Jan. 1, 1S69.] 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



17 



say ; I watched them for more than half an hour, 

 and as I returned home could see them distinctly 

 half a mile distant. On a rough calculation I 

 suppose there would be about ten millions of insects. 

 I have never read of a similar flight, and, not having 

 seen any notice of the above, I thought that the 

 fact ought to be recorded.— H. 0. S. 



Glossy Ibis in Norfolk.— A fine specimen of 

 the now rare visitor to the Norfolk coast, the Glossy 

 Ibis {Ibis falcineUus), was shot near Stalham last 

 month.— E. A., Norwich. 



The Smew {Mergus albellus). — A beautiful spe- 

 cimen of this bird was shot by the late Robert 

 Hawking, Esq. It was disporting on the river 

 Ouse, eleven miles above York. The figure (44) in 

 Science-Gossip gives a very correct idea of the 

 bird, and is very life-like. The bird was preserved, 

 and is now in the possession of W. D. Hawking, 

 Esq., of Laiton. — Jno. Hanson, Linton-on-Ouse, York. 



Maigre at Brighton {Scicena aquila.) — On 

 Sunday morning, November 22nd, as a labouring 

 man was strolling along the beach in front of the 

 Marine Parade, his attention was attracted to a 

 large fish which was floundering about in shallow 

 water, where, doubtless, it had been driven by 

 the high gale and rough sea of the previous 

 night. With the assistance of some other 

 loungers, he secured the prize, which excited the 

 admiration of all who saw it by the splendour of 

 its colour. Its scales, which were of a large size, 

 shone and flashed in the light like burnished gold. 

 The fins, which were large and extended, were of a 

 deep crimson colour. In shape it was like a salmon, 

 with small head, of elegant shape, and above five 

 feet long. In weight it was about 701b. It 

 proved to be a very rare fish, the " Maigre," of the 

 Mediterranean, and Peis rei or Royal Eish of 

 Rome, only four specimens of which (including the 

 present one) have been known to be caught in the 

 British seas. The fish was still alive when brought 

 to Mr. Wright's, on whose slab it was exposed 

 during the whole of Monday, and attracted admiring 

 crowds, the colours continuing very brilliant to the 

 last, though, of course, less so than when the 

 fish was first caught. The "Maigre" is much 

 esteemed at Rome as a delicacy of the table, and 

 we can speak from experience on the point, being 

 indebted to R. Peak, Esq., who became a purchaser 

 of the fish, for an opportunity of tasting this visitor 

 from the south. — Brighton Herald, Nov. 2S. 



Tern at Sydenham. — I lately noticed a Tern or 

 Sea-swallow skimming over one of the ornamental 

 waters in the grounds of the Crystal Palace. — W. 

 H. Tate, Grove Place, Denmark Hill. 



Legal Zoology. — The following cutting is from 

 the police report in the Times of December 9th : — 

 " A gentleman applied to Mr. Vaughau to ascertain 



if there were any means of punishing a street hawker 

 of birds under the Act for the Prevention of Cruelty 

 to Animals, or any other Act. Having noticed 

 that the bird-vendor in question was in the habit of 

 illustrating the tameuess of his canaries, &c., by 

 exhibiting them openly on his hand, without any 

 apprehension of their flying away, the applicant had 

 the curiosity to purchase one. He then discovered 

 that the pinions under the wing had been snapped 

 asunder and completely drawn away, so that the 

 birds were unable to fly at all. It was obvious that 

 this process of 'taming' the birds was attended 

 with great cruelty, and the man, who lived in Shore- 

 ditch and constantly visited the Strand, ought, if 

 possible, to be summoned. Mr. Vaughau, after 

 consulting the statutes, said that a bird was not an 

 animal within the meaning of the Act for the Pre- 

 vention of Cruelty to Animals, even if the specific 

 act of cruelty alleged in this case could be proved. 

 The applicant remarked that it is illegal to encourage 

 cock-fighting. Mr. Vaughau said that there was a 

 special enactment with regard to cock-fighting, but 

 it did not apply to an offence of this kind." Another 

 illustration of the familiar saying about driving a 

 stage-coach through an Act of Parliament. A man 

 might with impunity roast an Ostrich alive under 

 the very nose of authority. — W. Cole, Clapton. 



Woolwich Mosquitoes. — At the Entomological 

 Society of November 2nd, " the Secretary exhibited 

 a specimen of the so-called Mosquitoes sent from 

 Woolwich, which proved to be a species of Chrysopa" 

 Hence it will be evident that two or three different 

 insects have been confounded together under the 

 one name of "Mosquitoes" in that locality, and 

 none of them the genuine article. 



Clouded Yellows.— I can assure your cor- 

 respondent " H. H. O'FarreU " that the Clouded 

 Yellow Butterfly {Colias edusa) is not uncommon 

 near London in certain seasons : I have taken it at 

 Tooting, Wandsworth Common, Dulwich, and 

 Forest Hill. It has been taken plentifully in clover 

 fields near Bromley, Kent. The pale-clouded yellow 

 butterfly {Colias hyale) has been taken occasionally 

 at Eorest Hill.- 6'. Wood. 



The Pill Millepede, or wood-louse, as it is 

 here called, comes into my house in the autumn, 

 and is a perfect pest. They congregate on the walls, 

 and run on the floor under the carpets, and on the 

 carpets, so that we can hardly take a step in the 

 room without crushing them. Finally, as the 

 weather grows colder they all disappear, hiding 

 behind the skirting board and under the floors, to 

 emerge again when the temperature rises in March 

 and April. Can you or any of your readers suggest 

 a method by which they may be got rid of ?— W. B. C. 



[Consult the Notes and Queries in prior volumes 

 of this journal.] 



