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HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



White's Thrush.— Mr. Harting states in the 

 "Zoologist," that a specimen of this rare bird was 

 shot in September, 1878, at Harclacres in Berwick- 

 shire. Another specimen was seen in the same 

 neighbourhood in January last. 



New Species of Chameleons. — At a recent 

 meeting of the Zoological Society of London, a com- 

 munication was read from Dr. A. Giinther, F.R.S., 

 containing a description of 'four new species of 

 chameleons from Madagascar, proposed to be called 

 Ch. malphe, Ch. brevicornis, Ch. giilaris and Ch. 

 globifer. 



Mounting and Preserving Larv.e.— I was 

 pleased with Mr. Brewster's method of expelling the 

 internal tissues of caterpillars, and it may be interest- 

 ing to know that the best lepidopterists in this part 

 innate their grubs with melted paraffin wax. This is 

 coloured to suit the colour of the larvae in hand, and 

 ' injected with a fine male syringe. There may be 

 some drawback in this plan, but it is, perhaps, the 

 best remedy against change of colour.— G. Robson, 

 Leicester. 



Mimicry in Butterflies.— A paper has just been 

 read at the Entomological Society, by Dr. F. Miiller, 

 recording a remarkable case of mimicry in the 

 Brazilian butterfly, Eucides pavana, which mimics 

 another insect called Acraea thalia. It is however, 

 in the male sex of E. pavana, that the greatest 

 resemblance to the Acraea is found. 



Testacella Maugei in Jersey.— In Science- 

 Gossip for July last, there appeared a short notice 

 from me, announcing the occurrence of what was 

 supposed to be Testacella haliotoidea in this island. 

 Since that time I have found two more specimens. 

 Having sent one of them to John Gwyn Jeffreys, Esq., 

 the author of " British Conchology," that gentleman 

 informs me that the species is unquestionably Testa- 

 cella Maugei, not Testacella haliotoidea. I feel it right 

 to make this correction. — Martin M. Bull. 



The Stings of Bees.— Professor Church describes 

 in "Nature" some experiments made sixteen years 

 ago with the poison from wasps' stings, when he 

 found to his astonishment that it was invariably 

 alkaline instead of acid. A living wasp, duly held 

 in the cavity of a perforated cork, was easily induced 

 to sting a piece of turmeric paper ; when a brown-red 

 spot immediately appeared. 



"The Plague as it concerns England."— We 

 advise all our readers who are interested in this 

 momentous question to procure this well got up 

 pamphlet, published by Hardwicke & Bogue, at 

 one shilling. It gives an historical account of the 

 plague, and the methods to be adopted to prevent 

 its spread, and has been compiled from official and 

 other sources. 



BOTANY. 



•Pyrola, the Winter Green.— During July last 

 I accidentally came across a small bed of the above 

 plant near Canterbury. I showed it to several 

 botanists, but had a difficulty in finding the name. 

 I thought it would interest some of your readers to 

 know it grows in Kent, and I shall be pleased to 

 furnish any one with specimens in the coming spring 

 who desires it. — G. Parry, St. Raul's, Canterbury. 



Teratological Notes.— The curious form in the 

 flower of a calceolaria figured on page 41 is not un- 

 common, though I do not remember noticing it in 

 the small-flowered shrubby varieties. A similar 



Fig. 86. — Malformation of flowers of Calceolaria. 



Fig. 87.— Malformation of lips of ditto. 



flower is figured in Masters' 

 "Vegetable Teratology," page 

 230, where it is described as 

 an instance of perfect Peloria, 

 resembling that often found in 

 various species of Linaria, &c. 

 The herbaceous, greenhouse 

 calceolarias are very subject to 

 irregular development of dif- 

 ferent kinds, and in a collection 

 of two or three dozen a large 

 number of curious and interest- 

 ing malformations may be found. I inclose rough 

 sketches of two flowers which I found with various 

 other abnormal specimens last year. It will be seen 

 that in each case two flowers have apparently coal- 

 esced, though in different manners. In fig. S6 the 

 two flowers are nearly of normal size and form, but the 

 two upper lips are united. In fig. 87 the lower lips 

 are only about half the normal size, the lower pair 

 of stamens are abortive and there is only one pistil. — 

 F. T. Warner, Winchester. 



Fig. 88. 



-Calyx seen from 

 behind. 



