Sept. 1, 1SGS.] 



HAEDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



209 



Man and Animals. — The principle that man is 

 the type of creation is as applicable to geography 

 as zoology, Races in their centres show qualities 

 in harmony with climatic, botanical, zoological, 

 geographical, and geological surroundings. Thus, 

 the man of the locality is its key and its epi- 

 tome. Mountains and rivers, by their elevation, 

 course and direction, illustrate the history, character 

 and migration of races ; as do deserts, steppes, 

 llanos, national or racial character and habits. 

 Thus the inhabitants of mountainous districts are 

 distinguished for loftiness of spirit and love of free- 

 dom. The inhabitants of steppes are democratic 

 rather than aristocratic ; whose tendency is to look 

 up to chiefs as to a mountain peak. Nations tem- 

 perate in passions — that is, those under the strictest 

 moral government — reside mostly in temperate 

 regions. The rainfall of countries typifies the degree 

 of their moral and spiritual advantages, the belong- 

 ings of each centre being considered. The animals 

 and plants of different regions of the earth illustrate, 

 we .have said, the character of the nations. Aus- 

 tralia has the most debased fauna for so large a 

 country ; in harmony with its human population. 

 The animals and plants of America are less vigorous 

 than those of the eastern hemisphere ; in harmony 

 with the comparative inferiority of its aboriginal 

 men ; thus the bats, the puma, jaguar, lama, tapir, 

 bison, opossum, alligator, rhea, and turkey, are smaller 

 or less vigorous than the bats of Madagascar, the 

 lion, tiger, camel, elephant, African buffalo, kanga- 

 roo, crocodile, ostrich, and bustard. — Groom-Na- 

 pier'' s " Miscellanea Anthropologica." 



Water Boatman. — I am able to corroborate the 

 letter of Mr. Watson, in your May number, regard- 

 ing the Water Boatman (Notonecta/ glauca). I 

 have kept numbers of these creatures to watch their 

 curious habits, and have 'frequently, without any 

 possibility of doubt, heard them utter a loud and 

 shrill cry. I do not, however, think that I have 

 noticed it at any other time than after dark in the 

 evening, — Edicard Banks, Tettenhall, near Wolver- 

 hampton. 



Large Cabbage Butterfly. — As a supplement 

 to the remarks of "J. B." in your August number, 

 on the abundance this year of Picris brassier, I may 

 observe that the common Nasturtium, Tropa-ol/ta 

 majus, in my garden, is at the present moment 

 swarming with the larvse of that Lepidopterouspe&t. 

 Although aware that this food-plant has been pre- 

 viously recorded for the large white (Stainton, 

 ' Manual ') I have never happened to observe it 

 being devoured by that insect before this year. I 

 presume that the larva} find the acrid flavour and 

 odour of the plant as satisfactory as that of their 

 accustomed Cruciferous pabulum : they are, doubt- 

 less, unaware that Tropa-olum belongs to the Bal- 



saminacece. In the same garden, and on the same 

 plant, I have found the rare Ceuthorhynchus rapcr, 

 Gyll. (inaffectatus, Walton) ; which, in spite of its 

 cabbage-wards pointing specific name, has hitherto 

 occurred with us (as far as I am aware), only on the 

 cruciferous Sisymbrium officinale. Thus it is clear 

 that the Botanical education of the Coleoptera is 

 occasionally neglected, as well as that of the 

 Lepidoptera. — F. C. Rye, 7, Park Field, Putney, 

 S.W. 



Cabbage Butterfly. — I have noticed during 

 the past week a very extraordinary abundance of 

 the cabbage butterfly, Pieris brassicm, and this has 

 been remarked over a very considerable tract of 

 country in East Cornwall. A farmer, living at a 

 distance of nine miles from me, likened their num- 

 ber to a swarm of bees. In the course of a drive of 

 a quarter of a mile I counted eighty-nine indi- 

 viduals, and I believe many escaped observation. 

 On another occasion I took notice, on close search, 

 that there was an immense preponderance of females 

 as marked by the bimaculated anterior wing. Has 

 this been observed elsewhere ? and what can be the 

 cause ? Happily there are no sparrow clubs in this 

 neighbouhood.— T. Q. Couch, Bodmin, Cornwall, 



Robins— The robin seen by "J. H." must have 

 been a fireside robin. All things were early this 

 spring and summer. I believe some of our birds 

 began to build their nests in advance of the usual 

 time, and a young robin hatched this spring would 

 not have the bright red waistcoat worn by his papa, 

 when he visits us in winter — 



Enters as a looked-for guest, 

 Confiding in his ruddy breast, 

 As if it were a natural shield 

 Charged with a blazon in the field, 

 Due to that good and pious deed 

 Of which we in the ballad read. 



A young robin came to visit me yesterday. I was 

 writing at my desk-table, thinking, and taking but 

 little heed of what was passing in the room, when I 

 felt something touch my head, and on putting up my 

 hand it came in contact, to my great surprise, with 

 the feathers of a bird. The poor frightened little 

 thing flew off into the greenhouse, through the 

 doorway by which it must have at first entered the 

 room. It was a young robin, in very linnet-like 

 dress. Can any reader of Science-Gossip ex- 

 pound omens? My cook— the only person who 

 was in the house at the time — evidently considered 

 it " a sign." A sign that the bird had been chased 

 by a cat I should say, only I could not see puss 

 anywhere near. — Mrs. Alfred Watney, Hambledou. 



Eubze Mites. — The furze here is covered with 

 little red mites living under a sort of web. — W. F. II. , 

 Tun bridge Wells. 



