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HA RD WICKE 'S S CIENCE- G O SSIF. 



while we stood within six feet of him ; even after 

 momentarily casting the eye aside, it was by no 

 means an easy matter at this short distance to detect 

 him again, though the bank was perfectly bare of 

 herbage. After watching him long enough for our 

 satisfaction, we passed him without difficulty. On 

 that occasion I never thought of looking for a nest. 

 However, on the 22nd of the month, while strolling 

 up the same ravine, I heard what seemed to be the 

 voice of a linnet quite close by, and, thinking at once 

 of my friend the twite, lay clown quietly on the sward 

 to take a survey. Nothing in the shape of a bird was 

 visible, though I gazed searchingly at the dark walls 

 and pebbly stream-bed, with its narrow margins 

 beautifully sprinkled over with bells of the delicate 

 little Wahlenbergia hcderacea, and I had just 

 abandoned the quest, and stood up to continue my 

 mountain walk, when up flew a pair of twites from 

 the edge of the ravine immediately beside me. This 

 was somewhat tantalising. But, as they only flew to 

 the top of the bank, I again lay down, and in a few 

 minutes their confidence was perfectly restored, both 

 birds returning to the brink of the stream and 

 picking about among the gravel with quite a surprising 

 unconcerr.edness. Still more was I surprised when 

 the hen bird suddenly popped into a clump of 

 heather, and was greeted within by a chorus of shrill 

 eager little voices. Upon her exit I, of course, went 

 and peeped at the nest thus unexpectedly revealed, 

 which contained three yellow-beaked youngsters. At 

 this conduct of mine, the old birds manifested, no 

 doubt, some little degree of anxiety, hovering round 

 with plaintive calls of "twa-eet, twa-eet ; " never- 

 theless, as their solicitude did not seem to be of a very 

 frantic nature, I made the experiment of lying down 

 again, this time on rhe top of the bank, immediately 

 beside the nest. In a very few seconds the two little 

 birds were quite at ease once more, and resumed 

 their pecking among the gravel ; what manner of 

 edible materials they were collecting I did not succeed 

 in making out, but it was not long before the mother 

 paid another visit to the nest, notwithstanding the 

 fact that my head was now within some twenty inches 

 of that precious edifice. It may be that mountain 

 linnets have peculiarly short memories ; at all events, 

 no birds could possibly have conducted themselves 

 with a more total disregard of a spectator's presence. 

 After repeated visits to the nest, the birds went down 

 to the stream together and enjoyed a good splash in 

 the waters ; and, having thus refreshed themselves, 

 with many notes expressive of extreme self-gratulation 

 and contentment, the little couple flew off down the 

 ravine, and were soon lost to sight. Finding myself 

 thus left apparently sole guardian of the home and 

 family, I followed the parental example, and at once 

 took my departure. — C. B. Moffat, Ballyliyland, co. 

 Wexford. 



Epping Forest. — It may be interesting to some 

 of the readers of Science-Gossip to know that 

 during the past few months the beautiful floscule, 

 Stephanoceros Eichoniii, Plumatella repens, Volvox 

 globator, Melicerta ringens, and many other infusoria 

 have been pretty abundant in the ponds of Epping 

 Forest between Forest House, Leytonstone, and 

 "Woodford. — A. P. Wire, Harrow Green, 



" Is the Water-Ouzel an Enemy to Fish ? " 

 ■ — I may say that in my observations of this most 

 interesting bird, I have come to the conclusion that 

 small fish do form a part of its diet, but only a 

 small part, the only fish that I have known it to kill 

 being the minnow and roach, and these only very 

 seldom, its principal food consisting of water screws, 

 larvae of May-day flies, and such insects as frequent 



the beds of small stony streams. I have never known 

 it in any instance to eat the spawn of fish. I should 

 like, if any correspondent could give me a list of the 

 '' worst enemies to fish spawn," that the water-ouzel 

 is said to devour. The worst enemies to fish spawn 

 that I know of are "gudgeon and eels," neither 

 of which to my knowledge the water-ouzel destroys.. 

 With reference to the berry-eating capacity of the 

 water-ouzel, I have never found it to feed on berries 

 or seeds of any description, and I fail to see how our 

 bitterest winters can at all affect its diet ; water insects 

 are as plentiful in winter as in the summer time — 

 far more plentiful I should say, than the fruit of 

 the cuckoo pint. It is a scarcity, I should say, 

 of earthworms and slugs, in winter, which causes 

 birds of the thrush family to depend so much on 

 berries for their sustenance. The comparative scarcity 

 of this interesting bird (the water-ouzel) is much to 

 be deplored, and if this is due to the supposition (as 

 I suppose it is) that it destroys a number of useful 

 fish, I think with your correspondent that we 

 should do as much as we can to put this supposi- 

 tion to naught. I find that it is principally game- 

 keepers, and people who regard any bird, beast, or 

 reptile, that does not claim to come under the desig- 

 nation "game," as vermin, and therefore to be 

 destroyed at every opportunity — it is those who set 

 down the water-ouzel as an enemy to the fish, and 

 destroy it at every opportunity. — J. Bowman. 



The Lesser Shrew in Staffordshire. — 

 Fauna of Staffordshire. — I send a note of what 

 I believe to be the first recorded instance of the 

 occurrence of the smallest of our British mammals, 

 the lesser shrew (Sorex pygmceus) in Staffordshire. 

 The little creature was found dead (doubtless a victim 

 to the mysterious autumnal mortality peculiar to the 

 shrew family) by Mr. Ernest W. H. Blagg on 

 Tuesday, 8th of September, near Consall Hall, in 

 this county. If any of your readers can furnish me 

 with well-authenticated instances of the occurrence of 

 any of our rarer British quadrupeds or birds in 

 Staffordshire, I shall feel much obliged. — John R. B. 

 Masefietd. 



Lesser Dodder. — When I went for my holidays 

 in last August to the Ashdown Forest, Sussex, I 

 found the le.-ser dodder {Cuscnta epitkymum) in great 

 quantities. I found it on fifteen different varieties of 

 plants, among others oak, hawthorn, agrimony, gorse, 

 needlewhin, heath, ling, wax-heath, blechnum fern, 

 both on fertile and barren fronds and bracken. It 

 was very plentiful on gorse, heath, and ling, but not 

 so much so on the others. In general the flowers 

 were pinkish, hanging in little round bunches on 

 deep purple stems, but I also observed some with 

 pure white flowers attached to pale green stems, they 

 did not grow in such full clusters as the purple ones 

 did. The green plant was not in a more sheltered 

 situation than the purple. Will somebody kindly 

 inform me whether it is a different species, or only a 

 variety 1— Ethel Webb. 



Danais Archippus in Cornwall. — I have to 

 record the occurrence of this splendid North American 

 butterfly {Danais Archippus) at the Lizard this year. 

 No less than three specimens have been captured by 

 Mr. Alfred H. Jenkin, of Redruth, all within a few 

 days ; the first being taken on the 17th of September 

 last. A fourth specimen has been seen. All are in 

 fine condition, and there can be little doubt about 

 their having been bred in West Cornwall. I may 

 add that the same gentleman had the good fortune to 

 find last year, also at the Lizard, a specimen of the 

 very rare beetle Emus hirtns. — E. D. Marqnand, 

 Penzance. 



