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HA R D WICKE ' S S CIE NCE- G O SSI P. 



drey, for on pulling open the tangled mass, in spite of 

 the buzzing remonstrances of its occupants, I dis- 

 covered a small bird's nest of moss, with a lining of 

 feathers (most probably that of Certhia familiaris, the 

 tree-creeper), in which, having descended the tree, I 

 found the queer, bag-like cells of the humble-bees. 

 The tops of fir-trees being a rather unusual field for 

 the researches of naturalists, and also a place where 

 one would hardly expect to find the nests of bees, 

 which, as a rule, build in the ground, this fact may 

 not have been before noticed, and therefore it may 

 perhaps be interesting to the readers of Science- 

 Gossip.— Wilfred Mark Webb. 



Paper-Eating Molluscs. — I was interested in 

 Mr. T. D. A. Cockerell's account of the unusual diet 

 of Limncca stagnalis, and have no doubt scarcity of 

 food was the cause. Whilst a friend and I were 

 collecting in a large sheet of water near Prestwich, 

 about a week ago, I chanced to lift out a large piece 

 of brown paper, which had become quite pulpy 

 through long lying in the water, and was surprised to 

 find it studded with numerous fine specimens of 

 Sphariumjorneum. We picked off over forty shells. 

 and also a number of PlanorMs carinatus and 

 Bythinia tentaculata. The place swarms with Z. 

 stagnalis and L. peregra, and many were close to the 

 paper, but none on it, so it would appear that they 

 had not been driven to the paper-eating extremity of 

 Mr. Cockerell's specimens. The bottom of the lake 

 is clothed with a dense growth of Anacharis alsi- 

 nastrum, and the paper was lying! upon this, about 

 three inches below the surface of the water. I did 

 not think much of the Bythinias or Planorbi being in 

 such a situation, but certainly was surprised to find 

 the bivalves " at home " there. Each bivalve had 

 nibbled an oval hole in the paper, and apparently had 

 been there for some time, as the shells were beauti- 

 fully clean, and all seemed thriving upon their strange 

 diet. My friend and I had for over two hours been 

 expressly "scooping" for bivalves with but meagre 

 results, having taken less than a dozen specimens, so 

 the paper furnished us with a good haul.— R. Standen, 

 Swinton, Manchester. 



" Druid Stones " at Stanton Drew. — In 

 reply to Mr. Bird's query respecting these, I beg to 

 furnish him with what information I possess on the 

 question. On the south side of Stanton Drew Church, 

 in an adjoining orchard, are to be seen three Druidic 

 stones, of which two are erect and the other prostrate, 

 the latter being about fourteen feet long by eight feet 

 wide. A short distance from these are the remains of 

 a circle of stones, of about one hundred and twenty 

 feet in diameter ; however, of these but six now 

 remain, and are nearly all prostrate, and more or less 

 covered by the soil. In an adjoining field, about one 

 hundred and fifty yards distant, is the circumference 

 of the largest of these circles, which has a diameter of 

 three hundred feet ; the largest stone is about eleven 

 feet long. The last circle has its diameter stated at 

 ninety-six feet, with the principal stone some fifteen 

 and a half feet long and five feet square. Lying near 

 this circle are seven stones, which, though now 

 scattered, lead to the supposition that they formed 

 part of an avenue. Stanton Drew is believed to have 

 had an earlier construction than either of those two 

 grand Druidical monuments — Stonehenge or Abury. 

 A reference to No. 95 of the " Archaeological 

 Journal," and to Mr. W. Long's paper, will no doubt 

 furnish particulars of a very interesting character. — ■ 

 Alfred W. Griffin, Bath. 



Flint in Bath-Stone. — A rather unusual 

 occurrence took place while St. Philip's Church was 



being built at Arundel. One of the hewers was 

 sawing a large block of bath-stone, when his saw 

 came in contact with a flint stone about the size of a 

 large walnut. I think that this is worthy of being 

 published, as I have never heard of it before. — 

 Archibald W. Fry, Arundel. 



Lyccena ICARUS.— With reference to Mr. Coste's 

 note on p. 214, I may mention that a few days ago I 

 found a specimen of Z. teams (or, as he calls it, 

 P. alexis) at rest'on a fancies stem in a very swampy 

 place on Chislehurst Common. I was rather struck 

 by the fact, as this species had always seemed more 

 fond of dry fields. Many species revisit a locality 

 after being frightened away. I have noticed it in 

 Chrysis cyanea at Bedford Park. — 71 D. A. Cockerel!.. 



British Dragon-flies. — With reference to a 

 note in a former vol. of Science-Gossip on dragon- 

 flies, M. Skelton, M.C.S., writes to say that he has 

 obtained a book on the subject, and gives the title 

 as follows: "British Libellulinas or Dragon-flies 

 illustrated in a series of lithographic drawings, with 

 a brief description of the insects, times of appearances 

 &c. By W. F. Evans, M.C.S. Printed for private 

 circulation, 1845." 



Swarms of Flies.— In reply to query in Sep- 

 tember number of Science-Gossip : I was on the 

 Lincolnshire coast early in August, and observed two 

 or three times, on the rising of the tide, a line of green 

 flies which had been cast up by the waves. Once I 

 followed the line, a sinuous one, for over three 

 miles. The flies had, of course, been blown out to 

 sea, and then been cast up again. The line was 

 thick enough to be observable at a distance of 

 twenty yards. — W. Mawer. 



Swarms of Flies. — A swarm of green flies 

 (Aphis) occurred in West Cowes, Isle of Wight, 

 during the second and third weeks of July. In the 

 streets the air seemed full of them. They dis- 

 appeared towards the end of the month. — R. H. 

 Nisbett Browne. 



Silkworms. — Some time last month a little girl, 

 interested in watching the development and various 

 changes of the silkworm, informed me that a young 

 friend of hers, in winding off a cocoon, was surprised 

 to find it contained two pupae. At the time I 

 thought there must have been some mistake ; but 

 Mr. Epps' experience seems to fully bear out this 

 statement. I understood my informant to say they 

 were able to wind off the silk from the cocoon in 

 this particular instance ; consequently, I should judge 

 that only one worm did the spinning, the other 

 remaining dormant meanwhile. — A. Jenkins, New- 

 Cross. 



Silkworms. — Respecting Laurence G. F. Epps' 

 query about double cocoons, I beg to say it is quite a 

 common occurrence. In Tuscany, where I pass a 

 great part of the year, and where silkworm-rearing 

 forms a portion of the ordinary business of the farm, 

 double cocoons are generally set apart when bringing 

 the cocoons to market, and sell at a lower price than 

 the ordinary ones. As I have not tried to unwind the 

 silk thread from any double cocoons, I cannot tell if it 

 is generally broken or not. But I know that, for some 

 reason or other, they are not liked by silk merchants. 

 — Z. de Virte. 



Fresh-water Shells. — In the spring of last year 

 bivalves, popularly known as "fresh-water cockles," 

 belonging to the group Cycladaj, and to the species 

 Cyclas laenstris (?), were plentiful in ponds in the 



