120 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



[May 1, 1S67. 



NOTICES TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



All communications relative to advertisements, post-office 

 orders, and orders for the supply of this Journal should be 

 addressed to the Publisher. All contributions, books, 

 and pamphlets for the Editor should be sent to 192, 

 Piccadilly, London, W. To avoid disappointment, contri- 

 butions should not be received later than the 15th of each 

 month. No notice whatever can be taken of communi- 

 cations which do not contain the name and address of the 

 writer, not necessarily for publication, if desired to be with- 

 held. We do not undertake to answer any queries not 

 specially connected with Natural History, in accordance 

 with our acceptance of that term ; nor can we answer 

 queries which might be solved by the correspondent by an 

 appeal to any elementary book on the subject. We are 

 always prepared to accept queries of a critical nature, and 

 to publish the replies, provided some of our readers, besides 

 the querist, are likely to be interested in them. We 

 cannot undertake to return rejected manuscripts unless 

 sufficient stamps are enclosed to cover the return postage. 

 Neither can we promise to refer to or return any manu- 

 script after one month from the date of its receipt. All 

 microscopical drawings intended for publication should 

 have annexed thereto the powers employed, or the extent 

 of enlargement, indicated in diameters (thus : x 320 

 diameters). Communications intended for publication 

 should be written on one side of the paper only, and all 

 scientific names, and names of places and individuals 

 should be as legible as possible. Wherever scientific names 

 or technicalities are employed, it is hoped that the common 

 names will accompany them. Lists or tables are inad- 

 missible under any circumstances. Those of the popular 

 names of British plants and animals are retained and regis- 

 tered for publication when sufficiently complete for that 

 purpose, in whatever form may then be decided upon. 

 Address No. 192, Piccadilly, London, W. 



A. C. K. — It is clearly impossible. 



A. G. H. — 1. Helve hispid a ; 2. Limnea glaber ; 3. Pisidinm 

 cinereum ; 4. Helix concinna ; 5. No specimen; 6. Limncea 

 palustris ; 7- Helicella excaoata. — R. T. 



J. D. L. — Your specimen is the operculum of a recent 

 species of Turbo.— R. T. Letters received after the 15th of 

 the month cannot be replied to until the following month. 



P. E. B. — Most probably a species of Dytiscus. 



S. J. B. — Alcoholic solution of corrosive sublimate. Alcohol, 

 50 parts to 1 of the salt. Let your objects be perfectly dry. 



Erratum.— Page 66, Vol. III., for J. W. Mencher, read 

 J. W. Meacher. 



J. H. A. — Your quill arrived unsealed. No insects, nor 

 remains of them, to be found. 



J. D.— The caterpillar is that of the Magpie Moth (Abraxas 

 grossulariata) . 



M. — "Our Common Insects," by Mrs. E. W. Cox, price 

 2s. 6d. London: R. Hardwicke. 



W. V. A. — You have omitted to enclose your address. 



H. H. — The fault of which you complain is certainly fre- 

 quently committed, but we hardly see how you would propose 

 to remedy it. A cheap work must necessarily be, to a certain 

 extent, elementary also. 



W. N. — Nothing new. It is constantly observed. 



H. R. — Your packet for R. G. is to hand. We must, how- 

 ever, decline the responsibility of forwarding glass and a letter 

 by " Pattern post." Both are forbidden by the rules of the 

 Post Office. 



R. H.— Thanks. You shall be advised in good time. 



E. C. — We cannot recognise the insect from your descrip- 

 tion. Try tobacco smoke, or syringing with a strong decoction 

 of tobacco. 



T. O.-We have tried your experiment, but failed of 

 success. It is not easy to understand a priori why the effects 

 of which you speak should b« produced. 



H. C. — 1. Impossible, without first identifying the species. 



2. They rarely lay in this country ; we do not know where 

 eggs can be obtained. 3 and 4. See Vol. II., pp. 164, 186, 213, 

 237, and 256. 5. Consult " Brewster's Optics," or " Lardner 

 on the Microscope." 



J. B. L. — 1. Bryum alpinum ; 2. Hypnum cotnmutatum ; 



3. Sypnum (Eurhynchium) preelongutn. — R. B. 



Th. — Hypnum (Eurhynchium) piliferum, with preelongtun 

 intermixed. Planlugo coronopus is very variable— sometimes 

 hirsute, sometimes nearly glabrous. The Riccia appears to be 

 barren fronds of Sphanocarpus Miclielii. — R. B. Can you 

 forward a few specimens of this genm for a correspondent? 



W. C. — It is very unsatisfactory attempting to name speci- 

 mens from sketches or bare descriptions. Can you not send 

 a frond ? 



W. H. — We know of many similar works, but none contain- 

 ing more detailed information. What branch of Entomology 

 do you intend to study ? 



W. D. G. — You have omitted to give your name. " Lan- 

 kester's Aquavivsrium " is the best, but is now out of print. 



H. R. O— 1. "Anatomical Manipulation," by Tulk and 

 Henfrey (Van Voorst, 1844), which may be picked up, second- 

 hand, for 3s. or 4s. 2. We know of no single book that would 

 supply the deficiency. 



J. M.— Solitary butterflies are often taken at unseasonable 

 periods. 



W. V.—Podura: can be obtained at any time during the 

 summer. 



T. L.— Such abnormal forme are far from uncommon. 



W. F. S.— You cannot do better than purchase " Davies on 

 Mounting," London: R. Hardwicke, in which you will 

 find all the particulars you seek. 



C. J.— Your red sea-weed is Ptilola plumosa. 



M. H.— Your suggestion is good, and shall have due con- 

 sideration. 



Double Egos. — Having been overwhelmed with corre- 

 spondence upon this subject, we are compelled to postpone 

 many communications for want of space. 



EXCHANGES. 



Flint Flakes (arrowhead?), several varieties from the 

 gravels around Belfast, for similar flakes from other locali- 

 ties, or Geological specimens. — W. Gray, Mount Charles, 

 Belfast. 



Diato.maceous Earths from Antrim, &c, for other 

 objects, mounted or unmounted. — W. Gray, Mount Charles, 

 Belfast. 



Fossil Diatomack/e (mounted) for other mounted objects. 

 — W. Fletcher, Grammar School, Bromsgrove. 



British Seaweeds for British Birds' Eggs, or Preserved 

 Foreign Reptiles.— F. Stanley, Harold-road, Margate. 



Gorgonia spicules and Tabellaria flocculosu (mounted) 

 for other good slides of Diatoms or Polariscope objects. — 

 W. H., Stamp Office, Fordingbridge. 



PEN'cii.-TAiLSfor Infusorial Earths or Diatoms, unmounted. 

 — H. H., 3, Edward-street, Moseley-road, Birmingham. 



Fossil Wood in sections from Ashby de-la- Zouch. — 

 Stamped envelope to J. Butterworth, 5, Bridgewater- street, 

 Oldham. 



Cotton Seed for Diatoms or Entomological slides. — E. M., 

 6, Holford-square, Pentonville, W.C. 



Calytrcea (20 species) for a good skeleton of the Squirrel. 

 — G. A. Lebour, Fez Lodge, Addison-crescent, Kensington, 

 W. 



British Birds' Skins for Eggs of the same. — J. Aspdin, 

 Richmond, Yorkshire. 



BOOKS RECEIVED. 



"The Birds of Norfolk," by Henry Stevenson, F.L.S. 

 Vol. I. London : Van Voorst. 



"The Doctrine of the Correlation of Forces," by the Rev. 

 J. Cranbrook. Edinburgh : Edmonston & Douglas. 



" The Quarterly Journal of Microscopical Science." 

 No. XXVL, April, I867. London: Churchill & Sons. 



"The Quarterly Magazine of the High Wycombe Natural 

 History Society." No. IV. Wycombe: W. Butler. 



" Theoretical Astronomy Examined and Exposed," by 

 " Common Sense." London: Job Caudwell. 



Communications Received: — J. R. C. — J. S. T. — A. L. — 

 J. W. M.— W. S. M. D'U.— W. G.— W. F.— J. D. L.— D. E. G. 

 —J. G.— R. H.— F. A. A.— J. E. W.— Dr. L.— S. J. B.— A. S.— 

 E. K.— F. S.— L. H. F.— F. E. B.— C. D.— W. P. M.— B.— 

 H. H. O'F., Jun.— J. P.— J. S. S.— J. D.— F. R. M.— J. G. 

 (Sherborne).— C. J. W— J. J. O.— F. R. S— W. C— S. C— 

 H. R.— H. H.— A. W. C— J. B. K.— J. P.— J. M.— M.— E. H. 

 — C. G. F— W. G. (Belfast).— J. W.— B. (Melle).— G. B. C— 

 W. N.— J. D. L— J. B.— W. V. A— G. B.— E. C,— J. H. B.— 

 T. O.— C. C. K.— G. G.— J. A.— G. A. L.— A. H,— H. C— L. S. 

 — G. H.— J. W. W.— H. U. C. 



