HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



257 



ZOOLOGY. 



Occurrence of Vanessa Antiopa. — On the 

 17th of August, I saw a very fine specimen of the 

 Camberwell beauty (Vanessa Antiopa): from its 

 perfect condition, I should say it was just out of the 

 chrysalis. Not having a net with me, I was unable 

 to secure it. — Edith C. Thomson, Tonbridge. 



Land and Freshwater Shells of Derby. — 

 Being anxious to obtain a complete list of the land 

 and freshwater shells found in the county of Derby, 

 I shall be much obliged to any reader of Science- 

 Gossip that can help me in this matter. — H. Milnes, 

 IVi aster, near Derby. 



Hertfordshire Natural History Society 

 and Field Club. — The Transactions of the above 

 Society, published September, is a continuation of the 

 Transactions of the Watford Natural History Society, 

 and contains, besides the president's (J. Gwyn Jeffries, 

 LL.D., F.R.S., &c.) address, the following papers : on 

 " Animals which have become Extinct in Britain 

 within Historic Times," by J. E. Harting, F.L.S., 

 "Our British Beetles : Notes on their Classification 

 and Collection," by Arthur Cottam, F.R.A.S., and 

 "General Observations on Spiders," byF. M. Camp- 

 bell, F.L.S., F.R.M S. 



"A Manual of the Infusoria," by W. 

 Saville Kent, F.L.S., &c. London, David Bogue.— 

 We have received Part I. of this splendid work, 

 and much as we anticipated from so well-known a 

 specialist as Mr. Saville Kent, our highest expecta- 

 tions are greatly exceeded. If the remaining five 

 parts are turned out as attractively and solidly as this 

 (and there is no reason to believe they will be other- 

 wise), this Manual will be one of the best and cheapest 

 scientific monographs which has issued from the 

 English press for many a year. The publisher has 

 done his part well, in supplying excellent paper and 

 clear type, the eight plates of objects are exquisitely 

 drawn by the author, and as beautifully engraved. 

 The present part consists of 144 pages of historical 

 and descriptive letter-press, including Chapter I. 

 "Introductory- — General History of the Infusoria 

 from the time of their discovery by Leeuwenhoek 

 in 1675, to the year 1880." Chapter II. "The Sub- 

 kingdom Protozoa " (in which we have the taxono- 

 mial, biological, and structural values and affinities 

 of the various groups of Infusoria, and a classification 

 attempted). Chapter III. will prove especially in- 

 teresting to all microscopists. It is on the "Nature 

 and Organisation of the Infusoria," and deals with 

 their morphology, internal and external differentia- 

 tion, their encystment, locomotive and prehensile 

 appendages, the nature and functions of their con- 

 tractile vesicles, nuclei, and nucleoli, their colouring 

 matter, their accessory structures, such as trichocysts, 



as well as with all the phenomena of reproduction, 

 whether by binary division or fission, external and 

 internal germination, sporular multiplication, or 

 sexual reproduction. We confess, however, we 

 should have preferred that the author had not 

 employed the terms " Macrospores " and "Micro- 

 spores " to the sporuloid bodies seen in encysted 

 Infusoria, seeing that these terms are already in 

 botanical use for club-mosses, &c. Mr. Kent also 

 discusses the affinities of the Infusoria to the higher 

 zoological groups, and gives instructions for the pre- 

 servation of Infusoria, as well as full practical expla- 

 nations of the methods for their investigation. The 

 fourth chapter treats on " Spontaneous Generation," 

 and in this the reader will find a very clear and full 

 summary of all that has been said on this debated 

 subject up to the present time. Our greatest surprise 

 in connection with this much wanted and magnificent 

 work is, that the publisher has found it possible to 

 publish it so cheaply as in monthly half-guinea parts 



Hibernation of Lady-birds, &c. — The time is 

 now arrived when the various insect inhabitants of 

 our fields that live through the winter begin to look 

 out for winter quarters where to hibernate and pass 

 the dreary months in undisturbed rest. So soon as 

 their food becomes scarce and the weather cold, 

 instinct prompts them to retire. This is pre-eminently 

 the case with lady-birds (Coccinellidce), whose food 

 departs with the heat and with the leaves ; when 

 aphides fail, lady-birds are to be seen as early as 

 September, wandering over palings, &c, for this 

 purpose. In the sunny days of December they are 

 allured from their hibernacula in crevices of tree- 

 trunks and palings, under bark, among dry leaves, 

 and such-like places ; while in early spring they are 

 the first to announce the opening of the season. 

 When snow covered the ground and ice the ponds, 

 I have found great numbers of several species con- 

 gregated together under the bark of trees, their legs 

 drawn up, and antennce collapsed as if lifeless, but on 

 slight warming they would become as lively as they 

 could have been in summer. This is precisely the 

 case with many other beetles, especially the geode- 

 phaga ; and it is only necessary to shake the rotten 

 leaves of winter and tufts of grass and moss over 

 a sheet of brown paper to obtain a supply of hiber- 

 nating species. For the same reason, early spring is 

 a good time for collecting Coleoptera, when numbers 

 may be taken by lifting up flat stones, &c, which have 

 lain on the ground undisturbed for some time. They 

 come to the surface from their winter homes on the 

 approach of warm weather. Another good situation 

 for beetle-hunting in winter is the turf at the foot of 

 walls. By pulling up the tufts of grass, beetles may 

 be found hiding among the roots. The above hints 

 may be useful to young collectors, and I hope other 

 notes on winter work from correspondents may 

 follow. — C. Francis Yoicng. 



