HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



191 



Wren's Eggs, &c. — A friend and correspondent 

 (Mr. R. Standen, Goosnargh, Preston) informs me 

 that he took a chitch of seven sparrow-hawks from 

 one nest. A few days since a lad offered to sell me 

 a wren's nest containing twenty-five eggs. — T. IT. 

 Deal}', Sheffield. 



Charitable Birds. — In a garden at Acton three 

 young thruohes were found on the ground. Two 

 were dead, and the old birds were also missing, sup- 

 posed to have been killed by the cat ; but one of 

 the young thrushes, still alive but unable to fly, 

 was picked up and put into a large cage, which was 

 hung up outside the window. In a short time a 

 Robin was observed to visit the cage, and presently 

 returned again with a -VA'orm in its mouth, which it 

 deposited in the cage for the benefit of the young 

 thrush. The pair of Robins afterwards visited the 

 cage, and have since continued to feed the young 

 thrush. Is not this a somewhat remarkable occur- 

 rence ? — R. H. Nisbett Browne. 



The notice in Science-Gossip for June, con- 

 cerning the collection of birds' eggs, is well worthy 

 the attention of all ornithologists. There are too 

 many collectors and too few students in all branches 

 of Natural History. How many, even of our genuine 

 "bird-lovers," when they find some rare bird's nest 

 refrain from taking all the eggs ; and the demand for 

 rare birds and eggs is so great that both are found in 

 decreasing numbers year by year. The editor of 

 the A'czi'easlle IVeekly Chroniele has instituted a 

 "Dickey-Bird Society" among the children of 

 England. There are already a large number of 

 members. The editor received, a short time ago, 

 the thanks of the " Society for Prevention of Cruelty 

 to Animals." I believe that a copy of the rules may 

 be had on application to the editor. Is there any 

 reason why the ornithological readers of SciENCE- 

 GossiP cannot unite for the protection of birds ? The 

 "Wild Birds' Protection Act," incomplete as it is, 

 does a great deal of good, as very few persons are to 

 be seen with guns during close time, and even bird- 

 catchers do not ply their avocation to the extent they 

 used to. I hope that in a very short time a union of 

 ornithologists will take place, and that the birds of 

 England will not be allowed to become extinct, — J. 

 T. T. Reed. 



Peregrine. — Ornithological Errors. — With 

 regard to Mr. Dixon, it will be well reniembered 

 that he intruded himself into the fray in a veiy indis- 

 creet manner. He has not attempted to solve the 

 question which Mr. Southwell and I were discussing. 

 He only threw insinuations at me ; endeavoured to 

 stir up bad blood, and did not try to do anything 

 towards the discussion referred to ; moreover, he has 

 even been personal in his abuse. If I give reasons 

 to support an opinion, I have a perfect right to ex- 

 press that opinion, and no one has any call to attack 

 me for doing so, although, of course, any one has a 

 right to attack my opinion. — T. W. Dealy, Sheffield, 



The Grave of the Rev. Gilbert White. — 

 In reply to Mrs. Helen E. Watney's letter in your 

 last number relative to the grave of the Rev. Gil- 

 bert White at Selborne, your readers may be informed 

 that it is on the north side of the church chancel, and 

 that the tablet inside directs to the south side, having 

 been misplaced in repairing the church some years 

 since. The grave is well known in Selborne. Mr. 

 Blunden, of the Queen's Arms Hotel, took me to it 

 on a delightful visit I paid the place about two years 

 since. — Koht. y. Leeky. 



C. Edusa. — Over thirty C. Edusa have been cap- 

 tured within the last three weeks round about Hornsey, 



Colney Hatch (New Southgate), and neighbourhood. 

 They appear to have been very common this June all 

 over the country. Some of the specimens are worn, 

 but a good many appear to have only just emerged 

 from the chrysalis. Can any of your readers make 

 any suggestions as to the great nuniher and early 

 appearance ? Some have undoubtedly hibernated, 

 while others have not. — Win. J. Vandenbergh, Jim., 

 Hornsey. 



"Edusa" and Hyale. — No satisfactory answer 

 to Mr. W. Hambrough's query seems yet to have 

 been arrived at, but the matter is now taking up great 

 attention in the Entomologist, to which journal I 

 beg to refer him. • — ]Vni. y. Vandenbergh, jnn., 

 Hornsey. 



The Goatsucker.— In an article on the Goat- 

 sucker in your last number (July, 1877, p. 149), it is 

 stated in the concluding sentence that this bird is 

 found only in the southern and south-eastern counties 

 of England. This is a mistake, as the Goatsucker 

 visits us here in Kirkcudbrightshire annually, in some 

 years more plentifully than in others. The only nests 

 I have found of this bird have been under bushes of 

 heather growing in low, swampy places, and, as late 

 as the middle of July, the eggs were still unhatched. 

 The last one I saw was "jarring" while flying round 

 a large beech-tree ; it was apparently pursuing some 

 insect, as its fl-ight was in a jerky and zigzag manner'. 

 As a rule, I think its cry is uttered immediately 

 before or after it has taken flight from a branch or 

 fence where it has been sitting ; but its shy nature, 

 and the time of flying, are difficulties in the way of 

 close observation of this interesting bird. — Robert 

 Service, Dttvifries. 



Pronunciation of Names. — A scientific name 

 is a Latin, not an English word, and must be pro- 

 nounced, if not spelt, accordingly. If this were 

 borne in mind, we should not have such Avords as 

 " Richai'dsonia " or " Richardia," which might have 

 been spelt as pronounced — Ricardia, Ricardsonia, — 

 the "c" being hard. As cases in point, I would 

 refer to the careful Latinizing of their own names by 

 old authors, and suggest that "Brunii" is more eu- 

 phonious than " Brownii," " Divisiensis " than " De- 

 vLziensis, and " Trinobantum " than " Londinensis." 

 Pleasing form, euphony, and correct formation, are 

 objects worth aiming at in scientific terminology. — 

 G. S. Bottlger. 



Hardy Fleas. — On the servant cutting through a 

 loaf of bread, the other week, she observed several 

 fleas, which she put aside on a piece of paper and 

 showed to me. On touching them, tzsio actually 

 jumped in proper flea fashion, after having been 

 kneaded and baked ! Some of the flour was Austrian, 

 and the fleas were supposed to have got in during the 

 voyage. So said the flour-dealer. — T. IF., B. 



Birds' Nests. — A remarkable instance of trustful- 

 ness in the nest-building of birds came under my own 

 notice a few days ago. For three years successively 

 a pair (I presume the same) of the common Black- 

 cap (Cnrntca atricapilla) have built their nest in the 

 private letter-box of a friend of mine at Glendon, near 

 Kettering, in this county. The box is situated inside 

 a gate into a park, and of course the letters and news- 

 papers are slipped in on to the birds below ; but this 

 they do not seem to object to, nor to be disturbed 

 when the box is opened for the letters to be removed. 

 Each year they have successfully reared their brood : 

 last year seven flew away, and this year I saw ten 

 nestled at the bottom of the box, fully fledged, and 

 I have no doubt flown by this time. — \'V. A. Law, 

 N'orthampton. 



