HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



117 



were dark (decayed leaves, twigs, &c.) ; where shells, 

 shells were used ; and where sand, sand was made up 

 into a little boat with a tube down the middle. I 

 have kept caddis worms, but in no case did their cases 

 turn from their greenness. Will Mr. Lake keep 

 some caddis worms this season with green surround- 

 ings ? and if he finds their cases lose their greenness, 

 I shall be most happy to acknowledge that my expres- 

 sions are "erroneous," which maybe they are. I 

 find Volvox globator mostly in its active state in 

 April, as I understand rain and sunshine are essential 

 to it in this condition ; but I believe it can be found 

 in a quiescent state during any part of the year, and 

 brought into an active state by the above means. I 

 also understand that it is a great mistake to consider 

 Volvox dead because it is not rolling through the 

 water with extended cilia. I think Mr. Lake will 

 be able to find during the winter months, as much as 

 during the summer — certain larvae &c. of course ex- 

 cepted, but by no means so plentiful. — John Alex. 

 Ollard, F.R.M.S., Enfield. 



Sea Birds near Cambridge. — It is probable 

 that the gulls seen in summer by Mr. Waters were the 

 black-headed gull, which breeds inland, and especially 

 in dry seasons wanders long distances in search of food. 

 The guillemots, shearwaters, and common (?) gulls 

 were doubtless storm-driven. It would be very 

 interesting if Mr. Waters could ascertain the species 

 of the "shearwaters" which he records. There are 

 four British species of Pufnnus ; either, I fancy, would 

 be new to Cambridgeshire. — Thomas Southwell, 

 Norwich. 



Local Name of the Stoat. — In Norfolk the 

 stoat is known amongst the country people as the 

 "lobster" or lobstert, which is said to be derived 

 from old Norse lopi, a lump or swelling, and stertr 

 (Danish stjcert), a tail. Probably Mr. Ingleby's 

 " clubstei " is a corruption of the same. Bell gives 

 the derivation of the word stoat from the Belgic 

 stout, bold. — T. Southwell, Norwich. 



Can Pigs swim ?— In reply to W. H. F., I beg 

 to give the following interesting fact. A gentleman 

 residing at Caversham bought two pigs at Reading 

 market, which were conveyed to his house in a sack, 

 and turned into his yard, which lies on the banks of 

 the river Thames. The next morning the pigs were 

 missing ; a hue and cry was immediately raised, and 

 towards the afternoon a person gave information that 

 two pigs had been seen swimming across the river at 

 nearly its broadest part. They were afterwards 

 observed trotting along the Pangbourne Road ; the 

 result was their safe return to the place from which 

 they were originally conveyed to Reading, a distance 

 of nine miles, and by cross roads. The farmer from 

 whom they had been purchased brought them back 

 to the owner, but they took the very first opportunity 

 to escape, recrossed the water like two dogs (thus 

 removing the stigma on their race which proverbially 

 disqualifies them for swimming without cutting their 

 own throats), and never stopped until they found 

 themselves at their first home. — IV. H. G., Somerton. 



Podophyllum. — The podophyllum, as ordered to 

 be used for preparing the resin for medicinal use, is 

 P. peltatum. No other is recognised for medicinal 

 properties in the Pharmacopoeia. — T. J. Wiekes. 



Climbing of Mice.— I don't quite see what is 

 the intent of " Petrarch's " question, whether he is 

 merely inquiring about mice having their nests in trees, 

 which I should fancy is very uncommon, or whether 

 he doubts their power of climbing ; but as to this I 



should not have thought he could have any hesitation. 

 At any rate I saw a mouse running up the straight 

 wall of my house, to get in at the bed-room window, 

 into which one had got shortly before. — Edwd. Thos. 

 Scott. 



Climbing Powers of the Dormouse. — In 

 answer to " Petrarch," I may say that there is no 

 doubt the dormouse invaded the blackbird's nest. 

 They and the long-tailed field-mice frequently alter 

 a bird's nest for their own use. Dormice can leap 

 and climb to an extent astonishing to anyone who has 

 only seen them in small cages. One which I keep in 

 a tolerably large cage jumps frequently from the floor 

 to a perch nine inches higher, and thence runs along 

 the wire top of the cage. Dormice, being closely 

 allied to the squirrel, make their nests in bushes, and 

 climb and jump about with great agility. Common 

 house mice can run up a brick wall, as I have often 

 seen them ; and harvest mice climb with great ease 

 along wheat-stalks. Long-tailed field-mice are also 

 very good climbers ; but the campagnol or meadow 

 vole does not seem to be much of a climber, being more 

 heavy and clumsy than the true mouse. In climbing, 

 harvest mice aid themselves by twisting their tail-tips 

 round any convenient stem. — H. C. Brooke. 



Fish in Spirit. — I used frequently to have fish 

 and reptiles and fat-bodied larvae go bad, as W. Finch 

 describes. I believe that they ought, except when very 

 small, to be opened and disembowelled. — H. C. 

 Brooke. 



The Egyptian Gerbille. — Can anyone tell me 

 anything of the habits and haunts of this animal ? 

 Having one alive, I wish to gain information about it, 

 but I find it meets with but the barest notice in many 

 zoological books. — H. C. Brooke. 



Pied and Albino Birds, &c. — As I am gathering 

 together as much information as possible on the 

 above subject, I shall be greatly obliged to persons 

 who may be able to send me any facts on any of the 

 following points. I especially desire lists of birds 

 abnormally pied (No. 3 below), with date and full 

 details of occurrence. (1) Animals always white 

 (lists of species, habitat, &c, required). Example : 

 Polar bear, &c. | (2) Animals always white in winter. 

 (Has the degree of cold any effect on the amount of 

 whiteness ? [How is the change from summer to 

 winter colour, and vice versd, accomplished? &c.) 

 Ex. : Ptarmigan, &c. (3) Animals abnormally white 

 (full particulars of locality, date, &c, desired). Ex. : 

 Sparrow with white head, &c. — Edw. J. Gibbins, 

 The Graig, A r eath, Glamorgan. 



White Varieties of Flowers. — As some interest 

 is being taken now in the variation in the colour of 

 flowers, I send you some memoranda of those 

 which I remember to have seen in this part of Surrey. 

 Pedicularis sylvatica and Polygala vulgaris are very 

 frequently white, the last-named passing through 

 various shades like the sweet violet. In 1869 I found 

 a white variety of Erythrcea centaurium ; Echinni 

 vulgaris, 1870. In 1881 I found Campanula rotundi- 

 folia, nearly white, in open sandy ground. In March 

 1882 I found a white variety of Lamium purpurcum, 

 and, later in the season, of Geranium Robertianum. 

 The late Mr. J. C. Loudon found that the flowers of 

 this plant always became white under cultivation, in 

 his garden at Bayswater. Antirrhinum orontium 

 occurred white in 1S65, and I remember finding a 

 white Cenlaurea nigra many years ago. I have 

 frequently seen pink flowers on this plant : Achillea 

 millefolium sometimes occurs with us of a deep pink. 



