HARD WICKE 'S S CI E NCE - G O SSIF. 



263 



The Robin. — In the months of November and 

 December last year, I, after great perseverance and 

 coaxing, made friends with a robin in my garden. My 

 first introduction to my little redbreast was when 

 forking up some ground, he perched on a tree and 

 darted down for worms. After a few days he would 

 stop on the ground and wait for them, and allow me 

 to throw them to him. I then began to try him with 

 bread and biscuit, to take it from my hand, but to no 

 purpose ; he would allow me to come very near him, 

 but would fly away when I held out my hand with 

 food. I still coaxed him day after day with different 

 kinds of things, worms, &c, and at last succeeded 

 Avith some tempting pieces of cheese, in the following 

 manner, first by calling him from the shrubbery, 

 where he was generally to be found, and as his 

 favourite place was perching on a low boarded fence, 

 I used to hold out my hand with the cheese for his 

 inspection, then place my hand on the fence near 

 him, and it was very amusing to see the shy way in 

 which he would hop a little nearer and nearer, and 

 peck up a piece and fly off into the trees, then return 

 to my hand again until satisfied. After about a week 

 of this the little fellow had confidence in me, and 

 would come when called and perch on my hand and 

 feed. After awhile he would also come to my father, 

 and we both tool: great interest in him and fed him 

 during the winter. In the spring, when nesting-time 

 came, we saw no more of him. However, at the 

 beginning of this month (September), I was talking lo 

 the gardener, who was digging potatoes, when I 

 heard a robin singing in one of the apple-trees, and I 

 began telling him the story about the robin that used 

 to feed from my hand, and I said to him, I wonder 

 if this is my little friend ; I will try him. I happened 

 to have some biscuit in my pocket. I crumbled some 

 in my hand, and gave my usual call to him, and much 

 to our astonishment, he flew from the tree and took 

 the biscuit three or four times in succession, then flew 

 off into the trees, and I saw no more of him that day. 

 I at once came to the conclusion it must be the same 

 bird, who had not forgotten my past kindness to him. 

 This is a wonderful instance of memory in birds. — 

 S. Griffin, Salisbury. 



Books on Entomology, &c. — Having read the 

 "Aid to the Choice of Books on Botany," I think it 

 very instructive and useful to those who wish to 

 study it. Such articles as those save the young 

 student a great deal of trouble and disappointment 

 through not knowing which are the best books. I 

 should esteem it a great favour if you or some of the 

 readers of Science-Gossip would write an article 

 similar to the one on the choice of books on botany, 

 by Bernard Hobsbn, only to aid in the choice of 

 books on entomology, geology, &c. I think it would 

 be very acceptable to many young entomologists and 

 others. — F. J. Francis. 



Curious Sites for Birds' Nests. — Your corre- 

 spondent F. F., referring to my note on curious sites 

 for birds' nests, may throw aside any doubts he may 

 have with regard to the original architect of the nest 

 alluded to by me, as the magpie is the only bird that 

 builds that class of nest with a dome, and it is so 

 strongly built, that it will bear the blasts of five or 

 six winters in sheltered situations, and is then not 

 considered too dilapidated for the kestrel, that in my 

 experience never does build its own nest, and when 

 it lays in a hole in a tree or cleft of a broken limb, 

 makes about the same nest as an owl, nothing more 

 than a quantity of pellets of fur and feathers, that it 

 had thrown up while at roost or possibly sitting. 

 Our Selborne district used to be much troubled by 

 magpies a few years back, but the damage done by 



them to pheasant and hen-coops, induced a war of ex- 

 termination, and where I have counted fifty at a time, 

 it is now rare to see a pair ; they are easily started 

 from the nest, by a sharp blow to the trunk of the tree. 

 Jays and magpies, though generally very wary and 

 shy, are very bold in defence of their young when 

 just fliers, are easily killed by imitating the cry of a 

 young one in trouble, which can be done by a split 

 stick and leaf, or a blade of grass between the thumbs, 

 and if a young one be caught alive or winged, you 

 are almost sure of the old birds. — G. T. 



NOTICES TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



To Correspondents and Exchangers. — As we now 

 publish Science-Gossip a week earlier than heretofore, we 

 cannot possibly insert in the following number any communi- 

 cations which reach us later than the 9th of the previous 

 month. 



To Anonymous Querists. — We receive so many queries 

 which do not bear the writers' names that we are forced to 

 adhere to our rule of not noticing them. 



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 are simply 

 disguised advertisements, for the purpose of evading the cost of 

 advertising, an advantage is taken of our gratuitous insertion of 

 "exchanges" which cannot be tolerated. 



F. H. Habpen - . — The so-called " Vegctab'e growth " is not a 

 fungus, but the stalked eggs of the lace-wing fly (CArysofa 

 vulgaris). 



John Slatrr. — The insects attacking the ears of corn are a 

 species of Aphis, or " plant-louse," and they have undoubtedly 

 appeared on the ears by reason of the continued wet weather. 

 It is not a " new pest." 



S. Brenan. — We are sorry to say the box full of fungi reached 

 us in such an utterly smashed up condition, that there remained 

 nothing but pulpy fragments, which were quite undeterminable. 

 The smaller box contained, not a lichen, but a well-known alga, 

 which often appears on gravel walks at this time of the year, 

 Nostoc commune. 



D. N. — The fragment of slate from the quarries at Llanberis 

 was impressed with the black dendritic crystallisation of oxide 

 of manganese. It is not a fossil. 



W. Martin. — Any ordinary microscope would enable you to 

 examine the structure of the leaves and fruits of mosses. You 

 can purchase a capital instrument at any good maker's for about 

 five guineas. 



H. Miller (Accrington). — A capital book for the purpose you 

 require is Nicholson's "Manual of Palaeontology " (publisher, 

 Blackwood). For characteristic tertiary fossils, we recommend 

 the Charts published by Tennant, Strand, London, at js. 6d. 



J. J. Morgan. — It is difficult to pronounce on a plant from 

 so small a portion as that sent, but we have no doubt that it is 

 a variety of the orpine (Scdum Te 'cphiumS. 



W. Benner. — We should think you might be able to procure 

 any of the small species of living quadrupeds from London 

 dealers, or inquire in our "Exchange" column, stating what 

 species you want. 



A. D. Mei.vin. — Will this gentleman (who mooted the idea 

 of a Register of Field Botanists) kindly send us his full address? 



Dr. Morton. — There is a Postal Microscopical Society 

 already in existence. The idea was started in the pages of 

 Science-Gossip in 1872 and 1873, which please see for rules, 

 membership, &c. We understand this society is working in an 

 excellent manner. 



Herbert Bishop. — We are always willing to help students, 

 but not to do for them what we know is best they should do for 

 themselves. For instance, in naming fossils, as you live in 

 London, it would be much better for you to take them to such 

 a museum as that of the School of Mines, Jermyn Street, and 

 name them yourself from the specimens there exhibited. Such 

 a plan would impress the names of the fossils much better upon 

 your memory than if they were named for you. 



J. S. Ilslev. — Many thanks for your offer; we should much 

 like a little of the Sargasso-weed with the zoophytes on it. 



T. G. Harris. — Taylor's " Half Hours at the Seaside," and 

 Wood's "Common Objects of the Seashore," will enable you - 

 to name nearly all the obiects you are likely to pick up. Many 

 thanks for your kind offers. You could not get a more suitable 

 book on microscopic fungi than that by Dr. Cooke, nor indeed a 

 better work on the larger British fungi than the cheap popular 

 one by the same author (both published by D. Bogue). Smith's 

 " Ferns, British and Foreign" is the best and cheapeston that 

 subject ; and for sea-weeds, get Grattan's book, published at 

 the Bazaar office, or Dr. Landsborough's, both are cheap. 



