46 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



[Feb. 1, 186S. 



Adhemar's Theory.— Would you state whether 

 there is any exposition in English of Adhemar's 

 theory of the periodic deluges as being caused by 

 the precession of the equinoxes, and if the theory 

 has obtained favour at all in England ? Its bearing 

 on the antiquity of man, and on the unity, seems to 

 me to be very direct. — L. T. 



Bugs. — None of the correspondents of S. G. who 

 have written about Bed-bugs seem to be aware that 

 olive oil will destroy bugs. A small drop of the oil 

 taken up on the head of a pin and placed to the 

 mouth of a bug will cause it to raise its body, head 

 upwards, by straightening the legs and posterior 

 part of its body, and instantly die. A little oil 

 placed in the mortises and on the tenons of a bed- 

 stead, or ou other places infested by bugs, will 

 effectually banish them from the parts so treated. 

 A bug placed upon a table, and a small circle of oil 

 traced round it, cannot escape from the circle. — 

 T. Rogers, Q.M. Slst Regt. 



New Zealand Laurel (see pp. 21). — The 

 plant referred to by your correspondent is no doubt 

 the Karaka, Corynocarjms laevigata, Linn., N. 0. 

 Anacardiacere ; not therefore the true " Laurel " or 

 one properly so called popularly. Reference is 

 made to the edible and poisonous character of the 

 berries under different circumstances in a paper by 

 Dr. Lindsay, of Perth, on " The Fruit Plant and 

 Poison of New Zealand," in the " British and 

 Foreign Medico-Chirurgical Review," for 1S65, 

 P. 177. 



Difficulties of Botany. — I have recently began 

 the study of Edible Fungi, and have proceeded very 

 well at present; but can you tell me what the 

 meaning is of the name in italics after the latin 

 name of each species? — for instance, we read 

 Agaricus nebularis, " Batsch." Very well ; I tried 

 a batch, and very good they were ; but what puzzles 

 me is the meaning of " Curr," " Sow," " Bull," 

 " Tode," and " Hogg " ! AVhat have these animals 

 to do with edible fungi ? I can understand " Vittj" 

 of course that meaus they are good for victuals, and 

 " Cooke," that clearly means cook' em, and " Fries," 

 too (they make very good fries) ; but why we are 

 told to " Bolt " certain pieces I cannot tell, neither 

 is it clear to me why " Kneiff " is sometimes recom- 

 mended, with no mention of a fork. Perhaps some 

 of your correspondents will enlighten me on these 

 points in an early number of Science-Gossip. — 

 S. 0. Green. 



Phthysis amongst Swallows.— The post-mortem 

 appearances of the Swallow picked up by Mr. 

 Lawson Tait, and described by him in Science- 

 Gossip of January the 1st, exhibit a remarkable 

 similarity to those presented by Grouse stricken 

 by the so-called " Grouse-disease." During the 

 months of August, September, and October dozens 

 of these birds were received at the office of " Land 

 and "Water " from correspondents who sent them 

 for examination and dissection, and in nearly every 

 case we found the symptoms described by Mr. Tait. 

 There were the same indurated patches in the 

 peritoneum, and the same tuberculated condition of 

 the pleural surface of the lungs. In many instances 

 other organs also were seriously aifected ; the liver 

 especially was frequently in a horribly diseased 

 state, and the pericardium hard and friable. In 

 these cases tracheal worms were generally found. — 

 Hennybel. 



Live Trap for Slugs. — Lady Dorothy Nevill 

 employs Plovers to consume the slugs, &c, in the 

 gardens ; and these birds, as well as being beneficial 

 to the garden, add much ornament to it, by their 

 beautiful plumage. As to the objectionable thing 

 quoted by your correspondent, pertaining to the 

 peculiar habits of "gulls and ducks," I feel justified 

 in adding that the plover is perfectly harmless among 

 beds of flowers, fruits, or vegetables. I would like 

 to urge that we should always endeavour to be 

 humane ; therefore, those who confiue these birds 

 within unnatural limits must remember that they 

 require a few luxuries in severe weather when their 

 usual food is not obtainable. They are not, how- 

 ever, fond of anything — we only know of bread as a 

 substitute. — George Neivlyn. 



Bee Query. — I am in the habit of watching 

 closely the habits of Bees, and am much surprised 

 to find one of my hives empty. Can any of your 

 readers enlighten me on the subject ? When first 

 1 noticed them missing, was after the last severe 

 frost.— E. J. W. 



Fever Plant. — Dr. Livingstone in his " narra- 

 tive " writes of a caution given by the natives against 

 a plant which excites fever, and he adds : " Dr. Kirk 

 discovered it to be the Pcecleriafceticla, which, when 

 smelt, actually does give headache and fever. It 

 has a nasty fetor, as its name indicates." This 

 plant is also plentiful in some parts of India. Is 

 there any intimation of similar effects having been 

 observed in Assam or Bengal ? — C. M. 



The Yiper Question. — On reading Mr. 

 Brigham's remarks in Science-Gossip relative to 

 my contribution respecting the viper's poison 

 having proved fatal to a woman in Dorsetshire, I 

 made immediate enquiries, and was told I had 

 mistaken the scene of the tragedy. Two persons 

 informed me that a woman had been bitten by a 

 viper near Maiden Castle, and was reported to have 

 died from the effects of the bite ; but they would 

 not vouch for the truth of it, neither will I ; and I 

 beg to express my regret to your readers that I was 

 led. to state as a fact, on the authority of another, 

 what certainly must be considered as not proven. 

 It is far from my desire to be a sensational 

 paragraph writer in Science-Gossip or any other 

 publication, but I am still of opinion that the viper's 

 poison has in some instances proved fatal to human 

 subjects, and I think I shall be able to cite cases 

 shortly. A medical gentleman residing in Wales, 

 James Rogers, Esq., the author of a very clever 

 " Sketch on the Cholera Epidemic of '66 at Ystaly- 

 fera," writes to me as follows: — "I can easily 

 believe that a similar injury in a highly irritable 

 subject might be followed by so much constitutional 

 disturbance as would lead to a fatal termination." 

 The "similar injury" alluded to was a case of 

 viper bite which he successfully attended in the 

 Gwendralth Valley at the time he was resident 

 surgeon at my husband's (Mr. Alfred Watney's) Iron 

 "Works. A case of viper bite, which nearly proved 

 fatal to the girl bitten, occurred in this village a 

 few months ago; but in this instance also the 

 patient recovered from the bite — 



The viper 'twas that died. 



All my medical friends consider the viper's bite to 

 be poisonous, and confirm what Mr. Rogers says 

 respecting the possibility of such poison proving 

 fatal. — Helen E. Watney. 



