HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



i43 



appearance. But, besides, each plant has special 

 disqualifications : — Gladiolus Byzantinus has indeed 

 a V-shaped streak down the middle of three of the 

 perianth segments, but there is no other mark to 

 serve for an I. The leaves are sword-shaped, and 

 Ovid would hardly have overlooked this opportunity 

 of alluding to Ajax's famous sword : this last 

 remark applies also to Iris Germanica. Tris also has 

 a rhizome, not a bulb. Lilium Martagon is a 

 formidable rival in that it is a true lily, but it 

 completely falls short as regards the crucial test, viz. 

 the marks : there are spots on the flower, but they 

 are round and isolated. The last claimant to be 

 dealt with, Delphinium Ajacis, has no shadow of 

 resemblance to a lily, and no distinct marks on the 

 petals. — C. Garlick. 



Disease of Larvae. — The case mentioned by 

 Mr. Finch, I am inclined to think is a kind of dysen- 

 tery common to insects. The cure is to wash them 

 in clean cold water and put them on fresh food. The 

 prevention would be never to give them food having 

 any external moisture on it. If the food is obtained 

 in damp weather it should be kept till dry. — G. 

 Robson, Leicester. 



SlDMOUTH FOR SHORE COLLECTING.- — Can you 



or any of your readers say if this locality is a good 

 one for procuring anemones, zoophytes, &c, for the 

 microscope ? Are there reefs, rock-pools, and other 

 suitable habitats ? and are the specimens clean, i.e. 

 free from the fine encrusting mud so common where 

 the rocks are soft, which is so difficult to get rid of? 

 If the rocks are there, are they fairly close to the 

 town ? Any hints from those who are acquainted 

 with this locality would be very acceptable to the 

 writer, who is fairly acquainted with the Devon 

 coast from Exmouth to Dartmouth. June or July 

 would be chosen, and of course spring-tides, for a 

 visit— M. C. W. 



Bumble Bees and Clover. — In the April 

 number of Science-Gossip, p. 77, Mr. Malan says : 

 " Clover cannot thrive without bumble-bees, nor 

 bumble-bees without cats." I can understand the 

 first part of the sentence, but should like an expla- 

 nation of the latter.— E. L. R. 



Name for a Stoat in the North of Eng- 

 land. — Mr. J. H. Ingleby writes in your April number 

 that in his neighbourhood (that of Northallerton, 

 Yorkshire) a stoat is called by the name of Clubstei, 

 and he wishes to know whether that word is local 

 and what is its origin. I must premise that there is 

 evidently an error (probably a misprint) in the 

 word, which should be Clubster. In Halliwell's 

 "Dictionary of Archaic and Provincial Words," 

 it is stated that Clubster or Clubtail is a north- 

 country dialectic word for a stoat or summer 

 ermine {hcrmine d'e'te, as the French call the animal). 

 The last syllable, "ster," is evidently the old word 

 "start" (in Anglo-Saxon steort), which still exists 

 as part of the compound word red-start, but has 

 in "clubster" been denuded, by a not uncommon 

 process, of its final letter. — W. T. Lynn, B.A., 

 Blackheath. 



Sending Lepidoptera by Post. — I think it 

 would interest a good many readers of Science- 

 Gossip if entomologists would give their experience 

 with regard to sending boxes of insects by post. 

 I have nearly always found, especially lately, that the 

 boxes get smashed and the insects damaged. Is 

 there any contrivance whereby this can be avoided ? — 

 A. E. Gibbs, St. Albans. 



Male of Epeira umbratica. — I should be glad 

 if some one can inform me if the male Epeira 

 umbratica is scarce, and from what cause. Last 

 year, at various periods and in different situations, I 

 found about a dozen females, but not one male. — 

 J. E. A. 



Eye in Cyclops. — I should be glad if any reader 

 could inform me whether, in regard to the freshwater 

 animalcule cyclops, the red spot in the centre of the 

 head is in reality an eye or merely a highly sensitive 

 organ. In examining one the other day under a Jin. 

 obj. the red spot was of somewhat an angular form, 

 and I did not observe any feature about it that would 

 lead me to suppose it to be an organ of sight. — 

 J. S. C., Newcastle. 



The Slavonian Grebe {Podiceps comutus). — 

 A female specimen of this rare bird was shot near 

 Gloucester on the 29th of January, 1S83, and is now 

 in my possession. — R. Newstead, jun., Ince, near 



Chester. 



Curious site for Rook's Nest. — On the Forest 

 Road, Nottingham, a pair of rooks have selected a 

 curious site for their nest. It is placed, contrary to 

 all rules of rook architecture, in the corona to iron 

 firxial of the turret of the Nonconformist College on 

 the Forest Road. There is a small rookery about 

 200 yards from it. This is the first instance that has 

 come under my notice of a rook building anywhere 

 except in a tree. Has any similar occurrence come 

 under the notice of your readers? — W. J. Razvson, 

 Nottingham. 



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. 



James Barclay. — In answer to your note, we are sorry to 

 say that we have not received any tube containing larva. 



H. M. Evans. — We know of no book on British birds' eggs 

 to equal Hewitson's. 



J. W. (Mile End Road, E.) — No. i. Hypnum velutinum, 2. 

 Polytrichum commune, 3. H. splendens. 



W. L. B. (Warksworth). — The mosses are, No. 1. Hypnum 

 Kneiffii ; 2. H. abietinum, 3. H. cupressiforme, 4. Mnium 

 hornum, 5 and 7. Jung, albicans, 8. Milium punctatum, 6. 

 Hypnum. 



A. J. S. (Kentish Town.) — Jung, albicans, in early stage. 

 G. B. (Watford.) — Your specimens are, No. 1. Hypnum 



cupressiforme, 2. H. serpens, 3. Hypnum, not in fruit, 4. H. 

 serpens, 5. no fruit, 6. H. splendens, 7. Mnium, parcel No. 1. 

 contained three species. 



B. B. Scott. — Accept our thanks for the specimens of the 

 beautiful Trichinium Manglesii from Western Australia. 



D. Williams. — Grove's Battery was invented by the present 

 Mr. Justice Grove, when Professor at the Royal Institution. 

 See " Philosophical Transactions," for 1843. 



C. H. G.— It is not at all uncommon to find white varieties of 

 hyacinth. 



Mr. T. S. Morten, 42 Haverstock Hill, who has kindly acted 

 as one of our " Assistant Naturalists " in answering queries and 

 naming specimens of micro-fungi, &c, writes to say he will be 

 unable to act in the future on account of business. 



