316 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



NOTICES TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



We must remind our friends, who make use of this column' 

 that the following riiles should be strictly adhered to :— 

 First. That perfect specimens be tent. Secondly. That all 

 the information as to habitat, Sec, that the inquirer can give 

 should be forwarded with them. Thirdly. To bear in mind 

 that drawings, unless very perfectly executed, are useless, 

 and a tyro is very apt to omit some distinctive characteristic 

 which would enable the examiner to decide the genus and 

 species of the object sent. Lastly. Never to send an object 

 for identification until the inquirer has used his best endea- 

 vours to find out for himself all the information he requires. 

 Questions are very frequently sent, which the slightest effort 

 on the part of querist in looking througli some elementary 

 treatise would have given all the knowledge required. 



W. O. Nicholson. — The parasite on owl is a bird-fly 

 {OrnitJifimya), especially common on the Short-horned Owl. 



G.— The eggs on the feather sent were laid liy Lipciirus 

 clji-aus, one of the Anopleura. 



EiJwiN Smith.— The former scales are those of Seira 

 Busliii, one of the Poduradce (formerly included in the genus 

 Degeerid, but now separated from it by Lubbock). Tlie others 

 are either from the Pftrobins marltimiis of our coasts, or 

 from the inland species of Petrnbius. 



T. C. Obor.v. — The insect taken from the Hedge-hog is the 

 common " Hedge-hog Tick " (Lrodes hexugonua), and, from 

 its size, doubtless a female. 



W. B. C— The insects are A/io/jhrm slrintum, and arc 

 always destructive to furniture. The only certain remedy 

 (applied in the case of rare and valuable carvings) seems to 

 be the saturation of the wood with corrosive sublimate by 

 means of hydraulic pressure. Mr. Rye, however, recom- 

 mends, as a possible remedy, a good soaking with boihng 

 vater containing carbolic acid. See zoological pai'agraph in 

 present number of Science-Gossip.— C. G. B. 



W. A Luff. — Nos. 1 and 2 <ire,Stritc/iia olerncca. 3. Car- 

 ponoris nifcricornis. 4. Brtichypeltn aterrima. 5. (Edipoda 

 cariiltfscens. Nos. 1 and 2 are British species, but not com- 

 mon ; 3 is rare ; 4, not British ; and 5 is reputed British, but 

 there are no authentic examples. 



F. V. Edwards. — Feed your anemones on small pieces of 

 mussels, or fine raw beef about once a day. 



E. \V. — Thanks for the slides, which are admirably mounted. 

 You had best consult Stephen's " Illustrations of British 

 Entomology" for the names. The plant is Equisetum 

 nrvense. 



Henry Tavlor. — Your specimen appears to be Nostoc 

 commxcne {Tremella terrestris, Dill.). Its reproduction is by 

 spherical cells, placed irregularly in the course of filaments, 

 from which they finally become separated. Try a little lime 

 for removing it. 



LvDiA, M.P, — See above paragraph. 



W. E. Sharp. — The eggs sent are — Nos. 1, 2, and 3, those of 

 the Green-finch [Fringilla chloris), and No. 4, Pied Wagtail 

 {Motacilla Yarrellii). 



T. Baker. — The wine-bottle cork seems to be permeated 

 with the mycelium of some fungus, probably Mucorina ; 

 but, unless in fruit (which it is not), it is difficult to deter- 

 mine. Careful sealing tlie tops of the corks will prevent it, 

 unless the cork is already attacked, in which case it is useless. 

 This phenomenon is the equivalent of " dry-rot" in wood. 



Henry Pearson. — Your mosses arrived all jumbled to- 

 gether, so that it was impossible to know how you had num- 

 bered them. They should be properly and separately mounted 

 before sending, and not loose. Send others. 



W. E. H. — The phenomenon is very curious, but not un- 

 usual. See Dr. Master's '• Teratology." 



W. C. — Many thanks for your present of Lichens. 



Mosses.— ). llypnu)ii stflatum; 2. II. muHusctim ; 3. H. 

 cuprexsifurme, var. ericeturum ; 4. H. cuspidatum, and H. 

 fiuituns ; 5. H. ciiprfissif'iriiie. — R. B. 



Dr. J. P. H. B. — 1. Your Cnphea (which we suppose to be 

 identical with tliat described by you in Science-Gossip for 

 18/1, p. 187) is the C. pldtiictntra. Earth., which is figured 

 and described by Mr. Robert Holland at p. 81 of the same 

 volume. Griesbach refers to its naturalizing itself in the 

 West Indies, and cites C. micropctala, Kth., as a synonym. 

 2. Yes ; Vn-onirii iirborescfns. 3. We regret that we cannot 

 identify from your descrijition the conifer known as "Jeru- 

 salem Candlestick ;" we will, however, bear it in mind. — B. 



Mrs. Marlani).— The slug sent is Tesfurel/a haliotidca. 

 See Tate's " Lritish MoUusks." London ; Ilardwicke. 



J. CaicHTON.— See article on "Collecting and Preserving 

 Flowering Plants and Ferns," in the May number of Gossip. 

 Mrs. Lankester's " Plain and Easy Account of British Ferns " 

 (London ; Hardwicke) will furnish you with all the informa- 

 tion you want. 



Anonymous— We are obliged to adhere to our rule of not 

 attending to anonymous correspondence. 



Jos. Laino.— The egg is that of the Yellow-ainmer. The 

 crystals are selenite, or sulphate of lime. 



T. P.— It is most likely the larva will come out next 

 season. 



S. M. P. — The specimen is Chnrahispida. 



James Crichton.— Your specimen is Liverwort {Mar- 

 chantia polymorphu) , ____^_ 



EXCHANGES. 



Notice. — Only one " E.xchange " can be inserted at a time 

 by the same individual. The maximum length (except for 

 correspondents not residing in Great Britain) is three lines. 

 Only objects of Natural History permitted. Notices must be 

 legibly written, in full, as intended to be inserted. 



Erratum.- — Mr. Ford's address in last month's Gossip 

 should have been " Stamford " instead of " Hamford." 



AuLAConiscus KiTTONi, with 6,7, or 8 processes, offered 

 for one with i> or 10.— Mr. Hamrele, 46, Charlotte Street, 

 Hull. 



Six slides, illustrating anatomy of Calabar Beetle (Pen- 

 tondon quadrens), offered in exchange for six other correctly 

 named slides. Animal structure preferred.— Edward Ward, 

 9, Howard Street, Coventry. 



British dried plants to interchange. — J. Harbord Lewis, 

 ISO, Mill Street, Liverpool, S. 



Duplicates. — lo polychluros, semele, rhamni ; Larva: of 

 jucobce ; Eggs and imagos of nuriflua ; Eggs of samhtt- 

 catd. Offers requested. — William Mann, 17, Wellington 

 Terrace, Clifton, Bristol. 



Eggs of Kinpfisher, Cuckoo, Hawfinch, Curlew, Oyster- 

 catcher, Mute Swan, Bernicle Goose, Sparrow-hawk, and 

 Kestrel Hawk, for other good eggs. Unaccepted offers not 

 answered. — Fred. Anderson, Alresford, Hants. 



Parmelia parietina, on receipt of good unmounted 

 object and stamped addressed envelope. — C. J. Jones, Gilmore 

 Range, Shaw Heath, Stockport. 



yEciDiuM RUBELLUM for unmouiitcd object. — Address, 

 enclosing stamped envelope, W. Dutton, 17, Hewitt Street, 

 Hightown, Manchester. 



Dendritic spot on paper and other slides for mounted 

 objects.— T. W. Cowan, Horsham. 



Good Slides, or payment, for specimens of Mole Cricket 

 Hornet, large green Grasshopper, Blatta gigus. Fresh speci- 

 mens preferred. — C. L. Jackson, Clarendon Terrace, Bolton. 



Foreign Shells, with name and locality, in exchange for 

 British Birds' Eggs.— F. Chester, 30, Smollett Street, Ken- 

 sington, Liverpool. 



Wanted, Silicious Cuticles, &c. for polariscope, in ex- 

 change for Diatomaceas and other good objects. — H. E. Free- 

 man, 1, Rose Villas, Wood Green, N. 



For portion of skin of British Shark, or Dog-fish, send 

 stamped and directed envelope, with object of interest. 

 Mounted slides preferred. — Direct, F. S., Post-office, Rugeley, 

 Staffordshire. 



British Lepidoptera in exchange for either British or 

 Foreign Lepidoptera.— T. Pickin, Mount Fields, Frankwell, 

 Shrewsbury. 



Hairs from seed pod of Leucodendron argenteum (Zanzi- 

 bar), mounted for polariscope; Pollen of Mallow, Cluster- 

 cups from Willow-herb, i^c, for other well-mounted objects. 

 — J. Ford, Stamford. 



Vertigo pyc.m.ea for Helix fusca; Helix lamellata for 

 authentic specimens of H. concinna. — G. S. Tye, 58, Villa 

 Road, Handsworth, Staffordshire. 



Mountain Limestone Fish Remains for Old Red Sand- 

 stone species. — J. Hunter, Richmond, Yorkshire. 



Larv.t: oi Arctia caja (Tiger-moth) for microscopic mate- 

 rial. Send list.— Rev. Jno. Hanson, 14, Bagby Square, Leeds. 



For scales of Dunins iilcippiis and Vanessa clelia from West 

 Africa (mounted) send two good slides to E. Lovell, Holly 

 Mount, Croydon. 



Palates (mounted) of Helix, Limax, Patella, Littorina, 

 &c.. Spiracles of Insects, &c., in exchange for pood objects, 

 mounted or unmounted. — Alfred Guthrie, Ward Road, 

 Dundee. 



BOOKS RECEIVED. 

 " President's Address to the Liverpool Nat. Hist. Soc." 

 " Stone Implements." By John Evans, F.R.S. London: 

 Longmans, 

 " American Naturalist," fi^r July. 

 " Canadian Entomologist," for July. 



Communications Reckivrd up to loth ult. from — 

 W. G. S.— C. C. A.— L.— S. M. P.-J. C— T. P.-J. L.— 

 W. O. N.— G.— E. W.— F. V. W.— \V. A. L.— W. B. C— 

 T. C. O.-E. S.-H. T. — L. M. P.— W. E. S.— T. B.-H. P. 

 — W. E. H.— W. C— J. C— J. H. G.— J. S.— E. C.L.— J. L. 

 — S. M. P.— J. H.— J. P.— E. T. S.— W. M.— W. T. L— 

 L. V. H.— J. R. S. C— T. B. B.— E. R. H.-C. R. E.— G. S.- 

 G. T. J— A. W. L.— M. A. D.— J. R. — T. O. W.— R. H.— 

 N. S. W.— A. H. — T. W. — S. I. — T. C. I.— S. H.— A. E. M. 

 — W. C— J. S. W.— F. K.-C. K.- W. S.— R. T. L.— VV. E.— 

 F. H. W.— H. A. A., &-c. 



