Dec. 1, 1870.1 



HARDWICKE'S SCIEN CE-GOSSIP. 



283 



by the subjoined extracts from Wise's "New 

 Forest." " The BlacMeart—The bilberry {Vacci- 

 nium Myrtillus), the ' whim berry ' of the northern 

 counties, which grows very plentifully throughout the 

 forest. It is so called by a singular corruption, the 

 original word being hart berry, the old English 

 heorot-berg, to which the qualifying adjective has 

 been added, whilst the terminal substantive has 

 been lost, and the first totally misapprehended. To 

 go 'hearting 5 is a very common phrase. {See Pro- 

 ceedings of the Philological Society, vol. iii. pp. 

 154, 155)." (Page 280.)— " The Tutsan {Andro- 

 stsmwni) is so common round Wootton that it is 

 known to all the children as 'touchen leaves,' evi- 

 dently only a corruption of its name ; and its berries 

 are believed throughout the forest to be stained with 

 the blood of the Danes." (Page 251.)— Richard G. 

 Keeley. 



_ Helix Carthusiana (p. 261).— A few years 

 since some specimens of the above shell were given 

 to me by a gentleman well versed in conchology ; 

 they were found near Bristol, and are exceedingly 

 fine, being half as large again as the one figured in 

 Sowerby's " Illustrated Index of British Shells."— 

 G. H. H. 



United Branches (p. 25-1).— I remember seeing, 

 some years ago, in Studley Park, Yorkshire, a beech- 

 tree having two branches forming a loop similar to 

 that mentioned by L. Stammwitz. Near it, was a 

 small tree having two trunks, which united about 

 two feet from the ground. Both peculiarities were, 

 I believe, artificially produced whilst the wood was 

 young by means of grafting. — G. H. II. 



Folkestone Museum. — We are glad to hear that 

 the Folkestone Natural History Society, which is 

 already a flourishing body of one hundred and sixty 

 members, has started a museum for local and type 

 specimens of natural history. A room has been 

 granted for the purpose by the corporation. 



Government Patronage op Science. — 

 Our astronomers have received an invitation 

 which is as pleasing to them as men of science as it 

 is painful to them as Englishmen. As our readers 

 know, sixty-eight persons had volunteered to go to 

 Spain and Sicily to view the total eclipse of 

 December 22nd ; our scientific societies had voted 

 large sums of money for the equipment of the two 

 observing parties ; and every one was certain that 

 Government would supply the means of transport ; 

 but every one was mistaken. The Admiralty dis- 

 covered that the nation would assuredly disapprove 

 if room were found for mere men of science and 

 their trumpery in any of her Majesty's ships ; and 

 accordingly, just when the extensive preparations 

 requisite for the expedition were iu full progress, 

 news came that the means of transport must be 

 found by the observers themselves. We do not 

 care here — we hardly have patience, indeed — to 

 discuss the probable cause of a refusal so discredit- 

 able to the scientific repute of England. It had 

 been announced by the Astronomer Royal (in con- 

 nection with another matter) that Government 

 would always be found liberal in scientific matters 

 if a sufficient cause were shown by persons in whom 

 they had trust; and we do not care to inquire 

 whether the Astronomer Royal was mistaken in this 

 matter, or whether the Government declined to put 

 trust in him or in the Presidents of our Astronomi- 

 cal and Royal Societies ; or whether, lastly, the 

 sufficient cause was not brought before the Govern- 

 ment with proper earnestness. Let the explanation 

 be what it may, the fact remains — England has been 



exhibited to all the nations as turning her back on 

 science, and Englishmen of science have been dis- 

 credited before the world as unworthy of England's 

 confidence. But now news comes that the Govern- 

 ment of the United States has not only found means 

 of transport for two American parties, but has made 

 the handsome grant of six thousand pounds to 

 furnish suitable appliances for observing the eclipse. 

 The American men of science have reached England. 

 They recognise the pitiable condition to which our 

 astronomers have been reduced by the Government, 

 and they invite our sixty-eight volunteers to sail 

 with them. A letter has been sent to these volun- 

 teers, inviting them, in the name of the American 

 expeditionary parties, to accept this much-needed 

 assistance. The offer is most generous ; it is most 

 inviting; it .is one which no astronomer is justified 

 in declining on account of sentimental considera- 

 tions. But it certainly is a new and a painful posi- 

 tion for an Englishman of science to be placed in, 

 thus to find scientific alms offered him as a repara- 

 tion for the insult he has, in effect, received from 

 his own Government. — Daily News, Nov. 5th. 



Eggs op Moths, &c— The illustrations of the 

 eggs of butterflies, &c., are very interesting ; and 

 years ago I used to try and keep them as pretty 

 objects, but found my trouble often of no use, from 

 the birth of the caterpillars. It would add to the 

 value of the paper on them if we were informed of 

 the best way of preserving them, and also, on what 

 plants to look for them, as it is not every one who 

 lias a work upon the subject, or knows them all by 

 name— E. T. S. 



Quotation Corrected.— At page 224, No. 70 of 

 Science-Gossip, your correspondent has incorrectly 

 quoted Butler. Lines 517, 518, are : — 



" He that complies against his will, 

 Is of his own opinion still." 



See Butler's " Hudibras." — Thomas Boss. 



White Mouse. — A short time ago I caught a 

 white variety of the common domestic mouse. The 

 muzzle, ears, feet, and tail were of the ordinary 

 "mouse" colour; the haunches silvery grey, and 

 all the rest of the body pure white ; the eyes jet 

 black. It must be set down, I think, as a mere 

 sport of nature. No white mice have been kept or 

 seen inside the building (which is completely 

 isolated) for years. I have been told of one or two 

 similar occurrences. — Henry Ullyett. 



• Goldfinch. — Your correspondent's (J. R. 

 Davies) informant is decidedly wrong in his remark 

 about the colour of the legs of the Goldfinch. 

 They are invariably black when taken from the 

 field, but after moulting in a cage or aviary they 

 become white. The difference in song arises from 

 the county from which they are taken ; for instance, 

 those caught in Cambridgeshire are considered 

 very good, and by the bird-fanciers much sought 

 after ; and with a certain fancy song, will realize as 

 much as £2 each, while the Goldfinch of Surrey is 

 thought but little of. — Chas. J. W. Iludd. 



Deilephila Galii at Stanley. — I have been 

 successful in finding three caterpillars of Deilephila 

 Galii, feeding on Yellow Ladies' Bedstraw, about a 

 mile from this place. It is eleven years since this 

 caterpillar was found in Perthshire. — 2'hos. Marshall, 

 Stanley, by Perth. 



