. — John E. Bobson, Hartlepool. 



LarvtE of the Small Eggar {B. lanestria).— 

 It always appeared to me that this larva was unable 

 to move without tiie thread coming from them ; 

 that the " spinning " was an involuntary act ; and 

 thus, as they crawl about for food, the web is spun. 

 As the leaves are eaten in immediate proximity to 

 the place where they were hatched, they have to go 

 further for food, and the web is gradually extended 

 with their wanderings. After the last moult this 

 involuntary emission of the web seems to cease. 

 They then separate and wander away from each 

 other ; a wise provision, necessary for the preserva- 

 tion of the species, as otherwise they would all 

 spin their cocoons in one place, and be more liable 

 to destruction. — John E. Bobson, Hartlepool. 



Skeleton Leaves. _ — I shall feel very much 

 obliged to any subscriber who will kindly inform 

 me the right time to gather leaves in order to 

 obtain their skeletons; also the best method of 

 preparing the skeletons, and of preserving them 

 when obtained.— Z. F. H. 



[See article in February number on a " Simple 

 Method of Preparing Skeleton Leaves." — Ed. S.G.] 



" Moth among Clothes."— Seeing no one has 

 answered the appeal respecting the destruction of 

 these insidious pests, I would advise your corre- 

 spondent that the first desideratum is a box with a 

 close-fitting lid. Nothing else will serve the pur- 

 pose of keeping out the moths for any length of 

 time; for where they cannot get in bodily, they 

 will thrust in the ovipositor, and deposit their eggs. 

 To destroy the larva; and moths, if they have 

 entered, benzole will be found the most eificacious. 

 This may be sprinkled over the apparel. If, as 

 before mentioned, the lid is well-fitting, the benzole 

 will retain its influence for a length of time. If 



