HARD WICKE'S S CIENCE- G OSS IE. 



95 



matter probably is their digestive system. Closely 

 allied to them are the well-known "paste-eels," 

 A. glutinis and A. Jluviatilis, found in rain-water 

 amongst conf ervce and desmidiaceas, in wet moss, &c. 

 Another species is met with in the ears of wheat 

 affected with a blight, termed the "cockle." They 

 all belong to the order Nematoidea (from the Greek, 

 "a thread)," which order also includes the dreaded 

 Trichina spiralis, of the class annelida.— J. Beecham- 

 Mayor. 



Eels in Vinegar. — The eels which W. Finch, jun., 

 saw in the vinegar he examined under the micro- 

 scope in all probability were the common Anguillula 

 ■acetica, which, however, appear only in vinegar of an 

 inferior quality. Should he be able to obtain a copy of 

 the " Popular Science Review," No. vi. p. 213, he will 

 there find a very interesting article on the vinegar eel, 

 by Jabez Hogg, F.L.S., as well as a valuable tinted 

 plate, showing the various stages in the life of one of 

 these curious creatures ; the drawing is by Mr. C. 

 Whilley.— kev. W. A. Pippet, Rokeley, West Cowes. 



Double Oranges. — On two occasions I have 

 come across a double orange, similar to that described 

 by Mr. Parrott. The one I saw had the small orange 

 growing at the stalk end of the larger one, and was 

 also surrounded by the white pulp. It was about an 

 inch in diameter, and was easily separated in five 

 or six "liths." It contained no seeds. — S. M. Well- 

 tvood, Glasgoiu. 



Rooks. — The wonderful sagacity of rooks has 

 often been commented upon, and I am now witness- 

 ing a remarkable example. Close to my residence 

 on the banks of the Teme is a small rookery ; five or 

 six pairs have of late years built their nests on a fine 

 elm, growing on my side of the stream. On the 

 other side a larger number have built in several 

 poplars. The unusual floods have undermined the 

 opposite banks, and one tree has fallen into the 

 river. This seems to have alarmed the old occupants, 

 and, although on my side, the birds have built as 

 usual, on the other, they assemble in great numbers, 

 have destroyed nearly all their old nests, but do not 

 make fresh ones, and the daily commotion is quite 

 remarkable ; they evidently fear that the destruction 

 of their homesteads is imminent. Four days later, 

 the river has gone down nearly two feet, and three 

 pairs of rooks are building their nests. — G. C. 



Gold Fish in Spirit.— On Saturday, the 3rd of 

 March, I placed in a bottle of spirits of wine a gold 

 fish, which had died in my aquarium. I understood 

 that, by placing any dead animal, fish, &c. (fresh), 

 in spirits, it would be kept from decomposing, and 

 also would retain its natural colour, in short, would 

 remain just as it was when introduced into the bottle. 

 Yet this fish, which I put into spirits, has, strange to 

 say, lost all its colour and is now of a dirty white, 

 and, to all appearance, is decomposing, being covered 

 all over with a white film, just as it would if left to 

 decompose in water. I should be pleased if any 

 readers of this paper would kindly explain this. — 

 IV. Finch, jun. 



Norwich Naturalists' Field Club.— The 

 members of the above club held their annual 

 exhibition of specimens in the committee room, 

 Chapel-in-the-Field, on January 26th. The exhibits 

 were very numerous, and consisted of animals, birds, 

 fish, reptiles, plants, and insects. Three microscopes 

 were kindly lent and exhibited. The exhibition was 

 well attended and was a great success. 



Early Flowering of Lamium Galeobdolon 

 (Cranby). — Yellow Archangel. On the iSth of 

 February, 1883, I gathered a specimen of the above, 

 one flower of which was quite open, and many buds 

 on the point of opening. I gathered the Adoxa 

 Moschatellina (L.) for the first time this season on 

 the same day. — D. Noell Stephens, F.L.S. 



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. 



G. A. K. begs to thank "A Manchester Pythagorean," for 

 the list of books on the above subject he has so kindly given. 



A. J. A. — Your specimen is the commencing growth of the 

 well-known "cellar-fungus " [Tasmidium cellare). 



S. C. Cockerell. — The objects you sent us from a ditch are 

 the valves of Cypris clliptica, a species of Entomostraca. 



A. Ogilvie. — The leaves of Arum maculatum are frequently 

 spotted with lightish spots, from partial absence of chlorophyll. 



F. H. Streatfield (Pau). — The peculiarity of your ane- 

 mone is that the leaves were affected by petalody — that is, had 

 been practically converted into petals. 



A. Laban. — The so-called "louse" on swine is a species cf 

 Ixodes, nearly resembling the dog-tick [Ixodes ricinus). 



C. H. Waddell.— Get the Rev. W. A. Leighton's "Lichen- 

 flora of Great Britain," &c. You may obtain a second-hand 

 copy of W. Wesley, bookseller, 28 Essex S treet, Strand. Papers 

 on Collecting and Preserving Lichens appeared in Science- 

 Gdssip for 1872. 



Dr. J. Needham. — We have searched in vain for a descrip- 

 tion of your fish parasite, but can find nothing at all resembling 

 your rough sketches. It is very likely a new form. Have 

 you mounted the specimen? If so, please send us the slide. 



A. Draper. — Your freshwater shell is the young of Dreissina 

 poly>7>iorpha, a bivalve now naturalised in England. It is believed 

 to have been imported by timber ships from the Baltic. 



EXCHANGES. 



A large quantity of microscopic slides for exchange. Wanted 

 books, la»tern apparatus, &c— F. S.Lyddon, 2 Oakland Villas, 

 Redland, Bristol. 



200 species of British shells, also Science-Gossip for 1880, 

 1881, and 16 numbers of 1879 and 18S2 offered for other British 

 shells, minerals, fossils, or microzoa. Lists exchanged. — E. D. 

 Wilson, 18 Low Pavement, Nottingham. 



Wanted, British and foreign land and freshwater, also 

 British marine shells. Will give in exchange fossils from the 

 chalk, or other shells.— Sydney C. Cockerell, Glen Druid, 

 Chislehurst. 



Various books offered in exchange for ancient seal impres- 

 sions. — W. H. Tunley, 8 Albert Road, Southsea. 



Wanted, any violets, except V. palustris. Fresh specimens 

 preferred, in exchange for rare or critical British plants. — 

 E. Straker, Kenley, Surrey. 



Partly silver mounted muzzle loader gun, 3!- vols. " Intellec- 

 tual Observer," Nos. 48-68 inclusive, a few lias fossils. Wanted, 

 microscope, fossil cabinet, fossils, or books. — J. Floyd, Strat- 

 ford-on-Avon. 



Wanted, a few good pieces of brain coral and others in ex- 

 change for grand new " Natural History," 36 col. plates, and 

 new bamboo fishing-rod, or cash, if cheap. — J. Ellison, Steeton, 

 Leeds. 



British shells for British or foreign land and freshwater shells, 

 or European butterflies or nocturni. — T. D. A. Cockerell, Bertha 

 House, Ethelbert Road, Margate. 



Wanted, Machaon, Sinapis, Rhamni, Hyale, Paphia, 

 Aglaia, Adippe, Polychlorus, Io Cardui, Galathea, Davus, 

 Rubi, Quercus or Adonis, in exchange for rare foreign stamps, 

 send for sheet on approval.— F. A. Skuse, 143 Stepney Green, 

 London. E. 



