June 1, 1S67.] 



HABDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



141 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



Aquarium Pest. — I last year collected from my 

 aquarium several pieces of the Valisneria spiralis, 

 ou which were deposited the ova of the Planorbis 

 corneas, and put them iu a small glass jar containing 

 water, which I placed in a window with a south 

 aspect, and let it remain there several weeks, when 

 on examining its contents I found upwards of one 

 hundred minute molluscs, some of which I now 

 have iu an aquarium ; they vary in size from three- 

 sixteenths to seven-sixteenths of an inch in diameter. 

 If your correspondent L. H. P. will adopt the same 

 course, and keep the jar where the sun can act upon 

 it, I have no doubt he will be satisfied that the 

 " nests " he names are the eggs of the snail, and 

 that "something will come from them."— H. M., 

 Sheffield. 



Eggs op the Lackey Moth. — Mr. H. H. 

 O'Farrell inquires if any of the readers of Science- 

 Gossip have met with the eggs of the Lackey Moth 

 laid in a patch, and not a ring. I believe i t is a 

 very common occurrence, as I myself have frequently 

 found them so.—E. F. 



Skeleton Leaves. — Your correspondent J. S. S. 

 will have no difficulty with her skeleton leaves if 

 she removes them from the water on blotting paper, 

 and she may detach them from it with dry blotting 

 paper and a careful use of her fingers. The same 

 paper may be dried and used several times. — A. S. 



Primroses. — In Science-Gossip for May 1st, 

 your correspondent B. mentions having found 

 Oxlips amongst Primroses, but never among Cows- 

 lips ; it may therefore be interesting to state that 

 here, on the Mendip Hills, in fields which are almost 

 covered with Cowslips, we frequently find very fine 

 specimens of the Primula elatior growing amongst 

 them. — /. 



[Is our correspondent certain of its being Primula 

 elatior ? — Ed.] 



Impressions of Leaa^es. — Could you inform me 

 what is the best method of obtaining exact nature- 

 printed copies of the leaves and impressions of leaves 

 found in the Lower Bagshot pipe-clays ? I have a 

 great many obtained from the Lower Bagshot beds 

 about here — B. C. C. L. 



Mice and Cockroaches (p. 119). — It is very 

 likely that the common mouse will feed on cock- 

 roaches : that they do feed on insects, we had 

 positive proof down here. In the roof of this 

 house — i. e., between the ceiling of the upper rooms 

 and the slates — we have small apertures in the gable 

 for ventilation, which are filled up with perforated 

 zinc, and the larger flies all draw towards these 

 apertures, especially on a sunshiny evening ; but 

 they cannot get out through the perforated zinc, 

 and I was at first somew r hat surprised to see mice 

 running up the zinc and catching these flies in vast 

 numbers. I find they eat all but the wings, which 

 they manage to clip off as clean as if cut with a 

 pair of scissors; but mice and rats are nearly 

 omnivorous, according to circumstances. — IF. P. 



Leg Legends. — Is it a recognized fact amongst 

 naturalists that thrushes acquire new legs, and cast 

 the old ones when about ten years old ? A great 

 many persons in this neighbourhood give what 



appear well-authenticated instances of this : one 

 of a thrush belonging to a clergyman at Stanwix, 

 near Carlisle, which was visited and examined by 

 many when the change was going on; another near 

 Whitehaven, &c. The matter has been brought under 

 my notice now on looking through the library of a 

 deceased friend of mine who was a very close 

 observer of nature. At the end of "Swainson's Birds" 

 he has made the note, "A thrush kept in a cage at 

 Lyneside (Kirklinton), said to be about ten years 

 of age, has recently acquired a new pair of legs, the 

 old ones drying up and dropping off. The first time 

 I saw the bird, the new feet were protruding from 

 the front of the knee joint, and looked soft and 

 light-coloured. On my second visit they had 

 lengthened considerably, but were not of any use to 

 the bird. Afterwards I saw it when the new feet 

 were used, and the old ones shrivelling up, soon 

 after which the old feet dropped off." I have heard 

 him speak of the circumstance, and express regret 

 that he had not secured the cast-off legs as an 

 evidence for unbelievers. — Wm. Dodgson. 



[We suspect that the unbelievers are legion. — 



Ed.] 



Aquaria. — All who are in contemplation of stock- 

 ing fresh-water aquaria during the ensuing summer 

 months, will do well if they introduce a greater num- 

 ber of plants of a floating nature than of those which 

 require to be set in soil, as the fish will then have 

 greater scope and room ; whilst oxygen, which is 

 essential to their preservation, will still be supplied 

 in sufficient quantity. The thick foliage of many 

 subaquatic plants is calculated to considerably retard 

 the free movements of the fish, especially when the 

 aquarium in which they are kept is small. Of course 

 under-water vegetation should not be entirely dis- 

 carded, for if sparingly introduced it affords a 

 grateful shelter to newts and some species of fish 

 which are fond of seclusion. Asa rule, it is advis- 

 able to have plenty of space, in order that the living 

 objects can be more easily observed. It is by no 

 means advantageous, for the same reason, to have 

 too great a display of rockwork, and in fact there 

 ought to be hardly an}', unless the aquarium is of 

 large dimension. — /. H. F., Harleston. 



Perforating Squirrels.— In the very interest- 

 ing and able article on the flint-flakes of Devon, 

 &c, by Mr. Tate, in the April number of the 

 Popular Science Review, there is, 1 think, a slight 

 error in regard to the habits of the Squirrel. At 

 p. 173. it is stated that "perforation in the nuts 

 demonstrates that Squirrels skipped among the 

 branches of the trees that grew there." Now, whilst 

 I have no doubt that Squirrels did skip among the 

 branches at the time referred to, I do not think that 

 they made the perforations found in the nuts, but 

 that these were the work of the common Dormouse. 

 I have kept both Squirrels and Dormice, and so far 

 as my observation goes the latter always nibble a 

 nearly circular hole in the nut, whilst the former, 

 having first rapidly cut an irregular opening, insert 

 the lower incisors into it, and break off one side of 

 the shell before beginning to eat the kernel. This 

 may be thought a trifling matter, but in natural 

 history, as in all other departments of science, we 

 cannot be too exact in relation to the facts on 

 which we base the reasonings by which we advance 

 into new fields of knowledge. I have hence deemed 

 it well to call the attention of your readers to this 

 poiut; and possibly others, with wider opportunities 

 than I possess, may show that Squirrels do leave 

 perforations in nuts. — Fras. Buclcell, 3I.R.C.S. 



