Aug. 1, 1SC0.] 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



1S1 



Instances are on record of Kestrels nesting in 

 a hollow tree after the fashion of Owls, and we 

 have sometimes found them building, like the 

 Peregrine, on the ledge of a cliff facing the sea. 

 Notwithstanding that the Kestrel was formerly 

 trained and employed for hawking, it is a trouble- 

 some bird to tame. We have kept several; but, 

 beyond coming to fake food from the hand, when 

 called, they never displayed that docility which the 

 larger Falcons attain. Falconers nowadays (how 

 few, alas ! there are !) seldom bestow their time and 

 trouble in training Kestrels, for the result scarcely 

 repays them. The Peregrine, Goshawk, and Ger- 

 falcon are more readily trained, and from their 

 greater size and strength show better sport in 

 striking larger quarry. Nevertheless the Kestrel 

 is a useful bird, and we should like nothing better 

 than to see a "close time" appointed for our land- 

 birds as well as sea-birds,* when the Kestrel would 

 have immunity from traps and guns. 



J. E. Harting. 



TRANSATLANTIC JOURNALS. 



T)Y this title we mean journals devoted wholly to 

 -*-' Natural History ; for of late several of these 

 have made their appearance in the United States 

 and Canada, with such a general character of 

 excellence that we cannot longer refrain from bid- 

 ding them welcome. 



First and foremost, in point of time, as well as in 

 its special claims upon our notice, is the American 

 Naturalist, published by the Peabody Academy of 

 Science, Salem, Mass. 



This journal commenced upwards of two years 

 ago, under very able editorship, and has maintained 

 to the present a most excellent position. It is pub- 

 lished monthly in octavo, magazine form, at four 

 dollars a year. Each part contains fifty-six pages 

 of good printing and paper, and is well illustrated. 

 The wide range of subjects, their sound, but clear 

 and popular treatment, and general interest, are 

 features which will commend this journal to our 

 readers. Let us take for example the last number 

 (June, I860); it contains "Bitterns," by W. E. 

 Endicoit, with an illustration; "The Mule Deer," 

 by W. J. Hays, with a page plate ; " The Naturalist 

 in California," by Dr. J. G. Cooper ; " Hints on 

 Taxidermy," by C. A. Walker ; " A Fish Farm," 

 by E. Dexter, with illustrations ; " The Fresh- 

 water Aquarium," by C. B. Brigham ; "Reviews;" 

 "Natural History Miscellany," including "Zoo- 

 logy," " Botany," and " Microscopy ; " " Proceed- 

 ings of Scientific Societies," and "Answers to Cor- 

 respondents." 



* An Act for the preservation of sea-birds was passed on 

 the 2-ltli of June last. It is nowttleg&l to shoot them bttween 

 the 1st April and the 1st August. 



More recently the American Entomologist has 

 started : it is published monthly by Messrs. R. P. 

 Studley & Co., of St. Louis, Mo., and contains 

 twenty pages of a uniform size with our own 

 journal, at one dollar per annum. The 10th number 

 (June, 1SG9) contains an article on " Imitative 

 Butterflies," with illustrations ; "The Chinch Bug," 

 also illustrated ; " Cabbage Worms ; " " Wasps 

 and their Habits;" "The Social Wasps;" 

 " Mounding Peach-trees ; " several other short 

 papers, and numerous notes and queries. This 

 journal is edited by two good Entomologists, and 

 combines much that is popular with sound science. 

 We heartily wish it continued success, for that is 

 no more than it deserves. 



The American Bee Journal is published monthly 

 at Washington, and has been four years in exist- 

 ence. We have only seen one or two numbers. 



The Canadian Entomologist, commenced in August, 

 ISfiS, under the auspices of the Entomological 

 Society of Canada, and is only an octavo of eight 

 pages, monthly, at fifty cents per annum. This 

 cannot be called a popular journal, being rather a 

 record of captures, and notes for Canadian col- 

 lectors ; as such it is doubtless useful to residents, 

 though scarcely of interest here. 



Le Naturaliste Canadien is a journal in French of 

 24 pages, octavo, at two dollars a year, and is pub- 

 lished at Quebec. There are a few illustrations in 

 the five parts already issued, but these are of a very 

 inferior character ; the price is high, and the matter 

 — nothing in particular. 



The Canadian Naturalist and Geologist, published 

 by Dawson Brothers, of Montreal, has reached the 

 fourth number of its third volume ; but its appear- 

 ance is so very erratic and uncertain, that it suffers 

 in consequence, and we are doubtful whether it 

 should not be regarded as an "annual" rather than 

 a "monthly" or "quarterly." This is much to be 

 regretted, since some excellent papers have been 

 published in it, although of late almost exclusively 

 geological or paleontological. Surely the Micro- 

 scopical Section could render some aid, for there 

 exists already a Microscopical Society at Montreal, 

 although it seldom makes itself known. 



Having now gone over all the "Transatlantic 

 Journals" to be found on our table — except the 

 Dental Review, which has microscopical papers in 

 fair proportion, — we must congratulate our 

 "cousins" on what they have done already, since 

 the war, in Natural History Journals and Micro- 

 scopical Societies, and wish them continued success, 

 even if they do borrow a notion or two, now and 

 then, from the old country. 



Neilgherry Sundew {Drosera pelfata, Sm.). — 



Major Drury says of this plant, in his " Useful Plants 



of India," that " the viscous leaves close upon flies 



I and other insects which happen to light upon them." 



