IIAilDWlCKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



213 



built a comb half as laro^e as my hand. The cart 

 was in constant requisition for carrying hay; so 

 every time it had to p:o to the field, some half-mile 

 distant, the lid of tlie hox was closed, and the bees 

 were taken for a ride. The swarm was from the 

 first but a weak one — -probably a cast from a swarm 

 — and this natural weakness, to[?ether with the 

 constant disturbance, has caused the bees gradually 

 to desert their comb, and they have all disappeared 

 again. I was from home when they were first seen, 

 or T might, perhaps, have found some means of 

 preserving the bees that had found so strange a 

 resting-place. — Robert Holland. 



OrTiCAL_ Phenomenon.— I am very desirous to 

 obtain an insertion of the following account of an 

 optical phenomenon in Science-Gossip : — If the 

 observer stand upon a hill, so that his shadow ought 

 to fall upon the ground below at the distance of a 

 quarter of a mile, instead of a shadow he will see a 

 light many yards in height and breadth, which, like 

 his shadow, will follow all his movements — proving 

 that it represents his shadow. Now, if he descend 

 the hill till the sun ceases to shine on him, the light 

 will still remain, and will not finally disappear till 

 the top of the hill is 22° above him ! ]f lie again 

 mounts the hill, the light re-appears before he 

 comes again into sunshine. This appearance is 

 doubtless a form of diffraction, but I cau obtain no 

 solution of the mystery from any of my scientific 

 friends to whom I have mentioned it, or who have 

 observed it for themselves. Here I have only seen 

 it at sunset, but in Switzerland it might probably 

 be seen in the depths of the valleys at noonday. — 

 T. Ogier JFarcl, M.D., Oxon. 



The Restjrkection Plant. — A few days ago a 

 friend brought us a curious-looking dry plant, like 

 a shrivelled brown moss-fern, with a dry fibrous 

 root in the shape of a ball. This wc were told had 

 been seven years at least without water, and would 

 revive if supplied with moisture. So we placed it 

 iri a tumbler of water, and certainly a sort of life 

 did come back to the plant. Its roots expanded and 

 its fronds grew moist, and stretched themselves. 

 At the end of two days it looked alive. We now 

 expected it to grow, and the more hopeful of us 

 suggested a blossom, perhaps even of a brilliant 

 colour. Nothing more occurred or seemed likely to 

 occur, except a little mould on the brownish fronds. 

 Sp we took it out of its tumbler in about a fort- 

 night, and dried it up again. We know that it is a 

 native of California, but we shall be glad if any 

 correspondent would give its botanical name, or 

 any particulars with regard to its history. — 

 M. A. D. 



SiNGULAK Flowering of Saxifrage. — I am 

 anxious to tell you of, what seems to me, an extra- 

 ordinary coincidence. The inclosed Saxifrage was 

 gathered while in bud in Gloucestershire, on July 

 8th ; put in blotting-paper, and then confined in a 

 drawer till now, when it was found perfectly fresh 

 and in full flower. Is it not rather a singular 

 occurrence ? — Jessie Reeve. 



Migration of Newts.— Some friends of mine 

 have a square pond cemented at the bottom, and 

 with a high stone parapet all round it, except 

 where a few steep steps come down to the water's 

 edge. The pond was known to have a good number 

 of newts in it. One day three very small pike were 

 brought home and put into the pond. The very 

 next morning a tiiick black mass was found clinging 



to the sloping brickwork at the side of the pond. 

 The Newts had seen the pike,_and straightway the 

 whole tribe endeavoured to migrate, and clung one 

 on to the other, vainly endeavouring to scale the 

 parapet. They did get out (poor things) by human 

 aid, but I doubt if tlieir history extended further in 

 the annals of emigration. — 31. A. D. 



Parasite on Hedgehogs. -This morning, while 

 feeding a tame hedgehog, I noticed a singular- 

 looking insect, apparently working its way among 

 the spines. I tried to remove it, but it held on with 

 such tenacity that I conjectured it to be a part of 

 the animal's body. It was so buried in the flesh, 

 that I was compelled to cut it out. Its body is of a 

 pale slate-colour; the head, which barely protrudes 

 beyond the body, is merely a brown spot about ;,'o of 

 an inch in diameter. It has eight legs of the same 

 colouras the latter.— :7y/o»^«.s C. Oborii. 



[It is the Hedgehog Tick (Ixodes hexagonns). — 

 Ed. S.-G.] 



A Snake Story. — The inclosed cutting is from 

 the Western Mail of Llonday, July 22nd, and may 

 be interesting to the readers of Science-Gossip :— 

 A correspondent says, a few days ago, Mr. George 

 Stott, while walking along the side of a much- 

 frequented brook near Abercarn, had his attention 

 drawn to the peculiar movements of a snake about 

 five feet long, which he captured and killed. On 

 opening it, he discovered in its stomach a trout five 

 inches in length, which appeared to have been but 

 recently gorged. — R. and M. 



Purpura Lapillus.— This mollusk is eaten by 

 the good people of Hastings, in common with the 

 Periwinkle, and is thought much nicer. It is sold 

 at one penny the half-pint, ready cooked. The 

 fisherman who was ci-ying them told me the 

 common name for them was man-suckers, a curious 

 term, for which he could give no explanation, but 

 said it was " what everybody in Hastings called 

 them."— ^. IF. L. 



Parasites. — Will you say in next Science- 

 Gossip how I may get rid of parasites that infest 

 a pet starling ? The bird bathes each day, but the 

 pests appear to affect the back of head and neck, 

 where the beak cannot reach. — Q. T. J. 



Something about Spiders. — A few days ago I 

 had the opportunity of seeing the manner in which 

 these interesting little animals are enabled to ascend 

 to any object without having previously fastened a 

 web to it. Somehow I got a little spider on my 

 hand, which began running about with no apparent 

 object in view. I became interested, and watched 

 to see what he would do. He commenced running 

 round and round near the same spot (the tip of my 

 middle finger) : he soon stopped, and suddenly stood 

 on his head. I could not make out what he was 

 doing till I saw a fine web floating upwards to the 

 ceiling; this he was projecting rapidly. When the 

 web touched the ceiling, I suppose, for I could not 

 see the end of it, he climbed up it some way, then 

 stopped, came down, and, for some unknown reason, 

 hauled it in. He now started a new web, which I 

 think he pulled in before it touched anything. _ He 

 had also the power of projecting his line horizon- 

 tally to some distance.— (?. ^S*., Jim., Oporto. 



Prog Spawn.— Last year the frog tadpoles were 

 hatched on the 8th of April, this year on the 30th 

 of March. This year the spawn was obtained on 



