April 1, 18G8.] 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



Novel Mousetrap (p. G5). — H. Tasker may like 

 to know that not only are hens partial to mice, but 

 the same penchant is shared by tame pheasants. I 

 was informed the other day that ours had been 

 seen, in a state of great excitement, chasing one ; 

 whether it was at last captured, I do not know. — 

 B. 



Novel Mousetrap (p. Go).— In reply to H. 

 Tasker's inquiry, it is a common occurrence for 

 hens to catch mice, especially field-mice, which are 

 generally plentiful in old orchards around farm- 

 houses. Guineafowls, too, are most excellent 

 mousers. Whilst on the subject of hens, I may 

 mention that at the present time we have two that 

 are curiously deformed : one is "underhung"— the 

 lower mandible projecting considerably beyond the 

 upper one ; the other has its mandibles crossed 

 like those of the crossbill. Neither of them seem 

 to be the least inconvenienced in eating. — Robert 

 Holland. 



Viper Bites.— With all due deference to Mrs. 

 Watney's opinion relative to snake bites, I must 

 ignore the idea of their proving fatal as a primary 

 cause. Having passed many years of my life in 

 various parts of the country, and thus become 

 aware of some few instances of snake-bite, I do not 

 hesitate to say that I never knew of one proving 

 fatal; I have heard and read of such things, but, 

 like ghost-seeing, coming second-hand, I said, as I 

 say now, 1 doubt. That death might ensue as a 

 secondary cause, I am open to conviction — that is, 

 when the system is very much debilitated or diseased, 

 mentally or physically. When in that state, a very 

 slight matter will suffice to bring about a fatal 

 result, just as a very slight blow would do. Un- 

 fortunately, cause and effect are so blended in 

 most minds, that the one is mistaken for the other. 

 — G. Bullard. 



Indelible Ink for Labels. — Any one who has 

 attempted to preserve objects of interest in natural 

 history in fluid, must have experienced the want of 

 a good black ink which would neither be affected 

 by time nor by prolonged immersion in fluids. 

 Writing executed with ordinary inks will run and 

 smear if the paper be wetted • but immersion in 

 running water for nine days has failed to alter 

 writing executed with ink made with the "Essence of 

 Ink " recently introduced by Messrs. Perry & Co., 

 of London. Even oxalic and other acids fail to 

 remove it from the paper. To scientific travellers 

 and others in foreign countries it is hardly possible 

 to over-estimate its value, as it is a powder of 

 extremely small bulk, and readily dissolves in water, 

 a few moments sufficing to produce good ink ready 

 "for use. It is also very economical, a penny packet 

 sufficing for three ounces, or six tablespoonfuls of 

 very good ink, or four ounces of ordinary quality. 

 Of course the ink must be allowed to dry on the 

 paper before experimenting with water or acids. — 

 Charles Adcock, M.R.C.S., Birmingham. 



' Early Spring.— In your last number "C. S.B. G." 

 records having found frog spawn on 9th February. 

 When walking through a garden on 20th February, 

 I observed a wasp flying about almost as briskly as 

 if it had been June. A gardener to whom I 

 mentioned this confirmed it, he having observed the 

 same thing a few days later. These wasps would 

 very likely be on the same errand as that one so 

 charmingly described in the "Episodes of lusec*; 



.Life " (Eirst Series, p. 214-19), though rather earlier 

 atoot. About the same time I observed one of the 

 common garden fuchsias bursting into leaf. A friend 

 likewise told me of his having gathered March 

 violets and seen a lively toad near the beginning of 

 February. 1 mentioned these facts to several 

 parties in this neighbourhood who have for years 

 been in the habit of observing nature, and while 

 confirming them, they informed me they had never 

 seen an earlier season than this. — B., Ayr. 



Death of Tits.— I have had at different times 

 three specimens of the common titmouse, and all 

 died suddenly during the second night after they 

 came into my possession— falling off their perches 

 while asleep, and being dead before I could cross 

 the room. They were the day before apparently in 

 good health, and had hemp-seed, canary-seed, and 

 rape for food. I should be obliged for any hints 

 for preventing it again.— E. O. Wheler, Proseken, 

 near Wiemar, Mecklenburg-Sclmerin. 



Death of Mr. E. Tucker.— The public journals 

 announce the death of Mr. E. Tucker, of Margate, 

 whose name is associated with the Grape Mildew 

 (Oidium Tuckeri), which he was the first to dis- 

 cover, and was named in his honour. 



Black-tailed Godwit. — In the winter of the 

 year before last, in the month of January, a very 

 fine specimen of the Black-tailed Godwit (Limosa 

 Melamira) weighing fully a pound, was brought to 

 me by a person who shot it out of a flock of about 

 two dozen, flying over a bog. I believe it is now a 

 very uncommon bird. — W. B., Bruff, Limerick. 



_ Rare Birds. — Three rare birds have lately 

 visited the county of Essex as under:— a Great 

 Northern Diver was shot on the lake of Braxted 

 Park ; a Bittern shot on Ramsey Island, and also a 

 Californian Quail {Ortyx Calif omica) , of very rare 

 occurrence, distinguished by a crest on the head of 

 two or three feathers curled forwards. — G. Day. 



New Zealand Laurel. — In the rectory 

 grounds, Pickworth,near Ealkingham, Lincolnshire, 

 there were (in 1865) several of the fruit-bearing 

 laurels [Corynocarpns leevigatus), as mentioned by 

 your correspondent " G. N." Having heard that 

 the gipsies were fond of the fruit, I ventured to 

 taste one, a purple fleshy roundish plum, smooth 

 skin ; it was decidedly sweet. The trees were from 

 ten to twelve feet high, of large open growth. — 

 /. B. B. 



Watercress. — I am very fond of watercresses, 

 but cannot enjoy them for the following reason. 

 Whatever I drink throughout the day, afterwards — 

 beer, wine, or what not — tastes so strongly of sandal- 

 wood in the mouth as to be quite nauseous. My 

 wife experiences the same. Has any one of your 

 readers found the same effects on eating watercress, 

 and can it be accounted for ? Is there any antidote 

 or after-remedy ? — W. JE. H. 



Humble Bee. — On March 9, whilst walking on 

 Stourbridge Common, I saw a humble bee. Is not 

 this very early ? Also, it was very lousy, and quite 

 unable to fly. Also, on March 13, 1 saw in Trinity 

 College grounds a small tortoiseshell butterfly 

 {Vanessa urticcc), which is earlier than I remember 

 to have seen it before. — A. H. 



