May 1, 1869.] 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



119 



Hemlock {Conium maculatum), derived from the 

 Greek konao, to whirl round, in reference to the 

 giddiness caused by eating the leaves. Having read 

 an article in the Pall Mall Gazette for March 

 25th, in which Hemlock was pronounced _ by Mr. 

 Harley and other toxicologists to be no poison, nor 

 even a medicinal remedy, I am anxious to know 

 how this agrees with various writers, who all attri- 

 bute to it deadly properties. Professor Henfrey 

 mentions that many of the TJmbelliferrc are poi- 

 sonous ; viz., Conium maculatum, AEthusa Cynapium, 

 Cicuta virosa, (Enanthe crocata, and other species, 

 although they appear to lose the 'property under cer- 

 tain circumstances ; and another writer states that 

 much of the strength of this plant depends upon 

 soil and climate. In northern latitudes — Russia for 

 instance — it is eaten with impunity; in Italy, Greece, 

 and Spain, it is poisonous in small quantities. Analy- 

 sis by Schrceder— resin, extractive gum, albumen, a 

 green fecula, various saline substances. Brande 

 discovered an odorous oil, and an alkaline principle 

 possessing a strong narcotic smell and a nauseous 

 taste, insoluble in water, and in doses of half a grain 

 producing dangerous symptoms. This substance is 

 named Conia or Conein, C' 7 H 17 N. Geizer obtained 

 an alkaline principle in the form of a volatile liquid, 

 which had a yellowish colour, and a strong naseous 

 taste, and an odour resembling Hemlock and To- 

 bacco; it is sparingly soluble in water, and has a 

 strong alkaline reaction, neutralizing acids, uncom- 

 bined in the form of salts: it is actively poisonous. 

 Used in the Materia Medica under the designation 

 of "Conii Folia et Fructus," and seems to be of 



f^reat benefit in many instances. The effects in 

 arge doses are vertigo, dimness of _ sight, nausea, 

 faintness, and general muscular debility ; in larger 

 doses the pupil becomes dilated, difficulty of speech, 

 delirium or stupor, tremors, paralysis, convulsions, 

 death. This medicine varies much in its strength if 

 procured from different places or persons. If this 

 belief of its being innocuous should become popular, 

 there is no knowing what serious accidents might 

 occur, and I think this matter should be well looked 

 into before Mr. Harley's view is adopted by the 

 general public. — Samuel A. Brenan, M.R.D.S., Vicar 

 of Cushenclun, Co. Antrim. 



A Sand Query (p. 95).— Can the circumstance 

 mentioned by your correspondent have any connec- 

 tion with the luminosity observed when we walk on 

 the sands at night ? I have frequently seen a phos- 

 phorescent appearance where, and only where, my 

 feet have impressed the wet sand. I supposed it to 

 be due to a microscopic animal, but have not 

 detected anything in the sand (under the micro- 

 scope) to confirm this supposition. A similar 

 appearance, which I think is mostly due to the 

 reproductive Medusas of hydroid zoophytes, may 

 frequently be observed in the sea, close to the 

 shore. — John Hopkinson. 



Tormentil (p. 91).— Mrs.Watney must surely 

 know that size, by itself, is of very little value as a 

 distinguishing mark between species. It is espe- 

 cially so as regards the Tormentil : even on the 

 Surrey commons, where I first became acquainted 

 with it, the flowers varied greatly in size, but never 

 approached those of P. reptans) in this particular; 

 but in Mid-Cheshire, where Mr. Holland directed 

 my attention to it, the blossoms are as large as, or 

 even larger than, those of P. reptans: and five- 

 petalled forms are nearly as common as four-petalled 

 ones. — James Britten, High Wycombe. 



Large Aerolite. — About five o'clock on Satur- 

 day morning a very large aerolite, travelling from 

 east to west, was seen over this city. It exploded 

 with a loud report, causing violent vibrations in the 

 air, which were felt as far as Penrith on the south, 

 and Newcastle on the east. A man, who was pre- 

 paring for market at Kirkbride, witnessed the 

 strange phenomenon, and he describes it as " like a 

 wap of straw " in the sky ; another account likens it 

 to a pillar of fire " of the size of an ordinary gate- 

 post," and emitting great heat.— From The Carlisle 

 Journal of Tuesday, April 6th. I may state, the 

 report wns distinctly heard here (Lampkigh), a dis- 

 tance of forty miles from Carlisle. — J. Boioman. 



Snakes. — It is well known that a poisonous 

 snake can be distinguished from a harmless one by 

 the diamond shape of its head, which frequently has 

 also a diamond spot on it ; the head of non-venomous 

 snakes being oval. Is this merely intended to enable 

 us to distinguish them, or has it also some connec- 

 tion with the possession, or otherwise, of poisonous 

 organs ? — J. H. 



Hawk-moth. — A few mornings since (April), 

 whilst I was dressing, a full-sized Hawk-moth flew 

 across my room, flitted about the window for a 

 minute or two, making its peculiarly sharp buzz, 

 and then fell down on the table. I had it carefully 

 taken info a conservatory, where it resumed its 

 flight. Though the windows were all shut, to keep 

 out a cold rain, in looking for it an hour or two 

 after, I was unable to find it. — W. B. B. 



Proliferous Cabbage-leaves. — " F. M. C." 

 sends a leaf of cabbage with supplementary off- 

 shoots springing from the main leaf; some of the 

 new growths are in the form of little cups raised on 

 stalks. Such growths are not very uncommon, and 

 they are interesting, amongst other things, in show- 

 ing that there is no such absolute distinguishing 

 character between leaf and branch as is usually 

 supposed ; for here we have a leaf giving off other 

 leaves, just as a branch does. — M. T. M. 



Companionship. — At the meeting of the 

 Zoological Society on the 8th of April, Mr. E. T. 

 Higgins communicated a note by Lieut. C. C. De 

 Crespigny, on the singular friendship existing 

 between a Malacopterygian fish (Premnas aculcatus) 

 and a species of Sea-anemone {Actinia crassicornis), 

 as observed by Lieut. De Crespigny on the sea- 

 coast of Labium. 



Fossil Coral. — The specimen forwnrcled by 

 "J. W. S." is identical with Montlivantha Dela- 

 bechii, figured and described in Milne Edwards & 

 Haime's "British Fossil Corals." The genus is 

 entirely confined to the secondary and tertiary 

 systems, being represented by the greatest number 

 of species in the Oolitic and Cretaceous formations. 

 The species forwarded for identification is recorded 

 as having been met with in the inferior Oolite of 

 Somerset, Dorset, and Gloucestershire. "T. R.'s" 

 Fungia patellaria (?) is probably the same or an 

 allied species, but no particulars being given re- 

 garding the structure of the specimen, the descrip- 

 tion of limestone, or the locality from whence it was 

 procured, it is perfectly impossible to arrive at any 

 satisfactory conclusion as to its identity. Mont- 

 livantha belongs to the solitary Lithophylliacese, a 

 group of the Astreidai, and not to the Fungidas. The 

 genus Fungia, as at present constituted^ is entirely 

 restricted to the existing seas.— W. S. Kent. 



