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HABDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



[May 1, 1869. 



Hake British Animals. — In a letter I had from 

 my sister a few weeks ago, she says that a relation 

 of ours residing at Plymouth recently set a live-rat 

 trap, and on looking at it in the morning, was 

 surprised to find a female Black Bat (Mus rattus) in 

 it, and some young ones trying to get at her. On 

 opening the door of the trap a little, they ran in and 

 settled down comfortably with their mother. — //. 

 Budge, Islington. 



Otter— Early in 1SG5 an otter ahout a month 

 old was found by a dog in Eish Bow, Oulton Broad, 

 near Lowestoff, and given by its captor to_Mr. 

 Isaac Beaumont, of Prospect Place, Mutford Bridge, 

 who by a little care and kindness completely tamed 

 it, so that it answered to its name, Peter, like a dog, 

 and would follow its master about his garden, as 

 well as let him do anything with it, though 

 strangers would soon find that Peter could bite. He 

 was feci on flesh, or, when fish could be procured, 

 they were placed in a large bucket of water, into 

 which Peter would dive, taking them alive. It 

 eventually became so attached to its master that it 

 refused to go into the Broad, though let loose, and 

 urged by its master to take the water. It was 

 unfortunately starved, in consequence of its owner 

 being unable, through a severe accident— a broken 

 arm— to procure fish for it. Another otter was shot 

 in Eebruary last about the same place; showing that 

 they still inhabit this fine piece of water.— F. li. M. 



The Otter, Badger, and Black Bat.— A few 

 otters are still to be found' in the river Erome, 

 Somerset, a tributary of the Lower Avon : one was 

 shot there some five or six years ago. The 

 contamination of the stream by the cloth-dyers 

 renders the fishing of little value, else I fear that 

 times would be even harder with the poor otters 

 and kingfishers than at present. The Badger has 

 not been seen in this neighbourhood, so far as I can 

 learn, for many years; but a few years ago £ saw the 

 dead body of one not, very long killed, among the 

 bushes at the Pinhay Cliffs, Devon, near Lyme 

 Regis. I am informed by a rat-catcher of great 

 experience in these parts, that in addition to white 

 and piebald individuals, he has on two occasions 

 taken black rats, smaller than the ordinary rat, one 

 near Westbury, Wilts, the last about a year ago, 

 in a barn near Road, Somerset. — H. J. P. 



Bare British Animals. — In the parish of 

 Campsie the killing of otters is not a very rare 

 occurrence ; one, the skin and head of which I saw, 

 was killed in the month of May last year ; another 

 was caught in a trap last month : they were both 

 old ones, and were caught at the same stream, 

 which flows from the Campsie fells, and is filled 

 with good-sized trout. The only case in which a 

 badger was caught, was a number of years ago; but 

 it was only by chance I heard of the otters, and 

 there may have been badgers caught lately, without 

 my having heard of it. — David Macnub, LUyhcin, 

 Milton of Campsie, near Glasgow. 



The Badger. — Your correspondent, Robert 

 Morton Middleton, will perhaps be interested to 

 know that there are several badgers in a piece of 

 gorse on a farm belonging to Earl Harrowby, in the 

 parish of Willersey, Gloucestershire. Three have 

 been destroyed within the last twelve months, but 

 there are' yet some remaining. This information I 

 obtained from the farmer who occupies the laud. — 

 Anne Hertford, Willersey, nr. Broadway. 



The Hawthorn. — The unusual mildness of the 

 season has occasioned the hedges in our neighbour- 

 hood to assume the appearance of spring in winter. 

 The Hawthorn not only put forth leaves, but I 

 found whole branches with the blossom-buds fully 

 developed, on the 21st of Eebruary. — Anne Halford, 

 Willersey. 



Use oe Stones ry Spiders. — Like many other 

 persons, I have observed a small stone suspended 

 from a spider's web, but I must confess to consider- 

 able doubt as to the suspension being the intentional 

 act of the Spider. It seems to me far moi'e probable 

 that the stone at the time the thread was attached 

 to it was quietly reposing on the ground, and that 

 subsequent shrinking of the threads, or some change 

 in the position of the web's supports, raised it from 

 the earth. If, as is so frequently the case, one of 

 the main cords of the web was attached to a growing 

 shrub, a light pebble would be very likely to be 

 raised in time, as described. By whatever means, 

 intentional or otherwise, the stone came into its 

 pendent position, the Spider might find it advisable 

 to steady it, with other threads when he found it, like 

 "the Cavalier's" ladder of ropes, "swinging about 

 in the breeze." — George Gvyon, Fentnor, Isle of 

 Wight. 



Eish-moth. — "W. 0.," at page 91, inquires what 

 is the scientific name of "a small insect called the 

 Eish-moth about here ? " As no address is given, 

 "about here" is somewhat vague; but from the 

 brief description I have little doubt that the insect 

 in question is Lepisma saccharina, which here, in the 

 Isle of Wight, is known as the Sugar-moth, but in 

 most parts of England 1 believe, is called the Sugar- 

 louse (not the Sugar-mite, which is quite a different 

 thing). It occurs in this house, but my servants 

 tell me they are not aware that it any w r ay injures 

 textile fabrics. They say it will endeavour to find 

 its way to the sugar-basin, thus evincing the taste 

 for sweets indicated both by its English and classical 

 names, but it so often frequents rooms where no 

 provisions are kept, haunting cupboards, window- 

 frames, &c.j that it must be independent of a sac- 

 charine diet, and seems to exist anywhere if the 

 woodwork is somewhat old. A very similar, but 

 larger insect, occurs here under stones in damp 

 situations, and from its tapering form and pearly 

 lustre, a friend of mine used to term it " the fish 

 upon legs:" it is described under the name "Bristle- 

 tale" or Machilis, in Gosse's "Evenings at the 

 Microscope." Both genera furnish scales which are 

 good objects for microscopical study. — George Guyon, 

 Ventnor, Isle of Wight. 



Hare's Eur in Winter.— Mr. Busk communi- 

 cated a paper, by Mr. Brands H. Welch, Assistant- 

 Surgeon, 22nd regiment, at a recent meeting of 

 the Zoological Society, containing observations on 

 the American Hare (Lepus americanus), especially 

 in reference to the modifications in the fur 

 consequent on the rotation of the seasons, and the 

 change of colour on the advent of winter. Mr. 

 Welch's observations on this hare were based on 

 specimens obtained in the province of New Bruns- 

 wick, North America. 



Snipe.— A few days ago, while out shooting 

 herons about five miles from Exmouth, I shot a 

 " snipe," flying northward across the sea. Can any 

 of your readers account for this very strange 

 occurrence ? — W. P. C. 



