HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



21 



Longevity of Cats. — I believe Mr. limbs | 

 estimates the average life of a cat at fifteen years. I 

 have a female cat nineteen years old, and this spring ! 

 gave birth, after an interval of about five years, and 

 brought forth two kittens. Is it not a very unusual cir- 

 cumstance ? Perhaps some of your readers will kindly j 

 discuss the question. — Willing, Kent. 



Flight of Swifts. — About seven o'clock on the 

 .evening of the 1st of June of this year, whilst standing 

 near Pentire Point on the north coast of Cornwall, I 

 noticed that there were an unusual number of swifts 

 flying about, and on watching them more attentively 

 I found that there were several hundreds of them 

 spread out in the shape of a square, coming from the 

 west and directing their course due east. Until 

 reaching the land they were flying very high, but 

 then they flew much lower, some only a few yards 

 from the ground, and some came so close to me that 

 I might have almost knocked them down had I had 

 a stick. They did not appear to be at all fatigued, 

 and were flying in a straight course, not stopping to 

 catch flies, &c, of which there were a great number in 

 the air, as might be seen from the busily engaged 

 swallows. The above may be of interest to some of 

 your readers, who might be able to tell me from 

 whence they came. — H. B . Runnals. 



The practical Use of the Microscope. — It 

 has been my impression for some time that the micro- 

 scope might be used for more practical purposes than 

 is usually the case, as for instance in the study of wool, 

 its nature, quality, &c. As a learner, I wish to make 

 this subject my study, but am in a difficulty as to 

 the proper manipulation of the instrument, how to 

 detect the differences between the best and the worst 

 kinds of wool, and betwixt vegetable productions and 

 the real article itself after each has been acted upon 

 by the different processes of manufacture. Perhaps 

 some of your numerous correspondents may be able 

 to throw" a little light upon the above, for which I 

 shall be exceedingly obliged, and to you also, Sir, if you 

 will kindly insert the above, in such condensed form 

 as you think fit, in your valuable periodical. — J. T. G. 



" Carnation Grass." — In reply to Mr. F. H. 

 Arnold's query as to which carex is indicated by this 

 name (page 147) I would say that in Shropshire it is 

 Carex glauca. While on the subject of plant names 

 I may say that while botanising recently on Whinall 

 Moss (Salop) with a friend, we came upon an original 

 character in the person of an old man cutting turf for 

 use as fuel, who called the two species of cotton grass 

 that grow most abundantly on the moss, viz , Eriopho- 

 riu/i vaginatum and E. polystachum, by the name 

 of " Davy white-yeads " (i.e. heads), a name I had 

 not before heard used. " We callen um Davy white- 

 yeads."— IV. Phillip. 



Rookeries and the Titula Grub. — Some of 

 your agricultural readers may be interested in the 

 following information on this subject, an account of 

 which was lately issued by the Royal Agricultural 

 Society, and is apparently going the round of the 

 press in the country. About ten days ago a rook 

 from amongst a flock which were feeding in a meadow 

 here, was shot for the purpose of ascertaining what 

 they were so busily looking after. In its mouth, or 

 pelican-like pouch, in which they carry food to the 

 sitting hens and to their young ones, were found 

 twenty-one Tipula grubs which no doubt were 

 intended for young which had escaped rook-shooting. 

 I find rooks in an hour, on an average, visit their 

 young in nests about four times ; and if we take that 

 as a fair specimen, eighty-four of these grubs are 



destroyed per hour, for each nest. Many fields of 

 corn are very "patchy," on account of these grub 

 pests ; one piece of wheat near here is probably more 

 than half taken ; in some places not a blade of wheat 

 is to be seen for yards, and I find the ground is full 

 of these grubs which can be seen on stirring the 

 surface. This plague is in a great measure owing to 

 the scarcity of birds, especially of fieldfares and red- 

 wings, during the past winter. The starlings are 

 having a rare feast, and may be seen carrying these 

 pests of grubs in the point of their beaks in all direc- 

 tions to their young. — E. Edwards. 



A Colony of Frogs.— Some weeks ago I was 

 out beetle-hunting, and on pulling up the turf at the 

 foot of a wall, there was brought to light a sort of 

 colony of young frogs, which much excited my 

 curiosity. In the centre of the group there was a 

 solitary toad of the same size as the frogs, all of which 

 were small. They dispersed too suddenly to permit 

 of my ascertaining their precise number, but there 

 must have been a dozen or twenty. Is this circum- 

 stance merely accidental owing to the situation being 

 peculiarly favourable to their well-being and dis- 

 covered and appropriated by each : or is it the habit 

 of the animal to congregate in this manner ? — C. F. Y. 



Climbing Powers of the Toad. — From Helen 

 Watney's description (page 165) one might be led to 

 suppose that the toad climbed up steps, &c, by 

 means of an adhesive power, having its origin in the 

 rough surface. My experience leads me to consider 

 that this is not the case, for I have been able to 

 keep restless toads fast prisoners, by simply placing 

 them in a fairly deep flower-pot. But I have often 

 seen toads climb up steps and out of shallow pots, by 

 standing upright upon their hind-legs, hooking the 

 hands, or even one only, over the top ledge, and then 

 walking up the wall, or side of the pot, as it were 

 with their feet. I should say that with a little 

 practice a toad might by these means climb a wall, 

 the projecting edges of the bricks affording holding 

 ground for the hands. — Edward B. Parfitt. 



Emmets or large Ants. — Why are they always 

 found in companies, going contrary ways ? I have 

 watched them here (Bournemouth) with great interest, 

 and am surprised at the weights they carry. I have 

 seen two convey a pieee of stick, as we should a 

 basket of washing, and when the load is heavier, it is 

 shared by two or three more. Any information would 

 be gratefully received. — A. B. 



Woodpeckers' Eggs. — Having added to my 

 collection of eggs, green woodpeckers' eggs, blotted 

 with brown or yellowish brown, I shall be obliged if 

 any of your readers would inform me if this be of rare 

 occurrence. — Geo. Wheldon. 



Queer Nesting-place. — I have just returned 

 from a country house where I have seen a bull-finch's 

 nest in the queerest position that I am sure bull-finch 

 ever built in. The "Bullys"are great pets of the 

 lady of the house, and fly about her room, frequently 

 alighting on her shoulder to receive seeds from finger- 

 tip and lips. Over the door of this room, on the 

 inside, is fastened a buck's skull with the antlers 

 attached, and it is within this skull that the " Bullys " 

 have elected to build their nest, perfectly undisturbed 

 by the frequent opening and shutting of the door 

 beneath. In this strange receptacle for her coming 

 brood, the hen bird sits assiduously, encouraged in her 

 maternal duties by her mate on the neighbouring 

 antlers. — W. Hambroitgh. 



