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HARDWICKKS SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



» 



eye," let me discourse awhile anent the denizens of 

 " Our Lane." 



And first to merit mention assuredly are those 

 ministers to our happiness, our little feathered friends. 

 They abound in our lane, and notably within the pre- 

 cincts of our garden and orchard, for here in my 

 berried shrubs, and ivy and other climber clothed 

 walls, they find food, shelter and protective care ; 

 here, unmolested, they build their curious nests, and 

 raise their young broods — 'tis to them a veritable 

 bird paradise. 



My list mayhap embraces no great rarity, but in- 

 cludes — not excepting the nightingale — nearly all 

 most noted for their sweet song. Foremost let me 

 mention my sweet-voiced friend the common thrush 

 \Turdtis vuisiais) who much affects my garden. 

 Could I ever tire of his melodious outpourings ? I 

 trow not ; nor do I tremble for my fruit when I see 

 his lovely speckled breast beneath my shrubs, for 

 well I know that soon his tap-tap-tap upon his 

 favourite stone is the death-knell of the marauding 

 snail. Fearlessly, last summer, a pair built their 

 nest beneath the thatch of my summer-house, and 

 but five and a half feet from the ground, and although 

 I made a daily visit to the spot, and at but a foot 

 distant would stand and watch the sitting mother — 

 not once she fled her home, but, fixing her trustful 

 eyes on mine, calmly sat on. 



Their near relation, too, the missel thrush {T. visci- 

 ■vorus) is a frequent visitor, and until the last berry of 

 the mountain ash has been gathered frequents our 

 lane. Somewhat less welcome to me is the jetty 

 plumaged blackbird (T. vierida), for much as I delight 

 in the flute-like notes of this mellow-throated songster, 

 he lays my fruit under such heavy contribution that, 

 sometimes, methinks, I dearly pay for his sweet 

 music. Abundant though he is in all the bends and 

 twists of our lane, he most aff'ects our garden — as 

 does that shyest of birds, and sweetest singer of the 

 feathered choir, the blackcap (^Curnica atricapilla). 

 From the time of his arrival, about the first week in 

 April, until he takes his departure, about the end of 

 September, he much affects my shrubs, and pours 

 out his most tuneful notes from morn till eve. Sweet, 

 affectionate bird ; a thousand times welcome to the 

 fruit you claim as the guerdon of your delightsome 

 song. 



{To be continued.) 



SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



The Second Loan Exliibition of the Woolwich 

 District Natural History Society (President, the Rev. 

 J. W. Horsley), held at the Freemasons' Hall, 

 Mount Pleasant, was very successful. The exhibits 

 were of a high order, and represented most branches 

 of natural history. The collections of fossils, shells, 

 star-fish, Crustacea, coleoptera, lepidoptera, and 



botanical specimens were very good, and contained 

 many rare species. There was also a large assort- 

 ment of African weapons, implements, spoils of the 

 chase, and many other curiosities too numerous to 

 mention. Throughout the evening various electrical 

 appliances and a number of microscopes were ex- 

 hibited. 



The Easter Excursion of the Geologists' Associa- 

 tion will be to the Isle of Wight, under the direction 

 of Professor J. F. Blake and Mr. Thomas Leighton. 



A NEW quarterly magazine has been started at 

 Leeds, under the title of " The Conchologist." It is 

 edited by Mr. W. E. Collinge. 



The Annual Exhibition of the South London 

 Entomological and Natural History Society will be 

 held at the Bridge House Hotel, London Bridge, 

 S.E., on Wednesday and Thursday, the 15th and 

 1 6th of April next. On Wednesday it will be open 

 from 7 until 10.30 r.M. ; Thursday from i to6 and 7 

 till 10 P.M. Particulars and tickets can be obtained 

 of the Hon. Sec, Mr. H. W. Barker, %i Brayard's 

 Road, Peckham, S.E. 



We are glad to inform our readers that the pro- 

 posed oological expedition to the Shetland Islands 

 has very properly been abandoned. 



We have received a copy of the interesting 

 "Monthly Circular and Journal of Proceedings" of 

 the Huddersfield Naturalists' Society. 



We have also received a copy of the useful *' List 

 of Microscopical Preparations " from ]\Ir. J. Sinel, 

 Jersey. 



At the Annual Meeting of the Geological Society, 

 the Wollaston Medal was presented to Professor 

 Judd ; the Murchison Medal to Professor Brogger, of 

 Christiania ; the Lyell Medal to Professor 

 McKenny Hughes ; and the Bigsby Medal to Dr. 

 G. M. Dawson, of Ottawa. The balance of the 

 Wollaston Fund was presented to Mr. R. Lydekker; 

 that of the Murchison Fund to the Rev. R. Baron, 

 Antananarivo ; half of the balance of the Lyell Fund 

 to Dr. C. J. Forsyth-Major, of Florence ; and the 

 other half to Mr. G. W. Lamplugh. 



Professor Victor Horsley, F.R.S., gave a 

 discourse on Hydrophobia at the Royal Institution, 

 on Friday, March 20th, in place of Professor W. E. 

 Ayston, F.R.S., who was unable to give his promised 

 lecture on Electric Meters, Motors, and Money 

 Matters. 



The last part of the " Diatomiste," edited by 

 J. Tempere (London : W. P. Collins, 157 Great 

 Portland Street), contains four plates. This promises 

 to be the most important work on the Diatomacea ever 

 issued. It is being issued every three months. 



