138 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



is due to Mr. Edward Lovett, of Croydon, whose 

 exhaustive papers on the Natural History of Jersey 

 appeared in Science-Gossip for 1S82. 



Studies in Microscopical Science, edited by 

 A. C. Cole.— The first volume of this successful 

 series is now completed. Nos. 49 and 51 treated on 

 the large and small intestines of the dog. Nos. 50 and 

 52 on the Serpentine of the Lizard Rock, and the 

 Serpentine of Portsoy (by Professor Heddle). Mr. Cole 

 offers a very tempting and attractive prospectus for 

 his second volume, which will commence shortly. 



Ottawa Microscopical Society. — Last October 

 a society was formed in this distant Canadian city, 

 called as above, for the purpose of encouraging the 

 use of the microscope, as a means of recreation to 

 some, and to others as an indispensable accessory in 

 working out the northern fauna and flora. During 

 the winter, monthly meetings were held at which 

 papers were read and many temporary and permanent 

 preparations exhibited, and thus a good basis was 

 laid for the work which is about to commence for 

 the spring and summer. The hon. secretary, Mr. 

 J. B. Tyrrell, writes to say that if any of our readers 

 would like to obtain microscopic material from this 

 part of the earth, for which they would give good 

 exchange, the Society would be very glad to hear 

 from them. The address of the secretary is — J. B. 

 Tyrrell, F.G.S., Geo I, Survey of Canada, Ottawa, 

 Canada. 



ZOOLOGY. 



Golden Plover,&c— On Good Friday, on Nazing 

 common, I saw a large number of pewits, and with 

 them many golden plovers, as I believe. Is it usual 

 for green and golden plovers to fly in company? — 

 Frederic Johnson. 



Harleston Literary Society. — A very success- 

 ful course of six lectures on " Flowers, &c," delivered 

 by Dr. J. E. Taylor, F.L.S. &c, Editor of Science- 

 Gossip, before the above society, has just been con- 

 cluded. 



Vandalism. — A dealer in 'natural history objects 

 here informs me that a " gentleman," a private (not 

 a professional) collector of birds' eggs in the Mid- 

 land counties, lately offered him for sale the follow- 

 ing : — 400 eggs of hedge accentor, 200 eggs of yellow 

 hammer, 400 eggs of chaffinch, 250 eggs of white- 

 throat, no eggs of greenfinch, 270 eggs of willow 

 wren, 20 eggs of common wren, 30 eggs of robin, 

 80 eggs of sedge warbler, 70 eggs of linnet, 50 eggs 

 of sand-martin, and others; total, 1880. Comment 

 on this is not necessary : suffice to say that the dealer 

 was too indignant to make an offer. — Adolph Leipner, 

 Hon. Sec. of the Bristol Naturalists' Society. 



The Fresh-water Medus/e. — Mr. W. Sowerby 

 writes to " Nature " to say that these interesting little 

 creatures have once more made their appearance in 

 the Victoria regia tank at Regent's Park. 



Ottawa Field Naturalists' Club. — We have 

 received a copy of the Transactions of this flourishing 

 Society for 188 1-2, which contains, besides the 

 President's Inaugural Address, the Reports of the 

 Geological, Botanical, Entomological, Ornithological, 

 and Oological branches of the Society, and papers 

 on the Geology of the Ottawa Paleozoic Basin, by 

 Dr. A. R. C. Selwyn, F.R.S. ; Filterings from the 

 Water-supply of the City of Ottawa, by the Rev. Dr. 

 Kemp ; On some Canadian Ectoparasitic Sarcoptidse, 

 by J. B. Tyrrell, B.A. ; On Ottawa Unionidse, by 

 Mr. F. R. Latchford ; Pine-life, by Dr. B. Small ; 

 on the Utica Slate, by Mr. H. M. Ami. The Address 

 of the President, Mr. Jas. Fletcher, gives a capital 

 review of the year's proceedings and doings, and 

 amongst other things refers to his recent visit to 

 England in the following terms, which will give our 

 readers an idea of how our colonial brethren regard 

 our English green lanes : " They are a characteristic 

 feature, and I believe not to be found of the same 

 description in any other country. Few things are 

 more beautiful ; their steep banks of refreshing green, 

 surmounted by well-trimmed hedges, and clothed 

 from top to bottom with feathery grasses and lovely 

 flowers, breathing forth delicious odours, have an 

 effect little less than enchanting on visitors from 

 other climes. Their beauty is ever-varying ; plant 

 after plant throughout the whole summer, succeeding 

 in its turn, claims the reward of its effort by forcing 

 up its head into the sunlight to bear its corolla or 

 crown of glory ; the gay butterfly with bejewelled 

 wings adds its charm to the scene ; and the hum of 

 the bee as it hurries by is no unimportant factor of 

 the whole. Truly this scene of beauty should be 

 sufficient to demand from all — the most unobservant 

 — some small share of attention." During the past 

 year, prizes have been given of the following books 

 for the best collections : Dr. Asa Gray's "Manual of 

 Botany," "Flowers, their Origin, Shapes, Perfumes, 

 and Colours," by Dr. J. E. Taylor, and the " American 

 Naturalist" for 18S2. The President for 1883-4 is 

 Dr. H. B. Small, and the Hon. Secretary, Mr. W. H. 

 Harrington. 



The Metallic Plumage of Birds. — Dr. Jadow, 

 in a paper on plumage of birds, states that feathers 

 having metallic tints owe them to certain prisms 

 found in the cells. 



Isle of Man Natural History Society. — At 

 the last meeting of this very active society the Rev. 

 S. N. Harrison was elected president, and Mr. P. M. C. 

 Kermode, hon. secretary. The Society, in view of 

 the meeting of the British Association at Southport in 

 September next, has determined to get up a dredging 



