EARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



167 



Rana esculenta. — Years ago, when the late 

 Professor Henslow used to organise botanical excur- 

 sions around Cambridge, I was delighted to join the 

 party, though my explorations were not directed so 

 much to plants as to the lower forms of animal life. 

 During these excursions I remember we found this 

 " edible frog " in one part of Cambridgeshire, though 

 not in large numbers, seeing that the country folks 

 were quite awake to the fact that this particular frog 

 was " uncommon good to eat." I could not find out 

 whether the village " gourmets " restricted themselves, 

 as is usual on the continent, to the hinder extremities 

 only, as a matter of diet, neither could I learn that 

 this undoubted Rana esculenta had ever been collected 

 for sale. Perhaps it was as well the people did not 

 know its value. . . . For obvious reasons I do not 

 name the habitat of this frog in Cambridgeshire, but 

 assuredly there was no suspicion at that time, as in 

 the case of Norfolk, that the Rana esculenta had been 

 "turned up" in a remote part of the county as a 

 matter of acclimatisation. — John Anthony, M.D. 

 Cantab., F.R.M.S., Edgbaston, Birmingham, June 8th, 

 1885. 



Canine Sagacity. — I saw a retriever do a clever 

 thing last week. He wanted to get through the 

 swing drive gate leading to the house of his master. 

 He stood upright, bent his forelegs at a right angle, 

 placed them over the horizontal bar halfway up the 

 gate, and tried vigorously to pull it open — succeed- 

 ing to some extent, he loosed his hold suddenly and 

 tried to go through with a rush. Twice was the 

 gate too quick for him in swinging to, but on at- 

 tempting a third time and pulling " like a bargee," 

 he managed to carry out his idea. I am since 

 informed that he never attempts this method of 

 entrance if he sees the gate is really latched. — Alf. 

 Freer, Stourbridge. 



Holly and Ivy Leaves. — F. W. Elliott, in the 

 June number of Science-Gossip, asks for an explana- 

 tion of the cause of the upper leaves in old hollies 

 and old ivy losing their characteristic shape. The 

 real reason of their altered shape is simply the 

 lack of strength arising from old age to form leaves 

 of the normal type. As every one is aware the 

 leaves of evergreen trees and shrubs are of a more 

 substantial character than those of deciduous kinds, 

 and this doubtless involves a greater proportionate 

 s'rain upon 1 their recuperative energies than in the 

 other case, hence the deteriorated condition of the 

 upper leaves in old specimens. — J. F. Cransioick. 



Fertilisation of Orchis mascula.— If Mr. 

 Malan will look up "The Garden" of May 23rd 

 last, he will there, at page 464, see the following note 

 which quite upsets his theory that the breaking of 

 the stem of 0. mascula affects the flower of the new 

 tuber : — " I send you a spike of Orehis mascula, being 

 the third in succession that has been annually cut 

 from the same plant and sent to ' The Garden ' 

 office. This surely proves that cutting the flowers 

 of some Orchids at least is not injurious, but really 

 beneficial, for you must admit that the present spike 

 is the first that has yet been sent." The descending 

 of the tubers so as to prevent premature germination 

 is a rather laughable idea. — A. D. IF. 



Snails and Slugs. — I have noticed that in my 

 garden ,in a large town snails are very common, and 

 that there are but few slugs. In my garden in the 

 country I found that there were but few snails and 

 very many slugs. Is there any natural reason for 

 this distribution of these creatures between town and 

 country ? Is my supposed fact true, and have others 

 noticed it?— A. C. Smith. 



NOTICES TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



To Correspondents and Exchangers. — As we ' now 

 publish Science-Gossip earlier than formerly, we cannot un- 

 dertake to 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 omt 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. 



R. O. O. — Soak the nests in benzine for a few minutes, and 

 afterwards keep a little camphor in or near them. 



C. C. — Yours received. 



W. R. Waugh. — Thanks for your suggestion. It is a good 

 one, and has been noted for consideration. 



A. S. Mackie. — Both probably Helix nemoralis. 



Thos. Winder. — Bird cherry (Prunus Padus). 



F. W. Lean. — The small bone is very likely one of the 

 " ear bones." 



S. J. H. — " Freshwater Algae " is now complete in z vols., 

 wiih coloured iplates, published by Williams & Norgate. 

 Henrietta Street, Covent Garden. This is on the authority of 

 the author. 



W. R. N. — 1. Dried up. 2. Luzula campestris. 3. Un- 

 known. 4. Dried up. 



J. Walter Gregory. — Please send your address. 



T. B. Birchall.— There are articles by Mr. Edward Lovett 

 on the Fauna of Jersey in Nos. 202, 208, 210, 211, 236, 237, of 

 Science-Gossip, and on the Geology in Nos. 204, 206, but he 

 did not take up the Botany. There is a botanical note of a 

 few lines in No. 173. See also " Flora of Channel Islands," by 

 C. C. Babington (Longmans) 4s. 



EXCHANGES. 1 



Good botanical, histological, crystals, polariscopic, diatoms, 

 fish scales and miscellaneous, microscopic slides for others as 

 good of bacilli, entozoa, algae, desmids, zoophytes, rocks, fossil 

 woods. — B Wells, Dalmain Road, Forest Hill. 



A number of superior slides of general interest to be ex- 

 changed for other well-mounted slides or good books. Lists 

 exchanged. For feather of starling, a splendid object, perfectly 

 mounted, send one well-mounted slide. — J. W. Tutcher, 

 22 North Road, Bristol. 



Wanted, Morris's "British Birds;" will give books. — 

 F. Marshall, Benwick, March. 



Coins or books wanted in exchange for microscope slides. — 

 Mr. Ebbage, 8 Lowfield Street, Dartford. 



For exchange, Science-Gossip for 1881-1S84, and up to 

 date, plates complete, all clean, first three bound ; also Cooke's 

 " Rust, Smut, Mildew, and Mould," coloured plates (nearly 

 new), and "Micro Fungi: When and Where to Find Them," 

 for chemical apparatus and books on analysis. — George Ward, 

 26 Mere Road, Leicester. 



Wanted, Lepidoptera : Sinapis, Egeria, Megaera, Tithonus, 

 Davus, Alsus, Acis, Arion, Adonis, ^Egon, Agestis, Artaxerxes, 

 Actseon, Comma. Duplicates : Cardamines, Galathea, Semele, 

 Hyperanthus, Antiopa (Continental), Euphrosyne, and Selene 

 (this season's), also Filipendulae, Jacobeae, and Humuli. — 

 F. A. A. Skuse, 27 Campbell Road, Bow, London, E. 



Foraminiferous sand. Send stamped and addressed enve- 

 lope for some of the above, containing splendid objects for the 

 microscope, to — F. A. A. Skuse, 27 Campbell Road, Bow, 

 London, E. 



Rye's " British Beetles," Stephens' " British Beetles," New- 

 man's "Moths," Burmeister's "Entomology" (33 Opiates), 

 Prior's "Popular Names of British Plants." What offers in 

 exchange? — W. Jordan, Cockfield, Sudbury, Suffolk. 



Wanted, the back numbers of Science-Gossip, from the 

 beginning up till end of 1876 ; will give eight good and well- 

 mounted micro-slides for each year's parts. — J. J. Andrew, 

 L.D.S.M., 2 Belgravia, Belfast. 



A number of foreign Polyzoa, mounted, dry, and opaque, to 

 exchange for other slides or good material ; good diatoms pre- 

 ferred. — Send lists to — Rev. A. C. Smith, 3 Park Crescent, 

 Brighton. 



