HARD WICK E'S SCIENCE- COS SIP. 



135 



operations of these internal enemies is the death 

 of the branches or shoots attacked, or even that of 

 the shrub, as seen not uniVequently in the currant 

 of our gardens. 



There are fourteen British species of the genus, 

 and it is noteworthy that no less than nine either 

 have been or are now taken near the metropolis, or 

 in those counties approximating to London, and 

 hence furnishing favourite spots to London col- 

 lectors. This fact suggests that were the whole 

 of Britain as well worked by the entomologist as 

 are the home counties, fresh species would turn up. 

 Though not to be compared in size with others of 

 the Sphinx tribe, the Hornet Clearwings appear 

 amongst their brother Sesire like giants in the midst 

 of pigmies. Of the two, S. apijormis is the com- 

 moner, and it is remarkable for making choice, in 

 some instances, of very small twigs of the poplar. 

 S. bemieniformis mixes in the stems of osiers and 

 the solid wood of willows and sallows, and it has 

 occurred on some of the aits or islets of the Thames 

 near London. Mr. Stainton calls the flight of these 

 species sluggish ; bat if the day is brilliant, they will 

 proceed with some rapidity, though not with the 

 sound the hornet is said to make usually. The 

 Currant Clearwing (S. tipuliformis) is only too 

 plentiful about London suburbs and in many other 

 districts; the Red-belted Clearwing (S. mnopm- 

 formis), rather less frequent, is found north and 

 south of the metropolis, and has sometimes swarmed 

 in the orchai'ds of Surrey, near Putney and Barnes. 

 The Hyde Parker (S. cynipiformis) has already been 

 referred to ; it is also taken in Kent and Essex. By 

 their diligent researches into the birch and alder 

 stumps in the hope of obtaining the large Red- 

 belted (S. culiciformis), and the White-barred 

 Clearwing (S. sphegiformis), collectors often awaken 

 the wrath of the keepers ; rarely, however, are they 

 rewarded by the discovery of the latter insect. The 

 former is not uncommon in several woods near 

 London where birches abound. The Orange-tailed 

 Clearwing (S. andreniformis), a very pretty and 

 striking species, the transformations of which are 

 unknown, has been taken in places as remote as 

 Greenhithe, in Kent, and Market Harborough, but 

 only singly. The larva of the Six-belted Clearwing 

 (S. ichneumoniformis) lives in the stems of the 

 Stinking Hellebore (FI. fcetidus), and was at one 

 time taken tolerably freely in sandpits at Charlton, 

 until the destruction of the food-plants extin- 

 guished the insects, and the species must now be 

 sought further a-field, being necessarily limited 

 by the range of its peculiar pabulum. The Fiery 

 Clearwing (S. chrysidiformis) had been captured in 

 the imago state some years at Folkstone before 

 the larvae were discovered there at the " Warren," 

 feeding on the roots of dock and sorrel ; nor is any 

 other locality known to produce it. In osier and 

 willow beds the larva of the Red-tipped Clear- 



wing (S.formicteformis) is sometimes plentiful where 

 it occurs, and also associated with various places 

 near London. It need only be added that the re- 

 maining three species are of great rarity ; namely, 

 S. scoliceformis, asiliformis, and muscceformis .- the 

 first and last have been taken in Wales, the other 

 once or twice in the vicinity of London. 



MICROSCOPY. 



Buttek, Globules in Milk. — It is probable 

 that many amateur microscopists are not aware that 

 butter globules can be seen in milk immediately 

 on its leaving the cow. A drop of milk examined 

 with a pretty high power shows many thousands of 

 the globules floating about in the fluid. These are 

 rather lighter than the fluid itself, and they gradu- 

 ally rise to the top, forming cream. After being 

 clashed against each other for a time (or churned, as 

 the term is), they adhere together, and we have 

 butter. An attempt was once made to puzzle me 

 by an incredulous hearer of mine by bringing me 

 buttermilk as milk for examination. I immediately 

 detected the fraud, and declared the true name of 

 the fluid. The fact was that nearly all the butter 

 globules were absent. I have lately succeeded in' 

 mounting these globules as dry objects, and the 

 operation is very simple. I place on some ten or 

 twelve slides drops of milk, and cover them with 

 thin glass covers, as if for examination, and I leave 

 them for a few days to dry. By this time the fluid 

 has evaporated and left the butter globules behind, 

 and out of the lot I have found about three slides 

 sufficiently good for permanent use, sometimes even 

 more. — /. Brittain. 



Parasitical Vorticellje on Cyclops. — As the 

 above appears to be a very rare, if not quite un- 

 equalled phenomenon, it may perhaps interest some 

 of your microscopical readers to hear more about it. 

 I was intending to mount in glycerine jelly a speci- 

 men of Cyclops quadricornis, and preparatory to 

 doing so, had placed one with a very small quantity 

 of water upon a glass slide, when, to my great 

 astonishment, I perceived attached to one of its 

 antennas a bunch of small objects, which at a second 

 glance proved to be vortieella). There were about 

 fourteen individual vorticellae, all of which appeared 

 to spring from about the same point, although each 

 bell possessed a separate stalk. Although in many 

 respects this resembles the Vortieella nebulifera 

 (described by Dr. Carpenter, p. 477, fig. 196), it is 

 evidently an entirely different species, as it does not 

 possess the characteristic contractile stalk. In spite 

 of this, however, the animals appeared to be living 

 very hpppily together, creating wonderful currents 

 in the water, and treating with apparent indifference 

 the extraordinary movements of their living host. 

 Can any of your readers tell me if I am right in 



