164 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



[July 1, 1869. 



NOTES AND aUERIES. 



Missel-thrush and Missel-toe. — The missel- 

 thrush or missel-toe thrush (Tardus viscivorus) is an 

 Old World species, which has become much more 

 common in the British isles within the memory of 

 man. In some parts of this country it is familiarly 

 known as the storm-cock. To "missel" signifies to 

 smear, and the bird is understood, or supposed, to 

 smear its toes with the viscid berries of the fa- 

 miliarly known parasitic plant, which is accordingly 

 denominated the "missel-toe." Which first ob- 

 tained its ordinary vernacular designation, the bird 

 or the plant, it would be difficult now to find out, 

 nor does it overmuch matter. We do not remember 

 that the formerly common word " missel" is retained 

 in any other instance. — Land and Water, May 22, 

 1869. 



Maiden Trees (p. 113).— The barren oak-tree 

 described by Mr. Dingley, in all probability produces 

 only male flowers, the female flowers being entirely 

 suppressed, or, if female flowers are produced, they 

 are probably imperfect in some way. Either of 

 these conditions is unusual, but quite possible, and 

 an examination of the young shoots at the season of 

 flowering would perhaps bring to light some curious 

 facts. The oak is a monoecious tree, producing 

 separate male and female flowers on the same 

 branches ; but, probably in this one instance, the 

 suppression of one set of sexual organs has been 

 more fully carried out, and the Birmingham "Maiden 

 Oak" has become, in fact, a dioecious tree. It would 

 be well for those who can do so, to look out for 

 other barren oak-trees, and observe the condition 

 of the flowers, if any are ever produced. Though I 

 have never noticed that certain oak-trees are barren, 

 I have often remarked barrenness in individual 

 hollies. I have seen trees which year after year 

 produce vast quantities of flowers, but upon whose 

 branches I know from experience it is always useless 

 to seek for scarlet berries at Christmas-time. This 

 lias puzzled me considerably, for the flowers were 

 apparently perfect, having both stamens and pistils ; 

 but upon comparing them with flowers from a fruit- 

 bearing tree, 1 now find that the pistils are not fully 

 developed, having ovaries, but no stigmas. I have 

 not yet found one solitary perfect flower upon any 

 of the barren holly-trees I have examined, and 

 hardly an imperfect flower on any usually fruitful 

 tree. These facts seem to show that in the holly 

 there is an approach to a dioecious habit ; indeed, it 

 may prove to be the case that fruitful trees are 

 never self-impregnated, but receive the pollen from 

 the barren trees through the agency of insects. — 

 Robert Holland. 



Local Names of Butterflies (p. 110).— The 

 working-men naturalists, of whom there are so many 

 in the manufacturing towns of Lancashire and 

 Cheshire, also make a distinction between white 

 and coloured butterflies. They call the former 

 " butterflies," the latter " red drummers." These 

 men, pent up in t he mills all the week, go into the 

 country on Saturday afternoons and on Sundays to 

 collect. Many of them are well up in the Scientific 

 names, and know the habits of each insect, what the 

 caterpillar feeds on, how it " makes up," and when 

 to look for the perfect insect; but they have 

 generally a strange fancy for collecting certain 

 species by hundreds and thousands, in order to 

 make pictures of them. Tor this purpose the but- 

 terflies are paved as close together as possible, often 



overlapping each other, in various patterns, forming, 

 when the colours are well blended, a rich and 

 beautiful mosaic. But not unfrequently they are 

 worked up iuto a picture — a representation of 

 George and the Dragon, Adam and Eve, or some 

 such subjects, in frames three or four feet square. 

 These are hung on the walls and are greatly valued. 

 I cannot conjecture what can be the meaning or 

 derivations of the Buckinghamshire name "hobhow- 

 chins," unless "hob" has some connection with the 

 fairies. The " huddieduddies " does not seem to 

 me to express the soft slimy nature of a snail, but 

 rather the round fat form ; for I have a vague re- 

 collection of some childish riddle, the exact way of 

 asking which I forget, but which had this rhyme 

 in it, 



" Hoddy-doddy, 

 All head and no body " ; 



the answer being "a snail." The word "hoddy," 

 or as in Buckinghamshire "huddie," seems, I think, 

 to refer to the snail's house being in the form of a 

 hood. — Robert Holland. 



Notice. — A gentleman who has made a rock- 

 work, planted with ferns, in the front of his house, 

 near Winchester, has placed up the following 

 notice, and found it efficient :— " Beggars, beware ! 

 Scolopendriums and Polypodiums are set here." — 

 Evening Star, May 29th, 1S69. 



Cats before a Storm. — " J. H." asks if cats 

 are aware of an approaching storm? I am quite 

 sure they are under atmospheric influence. I have 

 three cats, and invariably notice that before a high 

 wind they race in an excited manner about the 

 house and grounds. — E. A. S. 



Cat and Puff-balls.— Our torn cat is_ very 

 fond of both puff-balls and mushrooms ; he will eat 

 either of them, and finds them out by scent directly 

 they are brought into the room. — H. C. Leslie. 



Hybernation of Humble Bee. — Allow me to 

 correct two errors which appeared in last number 

 of Science-Gossip. At page 135, the 16th line, 

 "in the insect tube," should have been "in the 

 insect tribe." In the 27th line of the same page 

 also, " definitive" should have been " depuratiye." — 

 IF. Bevan Lewis. 



Leaf of Indian Pink.— I have just met with a 

 somewhat curious, and I think not very common, 

 transformation of a leaf of a seedling pink, in which 

 the two edges of the leaf seem to have joined 

 together, and form a kind of conical cup at the end 

 of the stalk.— E. T. S. 



Otters.— If Mr. Middleton will refer to the last 

 six or seven numbers of Land and Water, he will 

 hardly find one without some account or other of 

 Otters. May 15th, there is an account of a hunt by 

 the Carlisle otter-hounds. — W. Priske. 



Cure for Whooping Cough.— I remember 

 being told some years ago that in some parts of 

 Sussex the dark hair cut off the cross on a donkey's 

 back, chopped up finely and spread between bread 

 and butter, is an infallible remedy for this malady, 

 and has really been given by the poor to their 

 children. This recipe, as well as the cure for jaun- 

 dice mentioned in Science-Gossip of June, surely 

 requires the greatest amount of faith on the part of 

 both patient and nurse before their virtues could 

 be of any efficacy, as they are both of so revolting a 

 nature. — C. E. F., Redland, Bristol. 



