160 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



[July 1, 1S68. 



ZOOLOGY. 



Hoopoe {Upupa epops, Lin.) — A fine male speci- 

 men of the above was shot near here on the 23rd of 

 April last ; its stomach contained grubs, beetles, 

 worms, and flies. — G. S., Aberdeen. 



Fubze Mites. — I send with this a branch of 

 furze, gathered near Virginia Water, about a mile 

 hence, this morning, covered with the web of what 

 I suppose to be the Tetranychus nlicis, described in 

 Science-Gossip of March. Within will be seen 

 eggs "in multitude, with the acari in every stage of 

 growth— the smallest green and the largest bright 

 red in colour, as described by W. Spicer — the former 

 with six, the latter with eight legs. Many of inter- 

 mediate size appear in a state of torpor, resulting 

 (may I suggest) from their undergoing a change of 

 form, as numerous cast-off skins are scattered about. 

 My but brief examination inclines me to believe that 

 sex is indicated, not by the size, as surmised by Mr. 

 Spicer, but by the colour, for I notice that many of 

 the smallest dimensions are yellow-brown rather 

 than green, and also that while some of the largest 

 are of a rich red, other are paler and yellowish. It 

 should be observed, also, that the web differs essen- 

 tially from that of a spider in that it serves simply 

 as a protection during change and covering from 

 weather, and by no means as a mode of capturing 

 their prey.— C. H. White, St. Anne's Heath, Chert sey. 



Helix pomatia in Yorkshire.— On the 26th 

 of April a full-grown living specimen of this snail 

 was shown to me which had been taken the daypre- 

 ceding in Eorge Valley, Scarborough. Many years 

 ago a few specimens were placed in the valley by 

 the late Mr. Bean, and from time to time single 

 individuals have been found there. The one I speak 

 of is doubtless a descendant of the original trans- 

 ferred stock, so that it is not at all unlikely that the 

 species may be spreading and becoming naturalized 

 to the locality. I am not aware that any other 

 attempt to establish it in the north of England has 

 proved successful.— C. Ashford. 



The Hawfinch in Berks.— At page 109, Mr. 

 R. B. Sharpe takes exception to a statement of 

 Mr. A. G. More in favour of Berks, based it is said 

 on " observations taken near Cookham, Berks, and 

 which have proved that the Hawfinch is a regular 

 breeder in the Duchess of Sutherland's woods at 

 Cliefden." As it is important to secure accurate 

 observation and exact statement on such subjects, 

 attention may be directed to a remarkable oversight 

 on the part of this writer, who seeks to correct the 

 somewhat careful and minute detail afforded by 

 another. Buckinghamshire claims for its own the 

 beautiful woods of Cliefden; in the quiet and unmo- 

 lested recesses of which the Hawfinch doubtless 



finds a suitable retreat for the reproduction of its 

 species ; though it would appear it disdains not, for 

 a less worthy object, to forage across the Thames 

 into the neighbouring county of Berkshire, where 

 the tempting green peas and plumbs in the gardens 

 of Formosa attract it. — H. G. 



Large Anodonta cygnea.. — Two specimens 

 (from a pond in this locality) of Anodonta cygnea 

 have recently come into my possession, whose extra- 

 ordinary size make them worthy of mention. Where- 

 as Eorbes and Hanley give " six inches in length 

 and about three in breadth " as the dimensions of 

 " some of our larger examples," my examples 

 measure — the one seven and a half inches in length 

 and four and a half in breadth, and the other no less 

 than eight inches in length and five in breadth. 

 You may fancy what noble shells they are. — Windsor 

 Hamhrouyh, Worthing. 



Podur^e. — Having lately, through the kindness 

 of a friend, bad the quiet perusal of Sir John 

 Lubbock's three papers on the Thysanura in the 

 Liimsean Society's Transactions, 1 beg to offer the 

 following corrections and remarks on my notes in 

 Science-Gossip, vol. iii., on Podurse. Eig. 37, on 

 page 53, is Isotoma trifasciata. Figures 38, 39, 

 40, 42, and 48 all refer to Lepidocyrtus (probably L. 

 curvicollis). Figures 41, 43, 44, 45, and 49 refer to 

 some species of Degeeria, perhaps D. nigromaculafa. 

 Figures 46 and 47 refer to Templetonia nitida. 

 Figure 50, and the note in Science-Gossip, vol. iii., 

 page 45, " Is it a Podura ? " refer to Macrotoma 

 plumbea. — S. J. IP In tire. 



Small Skipper.— On Friday, June 12th, I cap- 

 tured a male specimen of the Small Skipper But- 

 terfly (Pamphila lined). Is not this very early? 

 It. does not, I think, generally make its appearance 

 till the end of July.- C. 31. W. 



Herrings and Shads. — At the June meeting of 

 the Zoological Society, Dr. Giinther made some 

 observations on the various species of Clupea found 

 on the British coasts, which were stated to be five 

 in number, namely, the Herring (Clupea harengus), 

 the Sprat (C. sprattus), the Allice-Shad (C. alosa), 

 the Twaite-Shad (C. finta), and the Pilchard (C. 

 pilchard us). Dr. Giinther showed that the White- 

 bait, which had been considered by several authors 

 as a distinct species, and by Professor Valenciennes 

 had been even elevated into the rank of a distinct 

 genus (Rogenia), was nothing more than the young 

 of the Common Herring. Dr. Giinther likewise 

 referred C. Leachii of Yarrell to a well-developed 

 variety of the Herring, and stated his opinion that 

 he supposed Alosa squamopinnata of Couch was 

 a hybrid between the pilchard and one of the two 

 shads. 



