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HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



The British Association meets at Sheffield on 

 Wednesday, August 20. under the presidency of 

 Professor Allman. The contiguity of Sheffield to the 

 Peak district makes that town peculiarly desirable for a 

 meeting of this sort, in which excursions form one of 

 the most attractive part of the week's programme. 

 Among other places to which excursions are appointed 

 are Chatsworth, Thoresby, Darley Dale, Stanton-in- 

 Peak, Arbor Lowe, &c. 



The Popular Science Review. — The July 

 number of this most valuable and ably-edited quarterly 

 is one of the best and strongest we have had for some 

 time. It contains the following articles : " Facts 

 and thoughts about light-emitting animals," by 

 Professor Duncan, F.R.S. : "The life, birth, and 

 death of a storm," by Robert H. Scott, F.R.S. : " On 

 the extinct animals of the Colonies of Great Britain," 

 by Professor Owen, F.R.S.: "Is nest-building 

 an instinct in birds ?" by B. T. Lowne, F.L.S. : 

 and ' ' The position of the Silurian, Devonian, and 

 Carboniferous rocks in the London area," by 

 Robert Etheridge, F.R.S. 



Capture of a Whale in Lough Foyle. — It 

 may interest some of your readers to hear that early 

 in June a male of the species known as Sibbald's 

 Rorqual {Bahenoptera Sibbaldii) was captured in this 

 locality. I readily identified it by the description 

 given by Mr. Thomas Southwell, F.Z.S., in Science- 

 Gossip a short time ago. It was injured by coming 

 into collision near the entrance to the lough with a 

 steamer bound for Londonderry. During the day it 

 was observed spouting opposite Moville, and was at 

 once pursued by a large number of people in boats, 

 who by firing, and otherwise frightening it, succeeded 

 in driving it into shallow water, where it was soon 

 left stranded by the receding tide. It was auctioned 

 by order of the Receiver of Wreck, and purchased for 

 ,£18 by a local gentleman, who has had the blubber 

 removed and boiled down. Its length was about sixty- 

 two feet. Two years ago a grampus in an advanced 

 stage of decomposition was washed ashore at Termone 

 in this neighbourhood. — John Anderson, Moville. 



Occurrence of Lophinus palmatus near 

 Eastbourne. — I recently found four males and two 

 females of this species near here, and as Sussex is not 

 mentioned as a habitat by Cooke in his "British 

 Reptiles," I thought it might interest other readers 

 of Science-Gossip to know that they do occur here. 

 I may add that I do not find them as hardy as the 

 other British newts, both of which are also to be found 

 in this neighbourhood. — Charles Foran. 



The Manatee. — At a recent meeting of the 

 Zoological Society, Dr. J. Murie read a paper on the 

 Manatee, containing the results of his examination of 

 the specimen which was lately living in the West- 

 minster Aquarium. The peculiar attitudes assumed 



by the animal in life, the great mobility of the upper 

 lip, and the occasional use of the limbs in feeding 

 were noted. As regards the anatomy, the chief 

 points dwelt on were the shape of the brain and its 

 suppressed convolutions. The vexed question of the 

 number of the cervical nerves and their distribution 

 was also discussed. 



The Nightingale.— It would be interesting to 

 receive well-verified notes on the latest date up to 

 which (perhaps on account of the delayed summer) 

 the nightingale's song has been heard this year. I 

 heard the bird in full song about four o'clock on the 

 afternoon of July 2nd — the latest date I remember 

 to have heard of. — J. E. Taylor. 



BOTANY. 



Abnormal Development of Cardamine pra- 

 tensis. — In the chapter on Heterotaxy of Dr. Masters' 

 work on "Vegetable Teratology," is an account of 

 an abnormal development in Cardamine pratensis 

 quoted from Bromfield's " Flora Vectensis." A form 

 of Cardamine pratensis, somewhat similar to that de- 

 scribed, has been growing in a field in the parish of 

 Widford near Chelmsford for many years. It was first 

 observed by me in 1859, and is to be found there to 

 this day ; which seems to prove that, monstrous as it 

 is, it may be regarded as a permanent variety. The 

 flower opens first like any other of the same species, 

 sepals, petals, and stamens occupying their proper 

 places and falling as in cruciferous plants they com- 

 monly do. Then the ovary acquires a stalk and 

 swells into a flower-bud, which finally opens into a 

 second flower that is perfectly double, like that of a 

 double stock or wallflower. When transplanted into 

 a garden, the plant retains its character and may be 

 readily propagated by division, so that if it gain favour 

 with botanists or amateur gardeners it may become as 

 common as anybody could wish it to be. — Jo/in Gibbs. 



Fly-catching Plants. — My attention has been 

 directed to an interesting passage in which the carni- 

 vorous properties of the Drosera (sun-dew) are affirmed, 

 though I believe the discovery that the plant not only 

 catches, but digests, and is nourished by insects, is 

 also, and mainly, due to the independent researches of 

 Dr. Darwin. The passage occurs in a note on p. 13 

 of a small book entitled " Arran j a poem in six 

 Cantos." By the Rev. David Landsborough, Minister 

 of Stevenston, Ayrshire (Edinburgh, W. Blackwood, 

 1828). The author writes : 



" Should a fly 

 Rashly presume to sip the sparkling dew, 

 Or leaflet fresh to crop, she dies the death. 

 The viscous dew soon clogs her wings and feet ; 

 And soon her mouldering form strengthens the plant, 

 Which thus, when persecuted, better thrives." 



To this the following note is appended : " What I 

 have said respecting the sun-dew being nourished 



