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HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



[April 1, 186S. 



shaking it occasionally ; then add water (distilled, 

 or which has been boiled) till you have (after subsi- 

 dence) about an inch of sediment; do this gradually, 

 and add water almost by drops till the proper pro- 

 portions seem to be established. After each little 

 addition of water, let it stand till settled.— T. H. & 



Hailstorm. — On February 22nd, about' 6.30 

 p.m., this place was visited by a violent hailstorm, 

 during the continuance of which, only five minutes, 

 some very large hailstones fell. One which was 

 measured by my mother was pear-shaped, an inch 

 and a quarter long, three-quarters of an inch broad, 

 and two inches and a quarter in circumference. All 

 the hail that fell was very hard, and it fell so rapidly 

 that in a few minutes the ground was quite covered. 

 The storm was accompanied by thunder and light- 

 ning. Were other districts visited in like manner? 

 — Rev. J. L. Langdon Fulford, Woodbury, near 

 Exeter. 



Adhemar's Theory. — In All the Tear Round 

 for April 21, 1S60, may be found a popular exposi- 

 tion of the theory of Periodical Deluges, as pro- 

 pounded by Alphonse Joseph Adhemar, author of 

 " Revolution de la Mer."— E. iV. W., Melksham. 



"What's in a Name?" — The origin of one of 

 the most popular names _ by which a monkey is 

 known when tamed and introduced into civilized 

 society — that of "Jocko" — may be traced as follows. 

 I take the facts from a lecture delivered by Profes- 

 sor Huxley many years ago. In the early part of the 

 seventeenth century, one Andrew Battel], of Leigh, 

 Essex, spent eighteen years on the coast of Western 

 Africa, and daring that time made many curious 

 observations on the natural productions of that part 

 of the world, which he published on his return to 

 England. In his book occurs the following sen- 

 tence : " Here are two kinds of monsters (apes), 

 which are common in the woods. . . . The lesser is 

 called ' Enjeco.' " BattelPs work was translated 

 into French in the year 171S, by the Abbe Prevost, 

 and was thus brought under the notice of Buffon. 

 The great naturalist incorporated the account of 

 the West African apes in his well-known History 

 of Animals, adding in a note, '"Jocko, Enjocko,' 

 nom de cet animal a Congo, que nous avons adopte." 

 Thus it came to pass that Andrew Battell's 

 " Enjoco," which is in fact identical with the chim- 

 panzee or encheeko of the natives, was metamor- 

 phosed into " Jocko," and in the latter shape was 

 spread all over the world, in consequence of the 

 extensive popularity of Buffon's works!— W. W. 

 Spicer, Clifton. 



Hybernation oe the Toad. — I should assume 

 with "F. F." that toads have never been found 

 hybernatingin the mud at the bottoms of ponds and 

 ditches, as is asserted by some people, but they are 

 very frequently found either partially or completely 

 imbedded in the earth under stones, bricks, &c., in 

 some secluded spot. I have met with them in great 

 numbers when turning up the roots of strawberry 

 plants, and also when digging close to a garden 

 Avail. They generally appear to select the most 

 out-of-the-way hiding-places for the winter season, 

 being sometimes found in the most unimaginable 

 situations. Moreover, there are never any external 

 signs whatever to indicate the particular locality 

 which they inhabit. It is also often wondered 

 where the small frogs seen occasionally after a 

 shower come from ; in fact, many people venture to 



assert that they descend with the rain, but it can be 

 proved they are merely brought out from the nooks 

 and crevices iu which they have been hitherto 

 secreted by the genial influence which moisture has 

 upon them. It is but seldom that any of the 

 reptiles can be seen in the winter months, unless 

 they are accidentally disturbed iu their state of 

 torpor.—/. E. F., Harleston. 



Hybernation of Frogs. — I have kept several 

 for years. One year two of them buried themselves 

 iu a mound of earth; others hid under a heap of 

 wood, where they have taken up their winter 

 quarters ever since. I have seen toads hidden be- 

 tween the palings and a post, seen them turned out 

 of a potato clamp, under loose stones — in fact, any- 

 where that they can find shelter ; they do not seem 

 at all particular. My frogs always remain at the 

 bottom of the pond during the winter. They seem 

 very fond of change of abode during the warmer 

 months ; some of mine pay my neighbours a visit 

 now and then, although they have to scale a wall 

 nearly 7 feet high. — 6?. Bullard, South Hackney. 



Hybrid Pheasant. — The following is from 

 Montagu's Dictionary of British Birds. The Rev. 

 George Herbert informs us that the hen pheasant 

 often assumes the plumage of the male; and to prove 

 that it is not an effect of age, a clutch of eggs were 

 hatched under a domestic hen, and one of the young 

 females assumed the male plumage in autumn at 

 the usual time when the sexual feathers appear. A 

 female Painted Pheasant (Phasianus pictus) bred in 

 the menagerie of the late Lord Carnarvon at High- 

 clere, became male-feathered. The bird was six 

 years old, and had produced some broods, but for 

 the last two years had not bred ; in the spring of 

 the year in which she became barren, or did not lay 

 any more eggs, visible marks of change to the male 

 plumage began to appear. The tail aud other 

 coloured feathers were evident marks of this strange 

 assumption of plumage. No additional marks were 

 noticed in the spring, but her autumnal plumage of 

 that year was perfected before her decease on 

 December 10th, 1S03. In this state of change, which 

 appears to have been progressive, there are evident 

 marks of her sex, especially on the back and rump, 

 which had not attained their full yellow, nor the 

 narrow long crimson coverts of the tail ; but the 

 beautiful yellow silky crest, and the orange hood on 

 the hind part of the head, composed of long truncated 

 feathers, with their tips barred with purple, that fall 

 on the neck, are as perfect as in the male. From 

 these and many other accounts it is quite clear that 

 it has nothing to do with age. — E. 67. W. 



An Early Season. — In our locality we have this 

 winter almost escaped the notice of King Frost. 

 Old inhabitants say that they don't recollect so mild 

 a winter ; and there is every prospect of an early 

 botanical season, provided the icy monarch does not 

 give us a parting nip. Already the plants I have 

 noted in flower are much in advance of the usual 

 time of aestivation. Cochlearia officinalis I found on 

 29th February ; but, more remarkable still, the 

 wild thyme, Thymus serpyllum, was coming into 

 bloom in considerable quantity at the same time 

 and place. Barbarea vulgaris and Fragaria vesca 

 flowered on the 11th March. These are not the 

 only instances. In every case, as far as I have 

 noticed, wc are ahead of former years. — S. A. S., 

 Belfast. 



