HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



47 



where in or near the Euston Road. How it managed 

 to go "down the hill," is more than I can say ; but 

 that it was not a very remunerative concern seems 

 evinced by the fact that, to my knowledge at least, 

 nothing of the sort has ever been established since. 

 We all remember what a fine show there was at the 

 Education Department of the Healtheries Exhibition. 

 In a mechanical point it seemed almost perfect ; but 

 nevertheless it is true that the scientific culture of the 

 English public mind has proceeded much slower than 

 that of most foreign nations. We read that during the 

 eclipse of October last, the French Government pro- 

 vided in the streets of Paris a number of telescopes 

 for the gratuitous use of the public. When will the 

 British Government be so far actuated by British 

 public opinion or feeling, or whatever it be, as to act 

 in a similar manner ? — P. Quin Keegan, LL.D. 



Sewage Schemes. — In Science - Gossip for 

 September there is an article on sewage which 

 reminds me of a plan which is adopted with great 

 success in Copenhagen. It is merely this, that there 

 is a division by which the liquid is run off from the 

 house into the drains. There is nothing in the smell 

 from the residue ; in fact, I could not perceive any in a 

 large hotel in Copenhagen. The ammonia from the 

 liquid is by no means injurious to health ; of this we 

 have had ample experience in Smithfield. Of earth 

 closets — to make a slop as is done in earth closets, and 

 then to put in earth to dry it up, seems a round- 

 about way to get rid of a nuisance. I have very little 

 doubt, that (in crowded places especially) the Copen- 

 hagen plan will have to be adopted. Gas water 

 contains considerably more ammonia than the liquid 

 which is absorbed in the earth closets, and as this 

 gas water is sold for less than a penny a gallon for 

 heating sulphate of ammonia, such liquid as runs 

 into the drains at Copenhagen is probably not 

 worth attending to except in particular situations. — 

 J. G., Malvern. 



A Musical Mouse. — One evening in the summer 

 of 1883, I noticed a mouse making a peculiar noise in 

 the sitting-room of my house. The noise resembled 

 that made by a kettle just beginning to boil, or a 

 sort of low whistle, and was very clear and distinct. 

 This singing (?) power appeared to be under the 

 control of the mouse, for as the little creature moved 

 about in search cf stray crumbs over the carpet, it 

 ceased occasionally, and also when alarmed, as the 

 animal hurried off. I observed the little visitor 

 hundreds of times afterwards, and it always made the 

 same (by no means unpleasant) noise, when out in 

 the room foraging. After some months, however, it 

 mysteriously disappeared without apparent reason. 

 A friend of mine informs me that this "musical" 

 power, though uncommon has been observed before, 

 and is the result of some disease to which the animal 

 must have succumbed. I have also been informed 

 by others, that it is a natural peculiarity. Would 

 any contributor to this Journal kindly give a true 

 solution to the mystery, or particulars of similar 

 cases that may have been observed ? — S. H. Vcale. 



Black Rat. — The black rat is still to be met with 

 at most of the London docks, and, although it does 

 not now occur so frequently as in years past, it can 

 hardly be considered rare. The war of extermination 

 carried on by the Norway or sewer rat against the 

 black rat, means, that not only does it kill its victim 

 but devours it too. A friend of mine employed at 

 one of the docks, has occasionally found skins of 

 freshly killed black rats, turned inside out, in various 

 drawers, boxes, &c. ; this seems to be the usual 



process with rats. For experiment I have given the 

 carcass of a white rat, to a black and white variety, 

 and observed the same result — only a few bones of 

 the head remaining attached to the skin. — F. W. 

 Halfpenny. 



NOTICES TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



To Correspondents and Exchangers. — As we now 

 publish Science-Gossip earlier than heretofore, we cannot 

 possibly insert in the following number any communications 

 which reach us later than the 8th of the previous month. 



To Anonymous Querists. — We receive so many queries 

 which do not bear the writers' names that we are forced to 

 adhere to our rule of not noticing them. 



To Dealers and others.— We are always glad to treat 

 dealers in natural history objects on the same fair and general 

 ground as amateurs, in so far as the " exchanges " offered are fair 

 exchanges. But it is evident that, when their offers are simply 

 disguised advertisements, for the purpose of evading the cost of 

 advertising, an advantage is taken of our gratuitous insertion of 

 " exchanges " which cannot be tolerated. 



We request that all exchanges may be signed with name (or 

 initials) and full address at the end. 



Vicar. — The " Popular Science Review " is not now in 

 existence. It has been defunct about five years. 



Miss L. — We do not insert exchanges gratuitously in which 

 the word " cash " occurs. Those are " sales," not " exchanges," 

 and have to be paid for as advertisements. 



J. Ellison. — Your shells are: 1. Anodonta anatina; 2. 

 Unio pictorum ; 3. Unio, sp. (?) (American) ; 4. U. tumidus • 

 5. Paludinavivipara; 6. Limnea auricularia. 



G. Smith and others. — We will let our readers know con- 

 cerning the proposed General Index in time. The last was 

 published in 1876, price Sd. It included the contents of the first 

 12 volumes, and may be had of our publisher. 



B.Sc. — Thanks for the interest you take in our journal, but 

 we think it would be a mistake to leave out the botanical names 

 in the description of plants, &c, and give only the trivial names. 

 It would open the door to considerable inaccuracy and misun- 

 derstanding. 



C. G. D. (Guernsey).— Your Coralline is a very fine speci- 

 men of the Polyzoon, Eschara foliacea, not uncommon in the 

 deeper parts of the sea oft" our southern coasts. 



G. T. — The last edition of Carpenter's " Microscope " was 

 published in 1883. It is a fine work, and will fully serve your 

 purpose, and answer every question relating to practical micro- 

 scopic work. 



J. E. C, jun. — The last number of the Proceedings of the 

 Geologists' Association was published in October, and may be 

 had of E: Stanford, Charing Cross, price is. 6d. 



J. M. B. Taylor. — Many thanks. All your notes will appear 

 in due course. 



W. J. "J. — Rimmer's "Manual of Land and Fresh-water 

 Shells" is the best. Nearly all the species are there photo- 

 graphed, price io.r. 6d. There is no regular work on the fossils 

 of the chalk, but you will find a good deal about them in the 

 various works of Dr. Mantell, (" Medals of Creation," 2 vols. ; 

 "Geology of the Isle of Wight," &c), or in "Our Common 

 British Fossils, and where to find them," by J. E. Taylor, 

 which will be published in March next. 



Alchemist.— Meldola's "Elementary Text Books on Che- 

 mistry," are among the best used in connection with the South 

 Kensington Examination. They are cheap, and published by 

 Murby & Co. Apply to Messrs. Churchill, publishers, for in- 

 formation respecting an elementary text-book on Medicine. 



R. Connor. — No sketches of objects were enclosed in your 

 letter. If you will send them we will do our best to identify 

 them. 



A. Shaw. — We do not undertake to name foreign objects of 

 Natural History. The shells shall be looked up and forwarded 

 to you. 



S. A. Brenan. — The "fungoid growth" was a species of 

 Nostoc— the so-called " Witch's Butter." Specimens sent to be 

 named are not returned. The one you forwarded us was in a 

 state of high decay when it reached us. 



EXCHANGES. 



Wallroth's (Latin) " Compendium Florae Germanicas " 

 (1831), vol. iii., containing the rhizopterides, equisetum, ferns, 

 lycopods, hepaticse, mosses, and lichens, 654 pp., in strong 

 pocket-book binding, to be exchanged for books or specimens 

 illustrating the fungi. — W. B. Grove, 269 St. Vincent Street, 

 Birmingham. 



Wanted, Science-Gossip for February and March, 1884.— 

 G. A. Grierson, 74 Market Place, Sheffield. 



