March 1, 1S6S.J HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



65 



Novel Mousetrap. — A short time since, as my 

 sister was feeding her chickens, she observed a hen 

 in hot pursuit of a mouse, which soon ended in the 

 capture of the poor little animal. After giving it 

 several violent shakes, the hen dropped the mouse, 

 but on its showing signs of life she quickly swal- 

 lowed it whole. Is this a common occurrence?— 

 //. Tusker. 



Origin of Dogs. — From the resemblance in 

 several countries of the half-domesticated dogs to 

 the wild species still living there — from the facility 

 with which they can often be crossed together — 

 from even half-tamed animals being so much valued 

 by savages, and from the other circumstances pre- 

 viously remarked on which favour their domestica- 

 tion, it is highly probable that the domestic dogs of 

 the world have descended from two good species 

 of wolf (viz., C. lupus and C. la-trans), and from two 

 or three other doubtful species of wolves (namely, the 

 European, Indian, and North African forms), from 

 at least one or two South American canine species, 

 from several races or species of the jackal, and 

 perhaps from one or more extinct species. Those 

 authors who attribute great influence to the action 

 of climate by itself, may thus account for the re- 

 semblance of the domesticated dogs and native 

 animals in the same countries ; but I know of no 

 facts supporting the belief in so powerful an action 

 of climate. — Darwin's Animals, cfc, under Cultiva- 

 tion. 



Striped Hawk-moth (D. livomica). — As I see 

 in your impression of last June this insect is men- 

 tioned as extremely rare, I think it right to let all 

 interested know that I obtained two specimens last 

 season, and a neighbour one the season preceding. 

 Suspecting one of mine to be a female, I kept it 

 alive some time ; it laid a small number of eggs, and 

 died. 1 think about thirteen of the eggs hatched ; 

 I placed them on a growing vine, in an airy box ; 

 some of them grew to about 1^ inch in length, 

 but all ultimately died. I believe they required 

 some other kind of food. I should be glad to ex- 

 change one specimen for British Butterflies, or a 

 work on British moths. — F. A. Ramsey, Ridgeway, 

 Plympton, Devon. 



Bittern.— A flue example of this very rare bird 

 was shot in the parish of St. David, Pembrokeshire, 

 early in January, and another was also seen about 

 the same time. — H. 



Baby Prawns.— I feel very much obliged to 

 Mr. Henry Lee for so kindly correcting my un- 

 witting mistake in January Science-Gossip. I 

 should have said, "To the naked eye,t\\e baby prawns 

 are apparently the exact counterpart of their mother 

 in everything except size." They were not ex- 

 amined under the microscope, hence the misappre- 

 hension. — G. S. 



Humming-birds. — The best way to shoot 

 humming-birds is to use a light short-barrelled gun, 

 and very small charges of powder and dust shot- 

 scarcely more than one layer of shot over the wad- 

 ding. As you have to fire close, a larger charge would 

 damage the beautiful tail feathers or other orna- 

 mental appendages. Having tough skins, there is 

 less difficulty in preparing them than is the case 

 with many much larger birds. — //. W. B. 



Phthisis in Swallows.— In Science-Gossip 

 of last month, the signature " Hennybel " was 

 erroneously appended to an interesting communica- 

 tion on this subject from Henry Lee, Esq., E.L.S. 



Eish Parasite. — I have an aquarium and a few 

 common carp in it. One of these has for some weeks 

 appeared very unwell ; it would often sink to the 

 bottom, and there stay for hours together. I 

 noticed what I supposed to be a vein in the tail, 

 but by constantly watching it I found that it moved. 

 I took the fish in my hand, and with a needle split 

 its tail, then with my thumb-nail tried to squeeze 

 the insect out. I broke a piece off the first time, but 

 afterwards succeeded in entirely removing it. It 

 was a worm, about an inch and a quarter long. I 

 placed it on the bottom of a cup ; it moved after 

 being taken from the fish ; at the same time it was 

 bleeding, and it soon shrivelled up. The fish has 

 been better ever since. Are such things common ? 

 — Charles Sudd, Jun. 



Unfaithful Figures. — Permit me to call atten- 

 tion to the inaccuracy of two plates in Science- 

 Gossip for Febuary, from a work published by 

 Germer Balliere. You have already noticed the 

 decidedly unnatural position of the wings of Papilio 

 Machaon, but there are other errors far more likely 

 to mislead those who have not had an opportunity 

 to examine this insect in its different stages. In 

 the first place, the crysalis is represented attached 

 to the plant inverted ; in nature the head is always 

 upwards. There would be no necessity for the silken 

 thread that supports the body, if their habit was to 

 suspend themselves head-downwards, as is the case 

 with some insects. Then we have the caterpillars 

 drawn with horn-like projections near the head; these 

 I believe they only protrude when irritated, and not 

 when quietly feeding, as the illustration would lead 

 us to suppose. The chrysalis of Hornet Moth, from 

 which the imago has apparently just emerged, is 

 certainly much too large. Supposing half its length 

 to be concealed from view, as it should be, it would 

 describe a chrysalis as large as that of the Wood 

 Leopard. No doubt the work referred to is, as you 

 describe, a pretty book ; but if it is intended to 

 instruct the young entomologist, truthful repre- 

 sentations would in all probability have succeeded 

 far better.—/. B. Waters, Crowndale Road, Oakley 

 Square. 



