i5 2 



HARDWICKE'S SCI ENCE-GCSS1P. 



some species have for edging themselves downwards 

 in this manner. 



Many moths when captured will feign death, such 

 as Spilosoma fu!igi?iosa and Ne?7ieophila plantaginis, 

 but only cast your eyes off them for a moment and 

 they dart off with the speed of a meteor. 



I might give scores of other examples of protean 

 colouring and habits of Lepidoptera equally inter- 

 esting, but I have already extended this paper beyond 

 the limits which I originally intended, so beg leave 

 to wipe my pen and stop. 



Ladywood, Birmingham. 



A YORKSHIRE QUERN. 



WHEN gathering " day-stone " on the moors, 

 adjoining the river Derwent, at Coldside, 

 Howden, near Sheffield ; the workmen found an 

 almost perfect specimen of the upper stone of a quern, 



Fig. 78. — Section (ribbed) and Half Plan of Quern. 



or hand-mill, which narrowly escaped being broken 

 up for road metalling. Fortunately, it was seen by 

 Mr. Henry Weetman, F.Z.S., of Howden House, and 

 is now safely deposited in the Museum at Sheffield. 



Coldside is situate at the foot of the "Castle 

 Rocks," on the talus of the escarpment formed by the 

 outcrop of the Kinder Scout Millstone Grit. The 

 quern is made of stone probably obtained from the 

 above-named bed ; and is of so coarse a texture as to 

 approach very nearly to a conglomerate ; some of the 

 included quartz pebbles (the "suet lumps'' of local 

 masons) being half an inch long. 



I enclose a section drawn to scale — two inches to a 

 foot — taken in such a position as to shew the inverted 

 conical "feeding-hole," and the two holes, situate on 

 opposite edges of the stone, into which sticks, or 

 possibly pieces of horn, were inserted to be used as 

 handles in working the mill. 



The stone is very neatly worked, and does not 



show any chisel marks ; the upper surface and edges 

 are stained black, from exposure amongst the heather. 

 The under or grinding surface is unstained and 

 polished, as if from long service. The whole stone 

 appears as if it had been unequally worked, or had 

 ground down on one side rather faster than on the 

 other. 



The plan of the stone is almost a circle ; right - 

 angle measurements being 1 ft. i T 7 2 in. x 1 ft. 1^ in. 

 The feeding hole is 5 ins. diameter at the top, and 

 narrows to I in. at a point 3 ins. down, continuing 

 at that dimension throughout. The handle holes are 

 3g ins. deep and taper inwardly from \\ ins. to 

 \ in.; the lower edge of one of these is only half an 

 inch from the under surface of the stone, that of the 

 opposite hole 2\ ins. The under surface of the stone 

 is not fiat, but is beautifully worked out, so as to give 

 the least resistance when in use, compatible with 

 sufficient grinding surface ; this will be better seen by 

 a reference to the section. 



Similar finds are not unknown on these and the 

 neighbouring moors, which are sprinkled over with 

 camps, entrenchments, barrows, and at least one 

 length of Roman Road. Two or three flint arrow 

 heads have been picked up at the spring-heads in 

 the immediate neighbourhood ; and at the last 

 conversazione of the Sheffield Literary and Philo- 

 sophical Society, the Rev. Mr. Gatty showed a very 

 fine collection of flints from the Bradfield moors, 

 which are three or four miles to the east of Coldside. 

 A bronze spearhead, encrusted with gravel, was 

 found a few years ago under the Derwent Edge 

 Rocks. I have been unable to ascertain its present 

 whereabouts. 



Perhaps some archaeological reader of Science- 

 Gossip will kindly say to what period the quern 

 belongs ? 



Sheffield. Thomas Winder, C.E. 



TEETH OF FLIES. 

 By W. H. Harris. 



No. \4.—CERATINOSTOMA OCEANUM. 



THE fly whose dental organs are depicted in the 

 present illustration is an exceedingly rare 

 species belonging to the family Scatomyzides, Fallen. 

 It occupies a position intermediate between those in 

 the genera Scatophaga and Cordylura. It was first 

 taken by me on the coast, in. the neighbourhood of 

 Cardiff, about the commencement of autumn, 1884. 

 A few specimens only were captured. 



It was submitted to Mr. Meade for identification, 

 and after a careful examination, that gentleman 

 pronounced it to be quite new to him, at the same 

 time, he requested that further specimens should 

 be sent him, in order to continue the investigation. 

 Most assiduously did I search the ground where I 

 took the creature originally, up to the month of 



