HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



261 



Is. 8d. Orioles, tanagers, grosbeaks, cedar wax- 

 wings, blue-birds, meadow-larks, and golden-winged 

 woodpeckers are in great favour. Sea birds of white 

 or delicate shades of colour are so eagerly bought 

 that there are many professional shooters who confine 

 themselves to this branch of commerce. At Flam- 

 borough Head and the Fern Island on our own coast 

 a constant fusillade is going on ; and in the Hebrides, 

 Shetlands, and Orkneys the destruction is even greater. 

 One man exports upwards of a thousand a month to 

 France ; and in Long Island, near New York, as 

 many as 3000 skins of the sea swallow are sent to 

 market in early spring, when the plumage is at its 

 best. We read in one of those personal descriptions 

 of "society ladies," in which the Americans so 

 delight that a certain belle "had her gown of un- 

 relieved black looped up with blackbirds ; and a 

 winged creature so dusky that it could have been 

 intended for nothing but a crow reposed among the 

 coils and braids of her hair." 



A rare Capture. — An osprey, or fish eagle as it 

 is called, was taken alive on a boat in the Bristol 

 Channel on the 22nd September, the owner having 

 kept it alive for ten days. Flesh was given it, which 

 it refused, and so starved, fish being its proper diet. 

 It is a female in immature plumage. It is now being 

 preserved and mounted by William Shakespeare, 

 Naturalist, Cardiff. 



The Zoological Society of Glasgow. — The 

 second meeting for the session of this society was 

 held on Monday, 10th October, the Rev. Edward 

 Walters, president, in the chair. One gentleman 

 was proposed for, and Dr. Alexander Paterson, 

 Bridge of Allan, was elected to ordinary member- 

 ship. Mr. W. Ilannan Watson exhibited a fine 

 specimen of Aldrovandi's Pleistodon {Eumecis Al- 

 geriensis), a large kind of lizard from North Africa, 

 which measured thirteen inches in length. Mr. J. 

 MacNaught Campbell showed some eggs of the 

 European water tortoise {Testudo Europiea) differing 

 from Clermont's description, being pure white instead 

 of marbled with ash-grey. — W. Ilannan Watson. 



ANIMAL PSYCHOLOGY. 



Gull Language. — The following note on the 

 common sea gull (Larus canus) may interest readers 

 of Science-Gossip, it is from personal observation 

 during this last summer. A male gull had lived a 

 bachelor life as a tame garden bird for several years. 

 He was transferred to present owner, and placed in 

 the grounds with females already there. In May two 

 eggs were laid, both birds taking a turn at sitting for 

 several weeks. No young hatched, I regret to add. 

 One day we took a live, partly-fledged sparrow as a 

 possible dinner for the gulls. The old chap at once 

 seized the tempting morsel, at the same time calling 



the attention of the sitting spouse to his capture. In 



obedience to her commands, the sparrow was killed, 



partly plucked, and mumbled. He then intimated 



distinctly that it was ready, placed it by her side to be 



at once swallowed whole. Now I want to point out 



that the gulls here actually conveyed certain ideas by 



definite sounds, a language. 



He: See what I've got here ! 

 She : All right, get it ready for me. 

 He : It's ready ; when will you have it ? 

 She : Bring it to me. 



Each time, a different sound appeared to one to 

 convey a meaning from one to the other. The female 

 never moved from her nest, but awaited in confidence 

 without even turning her head, the promised food. — 

 The Sparrow Catcher. 



BOTANY. 



Cephalanthera ensifolia. — I must admit that 

 C. P. was quite right in what he originally stated 

 about the difference in the spikes of ensifolia and 

 grandijlora, and my memory has evidently served me 

 badly on this occasion. If C. P. will do me the 

 favour of sending me his address, I shall be very glad 

 indeed to have the opportunity of writing him direct 

 about the Orchis family in which he takes so much 

 interest. — R. B. Postans, 14 Enys Road, Eastbourne. 



The Hellebosines. — In my article, "White 

 Helleborines," October number, pp. 228, 229, the 

 following palpable misprints occur : " Epipactus "for 

 "Epipactis," "tracts" for " bracts, "" arachnitis " 

 for "arachnites." I have lately had specimen of 

 Cephalanthera rubra from Gloucestershire ; the spike 

 has but two flowers, and is barely one-third of the 

 size of the Swiss plant of same species. — C. P. 



Vaucheria sph/erospora, Nordst. — This alga, 

 new to the British flora, is described by Mr. E. M. 

 Holmes, in " The Essex Naturalist," as lately found 

 near Maldon, in Essex. 



Ophrys arachnites.— In this month's issue of 

 Science-Gossip, C. P. asks if any of your readers 

 have found specimens of Ophrys arachnites. I have 

 much pleasure in stating that I have found quantities 

 of this very interesting orchid on the North Downs. 

 Babington puts its localities down as being Sitting- 

 bourne and Folkestone. I can only answer to finding 

 them in Folkestone neighbourhood and in other 

 localities ranging from Wye to Folkestone. Should 

 C. P. wish for specimens, I shall be very glad to send 

 him some next season. Some botanists put O. 

 arachnites as a variety of O. apifera, but to me there 

 seems such marked distinctions between them that it 

 is almost impossible that they should be varieties of 

 the same plant. — C. F. Steadman. 



" Annals of Botany." — The first, or August 

 number, of this new and important venture reached 



