HABDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



of capture and killing, his lips were invariably 

 drawn back as much as possible, which showed his 

 knowledge of the stinging danger.— I). B. 



Tadpoles of Newis — I am sorry to say I have 

 never taken advantage of any opportunities I may 

 have had for making the acquaintance of the newt 

 family; but on reading "II. E. E's" instructive 

 paragraph in Science-Gossip tor last December, 

 I saw, on reaching the concluding sentence, that 

 there was some mistake. A careful perusal of the 

 context showed that the apparent contradiction was 

 owing to an error in copying or printing ; and that 

 the eighth line from top of column should read 

 " The tadpole of the feoff," instead of " The tadpole 

 of the newt."— W.B. H. 



Bats.— On Christmas-eve of last year, I saw by 

 the light of a street lamp, some bats flying about an 

 open space close to the town. On the 28th Dec. I 

 saw a bat flying about one of the principal streets m 

 broad daylight, though a very dull day ; and on the 

 29th, a fine specimen of the long-eared variety was 

 caught flying about a leather-warehouse belonging 

 to a friend of mine. This curious waking up 

 among the bats was, I suppose, due to the extraor- 

 dinary mildness of the season. I noticed also many 

 flies in the fields— W. A. Law. 



Late Martins.— Our correspondent " J. L. H." 

 should read White's "Selborne," in which he will 

 find the migration, and supposed "hybernation" of 

 these birds fully treated on, although no proot of the 

 latter has been established. It has occurred to me 

 as being possible, that the late martins occasionally 

 seen, may be birds hatched so late in the season 

 that they do not migrate, and may perhaps tall 

 victims to the severity of our winter.— Dr. Morton, 

 New Brompton, Kent. 



Note on Asparagus. — In the course of some 

 inquiries I have been making with reference to the 

 old market-gardens of London, I have noted some 

 facts concerning the early culture of asparagus ; and 

 places nearer the centre of the metropolis than 

 those named by Mr. Glasspoole might have been 

 cited as producing it. Thus it was grown to_ a 

 good extent in Lambeth, from whence it was easily 

 carried across the Thames to the markets about the 

 Strand. Also it was cultivated in the district near 

 what were called "Neat-Houses," lying between 

 Westminster and Chelsea, once a favourite resort 

 of ruralizing citizens; afterwards these rather 

 marshy fields became the possession of market- 

 gardeners ; and now the land is elevated, and bears 

 " South Belgravia" upon its surface. When Dutch 

 William arrived on our shores, no doubt, an addi- 

 tional quantity of asparagus was cultivated; for 

 the vegetable was much favoured at court, and the 

 public would follow suit. And yet the monarch was 

 decidedly economical, since, as Swift's biographer 

 tells us, it was his habit to eat, not the tops merely, 

 but the entire stalk; and such a practice would 

 surely at last lessen the consumption of the plant. 

 Swift himself, with his usual eccentricity, did, as 

 his friend. Faulkner narrates, insist on his visitors 

 following the royal example, and sent back plates 

 presented for a second "help," until the stalks 

 were cleared. — /. B. S. C. 



Twin Birds.— In a recent number of the 

 Animal World there appeared a note under the 

 above heading, which struck me as being of such 

 uncommon occurrence, that I here insert it : — 

 " Did you ever hear of two canary-birds coming out 

 of one egE ? I have a fiue dark ccck which paired 



with an equally fine gold-coloured hen, and in due 

 time two eggs were deposited in the nest. _ When- 

 ever the hen would permit me, I peeped into the 

 nest to satisfy myself that the eggs were safe, and 

 certainly there were only two. After they had been 

 hatched a week, I discovered one morning, to my 

 intense surprise, that there were three young ones 

 in the nest. They are now more than five weeks 

 old, very fine birds, and equally fledged. The two 

 I presume to be twins are singularly marked ; one 

 having the right wing dark, with the left one yel- 

 low, while the other is vice versa, both having dark 

 heads and yellow tails." I should be very glad if 

 auy of your numerous correspondents or contri- 

 butors could inform me, through your columns, if 

 any of them have ever experienced such a pecu- 

 liarity, or whether it is of common occurrence.— 

 C. P. Hall, Woolwich. 



Juniperus communis.— " W. P.," in your 

 February number, expresses surprise at the com- 

 mon juniper being described as attaining to a height 

 of ten to Gfteen feet at Mickleham. Of this shrub, 

 in that district, 1 have no knowledge ; but, unless 

 my memory deceives me, I have met with it growing 

 to a height of ten to twelve feet, or even more, in 

 the neighbourhood of Burnham Beeches. On 

 referring to my notes of a visit to that beautiful 

 spot in August, 1872, I find that I have not 

 recorded the height of any of the specimens I saw, 

 but this is a matter which auy of your readers 

 living in the vicinity:could easily set at rest. It is 

 somewhat plentiful on East Burnham Common; 

 but, I think, is not more than three or four feet 

 high there. The larger shrubs will be found on the 

 uorth-west side of the celebrated Beeches, on that 

 part of the open forest land named in the Ordnance 

 map Crabtree Heath. In a book I have before me, 

 called " Sylvan Sketches," the author says :— 

 " Juniperus communis seldom exceeds three feet in 

 height. . . . Though its growth is so very humble in a 

 wild state, it will grow fifteen or sixteen feet high 

 if planted in good soil." W. S. Coleman, in "Our 

 Woodlands, Heaths, and Hedges," says:— "In its 

 wild state, and that in which it is usually met with, 

 the juniper is a low shrub, seldom more than three 

 feet high ; but when planted in a very favourable 

 soil, it will often rise to the dimensions of a tree. 

 At Wardour Castle, in Wiltshire, is one (the largest 

 in England) thirty feet in height." The size of the 

 beeches at Burnham is, I presume, evidence of the 

 fertility of the soil at that spot, and it may be that 

 the Mickleham junipers grow in an equally favour- 

 able situation. It would be interesting to know if, 

 in the latter district, the large shrubs are found in 

 close proximity, or if they are scattered over a good 

 stretch of country. If they grow only in one spot, 

 are there other junipers in the neighbourhood, and 

 how do they compare with the specimens in ques- 

 tion ? — Martin Gardner. 



Communications Received up to 10th ult. from : — 

 Dr. W. J. H.— R. G.-R. H. N. B— J. P. G.— L. H.— 

 Dr. T. S. C— J. J. M.— G. S— W. L S.— S. A. S.— G. C. D.~ 

 W. W. R.-R. M. L.— H. G. G.— C. P. H.— H. A. A.— F. M. K. 

 — F. A.-H. M. J. U.— J. P.— J. S. H -C. P. O.— W. G. M. 

 — R. G.-J. W. D.— W. J.— E. S.-C. W. C.-C. S.-E. S. C. 

 — C. W. C— J. B.— M. B. D.-Dr. C. C. A.— E. L— J. M. M. 

 —Dr. G. D. B.— J. R. T.— C. B.— T. E.~ O. H. W.— W. D.— 

 W. J H— H. C. C. M.-F. H. A.— W. G. B. P.— E. M. B.— 

 C. P. H.— E. F. J.-C. S— E. S.-E. J. B.— R. H. N. B.— 



E. H.-T. C.-J. S. C.-H. E. F.-G. S. T.-W. T.-H. W.- 

 W. G.— H. R.-W. S. S.-C. J. J.-W. H. G.— J. A. jun.— 

 J. H. B.-E. H.-F. A. A.-P. H. G.-J. B. B.-T. G. B.- 



F. C -G. G.-W. D. E.-M. E. P. -J. W. B.-C. D.-R.T.S. 

 -J. L. J.-G. J. J.-S. R.— R- C-A. W.-M. P. M.-A. H.— 

 &c, &c. 



