March 1, 1SG9.] 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



65 



i he little shell found on the fern-leaves lead me to 

 suppose that it is a Zonites, which is a pulinonate or 

 air-breathing gasteropode, and which species has 

 not, I think, been previously found in Great Britain, 

 fossil in the coal-measures.— .#. G. 



Entomology in the Coal-pits.— There is more 

 natural history in mines than people imagine. A 

 lew months ago a friend, employed underground, 

 brought me a beautiful beetle caught in the pit, and 

 which I have only once or twice met with above 

 ground. It was a fine specimen of Astynomus cedilis, 

 a beetle with extremely long antennae, well known 

 to collectors, but not "as plentiful as blackberries." 

 Two other friends during the last summer have sent 

 me numerous specimens of Sirex, the great S. gigas 

 and the smaller S. juvenctis. These hornets, as they 

 called them, had seriously frightened the colliers. 

 No doubt the pine timber which was used for props 

 in the pits was full of the larvae of these insects, as 

 was the case with a large block which I got near 

 the pit mouth, and which I had split up to examine. 

 I think last year the Sirex was unusually frequent 

 in our fir woods. Another longicorn beetle, allied 

 to the Astynomus, was lately brought in to me by 

 my neighbour the timber-merchant; its antennae were 

 also of great length, nearly three inches; it is no 

 doubt Monochamm sutor, the cobbler. Can any of 

 your readers inform me what species of insect it is 

 that cuts pieces out of the leaves of the floating 

 pond-weeds (Potamogeton), and with them makes a 

 domicile for its larvae (Donatio.?)? What insect 

 deposits clusters of regularly arranged brown eggs 

 on water-grass or Poa aquatica ?—E. G. 



Geophiltts.— Taschenberg in the last issued 



number of his Wirbellosen Thiere tells the following 



remarkable tale in reference to an individual of this 



genus. " In a medical journal published at Metz, 



Herr Scoutetten states that a woman, 28 years of 



age, residing near that city, suffered for some 



months an uncomfortable tickling sensation in the 



region of the nose, accompanied by a copious 



discharge from the nostrils and frequent headaches. 



The symptoms gradually became worse ; the pains 



extended from the nose to the ear, and then over 



the whole head. The agony endured by the patient 



was frightful : it was as though her head was being 



struck at regular intervals by a hammer, or as if her 



forehead was being bored through; and often she 



became delirious, and rushed madly about the house 



in her vain efforts to find relief. At length after 



these attacks had continued during a whole year, 



they were suddenly brought to a close in a most 



unexpected manner. During an unusually violent 



fit of sneezing, a living insect was ejected from the 



nose, which forthwith rolled itself up in a spiral 



fashion, like a watch spring. It lived some time in 



water, but quickly died on being immersed in 



alcohol. The insect was two inches long, of a yellow- 

 colour, and was divided into sixty-four segments, 

 each of which bore a pair of legs. It was evident 

 that it belonged to the genus Geophihts; competent 

 judges pronounced it to be G. elect ricus ; it is 

 certainly either that or its near relative G. 

 carpophihs. No suggestion has been offered as to 

 the manner in which this centipede could have 

 entered its temporary lodging."— W. W. S. 



The Cuckoo in Captivity.— As " E. G. W." 

 appears to think that no young Cuckoo has been 

 kept in captivity longer than April 1st, the following 

 notes upon one which lived from June, 1867, until 

 June, 1868, may be interesting to him : it is taken 

 from the Quarterly Magazine of the High Wycombe 

 Natural History Society, vol. i. pp. 1S9-90. " This 

 bird was taken in a half-fledged state from the nest 

 of a hedge-sparrow, early in the month of June. 

 The first food provided for him was a boiled egg, 

 which pleased his juvenile palate— bruised seeds and 

 soaked bread were also given to him. After a few 

 days, worms and raw meat were offered. These 

 provisions were greedily swallowed, though for 

 some time he declined the trouble of feeding himself. 

 During the severe weather, when worms could not 

 be procured, raw meat was preferred ; but cooked 

 meat, vegetables, bread-and-butter, indeed, almost 

 anything was devoured. On Christmas day he 

 dined off turkey and plum-pudding. Hot buttered 

 crumpet is a favourite dish. The bird is extremely 

 tame, the feeling of fear towards any of the house- 

 hold seeming quite unknown Whenever 



a clatter of plates is heard in the kitchen, an 

 answering note is heard from the cage. The cuckoo 

 descends from his perch, and, should the door be 

 closed, knocks his head against it until a friendly 

 hand attends to his wishes. His eating is not 

 confined to regular meal-times, but he is stuffing all 

 day long : probably the reason so few have lived is 

 that they have never had enough given them to eat. 

 The struggle of instinct at the usual time of 

 departure spoiled his beauty. At night he was 

 constantly found with his wings spread, beating 

 against his cage; darkening the cage did not prevent 

 it : the feathers of his long wings and tail were all 

 broken. The hero of this account became gradually 

 more and more domesticated, and was allowed to 

 wander at will about the premises ; his health was 

 apparently unimpaired, although he became almost 

 featherless ; but, on June 8th, the joint appearance 

 of a strange cat and disappearance of the cuckco 

 left little doubt as to his untimely end."— B. 



Blackcaps.— While out on the 21st of January, 

 my companion shot a cock-blackcap ; we also saw a 

 bird with it, which I supposed to be the hen. Is it 

 not strange to see Blackcaps paired at this time of 

 the year, and also to see them in England during 

 the winter ? — Forbes Jenkins. 



