HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



93 



trace of original fragments ; while the third, the 

 typical " old gneiss " of the Hebridean region, seldom 

 exhibits well-marked foliation. It is sometimes 

 difficult to distinguish between the first and second of 

 these ; but this the author believed to be generally- 

 due to the extraordinary amount of pressure which 

 some of these Scotch rocks have undergone, which 

 makes it very hard to determine precisely what 

 structures are original. Even the coarse gneiss is 

 sometimes locally crushed into a schistose rock of 

 comparatively modern aspect. The least altered of 

 the above series the author considered to be the true 

 "newer-gneiss" series of the Highlands, but both 

 of the others to be much older than the Torridon 

 Sandstone. 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



The prospect of a sharp Winter. — As regards 

 abundance of holly berries, and hips and haws being 

 a sign, I do not believe in it, as I have often found 

 it quite the reverse ; and last winter it certainly was 

 so with us, the weather being remarkably mild, and 

 holly berries and hips and haws were very abundant 

 here, and, what is very unusual, many of the holly 

 berries remained on during the following summer up 

 till about the middle of September, so that during 

 the summer of 1882, I had in my garden holly-trees 

 with some of the sprigs having not only the red berry 

 of the previous winter, but also the summer blossom, 

 and later on sprigs with the ripe and the green berries 

 on them. — Thomas Kingsford, Canterbury. 



A recent Earthquake Shock. — "Fortunately," 

 says Professor Duncan, F.R.S., "in the United 

 Kingdom only very slight shocks of earthquake are 

 felt on very rare occasions, and usually these are 

 restricted to certain parts of the mountainous districts 

 of Scotland, the north-west of England, and Wales. 

 But it has happened that a very decided shake has 

 been felt, reaching from Kent into the Midland 

 counties, doing, however, little or no damage. Slight 

 as may be the shake of one, if one is felt, it is never 

 forgotten, for the body is slightly lifted up, or moved 

 forwards, and returned to its original position, and 

 the mind is surprised with the energy existing within 

 the earth, which performed the unusual operation." 

 So to say, this "unusual operation" once more 

 made its appearance on the 16th of January, 1883. 

 The shock was very distinctly felt at Abergavenny. 

 The vibration was accompanied by a momentary 

 sound, resembling the distant roar of artillery or 

 thunder, and continued for a few seconds. The shock 

 seemed to affect the coal mining districts in a far 

 greater extent than other parts. At Blaenavon, a coal- 

 mining district, about six miles from this town, the 

 vibration was so great that the inhabitants left their 

 houses, thinking that it was an explosion in the 

 works. — Lester Francis, Abergavenny. 



Climbing Powers of the Dormouse. — Last 

 summer, whilst walking in a plantation near Leeds, I 

 disturbed a dormouse. It was under some leaves 

 which I turned up with a stick. It ran off, and I 

 followed it, as well as I could. I ran it some way 

 and at last lost sight of it, at the foot of an oak-tree. 

 I once thought it had ascended the tree, but I was 

 not aware that these animals could do so, so I con- 



cluded he had doubled round the tree and hidden. 

 Two or three days after I was with a friend in the 

 same wood, nesting. He noticed a nest in a fork of 

 the same oak and went up to it. It proved to be a 

 blackbird's nest, with three eggs in. The nest showed 

 unmistakable signs of mice having been there ; the 

 hay being bitten off and arranged over the top, so 

 as to form a nest, two holes eaten through the side, 

 and other trees. My companion disturbed the 

 covering and brought the eggs down. They were 

 hard " set." The nest was visited again, but seemed 

 quite deserted. I have no doubt but that the mouse 

 I saw had its nest in this tree, for I can swear to the 

 tree being the same in both cases. The mice had 

 intruded on the nest when the old bird had begun to 

 sit, and she had left it in disgust. Any information 

 on the subject of the climbing power in mice would 

 oblige — " Petrarch" 



A Giant Potato. — While in the country last 

 summer, I saw a potato (champion) which had 

 attained the height of thirteen feet. Can our readers 

 tell me whether this often occurs ? — R. H. Wellington. 



Local Names. — The stoat is in this neighbour- 

 hood called the " Clubstei." Is this a mere local 

 name ? And why has this name been given to the 

 stoat ? — J. H. Ingleby, JVorlhallerlon. 



The Tides. — In treatises on tides it is generally 

 stated that the tide on the side of the earth opposite 

 to that on which the moon is exerting its influence, 

 is caused by " the earth being drawn away from the 

 water," and thus causing an appearance of the water 

 rising. Will some of your correspondents explain 

 what is meant by this phrase ? Its literal meaning is 

 simply impossible. — W. 



Dredging in Menai Straits. — Would any of 

 the readers of Science-Gossip who have had any 

 dredging experience in the Menai Straits, kindly let 

 me know the result ? Is it a good dredging ground, 

 and where would be the best place to stay at? 

 Would Penmaenmawr do ? I have tried Llandudno 

 Bay, but was much disappointed. Also are there any 

 books published on the natural history of North 

 Wales, particularly the marine zoology ? — IV. J. R. 



Birds sent to New Zealand.— I have some- 

 where read of small birds, such as finches, linnets, &c, 

 being sent over to New Zealand for the purpose of 

 destroying the insects which infest the crops there. 

 Can you oblige by telling me if this be true, and if 

 so, what birds are sent ? I have a particular reason 

 for desiring to know if yellow-hammers have been 

 sent to New Zealand. — Hon. Curator, Cardiff Museum. 



Puss Moth, Sec— I should be much obliged if 

 some reader of this paper could inform me of the 

 reason of the last pellet of excrement of the larva of 

 vinula (puss moth), invariably being partially red ; 

 also I am anxious to find out where I can get "tea 

 paper" for re-papering entomological cabinets and at 

 what price. — T. A. Dymes, The College, Eastbourne. 



Fossil Oysters, &c, at Peckham.— It may 

 interest some of your readers to hear that on digging 

 for a well in this neighbourhood (Peckham Rye, 

 Surrey), recently, the excavators, at a depth of twelve 

 feet below the surface, came upon a mass of broken 

 cockle-shells imbedded in stiff yellowish clay ; lower 

 down there was a quantity of other shells, resembling 

 the common periwinkle, and, lower still, oysters 

 whole, in some of which, on being opened, the oyster 

 was found converted into flint. — W. T. Greene, M.D., 

 F.Z.S., &>c. 5 



