HARDWJCKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP, 



95 



■eggs frequently occur without markings, as in the 

 song-thrush and many others (including in one case 

 the rook). On the other hand, self-coloured eggs 

 but rarely become accidentally maculated. I have 

 seen eggs of the domestic fowl slightly spotted, and 

 one particular hen during the whole of her laying 

 career, produced somewhat heavily-dappled eggs, 

 approaching in colour to those of the turkey. Eggs 

 of the stonechat and whinchat seem to have dotted 

 and undotted eggs with almost equal frequency, so 

 that neither can be called decidedly the normal state. 

 A pair of dark chestnut-mottled eggs of the green 

 woodpecker were taken near Kipling, in Yorkshire, 

 in i8Si. These were exceedingly richly-coloured. 

 Variations in the ground colours of eggs are less 

 frequent than those of the markings. White jack- 

 daw eggs with black markings are frequent in 

 Cleveland, and are very handsome when heavily- 

 spotted. The partridge-egg, with the small end 

 green, described by Mr. Hewitt, and which I have 

 seen, is a very remarkable freak. The markings 

 themselves of eggs perhaps afford the most examples 

 of aberration from the normal, but of these I cannot 

 now treat, but will try to describe a few I- have met 

 with in a future note. — J. A. IVkeldon, 32, Langham 

 Street, Askton -under- Lyite, 



Batrachomyomachia. — So far as I know, 

 before the days of Homer, no battle between frogs 

 and mice and rats has been recorded. The blind 

 bard gives us the origin of the famous contest he 

 describes ; but those which I am about to relate 

 appear to have been brought about in a difterent 

 manner. Some little time ago a friend living at 

 Comptom, Sussex, witnessed a singular spectacle ; 

 in this case toads instead of frogs had fallen victims 

 in an engagement. A legion of rats had assailed a 

 small army of toads and rent them limb from limb, 

 as their mutilated carcases testified. They did not 

 appear to have devoured many of the toads. 

 Perhaps, having tasted them, they did not like them. 

 Last week a strange combat took place at Chichester, 

 of which I extract the following account from the 

 "West Sussex Gazette": A rat and a frog were 

 found near the stables of Dr. Buckell, East Pallant, 

 having met their death in mortal duel. The rat had 

 seized the frog's head, and its teeth protruded 

 through the eye ; the frog had also taken a firm grip 

 of its opponent. Both declining to release their hold, 

 or perhaps being unable to do so : they had probably 

 died of starvation. This strange couple are to be 

 [ireserved for the Chichester Museum. What could 

 have caused this quarrel ? The rat was of Hanoverian 

 or German extraction, and the frog possibly of 

 French origin, which would at once account for it ; 

 but, as there is no evidence as to the latter, perhaps a 

 different reason may be assigned. Does any 

 correspondent know of similar battles recently ? — 

 J^. H. Arnold. 



Mounting Shells. — I have collected shells for 

 some years, and have used gelatine (that sold at the 

 confectioners in pellets) to fasten them on card 

 tablets, melting it like glue in a vapour bath, but on 

 floating isome of the shells off I find a mark where 

 the gelatine has been, and am afraid it injures the 

 shells. Can any reader advise me on the matter ? — 

 Mary Priest. 



Heredity. — In the great discussion now going on 

 as to whether any modifications acquired during the 

 life of the parent are transmitted to the offspring, can 

 any one give any information as to the size of feet 

 of Chinese babies, after fashion for centuries has 

 crushed in the feet of the mothers ? Darwin, I think. 



mentions the peculiar canter of Shetland ponies as 

 being due to the boggy nature of the ground across 

 which they run wild so long. At a loan exhibition 

 held here, I was amazed at the small size of a pair of 

 Chinese women's shoes exhibited. They were more 

 like shoes for a six-months'-old baby in this country, 

 or for a doll, than for any adult. — J. Shaw. 



Rat Stories. — The following stories of rats were 

 communicated to me by a person living at Cushen- 

 dall, CO. Antrim. A farmer living near the village 

 had a cask full of pickle for curing meat. This cask 

 was placed near a shelf on which was a dish where 

 three large crabs had been placed ; one of them was 

 boiled, the other two were alive. A rat prowling 

 for food smelt the cooked fish, and had just com- 

 menced his meal when one of the crabs seized him 

 by one of the forelegs and held such a grip that both 

 tumbled over into the pickle. The farmer coming 

 next day to get the crabs, wondered extremely what 

 had become of one of them, and thought it was 

 stolen, and after searching about discovered it and 

 the rat at the bottom of the cask, the crab still 

 holding on firmly. Both were drowned. Another 

 rat was observed by a farmer in the month of April, 

 when rats leave the rick-yards for the fields, to 

 be assisted on his journey by two rats, one on each 

 side, supporting him by a stick which the maimed 

 rat held in his mouth. This rat had evidently been 

 caught in a trap, as both his forelegs were broken. 

 This, I think, shows reasoning. — S. A. Brenan. 



Classificatory Position of the Mollusca. — 

 Can anybody state, as succinctly as possible, the 

 precise reasons why the iNIollusca have been placed 

 in a higher position in the scheme of animal classi- 

 fication than the Annulosa ? — P. Q. K, 



NOTICES TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



To Correspondents and Exchangers. — As we now 

 publish ScjENCE-Gossip earlier than formerl}', we cannot un- 

 dertake to insert in the following number any communications 

 which reach us later than the 8th of the previous month. 



To Anonymous Querists. — We must adhere to our rule of 

 not noticing queries which do not bear the writers' names. 



To Dealers and Others.— We are always glad to treat 

 dealers in natural history objects on the same fair and general 

 ground as amateurs, in so far as the "exchanges" offered are 

 fair exchanges. But it is evident that, when their offers aie 

 simply Disguised Advertisements, for the purpose of evading 

 the cost of advertising, an advantage is taken ai o\ir gratuitous 

 insertion of "exchanges," which cannot be tolerated. 



_We request that all exchanges may be signed with name (or 

 initials) and full address at the end. 



Special Note. — There is a tendency on the part of some 

 exchangers to send more than one per month. We only allow 

 this in the case of writers of papers. 



To OUR Recent Exchangers. — We are willing and helpful 

 to our genuine naturalists, but we cannot further allow dis- 

 guised Exchanges like those which frequently come to us 

 to appear unless as advertisements. 



Uva Ursi. — Write to the secretaries of the Chemical Society, 

 and also to the secretary of the Institute of Chemistry, for 

 rules of admission. 



W. F. — You will find "The Journal of Microscopy and 

 Natural Science," published at (>d. monthly (London : Baillicre, 

 Tyndall & Co.), very useful. "The Microscope" (an American 

 Journal), may be had of Mr. W. P. Collins, 157 Great Portland 

 Street, London, W. 



S. J. Bedac— Write to Mr. W. J. Cain, Hon. Sec. Isle of 

 Man Natural History and Antiquarian Society, Woodburn 

 Square, Douglas, for information respecting the lepidoptera of 

 the island. 



W. D. R. — We hope to print your list of Aberdeen shells 

 shortly. 



