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HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



Noise made by Water Snails. — I have often 

 noticed the peculiar noise from my aquarium men- 

 tioned in Science-Gossip (page 23) by C. J. P., 

 Weymouth, it seemed to proceed from the L. stag- 

 nalis (perhaps the same kind of snail mentioned by 

 C. J. P., as it was formerly named II. stagnalis). I 

 had several other kinds of mollusca in the aquarium, 

 but that seemed to be the only kind floating on 

 the surface at the time. The noise seemed like a 

 very sharp " drip," and after a minute or so drip 

 again. — Mrs. S., Brentford, Middlesex. 



The Fagus of Caesar. — The point originally 

 discussed in Science-Gossip was what was this 

 tree? The quotations from "Virgil," by Mr. Mog- 

 gridge, show conclusively that it could scarcely have 

 been the evergreen oak, since this is neither a "lofty" 

 nor a "spreading" tree. These terms, however, 

 seem well to apply to the chestnut, of which Gerarde 

 remarks, that "The chestnut is a very great and high 

 tree, and casteth forth many boughes," and as Long- 

 fellow reminds us when he says : 



" Under a spreading chestnut tree, 

 The village smithy stands." 



The terms " alta " and "patula" suit equally well 

 the beech and the chestnut.- — F. II. A. 



Woodcocks or Goat-suckers. — In your Feb- 

 ruary number of Science-Gossip, under the head of 

 "Notes and Queries," I perceive a short article headed 

 "Woodcocks or Goat-suckers." I have been an 

 ardent sportsman for many years, and having had 

 numerous opportunities of watching and noting the 

 habits of the woodcock, I beg to say I have, on different 

 occasions, seen them disporting themselves as des- 

 cribed by Charles Kingsley, not only over plantation, 

 but in the open at dusk before their retiring to the 

 marshes, and in search of food. Their playful flight 

 was not unlike that of the goat-sucker, but no person 

 of any experience in ornithology could possibly mis- 

 take the different intonation of voice. Whilst 

 watching for rabbits a few years since, at a place in 

 the county of Wexford, " Askinfarney," in the be- 

 ginning of March, after five o'clock in the evening, 

 I saw two woodcocks disporting themselves, as I 

 mentioned above. Happening to fly near where I 

 was at the wood fence, so close were they together in 

 their gambols that I killed both with one shot. — IV. C. 



Wren's Nest at Christmas.— In answer to the 

 question of J. Steel, Greenock, as to "whether the 

 nest was a forsaken one of last season," I may say 

 that it had the appearance of a newly-made one ; it 

 was quite free from dead leaves, &c, which are gene- 

 rally found in old nests, and moreover, the eggs on 

 being broken were found to be quite fresh. — F. F.R., 

 North a nipt on . 



Viper swallowing its Young. — In last month's 

 Science-Gossip a correspondent (J. J.) reopens this 

 vexed question which has been repeatedly discussed 

 in your columns. I must confess that independent of 

 all the statements of the viper swallowing its young, 

 which have come under my notice, I still remain 

 sceptical on that point. Your correspondent does not 

 state whether the breach from which the young ones 

 escaped, opened into the stomach, or into the oviduct, 

 a point of great importance. If the opening led from 

 the oviduct, as I think it would, there is nothing 

 strange in the lively appearance of the young, as it is 

 well known that the viper being ovo-viviparous, the 

 young are no sooner brought to light than they as- 

 sume all the liveliness of their parents. The viper is 

 usually a very timid creature, and it is only when in a 



gravid condition that the female runs the risk of an 

 encounter with man through her unwillingness to 

 move from the spot where she may have been basking 

 in the sun. If the young had been located in the 

 stomach, I am afraid their condition would not have 

 been so active. Mr. Thos. Q. Couch, F.S.A., in 

 Science-Gossip for 1873, page 160, however, men- 

 tions having found "six young adders lying at length 

 in the stomach " of a viper he had dissected, but is he 

 sure the reptile in this case might not have been a 

 cannibal ? If any one who had an opportunity of 

 witnessing this act would submit the subjects to some 

 well known erpetologist who would be familiar with 

 the anatomy of the viper, it would effectually settle 

 the question. I have for some years been on the 

 watch, and although I have during the past two or 

 three summers had many opportunities of observing 

 vipers in places where they are numerous, I have 

 still been unsuccessful in witnessing this curious act. — 

 J. M. Campbell. 



Bees and Honey. — In May last, some friends 

 living in the neighbourhood of Tenby found one of 

 their beehives to be full of honey, but not a single 

 bee alive or dead could we find anywhere. They 

 have kept bees a great many years, and they could 

 not in any way account for it. — A. A. 



Notes from Oxford. — On February 20 I found 

 a V. urtiac in quad of Corpus College, and on 

 March 2 another in the country ; hibernated 

 specimens. On March 20 a nest of the common 

 thrush ( Tardus musicus) contained four eggs. On 

 March 8 primroses [Primula vulgaris) and Celan- 

 dine (Ranunculus Ficaria) in abundance. Mercu- 

 rialis perennis beginning to flower on same day ; 

 fully out on the nth. — IV. G. Woollcombe, Trinity 

 College, Oxford. 



Probable origin of the Menai Straits 

 suggested. — Since reading the Rev. W. Fox's 

 account of the severance of the Isle of Wight, as 

 cited by Mr. John Evans ("Ancient Flint Implements 

 of Great Britain," p. 605), I have been strongly 

 possessed by the idea that the severance of Anglesea 

 was effected in a very similar manner. In looking on 

 any geological map it appears evident that the 

 mountain limestone of the Great Ormes Head and 

 Llandudno was once connected with that of the 

 south-east of Anglesea, Prestholme Island being 

 remains of the ancient chain. The river Conway, 

 flowing as now in nearly a northern direction, met 

 this barrier much where now is its mouth, and being 

 debarred egress to the sea (supposing the chain to 

 have been unbroken), ran in a south-easterly direction 

 past Bangor, down the Menai Straits, which unlike 

 those which had been formed by encroachments of the 

 sea, on two opposite sides of a narrow neck of land, are 

 of nearly equal width throughout their entire length, 

 and have very much the character of the bank of a large 

 river. Now I am fully aware that this suggestion 

 (for such it really is) is of little value in itself, but I 

 have penned it hoping it may incite some geologist 

 who is personally acquainted with the district to 

 examine that part of the Conway Valley which lies 

 near its present mouth, for ancient and high-lying 

 quaternary beds. If such occur, I think we might 

 look for a continuation of them along both shores of 

 the Menai Straits, seeing that these do not appear to 

 have been much widened since they ceased to be a river. 

 Of course such detrital beds might possibly be a 

 repositoiy of mammalian or molluscous remains or 

 even of implements of palaeolithic workmanship. In 

 conclusion I hope this note may catch the eye of some 



