HARD WICKKS S CIENCE- G OS SIP. 



IT- 



Eagles and their Young. — Is there any foun- 

 dation of scientific fact for the belief that eagles bear 

 their young from their eyries upon their wings, in 

 order to teach them to fly ? — J. H. Ingleby, North- 

 allerton. 



Water Snails. — With respect to the statement 

 of the author of the paper on " Pond Snails" that 

 appeared in these pages last year ; in the first place 

 I am greatly indebted for the extremely courteous 

 reply, but I must deprecate the rapidity with which 

 deductions are arrived at therein. I never meant to 

 convey the impression that what I termed the "old 

 belief," concerning the formation of the shell in 

 mollusca, was altogether an "exploded statement." 

 Audi alteram partem was the ground I took up, and 

 a desire to give both views without bias inspired the 

 intentionally cautious wording of the passage quoted 

 from my paper, now two years old. Supposing, 

 however, that I may have seen fit since that date to 

 make up what I am pleased to call my mind on the 

 subject, I fail to see the implied stigma attaching 

 thereunto ; for I hold that conservatism in science 

 is quite out of place. With regard to the second 

 point in question, I can only express my admiration 

 of an author who can pin his faith on the somewhat 

 dogmatic assertion of an eminent but by no means 

 undisputed authority. Professor Ray-Lankester's 

 statement that "the foot is essentially a greatly 

 developed lower lip," occurs towards the commence- 

 ment of his paper and before he begins to treat of the 

 development of Limncca stagnalis at all ; nor does 

 he again allude to the subject throughout his article, 

 and he even passes over without comment Kifer- 

 stein's observation, which he quotes from a paper by 

 that author in Braun's "Thierreich" (Bd. iii. p. 1230) 

 and which reads as follows : — "Beneath the mouth 

 the body now flattens itself out and forms a process . . . 

 the foot." Yet on this solitary statement of Professor 

 Ray-Lankester's our unknown author founds his 

 observation that "it may be interesting to note, 

 that what is known as the 'foot' of the snail is 

 shown by this embryonic development be really an 

 under lip." What I am anxious to obtain therefore 

 is some proof of this statement, and up to the present 

 I have searched unsuccessfully for it. Carpenter, 

 Gegenbaur, and Balfour do not, so far as I can see, 

 make mention of it in their Manuals ; whilst Professor 

 Huxley in his " Manual of the Anatomy of Inverte- 

 brated Animals " quotes Professor Lankester's paper 

 frequently, but ignores hie theory respecting the 

 homology of the " foot,' 1 and when describing the 

 development of Limnrea, distinctly states (p. 500) 

 that "The foot commences as a papilla immediately 

 behind the mouth," and again, referring to the class 

 Gasteropoda, he says, "The mesosoma is generally 

 prolonged into a muscular foot ; " — no reference any- 

 where to this under lip theory, nor can I find any 

 conchological friend to support it ; but some, I 

 believe, maintain that the foot in both Gasteropoda 

 and Conchifera is a muscular extension of the mantle. 

 Under these circumstances, when there is such want 

 of agreement between professors, is it fair to us less 

 well-informed students of Nature to put before us as 

 facts, statements the correctness of which is not 

 established ? It is, I venture to think, a matter for 

 regret that a large number of writers for the general 

 public still seem to consider any admission of want 

 of knowledge a crime, and hence are tempted to give 

 forth to the world, as established truths, statements 

 based on observations which subsequent research 

 proves to have been erroneous. The next generation 

 of writers flourish forth assertions of perhaps an exactly 

 opposite and equally erroneous nature, and Science 



is dubbed by the unitiated as fickle, and scouted by 

 many accordingly — and all through the zeal of well- 

 meaning votaries. The day has surely come when 

 dogmatism may be safely relegated to theologians, 

 for with Science it should have no part. In making 

 these remarks, be it understood I am not actuated in 

 the smallest degree by any feeling of ill-will towards 

 my unknown correspondent, who probably is better 

 acquainted with the subject than I can ever hope to 

 be; but I am merely protesting against what I 

 conceive has hitherto been far too largely a fashion 

 with popular writers. — B. B. Woodward. 



NOTICES TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



To Correspondents and Exchangers. — As we now 

 publish Science-Gossip earlier than heretofore, we cannot 

 possibly insert in the following number any communications 

 which reach us later than the 8th of the previous month. 



To Anonymous Querists. — We receive so many queries 

 which do not bear the writers' names that we are forced to 

 adhere to our rule of not noticing them. 



To Dealers and others. — We are always glad to treat 

 dealers in natural history objects on the same fair and general 

 ground as amateurs, in so far as the " exchanges " offered are fair 

 exchanges. But it is evident that, when their offers are simply 

 disguised advertisements, for the purpose of evading the cost of 

 advertising, an advantage is taken of our gratuitous insertion of 

 "exchanges" which cannot be tolerated. 



R. H. Wellington. — What kind of "curiosities" is it you 

 require to be named? We shall be glad to help you, either by 

 referring to the proper books, or to name specimens you cannot 

 easily find described. 



J. Smith (Kilwinning). — The spider you sent us is called 

 Tegenaria atrica. 



X. Y. Z. (Campden). — Bramble No. 1, Rubus villicaulis. 

 No. 2, Rubus r!ta}iinifolius (?). No. 3, a form of the true Viola 

 canina, L. 



J. S. (Bolton). — No. 1, Funaria hygrometrica. No. 2, Tortula 

 muralis, L. Nos. 3 and 4, also Funaria, intermixed with 

 Bryum. 



J. E. A. — Thanks for your notes on " spiders," which shall 

 appear at an early date. We shall be pleased to insert any 

 further observations on the same subject. 



G. R. — The subject of Reason in Animals was thoroughly 

 discussed from both sides in Science-Gossip for 1879, ana we 

 could not afford space to reopen the discussion. Thanks for your 

 able contribution. 



E. F. L. — Several articles have appeared in our columns on 

 " Collecting and Preparing Botanical Specimens," and on 

 " How to make a Herbarium." The former is republished in 

 " Notes on Collecting and Preserving Natural History 

 Objects." 



J. F. George.- 1 — Thanks for the specimen of earth. 



L. Francis. — The " markings " on the stone sent are the 

 impressions of the bark of a fossil tree, called lepidodendron. 



G. E. East. — The " Proceedings of the Geological Associa- 

 tion " are sold by E. Stanford, Charing Cross, at is. 6d. each 

 part. "The Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society" 

 is sold at the Society's apartments, Burlington House, price 

 5*. The "Journal of Conchology" is published by Taylor 

 Brothers, St. Ann Street, Leeds, price is. 



"Young Botanist." — Get Alcock's " Botanical Names for 

 English Readers," published by LovelljReeve & Co. 



E. Maun. — The sketch you sent us is undoubtedly that of 

 the bee orchis. 



E. J. E. Creese. — We cannot tell the definite species of 

 parasitic fungus by your rough sketch. It is evidently in 

 fruit. 



W. K. Mann. — You will find an index to the vol. for 1882 in 

 the December number. 



H. L. (Maidstone). — No 1 is Lamium incisutn, Willd. ; 

 No. 2, pepperwort [LeJ>idiumca}nJ>estre;Br.) ; Nos. 3 and 4, the 

 same species, though it is very variable, Equisetuiti arvcnse, L.; 

 No. 5, hairy willow [Salix lanaia, L.). 



EXCHANGES. 



Wanted, specimens of Lepidoptera, English or foreign, (must 

 be suitable) for microscopic objects, named. Will give in ex- 

 change, mounted objects or material ready for mounting.— 

 M. R. I., 51 Great Prescott Street, London, E. 



For packet of zoophytes and marine algae send stamped 

 envelope to — J. Wooler, 11 Farm Road, Brighton. 



