2 3 S 



HARDWICKKS SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



" Report on the Erratic Blocks of England and 

 Wales." With regard to the question as to what are 

 the lowest beds in the Midlands, Dr. Crosskey men- 

 tioned that the best section of the Midland series 

 that had been exposed was at California. At the 

 base was a thick ice-formed clay, with erratics dropped 

 into it. In the California lower boulder clay at Wolver- 

 hampton Lake blocks of Scotch granites, with a few 

 flints, had been found. It was a distinct type, as 

 containing a collection of erratics from several 

 districts. Some of the contorted sands and clay of 

 the districts probably were deported at an early 

 period in the glacial epoch, having been subsequently 

 contorted. Passing on to the question of "Are 

 there any glacial beds distinctly referable to the 

 period of glacial subsidence?" he said that marine 

 shells with Arctic species had been found in two 

 localities, at Wellington and Lilleshall ; supporting 

 the theory, that there must have been a Midland 

 glacial sea. In Icknield Street, Birmingham, the 

 rock w 7 as struck and smashed by ice laden with 

 Welsh boulders. Owing to the subsidence of the 

 land, blocks were floated off by the ice starting from 

 the various points in the ever-widening land area, 

 which was covered with ice during the later period. 

 Rowley Hill, Charnwood Forest, Malvern Hills, 

 were centres of dispersion of their rocks. 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



Giant Puff-Balls. — At the Field meeting of 

 the Hackney l Microscopical and Natural History 

 Society, this afternoon, (August 7th), I discovered 

 upon a dung-heap in a field between Chigwell Lane 

 and Abridge, several specimens of the giant puff-ball 

 {Lycoperdon gigantcum). One specimen measured 

 5 feet 3 inches in circumference, and the weight in 

 the opinion of the several members could not have 

 been less than twenty pounds. — Jolui Avery. 



Spots on Sycamore Leaves. — If what W. B. 

 Drummond asks about at p. 167, are the large shining 

 black spots which are so common and abundant on 

 sycamore-leaves in the summer and autumn, I would 

 say they are the fungus Rhyiisma f>unctatum. A 

 similar plant (A', acerimim) is found on maple-leaves, 

 and another {R. sa/icinun) on willow-leaves. The 

 fungus Capnodiumfootii, which Mr. Friend, at p. 190, 

 suggests as the black spots, is not found that I am 

 aware of on sycamore, it is moreover not at all 

 common, and is so small as not to attract notice in 

 the way Rhytisma does. With all respect to J. Muir, 

 who, at page 179, quotes a reply to a correspondent, 

 and to the author of that answer I would say, that 

 drops of rain or dew, if they acted as sun-burners, by 

 condensing the solar rays, would produce not black 

 but merely discoloured spots, such as are frequently 

 seen in greenhouses on plants not properly shaded. 

 When I read the paragraph that J. Muir quotes, I 

 tried the experiment on various kinds of leaves with 

 several small burning lenses, and in not a single 

 instance was a black spot or anything except a dirty 

 coloured one made. — If. //' Lett. M.A. 



Showers of Shells. — After a rather prolonged 

 period of dry hot weather, a heavy thunder-shower 

 fell on the north side of the parish of Illogan, about 

 three miles from Redruth, Cornwall, about 9 P.M. 

 on Thursday, July 8th, the wind being N.N.W. 

 On the following morning, a farmer resident in the 

 district, going to his work about 6 a.m., noticed that 

 the road and fields in the track over which the shower 

 extended were strewed with small snails of a kind 

 quite different to any previously observed in the 

 district. They were then, he states, lying about in 

 such numbers that he could gather them together in 

 handfuls. At this time (August 4th), they are thickly 

 strewn among the grass of the meadows, upon which 

 they are apparently feeding. It is unfortunate that 

 attention was not directed earlier to the phenomenon, 

 that it might have been observed whether there were 

 any on the roofs of the cottages in the vicinity ; this 

 cannot be done now, as the abundant rains that have 

 subsequently fallen would have washed them away. 

 Similar shells have been observed in very small 

 quantities on the sands skirting the sea beach about 

 two miles to the north- west ; but it is stated that 

 none of this sand has for very many years been placed 

 on the meadows where the creatures are now found 

 in the greatest abundance. Probably some of your 

 readers may be interested in hearing of the occurrence, 

 and may be able to suggest an explanation. The 

 shells sent enclosed have been placed in hot water to 

 preserve them from decay. — R. y. Connock. 



Flight of Bf.es, &c. — I was certainly under the 

 impression that Goldsmith meant the nectar, for it 

 appears to me that a child would know that a bee 

 must enter the flower to obtain pollen, i.e. a peculiar 

 dust spread over the anthers of flowers. It is perfectly 

 obvious that the bee could not get the pollen unless 

 it did enter the flower. I am not in the habit of 

 purposely misquoting tc gain a point. I have seen 

 several different kinds of bees attack the flowers from 

 the outside. Thus Mr. Wailes, "Entomological 

 Magazine," vol. i. p. 525, says, "That all bees on 

 their first visit to the blossoms of a passion-flower 

 {Passijffora cceruIea),oia the wall of his house, were for 

 a considerable time puzzled by the numerous over- 

 wrapping rays of the nectary, and only after many 

 tiials succeeded in finding the shortest way to the 

 honey at the bottom of the calyx, but afterwards they 

 proceeded to the most direct mode of obtaining the 

 honey." A similar fact is related of the humble 

 bees by Huber, with regard to beam-blossoms, 

 "Philosophical Transactions," vol. vi. p. 222. Bees 

 placed in a hive in a new locality will, on the next 

 day, fly around the hive in every direction, as if to 

 observe the surrounding objects. I repeat, there is no 

 insect about which naturalists, poets, etc. vary so 

 much in their opinions as the bee ; this is notorious. 

 They disagree and vary as to functions of the 

 anteima^, as to the sense of hearing, as to the treat- 

 ment of their young ; they are not agreed as to the 

 particular power of the eyes, flight, &c. For instance, 

 Rogers, that remarkably correct poet, says — ■ 



" Hark! the bee winds her small but mellow horn, 

 Blithe to salute the sunny smile of morn." 



Well and good ; but how tire you going to get over 

 the following? — 



"Who bids her soul with conscious triumph swell? 

 With conscious truth retrace the mazy clue 

 Of varied scents that charmed her as she flew." 



According to the poet, just at the very time when the 

 bee would be loaded and probably weary, it must 

 begin to retrace " the mazy clue of varied scents " on 

 its return journey, and would necessarily have to 



