HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



239 



able, and difficult to account for. Amongst the 

 British Heterocera, for example, there is not a single 

 instance in which a "true blue" occurs; and the 

 paucity of blue flowers in the garden and conservatory 

 must have been noticed by well nigh every one. 

 Bentham seems to regard Anagallis carulea as a 

 variety only of A. arvensis ; but from the specimens 

 which I examined, it appears to me to differ not 

 only in colour, but it is more erect in growth, and has 

 the sepals less pointed, and I should certainly feel 

 inclined to agree with those botanists who consider 

 it as a distinct species. — Josepli Anderson, jitn., 

 Chichester. 



Sunshine and Frost. — Here and there, over an 

 area of some two degrees of latitude, trees and bushes 

 of varied kinds have been partially or entirely de- 

 stroyed this season. In some places patches of foliage 

 have been withered, in others a tree here and there ; 

 some with a brown branch, some with the lower half, 

 some with the upper shrivelled up, just as if the 

 winter had overtaken them in their spring-time. 

 The effect is curious ; summer green and winter 

 brown or bare branches in July. The destruction is 

 visible along the line of railway between Basle and 

 Strassburg, or to Frankfort and Homburg. The 

 leaf was given out plentifully, but while in its 

 succulent condition, the plants affected were covered 

 with hoar-frost. Upon this the sun shone with its 

 summer heat, hotter than usual over this area, because 

 there was but little evaporation. This heat, striking 

 the frozen leaf, burnt it up at once, and there stand 

 the dead and the dying by hundreds of thousands. 

 There are curious episodes in this visitation. Yesterday 

 evening I passed along an avenue of apple-trees ; very 

 few had any fruit ; the leaf was all dead on the 

 eastern exposure ; but that side had sheltered the 

 other, so that in many places the foliage was nearly 

 natural. The avenue extended to the shelter of a 

 wood. The last tree on the east was in the shade 

 from sunrise till after midday. It looked very healthy, 

 and had a large crop of apples. The trees on the 

 other side were doing well, under the shade. Where 

 the forest trees were low, the early sun had caught 

 the tips of the apple-trees, while the lower branches 

 were well clothed, and moderately fruity. There is 

 a lesson to be learnt from this : at blossom-time, if 

 it is early in the season, or if frosts threaten, shade 

 your fruit-trees from the rising sun. The destruction 

 in the rich garden-ground near Frankfort must have 

 caused a very serious loss, and loud are the lamenta- 

 tions of " No apple-wine." — H. P. M. 



Saxifraga granulata. — I have found this in 

 three locations in this neighbourhood, on chalk downs, 

 on a gravel bank, and on a water-meadow on a ridge 

 three or four feet above the level of the rest of the 

 field. In the first locality it was growing, sometimes 

 in small patches, and sometimes scattered over a con- 

 siderable area. In the second there were only two or 

 three plants, and in the third there were a good 

 number, and mixed with them many tufts of very fine 

 Polygala z'ulga?-is. In the next field, often a mere 

 marsh, there is an abundance of Orchis latifolia. I 

 have observed that the spikes which come into bloom 

 first are not so fine as later ones, and that the 

 individual flowers are smaller and invariably of a 

 much paler colour. The difference is very marked, 

 for when I have gathered dark specimens, I have 

 never been able to obtain perfect light ones. The 

 "Student's Flora " gives the colour as dark purple, 

 and says nothing of variations in the tint of this 

 species, though it does of many others of the Orchidese. 

 — E. A. F., Salisbury. 



NOTICES TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



To Correspondents and Exchangers. — As we now 

 publish Science-Gossip a week earlier than heretofore, we 

 cannot possibly insert in the following number any communica- 

 tions which reach us later than the gth of the previous month. 



To Anonymous Querists. — We receive so many queries 

 which do not bear the writers' names that we are forced to 

 adhere to our rule of not noticing them. 



To Dealers and others. — We are always glad to treat 

 dealers in natural history objects on the same fair and general 

 ground as amateurs, in so far as the " exchanges " offered are fair 

 exchanges. But it is evident that, when their offers are simply 

 disguised advertisements, for the purpose of evading the cost of 

 advertising, an advantage is taken of our gratuitous insertion of 

 "exchanges" which cannot be tolerated. 



A. Leinad. — The moss is a species of Hypnum, and cannot 

 possibly have done any harm to your aquarium. It has doubt- 

 less come from spores carried in the atmosphere. We are afraid 

 you have too many animals. Take out at least one of the carp. 

 Stone-leeches cannot be kept healthy in aquaria, as they prefer 

 running water. 



Eamard. — "The Foot and its Covering " was published by 

 Hardwicke. Write to D. Bogue, 3 St. Martin's Place, concern- 

 ing it. 2. Obtain the " Guide to Bristol and the Neighbour- 

 hood," published during the meeting of the British Association 

 to that city in 1875, and giving all the natural history and geo- 

 logical details. Any Bristol bookseller will obtain it for you. 



H. Searle. — Your exchange far exceeded the limits of the 

 space allowed, which is not more than about three lines, so we 

 were obliged to cut it down. Above this space we are obliged 

 to charge as an advertisement. The number of our Exchanges 

 is increasing so rapidly that we are obliged to carry out this 

 limit as strictly as possible. 



J. A. Floyd. — You will no doubt find an account of the 

 Geology of Ontario in the publications of the Geological Survey 

 of Canada. 



E. Lovett. — The slide of Pagurus BcmJiardus reached us 

 safely. It was capitally mounted. 



H. Morland. — You will find a good deal about the Hymen- 

 optera and Diptera in Stavely's " British Insects " (L. Reeve 

 & Co.). We hope to continue the paper you mention shortly. 

 You cannot do better than follow Mr. Bridgman's directions as 

 to setting them. 



Peter M. Ross. — There are many species of "grubs," de- 

 structive to grain and grass, as the wire-worms, the larva of the 

 crane-fly or daddy-long-legs {Tipula longicornis), of the cock- 

 chafer {Melolontha vulgaris), &c. ; see Taylor's " Underground," 

 published by the Christian Knowledge Society at qs. 6d. Also 

 Kirby's " Entomology," and Wood's " Insects at Home." 



G. M. G. — Write to the Hon. Secretary, Microscopical 

 Society, San Francisco, enclosing stamps or exchange, and we 

 have no doubt he will forward you some of the San Monica 

 earth. 



N. B. — Yes ; we think that some of our readers would like to 

 have eggs of the Palmate Newt. Offer them in our Exchange 

 column. Taylor's "Aquarium" (new edition, revised) will 

 certainly be ready in November. 



W. Ernest Milner. — You cannot do better than procure 

 Tulk & Henley's "Anatomical Manipulation," published by 

 Van Voorst. It is one of the best handbooks ever published on 

 the methods of pursuing practical investigations in comparative 

 anatomy and physiology. 



G. H. P. — The species of tick was too much broken up to 

 distinguish the species. The other insect was one of the common 

 spring-tails (Podura villosa). 



G. Ward. — Please send us another fragment of cucumber 

 leaf affected by fungus. 



F. S. Syddon. — Your Algae never came to hand. 



E. Nuthall. — It is not a common occurrence in the potato, 

 liable as that plant is to teratological variation, for sprouting to 

 take place in the interior of the tubers. Perhaps you will kindly 

 send us a more detailed account. 



A. Hamilton. — Thanks for the gathering, which shall be 

 distributed as you desire. 



S. A. Brennan. — Your scarlet water-mite is no doubt 

 Limnocharcs holosericea (Acarus aquaticus of Linnseus). These 

 water-mites undergo great transformations when they leave the 

 water. At first they have usually only three pairs of legs, after- 

 wards four pairs. 



EXCHANGES. 



Wanted, Nos. 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 28, 29, 30, 34, 43, 47, 

 of "Cassell's Illustrated Travels," edited by H. Bates. State 

 condition and price. — Harry Moore, 50 Rotherhithe Street, 

 London, S.E. 



A lapidary's lathe for cutting and polishing works horizon- 

 tally ; also a Greenough's geological map, coloured, size 72 X 66. 

 —Address, T. C. Maggs, High Street, Yeovil. 



