14: 



HA RD WICKE'S SCIENCE- G OSSIP. 



water, is due, the presence of sugar in aerated waters 

 accelerating the escape of the carbonic acid gas with 

 which they are charged. — E. F. Salmon. 



Singular Meteorological Phenomena. — On 

 Thursday last, and also on Saturday, we had a hail- 

 storm and a snowstorm within a quarter of an hour. 

 My son asked how it was that such phenomena 

 occurred ; what were the distinct and different con- 

 ditions of the atmosphere to produce them ? I could 

 not explain, and therefore I venture to ask you. He 

 also asked me to explain the difference of hail and 

 snow as frozen rain. Will you kindly give a slight 

 explanation in your next number ? My sight is bad, 

 so pray excuse pot-hooks. — R. F. Z., Jl/i/ford, 

 Salisbury. 



Starlings. — I think the following may serve in 

 some degree to explain S. II. Davey's query. About 

 five miles west of Ponsnook are the extensive woods 

 of Teleidy, which abound in pines, firs, and thick 

 underwood, and are the usual roosting-place in winter 

 of the vast flocks of starlings which leave south-west 

 Cornwall in summer, or disperse to their various 

 nesting-places in the north of the county. Starlings 

 do not seem to have begun to breed to any extent in 

 Cornwall south of Truro, where a few nested about 

 nine years ago. Until about fifteen years ago not a 

 single pair, I think, were known to nest in the county. 

 I have often observed the enormous flocks of birds 

 passing over Redruth, half-way between Ponsnook 

 and Teleidy, morning and evening, and noticed the 

 different heights of flight. The only explanation I 

 can offer is that in the early morning the birds are 

 fresh and active, and thus able to follow the line of 

 the country, so as to pick out suitable feeding grounds ; 

 but when tired, after their day's flight, they rise in 

 the first instance to a great height, and then do the 

 five miles homewards on a gentle incline, which 

 tactic causes them much less exertion than if they 

 rose gradually with the rising ground they have to 

 pass en route. I have many times seen whole flocks 

 pass over Redruth to the westward, with wings quite 

 motionless. — Chas. y. yenkin. 



Poisonous Character of the Yew. — There 

 seems no doubt that the eating of the leaves of the 

 yew-tree is frequently fatal to cattle. I sent you the 

 narrative of a lady who actually witnessed the death 

 of a donkey from the same cause. Gilbert White, in 

 his " Natural History of Selborne," chap, v., says that 

 milch cows died even from eating yew-berries. But 

 I think this must be a mistake. The so-called 

 "berry" of the yew is perfectly harmless, though 

 the seed within the enlarged fleshy calyx is slightly 

 acrid or bitter. The only conifer that I know of that 

 is deleterious is the savin, which has rather strong 

 medicinal properties. But what peculiar property 

 there is in the young shoots and leaves of the yew to 

 cause death to cattle "in a few minutes " (these are 

 the words of Gilbert White, and they are borne out 

 by the narrative enclosed), I am unable to conjecture. 

 I used to think the cause of death might be attributed 

 to the tough and leathery nature of the leaflets, which 

 animals would possibly be unable to digest. But if 

 this were the cause, such a speedy death would not 

 ensue. The subject is most perplexing. I have 

 macerated some yew-leaves in boiling water, and 

 tasted the liquor, but there is nothing in it to suggest 

 the idea of poison. Gilbert White adds: " Even the 

 clippings of a yew hedge have destroyed a whole 

 dairy of cows when thrown inadvertently into a yard, 

 and yet sheep and turkeys, and, as park-keepers say, 

 deer, will crop these trees with impunity." — F. A. 

 Paley, LL.D. 



Ventriculites in the Drift Gravels. — Any 

 reader of Science-Gossip having any information 

 on this subject, I should be very pleased to have it. — 

 F. C ha His. 



Tame Elephants Breeding. — The following is 

 an extract from a reputed letter of Mr. P. T. Barnum 

 to a friend in London : " As we have had good luck 

 in breeding elephants, having three baby elephants of 

 American birth now on hand, besides a couple of 

 young Jumbos on the stocks, due in four and seven 

 months, I hope for the same good fortune with Widow 

 Alice." I should be glad to see some opinions on 

 the above, as it is generally stated that the domesti- 

 cated female elephant will breed with the wild male 

 only. — IV. A. Gain. 



Our Robins. — -At a country house not far from 

 London, a robin has since last November been in the 

 habit of going to breakfast every morning with the 

 family. It comes in at any window, and will walk 

 about the table, pick up crumbs, and even take small 

 pieces from the finger and tongue of those at breakfast. 

 Now that the severe weather is over, it still goes, and 

 is now paying for its window feeding by charming 

 little bursts of song.— Z. IV. IV. P. 



Mason-Wasps. — The insect mentioned in last 

 month's Science-Gossip by Rev. S. A. Brenan 

 belongs to the genus Odynerus, generally known as 

 the mason-wasps. These insects are generally seen 

 in pairs ; the female it is, however, who constructs the 

 nest. This is done by burrowing, or more properly 

 speaking excavating, in the warm and sunny sand- 

 banks, the dry grains of sand being removed by the 

 labour of the insect, and carried to a distance from 

 the excavation. The insect forms a sort of basket 

 with its legs, and, collecting the sand therein, flies 

 away and scatters it on the ground. The cavity, 

 completed to the satisfaction of the insect, is then 

 closed by a small stone, or several of the same, so 

 carefully adjusted that it is with difficulty one can 

 discover it again. Finally the insect procures flies or 

 other insects, which it kills and deposits in the burrow, 

 at the same time freely depositing its eggs amongst 

 them. The larvae when hatched from these eggs 

 feed upon the insects entombed with them, finally 

 pupating, and in a short time they burst from their 

 tomb winged insects, as the parents. Of the above 

 family of insects Mellinus arvensis collects flies in its 

 burrow, Ammophila gabulosa collects caterpillars, 

 Philanthus trianguhun honey-bees, which it stings to 

 death. Pemphudon Ingubris burrows in decayed 

 wood, and stores in its burrow various Aphides. All 

 these insects collected are destined to feed the larvae 

 of the mason-wasps. — William Finch, jun., Notting- 

 ham. 



Arion ater, var. cinerea, Westrel. — Mr. T. 

 D. A. Cockerell has demurred on p. 1 14 of last 

 Science-Gossif, in a note at the base of the second 

 column, from my translation of var. cinerea of Arion 

 ater in Westerhmd's monograph on the Scandi- 

 navian Mollusca, but he, in transcribing the con- 

 chologist's own words, has reservedly kept what he 

 considers to be the right meaning of its discoverer 

 to himself. I myself put too great faith in Wester- 

 lund's naming to think for once that he ever named 

 any other variety than an ash-coloured one cinerea, 

 and this I take it is a very cogent reason indeed to 

 describe the variety as an "ashy one," which I 

 unqualifyingly did in the March instalment of my 

 article ; otherwise I cannot make any sense or 

 reason out of "lateribus pallidis sesqui-pollicaris." 

 " Sesqui-pollicaris " has a meaning to me in the 



