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HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



Strange Birds.— The finch described would 

 seem to be the Fringitta nitens, which Bechstein 

 describes as in size somewhat less than the common 

 sparrow; plumage of the male blue or jet-black, 

 beak and feet flesh-coloured, irides white. The hen 

 differs in having the underside of the body yellow- 

 ish-brown, the rump grey, and most of the bla,ck 

 feathers edged with grey or yellow : the voice 

 pleasing and soft. It is a native of Cayenne and 

 the forests about Carthagena, is easily tamed, and 

 should be fed on rape, millet, and poppy-seed, 

 with a little ripe fruit occasionally. It is probable 

 that the bird described is a hen or a young cock ; 

 the other being without doubt an old bird. — 

 Frank Copeman. 



The Swallow-tailed Butterfly.— Your cor- 

 respondent, J. S. Wesley, is mistaken if he sup- 

 poses that this butterfly is not to be met with in 

 Kent. Towards the end of last September I was 

 shown as perfect a specimen of this insect as any 

 collector could wish to possess. It had been caught 

 in a clover-field opposite the brewery at Ash, near 

 Sandwich. I should have inserted this notice 

 before, only I expected that the captor would have 

 done so. — C. W. H., Eastry. 



Araucaria. — I have a specimen of A. excelsa, 

 about fifteen or sixteen feet high, the lower branches 

 of which are gradually dying, although the upper 

 portion is growing, and appears very vigorous. 

 The species seem to be attacked by a kind of rust, 

 which spreads in time over the whole branch, and 

 ultimately causes its decay. In the next garden to 

 mine is one in a similar condition; while, in a 

 garden a few hundred yards off, there is a handsome 

 specimen of A. imbricata, which has not lost a 

 branch. Can any of your correspondents explain 

 the cause of this disease, or suggest any remedy 

 for it ? — Thomas Bird. 



Watering Window Plants with Cold Tea.— 

 A lady friend of mine in the country, not far from 

 here, informs me that she invariably uses cold tea 

 for watering her window plants, and has done so 

 now for a long time. Einer, more vigorous, or 

 healthy plants it is impossible to see,— not such a 

 thing as " green fly " to be seen about them ; but 

 previous to using the cold tea, she was troubled, 

 like other people, with those pests. I may also 

 mention that in potting her plants, she mixes tea 

 leaves with the soil, not having ready access to leaf- 

 mould. This may be a useful hint to others simi- 

 larly situated. — G. H. A. 



Density of Sea-water. — Your correspondent 

 on the "Density of Sea-water" (p. 237) has omitted 

 to notice that the temperature C, in " depth of the 

 sea," is ( — ) minus. This explains his difficulty. And 

 has probably been observed by many of your readers. 

 — Chas. Fred. White. 



Flower of Carrot.— Last summer, as I was 

 walking round my garden, I was struck to see the 

 centre of the flower of the common carrot (IJaucus 

 carota) was of a bright red colour. I examined it 

 very carefully, but could not detect any cause for 

 this peculiar change of colour. The flower was 

 quite perfect, but I could not tell whether each cell 

 of the petals contained colouring matter, only having 

 a dissecting microscope by me at the time. I shall 

 be glad to know if this phenomenon is common ? — 

 A.F. 



Erebia Cassiope. — Has any entomological con- 

 tributor ever met with this species in Delamere 



Forest, Cheshire, a locality given, I think, by Cole- 

 man ? I have searched there more than once for it, 

 but quite without avail. As it is a very local species, 

 it is very probably confined to a few spots in the 

 forest which I may have missed. Indeed, to me the 

 place seems singularly devoid of butterflies of any 

 kind. I should like to know whether any other 

 entomologist has searched this locality, and if so 

 with what result, especially as regards the Cassiope. 

 — W. E. S. 



The " Flowers of the Forest."— It may not 

 be amiss, as there was a paper (evidently only 

 intended to be a light one) on the New Forest, in a 

 late number of Science-Gossip, to mention that 

 between Christ Church and Lyndhurst used to grow, 

 and I hope does now, that very rare plant Spiranthes 

 aestivalis, of which Bentham says, "the only known 

 British stations are a bog in the New Forest, in 

 Hampshire, and in the Channel Islands." It flowers 

 " late in summer," whereas the visit described was 

 in May.— J. S. Wesley. 



Woollen Moths. — It is not a moth, but its 

 larva, that mines in and injures fur and woollen 

 materials. Many species do so. I recommend 

 from experience that all clothes, &c, be well ex- 

 amined. Those that are untouched should be 

 brushed and shaken, and put into drawers, boxes, 

 &c, where moths cannot get to them. Then those 

 that are injured should be well beaten, shaken, and 

 carefully brushed on a flat surface, so that all larvae 

 and pupae now existing may be got rid of, and then 

 that these should be also put carefully away, but not 

 with those that have been found free. All clothes 

 that are not in wear or use should occasionally 

 be looked over. Preventing access of the moths is 

 the main thing : if they do not lay eggs no harm can 

 come. — J. S. Wesley. 



Natural History Notes. — Mr. Collier James 

 must I think have been a little excited at seeing the 

 snake, and mistaken the two yellow broad streaks 

 at the back of the head for the corolla of a primrose. 

 When a snake has got its new skin, the yellow 

 is very bright. I do not see how a smooth primrose 

 could attach itself to the slippery snake's neck. 

 Perhaps the snake had in its mouth some insect or 

 living creature seized with a primrose's flower. — 

 — /. S. Wesley. 



Vanessa Urticje does not pair till spring : so 

 then would be the time to make sure as to the sex. 

 /. S. Wesley. 



Ferns on Churches.— I have read with much 

 interest the letter of " J. T. ft." in your August 

 number, respecting "Ferns on Churches." The only 

 fear I have is that some thoughtless collectors may 

 take advantage of his information to devastate the 

 spots named, as I, unfortunately, have known to be 

 the case in some instances in this neighbourhood. 

 Notably the sufferers have been A. ruta-muraria and 

 Trichomanes. 1 could add several habitats to those 

 mentioned by "J.T. ft.," if I felt that the informa- 

 tion would be of service to science, and not be 

 seized upon by mere dilettanti to destroy. Please use 

 your well-known influence to prevent_ the wild 

 'natural plants of rarity being transferred into culti- 

 vated " collections." — J. S. 



Fern Collecting on Norfolk Churches.— 

 I was much interested in reading the above interest- 

 ing article in Science-Gossip for August by "J. T. 

 R.," and now beg to draw further attention to this 



