Feb. 1, 1SG8.] 



IIARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



45 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



Spider xAttacks.— Having some_ years ago been 

 a close observer of the habits of spiders, I am able 

 to state that your correspondent " E. T. S." is wrong 

 in assuming that spiders always seize their prey in 

 the same place. They certainly more generally 

 insert their fangs into the thorax of a fly, but by 

 no means always. The insect is seized by the 

 nearest part of its body, whatever that may be, and 

 in cases where the spider is fully able to deal with 

 its captive, the hold is shifted to the central part, 

 usually the thorax, but often the abdomen, and 

 sometimes the head. I have, however, seen at 

 least one instance where the captured insect (a 

 bluebottle), being apparently too strong for its 

 antagonist, was retained for several minutes by the 

 thigh, during which time the poison appeared to 

 affect it, though gradually and not so rapidly as in 

 ordinary cases. In this instance, _ being called 

 away, I lost the opportunity of ascertaining whether 

 the spider took another hold afterwards, but the 

 fly was dead when I returned. Whether or no the 

 poison be always fatal, or only has the effect of 

 temporarily paralyzing the victim, is a matter for 

 consideration. I have disturbed my spiders (I had 

 quite a colony) after they have apparently killed 

 their prey, and have then thrown another fly into the 

 web. This being killed, I have given another, and 

 so on till there were five or six suspended in the 

 web, apparently dead. After the lapse of fifteen to 

 thirty minutes, these have slowly begun to revive 

 and before the hour was completed, most, but 

 not all, have extricated themselves and got away. 

 During this time the spider (Epeira) has remained 

 in her cell, either gorging on a former victim or in 

 fear of a stick with which I had poked her away 

 once or twice. Those which recovered I think 

 were invariably the last thrown into the web. I do 

 not know whether the chemical constitution of this 

 undoubted poison has been ascertained. — Edward 

 Sutton, Manchester. 



Garden Vermin.— Your correspondent "S.E.E.," 

 inquires how the abundance of snails and slugs in 

 his garden is to be accounted for. When it is 

 remembered that the small garden slug (Limax 

 ngrestis) lays several hundred eggs, the vitality of 

 which neither heat nor cold appears to destroy, and 

 that the spotted snail {Helix aspersa) lays more than 

 a hundred, the wonder seems rather to be that 

 succulent vegetables can be reared at all in the 

 presence of such voracious and prolific animals. As 

 for the "frost killing them," it should be remembered 

 that most species of snails are scarcely exposed to 

 it during hybernation. But to show what can be 

 endured, I may mention that this winter I have 

 found a very thinly-clad wood snail (Helix fusca) 

 abroad, and comfortably feeding, after five consecu- 

 tive nights of frost, while thirty or more persons 

 were skating within bowshot of its habitat.— C. 

 Ashford. 



Cleaning Corals.— In reply to Mr. Robert 

 Holland, who inquires about the best method of 

 eleanim? corals, simply boil them in soda and water. 

 — T. W. G. 



As Dead as a Herring.— On the East Coast 

 the fishermen state that herrings ask for " cheese," 

 alluding to the squeak spoken of by "R. A.," before 

 they give up the ghost. — F. B. 3Iorris. 



The Maelstrom.— It may interest some of your 

 readers to know that the theory of sunken rocks 

 and tidal influences, as the cause of this whirlpool 

 is to be found in the " Encyclopaedia Britannica." I 

 would recommend E. [A. Poe's tale (in "Tales of 

 Mystery and Imagination,") " A descent into the 

 Maelstrom," as worthy the perusal of any specu- 

 lative correspondents.— F. R. Morris. 



The Reason Why.— Can any one explain the 

 reason why the Quekett Microscopical Club is not 

 inserted in Taylor's " Calender of the Scientific 

 Bodies of London," although the Geologist's Associa- 

 tion is included as meeting at University College, 

 to which place the latter body has migrated since 

 the Q. M. C. commenced holding its meetings there. 

 — W. 



Sand Skivers and Company.— Searching the 

 other clay at the embouchure of Ely river for small 

 beetles, I met with an old ragged mat left by the 

 tide, and lifting it up a cloud of Orchestidae sprang 

 up immediately and in a few minutes the " happy 

 young shrimps " of Archdeacon Paley, which I think 

 are the, if not akin to, Talitnis locusta, Latr, 

 hopped all away, leaving on the moist ground, 

 besides the little Cillerum laterale, Halliday, itwo 

 patches of what I took at first for eggs of some 

 other kind of crustaceans, but afterbetter inspection, 

 I saw they were living Isopoda themselves, some- 

 thing like armadillos, but very likely a species of 

 Sphrrroma, or sea pill-balls. Now what kind of 

 society have these with the Sand Skipper? Can any 

 reader of Science-Gossip tell me anything about 

 these little creatures ? — P. G. G., Cardiff. 



The Herbarium Insect.— At p. Ill of vol. i., 

 Mr. E. Bailey, in a very interesting article, says 

 that he has tried various means to rid his dried 

 ferns of this troublesome pest, but without 

 success. A friend has a valuable collection of New 

 Zealand Ferns, which are being entirely devoured 

 by it, and I am anxious to ascertain, without delay, 

 the best means of arresting the progress of the work 

 of destruction. Will the fumes of brimstone have 

 the desired effect ? I anxiously await an answer. — B. 



Effects op Cold.— In the early part of October 

 the weather was so unseasonably cold, that the 

 Swallows (all are swallows here), were taken by the 

 hand. I saw none but this year's birds taken thus. In 

 the suburbs of London they flew so low as to be 

 struck by the whips of the drivers of vehicles.— 

 G. Bullard. 



Temperature. — In January's Gossip Mr. White 

 states that the glass stood at 51° on the first ult., 

 and at 26° on the second. My glass stood at 52° 

 and 30°. If Mr. White will refer to Dec. 19, 1866, 

 he will find there was a much greater difference. 

 My glass stood at 72° on the 19th, and at 34° on the 

 20th, showing a fall of 3S° ; this latter one was in 

 the sun. I find in my weather table forlS64, Nov. 3, 

 it was 83° in the sun and the following day it 

 was 38^°, showing a fall of 444°. Unless a person 

 is in the habit of registering the changes of the 

 thermometer they cannot form the slightest idea of 

 the trying nature of our climate. Thus in June, 1S66, 

 the glass stood at 55°, in Dec. same year it stood at 

 72°. I make no doubt that were 1 to search my 

 tables for a few years back, I should find still greater 

 changes. No wonder we English are so subject to 

 diseases of the respiratory organs. — G. Bullard. 



