HARD WICKE 'S S CIENCE - G O SSIP. 



71 



bloom. At Ware, the Winter Aconite has been in 

 flower since the 2nd of January, and a cowslip was 

 out on the 14th ; while the Thrush has been in full 

 song since the i8th of December. — J. H., Watford. 



Early Primroses. — "C. W. H." will see in 

 Science-Gossip, vol. vi. jj. 45, that primroses wei-e 

 gathered in the woods near Hurstpierpoint on 

 Christmas . eve, 1869. I have had primroses in 

 flower on a railway bank adjoining my garden since 

 the first week in January, and a friend has had them 

 blooming since November in her garden. Last year 

 mine were in flower from the end of October until 

 the end of April. — Alicia Bogtie, Surbiton. 



Strange Death of Fowls. — Last autumn I 

 noticed that some of my chickens were troubled with 

 over-distended crops, and were not relieved by being 

 made to fast for several hours. A day or two after 

 this symptom first showed itself, the fowls were gene- 

 rally seized with that peculiar spasmodic upward con- 

 traction of the crop, such as most birds get after eating 

 plentifully without drinking. This was again followed 

 toy a partial paralysis of the legs, owing to which the 

 birds became unable to walk naturally, lifting the feet 

 very high and throwing them far forward, altogether 

 presenting a very awkward appearance ; at this stage 

 the bird would grow mopy and ruffled in appearance, 

 yet generally ate voraciously all through the illness, 

 the distention of the crop increasing daily, and the 

 breath growing somewhat offensive after the paralysis 

 showed itself; and death followed in all but two 

 cases (a strong young cockerel and a fine good-sized 

 hen) within three or four days. On making a post- 

 mortem examination, I found all the indications of 

 death by starvation, with this exception^that the 

 crop and gizzard and the duct connecting them were 

 as full of grain and other food as they could be, but 

 all the intestines almosf absolutely empty and much 

 emaciated. On opening the crop, I could find 

 nothing to explain all this ; but in the gizzard I dis- 

 covered in one case about twelve, and in another 

 forty shot, of various sizes. The mystery was solved, 

 a clear case of lead poisoning. The fowls had 

 evidently mistaken shot, carelessly spilt in places to 

 which they had access, for some sort of grain, and 

 swallowed it accoixlingly. All who died with these 

 symptoms (eight or ten in number) I examined, and 

 always with the same result. Three or four I dosed 

 with olive-oil, and among them were the two that 

 recovered, — whether from that, or their own hardy 

 constitution is more than I can say ; all that died 

 were young birds, hatched last spring ; of all the 

 old fowls, only the hen above mentioned seems to 

 have suffered. Have any of the readers of Science- 

 Gossip ever had such an experience ? and if so, have 

 they found any good remedy ? I would be much obliged 

 for information on this subject. — W. T. Van Dyck. 



The Siskin or Aberdavine.— This bird used to 

 make its appearance in the vicinity of Beyrout, and 

 through a large region of Lebanon, in the early part 

 of the winter, and stayed till spring, being more 

 plentiful every other year ; but now, for the three or 

 four past years, only a very occasional straggler has been 

 seen ; and whereas they used to be sold at the rate of 

 two for a penny in the streets, it is now very difficult 

 to find one at all, and then it cannot be procured for 

 less than a couple of shillings or thereabouts. Has 

 this been the case in other than these localities ? — - 

 W. T. Van Dyck, Beyrout, Syria. 



Sparrow-hawk and Crow. — I owe "J. W. D." 

 many thanks for pointing out the grOss blunder in my 

 note concerning the "Sparrow-hawk and Crow" in 

 the October number. The sparrow-hawk, in the act 



of clinging to the church spire, with outspread wings, 

 appeared at first sight to be a large one. I was not 

 undeceived on the point until it flew away from the 

 place, followed by the crow. In writing the note to 

 our paper, describing what I had seen, I gave my 

 first impression as to its size, when I first mentioned 

 that quality, which was a wrong one. The passage, 

 " I found the cause of the commotion to be a large 

 sparrow-hawk," &c., should I'ead, "I found the 

 cause of the commotion to be a sparrow-hawk," &c. 

 I have seen it several times since I wrote, and am 

 assured of its unusual smallness. I will also correct 

 a typographical error in the same note. The word 

 " stacks " in the passage, " as he was walking through 

 a field just cleared of stacks of corn," should read 

 "stooks." On August 26, while out shooting, my 

 brother killed a sparrow-hawk. Round the bird's left 

 leg was knotted a piece of string. It must have been 

 on for some time, the string having grown very dark 

 with exposure. My brother did not notice when it 

 was on the wing, that it was impeded by its un- 

 pleasant appendage. — A. P. 



The Heron. — One of the great advantages of 

 Science-Gossip is, that it elicits correspondence 

 from all parts of the world. I cannot forbear thank- 

 ing those who have favoured me with facts as to the 

 habits of the Heron. One point only I should like 

 to know supplementarily. Is the Heron a bird of good 

 flavour? In mediaeval times it was so considered ; 

 but the prevalent idea is that it is far otherwise. 

 Will any one who has recently tasted a heron kindly 

 give me his opinion ? — F. H. Arnold. 



The Boxtree. — This tree grows in gi-eat abun- 

 dance in a wood on the northern slope of Walson- 

 bury Beacon, which is not far from the Devil's Dyke, 

 Sussex. It has the appearance of having been planted 

 there a long time ago ; but young trees are growing 

 up in all directions. Many of them are from eight to 

 twelve feet in height. When I saw them, March 13, 

 1875, they were flowering profusely. — IV. B. G. 



Geology, &c., of Lyons. — I should be glad to 

 receive any information on the Geology, Botany, 

 and Natural History of Lyons, and of the departments 

 of Rhone, Ain, and Isere, or the names of any French 

 books on the subject. — Letters to be addressed to 

 R. iV. , 40, Rue des Missionnaires, Lyon, France. 



VOLVOX GLOBATOR (p. 2i). — If this is dying out in 

 the immediate neighbourhood of London, it may still 

 be found at no great distance. On the 1st of July it 

 was collected in abundance in the small pools adjoin- 

 ing the Elstree Reservoir, by members of the Quekett 

 Microscopical Club and the Watford Natural His- 

 tory Society, who also found it in pools on Bricket 

 Wood Common, near Watford, on the 3rd of June. — 

 J. H., Watford. 



BOOKS, &c., RECEIVED. 



" Fertilization of Orchids." By Chas. Darwin, F.R.S. 

 Second Edition. London : John Murray. 



" Across Africa." By Commander Cameron, R.N. London : 

 Daldy & Isbister, 2 vols. 



" Half-hours with English Antiquities." By Llewellyn 

 Jewitt. London : Hardwicke & Bogue. 



"Text-book of Botany." By Otto W. Thome, translated by 

 A. W. Bennett, M.A., F.L.S. London: Longmans, Green, 

 &Co. 



" Life of a Scotch Naturalist." By S. Smiles. London : 

 John Murray. 



"Monthly Microscopical Journal." February. 



" Land and Water." February. 



"Yorkshire Naturalist." February. 



" Botanische Zeitung." 



" Les Mondes." 



" Royal School of Mines Magazine." 

 &c. &c. &c. 



