June 1, 1868.] 



HARDWICKE'S SCIEN CE -GOSSIP. 



143 



Gold Fish. — One of the gold fishes in my fresh- 

 water aquarium has rather puzzled me lately by 

 several of its fins and scales turning black. It has 

 been in this state now for five or six months, and 

 presents a most odd appearance, although in other 

 respects it seems to be as well and lively as ever. 

 I have searched in vain for any information upon 

 the subject in my books, and want to know if any of 

 the readers of your excellent periodical can tell me 

 whether it is a disease, and, if so, what is its pro- 

 bable cause and best cure. I may add that the fish 

 has been an inmate of my aquarium for the last 

 seven years. I do not know whether Tettenhall 

 has ever been named as a locality for the Dusky 

 Cranesbill, Geranium phaum. I found this splendid 

 plant in flower on the 1st of May, and as it is far 

 removed from any garden, I do not think that it can 

 possibly be an escape. — E. Banks, Tettenhall, near 

 Wolverhampton. 



Young Cuckoo. — In this month's Science- 

 Gossip is an interesting account of a young cuckoo, 

 by J. P. ; but I must venture to disagree with the 

 conclusion he draws, viz., that it was the foster- 

 parents who ejected the two eggs and young ones. 

 Apart from its being a gross violation of parental 

 affection, is it !not a more reasonable conclusion 

 that the parent cuckoo herself ejected them ? 

 Several eminent naturalists affirm that the cuckoo's 

 duty does not always cease with the laying of the 

 egg, but that it hovers about the nest, and also 

 ejects the foster-brood -when its own egg is hatched, 

 a feat generally attributed to the newly hatched 

 cuckoo, but which, as in the present case, it is un- 

 able to do. Apropos of this subject, there are two 

 excellent papers on the cuckoo in the March and 

 April numbers of the Zoologist, worthy the perusal 

 of every ornithologist, as they throw light on 

 several obscure points in the life-history of this 

 bird.— F. G. Binnie. 



Prince Edward Island. — A friend writes from 

 this colony : " I have not attended much to the 

 objects of Science-Gossip for the last twenty-two 

 years ; yet perhaps a few thoughts have occurred to 

 me which might suit. The extent and habitats of 

 species (plants and birds) is a point on which 

 much may be learned yet. We have Geranium 

 Bobertianum native here, as in England ; Linnma 

 borealis, Lapland, with humming-birds from Bar- 

 badoes, hovering over it in summer-time. We have 

 oyster-beds in our rivers fifteen and twenty feet 

 deep, which we dig up wholesale, and find capital 

 manure for wheat, grass, and clover; in fact it is 

 our best and only mine. We have splendid but- 

 terflies of common sorts ; and mosquitoes armed with 

 bayonets ! "S. S. 



Spiders in the Air. — In an interesting com- 

 munication from Mr. F. T. Mott respecting the 

 velocity with which small spiders sail from one 

 place to another, as stated at a much greater speed 

 than the current of air, is it not probable that 

 the speed is regulated by the force of ejecting the 

 thread from its body, the recoil propelling the spider 

 in the opposite direction, the wind being its guide ? 

 — J. B. Waters, Oakley Square.' 



Query on Mounting.— Having repeatedly failed, 

 with benzole, liquid ammonia, and liquor potassse. 

 to clean slides so effectually that an aqueous fluid 

 in small quantity shall lie evenly upon them, I should 

 be grateful to any correspondent who would tell me 

 how I may succeed. — /. B. 



Cowslips (C. D. H.)— In your cowslip, the 

 calyx is completely divided into its five component 

 sepals, or, to speak more accurately, the union of 

 sepal to sepal, which ordinarily occurs in this plant, 

 has not taken place, unless it be to a very slight ex- 

 tent at the extreme base. It is not a very common 

 occurrence in this particular species. — M. T. M. 



Greene's Insect Hunters. — I have been 

 trying in vain for some time to get that very useful 

 little book " Greene's Insect Hunter's Companion." 

 It is unfortunately out of print. I shall be grateful 

 to any of your readers who can put me in the 

 way of getting a copy. — F. 31. N., Post-office, Box 

 Hill, Hastings. 



Storm Glass. — At page 117 the component 

 parts are described as — camphor, 272 drachms (or 

 31 ounces) ; nitre, 38 grains ; sal ammoniac, 38 

 grains ; water, 9 drachms ; and spirits, 6 drachms. 

 Will you inform me if the quantities are rightly 

 given, as the quantity of liquids seem to me in- 

 capable of dissolving the solids.—/. W. Worster. 



Fusus Berniciensis.— Some two years ago I had 

 the good fortune to pick up, brought up from deep 

 water on the fisherman's lines, a fine specimen of 

 Fusus Berniciensis, of the identity of which there can 

 be no mistake. Can any of your readers inform me 

 if it has been found anywhere else on the coasts of 

 Scotland. I am not aware of its having been so. I 

 have very carefully watched ever since I knew that 

 it was rare for other specimens, though I have never 

 yet found any. It may be noted that the animal 

 was inside the shell, though dead, as it had been out 

 of the water for some time. There can therefore be 

 no doubt that it properly belongs to the district. — 

 Thomas Bell, Peterhead. 



How to Destroy Ants.— If you can make it 

 known how ants may be prevented from ascending 

 trees and destroying fruit just as it is becoming fit 

 to pluck, you will oblige me and many others. 

 Keating's Insect Powder will not answer, as when 

 the ground is not damp the wind disperses it. This 

 powder is an excellent thing to use where it is dry, 

 and there is no wind to blow it away. By using it 

 according to printed directions I have succeeded in 

 clearing my house, every room of which was infested 

 with myriads of ants, after having tried many other 

 means to endeavour to destroy or banish them. — 

 Melbourne Australasian. 



West London Field Club. — This club has just 

 issued its card of excursions for the season, and we 

 are requested to intimate that communications may 

 be addressed to the Secretary, at 192, Piccadilly, of 

 whom all information may be obtained relative to 

 the club and its movements. 



Schafer's Egg Tester. — This is an ingenious 

 little instrument for testing the quality of eggs, so 

 far as indicated by their transparency. It consists 

 of a little cubical box divided diagonally by a 

 mirror, and having one aperture above into which to 

 put the egg, another in front through which the ob- 

 server examines its transparency. If the egg gives 

 a*clear bright disc, it is good ; if a black opaque 

 one, it is bad ; and of course there is an infinite 

 number of nuances and gradations between these 

 two extremes. Some people do not like eggs too 

 fresh, and they may pick out such specimens as 

 indicate by their cloudiness a certain degree of 

 ripeness, short of being quite addled. 



