68 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



falling snow. The birds like eating snow too. When 

 the frost is so severe that the water freezes almost as 

 soon as given to them, which has been the case this 

 winter, I take care to shovel some snow into the cage, 

 and so long as they have snow to pick, or water to 

 drink, they do not mind the cold. They enjoy a cold 

 bath, however, as long as the frost does not prevent 

 them having a dip, which, by adding a little water 

 only on the top of the ice, they were long able to do, 

 till at last, the ice in the pan was one frozen mass and 

 they had to satisfy themselves with the snow. Turn 

 your canaries out of doors in the warm air of July or 

 August, and as the cold of winter comes on gradually 

 they will month by month get accustomed to it. 

 My experience for years has proved if they are pro- 

 tected from a draught or current of air through the 

 aviary, you may fearlessly expose them to any amount 

 of cold such as can get to them from a southerly 

 aspect, protected (only to prevent them flying away) 

 by a wire netting. — IF. Bud Jen, Ipswich. 



Phosphorescence of Shore Sand. — The phos- 

 phorescence (so called) spoken of by Mr. J . G. T. Lee, 

 as occurring on the sands at Whitby, was doubtless 

 caused by Noctiluca miliaris, stranded by the receding 

 tide. I have frequently observed the same effect, and 

 by microscopic examination have ascertained the 

 cause. These little creatures only "shew their tiny 

 spark to the traveller in the dark," when irritated in 

 any way ; but the effect, if not visible by daylight, 

 can be felt at any time. Last summer, I experienced 

 a very unpleasant sensation, similar to that caused by 

 a galvanic battery, on putting my hand into a dense 

 mass of them floating in the sea. Subsequent experi- 

 ments with a large quantity at home, proved that the 

 flash is always accompanied by the "shock," and 

 that after two discharges have taken place — the second 

 one much feebler than the first — a rest of ten or fifteen 

 minutes must be allowed before the phenomena can 

 be repeated. Am I right in thinking that the shock 

 with the coincident flash, is intended as a means of 

 self-defence ?— /P; //. Shrubsole, F.G.S. 



Steering-power of Sea-birds. — Among other 

 interesting notes made during a passage to Australia 

 and New Zealand, one relates to the flight of sea- 

 birds, and as I have not noticed it elsewhere, I think 

 it may be worthy of a place in Science-Gossip. It 

 is, I fancy, generally believed that the sole steering- 

 power of birds lay in their tails, and this perhaps 

 may be true so far as land-birds are concerned, but 

 several observations I made lead one to think that 

 sea-birds possess a more or less powerful auxiliary 

 to the tail, and which is to be found in their feet. 

 Shortly after leaving Plymouth, during a fresh breeze, 

 several gulls flew close to and around the ship, and 

 I noticed that when turning sharply, or making a 

 curve in their flight, they lowered their feet from the 

 ordinary position taken when in a direct course and 

 made a kind of paddling motion, the toes being out- 

 stretched so as to form a kind of fan with the web. 

 As this was the first time I had noticed anything of 

 the kind, I determined to make a point of observing 

 the flight of the various kinds of birds we might meet 

 with during the remainder of the passage. Until we 

 reached Madeira no case presented itself, as birds 

 became rare, in fact only two or three petrels were 

 seen, and these too far off to be observed with any 

 certainty. When off the above island several gulls 

 and terns came round us, when exactly the same 

 motions were seen. No other chance then presented 

 itself until we had passed the equator, the southern 

 tropic, and entered the colder climate of the southern 

 seas, where, as is well known to those who have had 



the fortune (or misfortune !) to sail, birds collect and 

 follow in the ship's wake by hundreds, and continue 

 without ceasing until the antipodes are reached. 

 They fly without the slightest sign of fear almost 

 within reach of the outstretched hand, affording ex- 

 cellent opportunities for being closely observed. 

 Without exception, each time they made a curve 

 or angle, the feet were lowered and the same paddling 

 motion gone through, but immediately it was com- 

 pleted, they were re-collected to the former position. 

 As this occurred with all the birds which flew around, 

 from the gigantic albatros down to the tiny petrel, 

 one may, 1 think, infer with tolerable certainty that 

 sea-birds derive considerable aid from their feet 

 as a steering-power, and especially when crossing 

 adverse currents of wind. — IF. M. Cole, F.G.S. 



The "Long-purpi.es" of Shakspeare. — The 

 plants alluded to by the queen in Hamlet, act iv. 

 scene 7, by this name, are most probably the riverside 

 growth of Orchis mascitla. She observes that to these 

 "long purples" 



" Liberal shepherds give a grosser name, 

 But our cold maids do dead men's lingers call them." 



What the "grosser name" of the "liberal shepherds" 

 was, may be seen on reference to the description of 

 Orchis viasaila in any of the olden herbals, and in 

 " Withering's Botany" (1776); while the name of 

 " Dead-men's-fingers " is still applied to this plant 

 by rustics hereabouts. — R. A., Wellington, Shrop- 

 shire. 



The "Long-purples" of Shakspeare. — There 

 can be no doubt that Orchis masada is the plant Shak- 

 speare alludes to under the above name, in Hamlet, 

 act iv. scene 7- From the above reference we learn that 

 the same plant was designated by three names, and 

 we also learn that it was not Lythrum Salicaria any 

 more than it was Digitalis purpurea. They are both 

 long and purple ; but that certainly does not make 

 them the plant of the poet. On the other hand the 

 Orchis is still (in some parts of Scotland and the 

 north of England) called " long-purples," and as any 

 one may observe, the tubers bear some resemblance 

 to " Dead-men's-fingers." If I mistake not, Lightfoot 

 was the first botanist who pointed out that the Orchis 

 was, beyond all question, the "long purples" of our 

 great poet. — A. Craig- Christie. 



The " Long-purples " of Shakspeare. — There 

 can be little doubt that Shakspeare referred to the 

 common species of orchis, such as mascula and morio, 

 under the name of " Long-purples," or " Dead-men's- 

 fingers." The two names are not obviously appro- 

 priate to any other common plant, and most popular 

 names are obviously appropriate. Arum maculatum 

 has a better claim by far than lythrum, though the 

 two names would only fit two different varieties. As 

 our greatest authority on the subject, the Rev. H. N. 

 Ellacomb, points out in his "Plant-lore of Shak- 

 speare," the name "Dead-men's-fingers" was given 

 from the pale palmate roots of O. maculata, latijblia, 

 and allied species. — G. S. Boulger. 



" Long-purples." — I remember reading, but I do 

 not remember where, that the plant alluded to by 

 Shakspeare as "long purples" was really the 

 cuckoo-pint (Arum maat latum), the spadix of which 

 is purple in hue. — Helen E. Watney. 



The "Long-purples" of Shakspeare (No. 

 182, p. 45). — Shakspeare's own words, I think, 

 afford the best proof that the plant he intended was 

 Orchis mascula, L., the early purple orchis. It is 

 not necessary to specify the "grosser names" by 



