HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE- GO SSIP. 



28 L 



part of Norfolk. "J.T.R." says, at "Wells we could 

 find none." Does lie mean the rue fern, or no ferns 

 at all ? If the latter, I beg to contradict this state- 

 ment, as there are plenty of the common maiden- 

 hair spleenworts on the church ; and, in proof of 

 this, I have collected some this morning and sent to 

 the editor, which, though small, are not the largest 

 by any means. As "J. T. R." says " this part of the 

 coast is not so attractive" as other parts of the 

 county, 1 am quite sure it is only because it wants 

 to be known more to be appreciated. The beach 

 here is a rare storehouse for curious shells, and 

 being beautiful white sand, it is the very place to 

 spend many a happy day. The country being so 

 healthy around here, bracing and health-giving 

 breezes make it the very place for a refreshing quiet 

 after London life. Inland are delightful walks, 

 plenty of ferns and other wild plants ; in fact, at 

 Hindringham, seven miles from here, one might 

 fancy himself in Devonshire. I inclose_ five other 

 varieties gathered within seven miles of this place 

 (Wells).— J. IF. Richford. 



Cause of Colouration. — In the differing 

 opinions as to the cause of colour in birds, butter- 

 flies, &c, is sufficient reason assigned to heat ? I 

 understand that all flowers would be white if grown 

 in a cellar and never admitted to the sun's influ- 

 ence. In all tropical countries we find the brilliant 

 colouring in birds, butterflies, and flowers; and in the 

 far north, white bears, &c. Might not the blacks 

 have obtained that colouring originally from the 

 excessive heat of Africa ? Colour, like feature, 

 figure, voice, being transmitted to offspring, when 

 become indigenous. — H. B. 



Harvest Bugs. — In the locality in which I reside 

 we are much infested, more particularly in the 

 months of July and August, with what are called 

 " Harvest Bugs." Cau you or any of your readers 

 inform me how to prevent the intrusion of these 

 unwelcome visitors ? If not, what is the best anti- 

 dote to allay irritation, as their sting or bite to 

 some persons is almost unbearable. — G. H. Piper. 



Disease in Pheasants. — Many young pheasants 

 have died this season from a disease called by the 

 gamekeepers the Gapes. The bird when ill gasps 

 and gapes (hence the name), and ultimately dies of 

 suffocation from the presence of a peculiar worm in 

 its windpipe of a letter Y shape. Can any of your 

 readers give me any information as to the history, 

 &c., of this parasite ? I have prepared five speci- 

 mens of it, and shall be glad to describe it, or give 

 a diagram, if necessary to its identification. It 

 would seem to be a "twin," the male the smaller, 

 and the female the " better half." What is known 

 of this " gape-worm " ?— JF. J. Dickson, M.D. 



The Cannibalistic Habits of the Common 

 Newt. — In answer to E. Stop's question, in the 

 September number of Science-Gossip, as to the 

 cannibalism of newts, I can certainly say that I 

 have observed this tendency in the specimens which 

 I kept in my aquarium. 1 had some young newts 

 and some old ones, but in a very short, time the 

 adults divested the younger ones of their tails and 

 gills, and only one out of about a dozen lived long 

 enough to reach the adult age, and then it had no 

 tad. One very small one vanished entirely. — 



g. w. a 



The Adder.— In answer to " T. P. B.'s" query 

 concerning the veracity of the account of a death 

 from an adder's bite, I may state that an account 



of it appeared in the British Medical Journal of 

 August 5, and I do not think that it would be pub- 

 lished in that paper without some reservation as to 

 the probability of the occurrence. Snake-bites 

 are seldom fatal in this country, the adder not pos- 

 sessing a sufficiently energetic poison to destroy a 

 healthy adult, though they might possibly kill a 

 child, or a very delicate and weakly person. The 

 venom is considerably increased in intensity during 

 spring and summer, at which periods the reptile is 

 in strong health and proportionally virulent. As- 

 suming this case to be true, we must infer that the 

 victim was in a state of health which rendered him 

 more than ordinarily susceptible to the effects of 

 virus introduced into the system, and that the adder 

 was then best fitted for inflicting a serious injury. 

 In such cases a well-authenticated account would 

 set all doubt at rest, and an imperfect account 

 should never be published. The next time a similar 

 affair occurs, the scientific world ought to be fur- 

 nished with every particular, such as the constitu- 

 tional history of the victim, the circumstances 

 under which the accident happened, and proof that 

 the culprit is really the adder, and not another 

 species of viperina which might be in the neigh- 

 bourhood from an inexplicable cause. The question 

 of " T. P. B." betokens a certain amount of caution, 

 and a resolution not to be "gulled " when an affair 

 is shrouded in mystery. This, like the " sea- 

 serpent story." furnishes food for reflection. — 

 Frank Richardson. 



~ r Camberwell Beauty. — On August 16th I was 

 looking lor Edusas in a iucern-field at the back of 

 the church at Broadstairs, Kent, whej I observed 

 something flying at a little distance from me, and 

 after a chase succeeded in catching a very fine 

 specimen of the Camberwell Beauty. — George Banke. 



Nest of Oyster-catcher.— When in Shetland 

 in Juue last on a nesting expedition, I found on a 

 small island a heap of limpet-shells amongst the 

 grass, and en the heap was an egg of the Oyster- 

 catcher (H. ostralegus) quite fresh. The birds not 

 being able to find a suitable nesting locality in the 

 island of pebhles or sand, had evidently accumulated 

 the shells for nesting purposes. On another occa- 

 sion I found the nest of the Lesser Black-backed 

 Gull (L. fuscus) to consist of a piece of rope. — 

 0. I). Wolstenholme. 



" Silvan Sketches," mentioned by your corre- 

 spondent in Science-Gossip for March, p. 70, is, I 

 presume, "Remarks ou Eorest Scenery and other 

 Woodland Views," by William Gilpin, in two 

 volumes, dedicated by him to William Mi'ford, 

 Esq., March 4th, 1791; the later edition edited by 

 Sir Thomas Dick Lauder, Nov. 30, 1833. We 

 ourselves bought this interesting work at an old 

 hook shop, and were fortunate in meeting with it 

 in a first-rate slate of preservation, containing the 

 preface written b.v Gilpiu himself, as well as the 

 one written by Sir Thomas Dick Lauder, Bart. — 

 E. Edwards. 



Scarlet Thorn. — With reference to S. A. 

 Brenan's remarks (Science-Gossip, page 234) re- 

 specting the Scarlet ihorn sometimes throwing out 

 white and pink tufts of flowers, it may not be 

 uninteresting to state that a handsome scarlet thorn 

 which ha> no* been planted 24 years in our garden, 

 three years since bore high above the graft a tuft of 

 pure white blossoms, which struck me to oe so 

 rernarkaole thai. 1 dried the spray. The last two 



