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HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



company of women for silk- culture, which answers 

 well so far. She read an enthusiastic naper on the 

 subject at the British Association in Bristol. 1S75, 

 and showed that by carrying the egg, or " seed" (as 

 they are technically termed) from one continent to 

 the other, and giving them two winters in one year, 

 — one in the hills of Australia and the other in 

 Switzerland, — she could stamp out the disease that 

 had baffled the growers and men of science. A pure 

 and healthy race of worms were thus produced ; and 

 she said that Australian seed, from a new and 

 good stock must be of value in Europe to super- 

 sede the degenerated, impoverished, and almost 

 useless race, and that it must be worth while to cul- 

 tivate them in England for this purpose alone, inde- 

 pendently of the silken garments that might be 

 spun and woven by the ladies themselves. She also 

 begs that old mulberry-trees may be carefully pre- 

 served to supply slips for new, and considers that 

 the cultivation of young mulberries would be a good 

 investment for shipment elsewhere, especially to 

 our colonies ; and lastly, that ladies might profit- 

 ably and usefully supply good seed when wanted, 

 spin their own silk into strong and useful fabrics, of 

 various degrees of goodness and beauty, and thus 

 supply a means of self-support to a class who in- 

 creasingly want it. Mrs. Neill's London address 

 was 27,Prince's-gardens, S.W., whence further 

 information might possibly be had ; or, if required, 

 the Australian seed might be procured from her 

 other address. — G. S. 



The Snowdrop. — I doubt whether many bota- 

 nists consider the Snowdrop as indigenous. It is 

 never seen except where there is strong reason for 

 suspecting it to have been planted, or else an out- 

 cast from cultivation. It is hardly likely that Ray 

 would have omitted it if it were then, to use Mr. 

 Wilkinson's words, "in such abundance and in so 

 many places as almost to leave no room for doubt." 

 Bentham says, " Probably not indigenous."—/. S. 

 Wesley. 



Parasitic Vorticell.e on Cyclops. — In 

 Slack's "Marvels of Pond Life" is a notice of 

 Bpistylis digitalis occurring as a parasite on Cy- 

 clops. I have myself found them adhering to 

 Cyclops, and less often to Daphnia. Last April I 

 captured two of the former in water from Hamp- 

 stead Heath, which were more than usually clothed 

 with Epistylis; so much so in fact, as to present a 

 "fluffy" appearance to the naked eye. Several 

 examinations were made at intervals of a few days. 

 Every part, except the antermai was thickly covered 

 with the parasite, and though, when the animal 

 struggled, the lively little bells collapsed suddenly, 

 yet the instant the commotion ceased, their stalks 

 again extended, and the bells recommenced the 

 formation of their innumerable whirlpools with 

 intense energy. The last time I examined one of 

 these creatures, a few dozens only of the bells re- 

 mained, but the host was still covered with such a 

 mat of the stems as to completely obscure its out- 

 line, though it did not appear to be inconvenienced 

 by their presence. — Micros. 



_ Woollen Moths.— Will any of your subscribers 

 kindly inform me through the medium of Science- 

 Gossip, the most sure aud successful way of de- 

 stroying that destructive little moth which infests 

 woollen substances? — William Bean. 



To Keep away Flies.— A pot of musk will 

 always keep a room free from flies. A lady tells me 

 that friends of hers living in the country have tried 



1 this, and find it answer : they keep musk in dairv. 

 larder, aud kitchen, with great success.— Helen K 

 Watneij. 



Flies in Rooms.— Some time ago a correspond- 

 ent of the Field asserted that geraniums or cal- 

 ceolarias in a window-sill kept flies out of a room. 

 Perhaps this might be worth trying, if feasible, by 

 the lady who complains of flies in her stable. The 

 existing flies should be first smoked out. The 

 result, if successful, would be interesting to publish 

 in your paper. — H. B. Lindsay. 



Flies in Stable. — I only give my own plan for 

 preventing flies in summer-time teasing man or 

 horse out of doors. I take, when flies are very 

 troublesome,_ a handful of elder-leaves and just 

 bruise them in the hand and rub my face and hat. 

 And so when riding I used to rub them over the 

 pony's head and body. If this be properly done, 

 the flies will not settle, neither will they come much 

 in the neighbourhood of an elder-tree : and I think 

 if the dung were removed to a farther distance from 

 the stable and an elder-tree planted close to the 

 window and the leaves applied as above, great 

 benefit would be found.— B. T. Scott. 



Wisterias and Clothes Moths.— When stay- 

 ing with some friends lately who live on Clapham 

 Common, they informed me that they had applied 

 to their landlord for leave to cut down a large 

 " Wisteria " that grows over the front of their 

 residence. Seeing, I suppose, by my face that I 

 thought it a pity to do so, they gave as their reason 

 for doing it that the tree "harboured clothes- 

 moths " to a serious extent, which, of course, forced 

 their way into the house, and whose damages had 

 already put them to considerable expense. The 

 experience of friends of theirs was similar, and their 

 own gardener assured them he had remarked num- 

 bers of the moths harbouring behind the leaves and 

 on the stems close to the brickwork. It occurred 

 to me then that when we ourselves were living at 

 Barnes three years ago we were much troubled with 

 the clothes - moth, and that a "Wisteria" also 

 climbed up the front of our house there. This con- 

 nection between the tree and the insect being new 

 to me, and a fact worth knowing, I therefore put 

 you in possession of it, to act as a warning to those 

 of your readers who may intend to plant " Wisterias"' 

 against their houses. — Windsor Hambrough. 



Bird Pets. — Having for some months kepi; 

 different pets, ten months ago I purchased a pair of 

 Java sparrows, or " Orange-cheeks." In the begin- 

 ning of this winter the hen died, as I supposed 

 from cold. At first, I feared the cock would die of 

 grief, but to my surprise he seemed happier and 

 more contented than before ; three or four months 

 after, I noticed the bird became dull and mopy, and 

 in a few days the perches were marked with blood. 

 On closer examination, 1 observed the bird had 

 eaten off one claw, and before night, all were gone, 

 except one. The bird appeared well in itself, but 

 continued to peck at its foot. Not being able to 

 get any information, even from bird-fauciers, I write 

 to you, hoping that you will have my letter inserted' 

 in the Magazine as soon as possible, so that I may 

 receive advice from those who know more about 

 birds than I do, as I am anxious to save his life. — 

 Sibbie Home. 



Revival op an Old Story.— Can any of the 

 readers of Science-Gossip throw any light upon 

 the following passage, which is taken from Dr. 



