262 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



interior of Greenland was not covered by continental 

 ice, but the results of his expedition have proved 

 that this surmise was incorrect. The whole country 

 was seen covered with ice, in which occur masses of 

 fine dust, probably of cosmical origin. 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



Varieties of Birds and Eggs. — As I am at 

 present engaged upon a work on " British Birds' 

 Nests and Eggs" in which a special feature is 

 descriptions and figures of extreme varieties of birds 

 and eggs, I should be glad to have accounts of any 

 extreme forms of either which collectors, who have 

 not already communicated with me, may be fortunate 

 enough to possess. — S. L. Mosley, Beaumont Park, 

 Huddersfield. 



The " Acadian Scientist." — Send your name 

 and address on a postal card for a sample copy of the 

 " Acadian Scientist," a new and popular journal 

 published in the interests of teachers of elementary 

 science, collectors and amateur naturalists. Contains 

 reports of the " Acadian Science Club," an inter- 

 national society of amateur working naturalists. Any 

 one may become a member. For copy of " Scientist " 

 and prospectus of the club address the editor and 

 secretary — A. J. Pineo, IVolfville, Nova Scotia. 



Butcher's -Broom. — Many thanks for your 

 insertion of my inquiry in this month's issue. Since 

 writing I have succeeded in finding butcher's-broom 

 in Epping Forest, and very plenteously on Hayes 

 Common. But I am still in the dark as to the 

 reason why the plant is not mentioned in " Balfour," 

 dated 1855. I shall feel obliged by any information 

 as to the plant, and more especially the leaf-like 

 spinose organs on which the flowers are placed. — 

 Henry Sclby. 



" BUTCHER'S-BROOM " NEAR LONDON. — It is 



rather remarkable that Henry Selby cannot find this 

 shrub in Epping Forest, seeing that it grows there in 

 great abundance. I see it also in Hadley Woods. — 

 W. Mower. 



Butcher's-Broom near London. — Ruscus aat- 

 leatus grows plentifully in Epping Forest, within a 

 mile of Loughton station. It also occurs in Abbey 

 Wood, and again near Addington in Surrey, I have 

 taken it in flower at each of these places. — J. 0. B. 



Mr. Ret ben Webster, of the Museum Hotel, 

 Sheffield, has received a male osprey. It is a 

 magnificent bird, measuring six feet from tip to tip of 

 extended wing. The day after, the female bird was 

 sent to him. Both were shot immediately after a 

 predatory visit to the Strines reservoir. 



"Another Garden Pest." — The name of the 

 creature described by me in Science-Gossip in 

 August last is Anthomyia ceparum. On July 8th I 

 collected twenty-five pupa: from the open ground 

 and placed them in a large pot covered with net, 

 from these emerged at dates varying from the 15th 

 of luly lo 3rd of August, nine females and sixteen 

 males. In four cases the flies appeared very weak 

 and sickly, and on opening them they were found to 

 be infested with parasites of the group Nematoidre ; 

 to all appearances they would not have propagated 

 their species, had I allowed them to live. This, in a 

 measure, confirms my surmise that the grubs had an 



enemy, and it would probably account for the small 

 percentage attaining the pupa stage. The petroleum 

 process I found quite useless ; while the scent re- 

 mained pretty strong the flies refrained from alighting, 

 but, as the odour passed off, they returned as before, 

 and in the end the flies had by far the best of the 

 season's fight ; but I intend to try a dressing of gas- 

 lime this winter, ami thus destroy those left in the 

 ground, when the crop was removed. — //'. IF. I/arris, 

 Cardiff'. 



Freshwater Shells near Brentford. — I 

 bave found the following species near Brentford. 

 Sphcerium corneum, S. corneum, var. flavescens (two 

 only) ; .S". rivicola, S. lacustre (two) ; Pisidium 

 amnicum, P. pusillum, var. obtusalis : Unto tumidus, 

 U. pictorum, U. pictorum, var. radiata ; Anodonta 

 cygnea, A. ahatina ; Dreissoia polymorpha (one 

 specimen) ; Neritinafluviatilis : Paludina vivipara ; 

 Bithynia tentaculata ; Planorbis contortus ; P. vortex, 

 P. complanatus, P. corncus, Physa fontinalis ; Lim- 

 ncea peregra, L. peregra, var. oblonga, L. stagualis, 

 L. pahtstris, var. roseo-labiata ; Amy/its fuviatilis, 

 Limna ? — Mrs. S. 



The Practical Naturalists' Society. — On 

 Saturday, September 15th, a meeting of the Scotch 

 members of the Practical Naturalists' Society was 

 held in Edinburgh. The earlier part of the day was 

 occupied in rambling over the Pentland Hills, for the 

 purpose of investigating the entomology of that 

 district. Although the weather was dull and foggy, 

 and occasionally wet, a fair number of captures was 

 reported. In the evening the members met in a 

 room taken for the purpose, when several excellent 

 papers were read on various subjects ; and a large 

 number of specimens in all departments of natural 

 history were exhibited. 



Hedgehogs. — "Will any of your many correspond- 

 ents let me know, first, what these animals eat ? Do 

 they eat rabbits, as I have sometimes got them in 

 rabbit-traps set in burrows ? 2nd. How long they 

 live? 3rd. Do they sleep during the day, and do 

 they hibernate ? 4th. How they cohabitate, and is 

 there much difference between the male and female ? 

 if so, what?— A. T. J'. S. IV. 



Preserving Sea-Anemones. — I should be very 

 much obliged to any correspondent of Science- 

 Gossip who would tell me how to preserve sea- 

 anemones in bottles. What fluid should be used, as 

 spirit would take away their colour ? Would glycerine 

 and water, with solution of carbolic acid, answer ? 

 Also how can they be made to expand after they are 

 dead or killed instantly in an expanded condition ? 

 Any information will much oblige — A'. A. A. 

 Bennett, Oxford. 



GECIDIUM UrtiCjE, &c. — With regard to CEcidhim 

 urtiac, I found it on the banks of the Thames. With 

 regard to CEcidiuin tragopogonis I have not yet 

 found it, partly because I have not watched the 

 plants of goat-beard early enough. I shall keep my 

 weather-eye open to find Uromyces poa on Poa trivia/is 

 as Mr. Plowright says. — Alex. Ogilvy. 



QUERY as to Plants. — Dog's arrach (old Eng- 

 lish), Chenopodium olidum (Linn.) ; Leonnrus car- 

 diaea (L.) ; goat's arrach (O.E.), L. cardiaca (L.) ; 

 bullwort (O.E.), Sison Amomum (L.) ; SeropJuilaria 

 aquatica (L.), Foeniculum vulgare (Gaertn.) ; bishop's- 

 weed (O.E.), A', vulgare (Gaertn.), (English), Sison 

 Amomum (L.) ; common bishop's-weed (E.), Ammi 

 majus (Willd.) ; red Blite (E.), Amaranthus blitum 

 (L.) ; wild Blite (E.), A. blitnm (L.) ; water caltrops 



