2l3 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



canals to which these pores lead contain processes of 

 a vascular pulp, and are the centres of radiation of 

 as many independent dentinal tubules. Each tooth, 

 in 'fact, consists of congeries of long and slender 

 prismatic denticles of dentine, which are cemented 

 together by their ossified capsules, this columnar 

 denticle slightly decreasing in diameter, and occasion- 

 ally bifurcating as they approach the grinding surface 

 of the tooth." 



The drawing represents a transverse section from 

 the thickest part of a molar, and meeting the above 

 description, displays, in the separating lines, the 

 columnar denticles ; in the centre, the pulp cavity, 

 and in the intervening spaces the radiating dentinal 

 tubules, the whole showing a curious example of a 

 number of elementary teeth locked together, in fact, a 

 compound tooth built of many into one uniform mass. 



An interesting and singular example of a similar 

 disposition of parts maybe seen in a horizontal section 

 of the incisor of a lemur, with the difference that a 

 space exists between each denticle ; although a com- 

 bined tooth, they stand out alone, as free processes 

 from the base to the crown, without adhesion ; con- 

 sequently a transverse section cuts them into separate 

 and distinct pieces, each (as regards structure) a tooth 

 in itself. 



Sections of teeth should be prepared and mounted 

 to meet every possible appliance for illumination. 



Crouch End. 



LEAVES FROM MY NOTE-BOOK FOR 1884. 

 By A. Kingston. 



\Continucd from p. 131.] 



THE most notable circumstance during the month 

 of May was the remarkable contrast between the 

 severe frost at the latter end of April,'; and the 

 summer heat which prevailed as early as from the 

 9th to the 1 2th of May. On the latter day the 

 thermometer registered 80 degrees in the shade, 

 while a correspondent from Doncaster gave a record 

 for that day of 112 degrees in the sun, and it was 

 certainly considerably upwards of 100 degrees in the 

 sun, in many other places about mid-day on the 12th. 



Few things in the botanical world were more 

 remarkable, in the phenomenally dry summer of 1884, 

 than the superabundance of the common red poppy 

 {Papavcr Rhceas), which brightened up many a broad 

 stretch of cornfield with its ruddy glow, and in many 

 cases outshining the green corn and producing a 

 heavy crop of itself, which afforded employment to a 

 number of young people and casual hands in collect- 

 ing the flowers for use in drug distilleries. 



From scarlet poppies to bats may seem a far cry, 

 but, on a summer's evening at least, it need only be 

 a question of looking up or down, so far as one of 

 these curious ' ' flying animals " is concerned. Early 



in the evening on July 18th, in the broad daylight, 

 and some little time before sunset, the writer's atten- 

 tion was attracted by what, at a distance, appeared 

 to be a number of swallows hawking vigorously 

 for insects in the neighbourhood of a group of trees. 

 On getting nearer to them they were found to be 

 bats, from 12 to 20 in number, of the great bat 

 {Scotophilus noctula). I am aware that there was 

 nothing very extraordinary in the number seen 

 together of a bat which is known to be remarkably 

 gregarious, especially in its winter quarters. Indeed, 

 it is I believe on record, that the large number of 

 185 were„ taken from beneath the eaves of Queen's 

 College, Cambridge, in one night, and 63 the 

 following night. I have included the reference to it 

 in these notes as a confirmation of the curious fact, 

 that this particular species of cheiroptera, which has 

 been singled out from about fifteen species to receive 

 the distinctive name Noctula, is remarkable for the 

 very opposite peculiarity of coming out by daylight, 

 and earlier in the evening than any other species ! 



It would have been singular indeed, if such an 

 exceptionally hot and dry summer had not produced 

 some effect in that universe of "scales, legs, and 

 wings, and beautiful things " which make up the 

 interesting domain of entomology. But passing over 

 the unusual abundance of the common house-fly and 

 the earwig, my notes refer chiefly to the lepidoptera. 

 A passing notice must however also suffice for the 

 exceptional numbers of the pretty orange-tip butterfly 

 (Atithocaris cardamines), the variously coloured 

 species of the Satyridre, and the "blues," such as 

 the charming little Polyommatus Adonis, to make 

 room for a fuller reference to the fortunes of the 

 better known Pieris brassiaz, or large white butterfly. 

 In the autumn of 1883, ! the caterpillar of this 

 butterfly was so abundant, that if this could have 

 been conclusive evidence, horticulturists might have 

 feared a direful visitation of white butterflies in 1884. 

 But "there's many a slip," &c, even in butterfly 

 economy. Probably owing to the absence of that 

 peculiarly succulent condition of the cabbage tribe, 

 which is so essential to this caterpillar's comfort, the 

 larva of the large white butterfly was as remarkable 

 for its absence last autumn as it had been for its 

 abundance the previous year. In 1883, at one 

 particular spot where the writer has been accustomed 

 to watch their intei - esting transformations, about a 

 score of caterpillars of this butterfly took up their 

 positions and strapped themselves up to await the 

 coming spring. But last autumn only one caterpillar 

 was seen there, and the busy little ichneumon made 

 short work of that one. Yet the conditions were 

 just the same as to plants of the cabbage tribe 

 within a similar distance. I mention the latter point 

 as having^some bearing upon the interesting question 

 of butterfly instinct. It is perhaps too often assumed 

 that the butterfly, having deposited its eggs on some 

 object suitable for the food of its caterpillar, has 



