HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



283 



inverted (with the naked eye), any object within the 

 singular circuit of his sight. The accuracy of his 

 observations was verified when the British squadron 

 was assembling at Rodrigues (an island 300 miles 

 eastward of Mauritius), in the year 18 10, for the 

 attack upon the island. M. Fillifay stated so to the 

 French governor, and was, it is said, imprisoned for 

 raising false alarms. At another time he discerned 

 what he described as two ships joined together, or, if 

 there were such a thing, a four-masted vessel ; within 

 a few days a four-masted American schooner arrived 

 in Port Louis harbour. He also described a large 

 Indiaman dismasted when nearly 400 miles from the 

 island, and afterwards announced that he could see that 

 she was erecting jury-masts, and was steering for that 

 port. This proved to be the case. He was a pen- 

 sionnaire on the Treasury, and for years used to render 

 * his report ' at the Port-captain's office, which was 

 always written down by the officer as he laconically 

 announced it: A ship, N.E. 200 miles, nearly 

 becalmed ; a schooner, W., will make the land to- 

 morrow ; two brigs standing to the southward, &c. 

 It is a remarkable fact that, although this old man 

 visited Bourbon, Europe, and several other places, he 

 was unable to exercise this singular faculty of vision 

 anywhere but at Mauritius. This, most probably, 

 arose from the singular rarity of the atmosphere on 

 this island, which is certainly most remarkable. He 

 is since dead. He professed, at one period of his 

 life, to be able to teach this mode of vision, and even 

 obtained a fair and ambitious pupil, but he found 

 that a Power beyond his could alone impart this 

 wonderful gift." — J. Henry Maughan. 



Have Palms Tap-roots ? — As a rule the radicle 

 of monocotyledonous seeds is little, if at all, developed ; 

 so that tap-roots are generally said not to occur in the , 

 class. A true tap-root must be the direct prolongation 

 of the radicle. Palms seem, however, to be some- 

 what exceptional, to judge from the most readily 

 accessible account of their germination, viz., that in 

 Mr. W. B. Hemsley's papers on Garden Botany in 

 the Garden, vol. xiii. (187S), p. 288 (March 30), 

 from which I take the substance of what follows. 

 The radicle or primary root is very often vigorous in 

 seedlings, but it is stated that it is soon replaced by 

 succeeding roots which appear above its apex, i.e. are 

 lateral adventitious roots like those of bulbs. Whether 

 this is invariably the case is uncertain ; but the genus 

 Borassus is a good example of this replacement. 

 The stout tap-root of the young seedling in this genus 

 is soon surrounded by adventitious roots, to which it 

 surrenders its work, itself dying off. In another 

 genus, Sabal, however, the primary root seems to 

 be a lateral outgrowth of the embryo, the radicle 

 apparently not being at all developed. On the whole, 

 the preacher who said that palnW>ft?j had not tap- 

 roots was decidedly nearer the truth of the two. — 

 G. S. Bonlger. 



Hackney Microscopical and Natural His- 

 tory Society (194, Mare-street). — The members of 

 this society made another excursion on Saturday 

 afternoon, the 19th October, under the presidency of 

 one of the honorary members, Worthington Smith, 

 Esq., F.L.S., F.R.M.S. The place of assignation 

 was Chingford, from thence through the old forest to 

 High Beech, returning by way of Lough ton. The 

 special objects of research were "fungi," which are 

 found in this part of the forest in quantity and variety 

 sufficient to repay the labours of the numerous com- 

 pany assembled, though comprising entomologists, 

 microscopists, and students devoted to other branches 

 of natural history. The weather was fine, perhaps 



rather too dry for the specific object in view ; the 

 forest was clothed in the varied tints of its autumnal 

 foliage. The way being led by such an authority on 

 " fungi " as the president for the occasion, gave to 

 the excursion an interest and charm peculiarly enjoy- 

 able ; and the instruction thus gained by an afternoon 

 spent in the investigation of this page of nature's 

 history will long be remembered by those who were 

 so fortunate as to be present. No fewer than thirty- 

 six species of fungi were collected and identified. 



What was the "Fagus" of the Latins? — 

 Was the Rev. J. Mitford (formerly editor of the 

 Gentleman 's Magazine) right when he asserted that 

 "fagus" must mean the sweet chestnut? because 

 Caesar says the Britons had not the fagus. Landing 

 in Kent or Sussex, Cassar must have seen the beeches, 

 which love a chalky subsoil. The "Spanish c/iestmd," 

 as it is often called, is no doubt an importation from 

 abroad. — W. H. Freeman, Reepham, Norwich. 



Lapwing and Hawk. — Some five years ago 

 Mr. G. R. Bull, of Stafford (who related to me the 

 incident), was driving out one morning, a few miles 

 from Stafford, with, I believe, Dr. Day, when they 

 suddenly heard a confused rustling noise overhead, 

 and something then plumped down into the ditch by 

 the roadside. On alighting they found a hawk and 

 lapwing in deadly embrace, the hawk's talons em- 

 bedded in the lapwing's breast, the bird just expiring ; 

 the hawk already dead, from the beak of the lapwing 

 being fixed in the eye and brain of his enemy. As 

 the latter had made his fatal pounce, the intended 

 victim had made one supreme effort, and by a lucky 

 peck in the one vulnerable spot, avenged his own 

 death.— Alf. Freer. 



Ornithological Instruments. — Where can 

 scissors for cutting the bones of the embryo in birds' 

 eggs, described in Prof. Newton's " Suggestions for 

 forming Collections of Birds' Eggs," be procured? also 

 German-silver blowpipes ? — Beta. 



Arge Galatea. — Could any of your correspon- 

 dents inform me as to whether Arge Galatea has ever 

 been noticed near Bedford before ? I took a rather fine 

 specimen at the close of August this year. — W. E. 

 Fairbridge, Bedford. 



" Bob-OWLERS." — It may interest those of your 

 readers who care to note the local names of plants, 

 insects, &c, to know that in Staffordshire the thick- 

 bodied moths are called " Bob-owlers." — K. D., 



Almondsbury. 



NOTICES TO CORRESPONDENTS, 



To Correspondents and Exchangers. — As we now- 

 publish Science-Gossip a week earlier than heretofore, we 

 cannot possibly insert in the following number any communi- 

 cations which reach us later than the 9th of the previous 

 month. 



W. T. Horn.— Thanks for the specimen of Helichrysiott,. 

 which, unfortunately, was jumbled into an indistinguishable 

 mass when it reached us. Get Burbidge's " Cool Orchids and 

 How to Grow Them," with plates, published by Hardwicke & 

 Bogue, 192, Piccadilly, price 6s. It is the best work of the 

 kind we know. 



A Young Beginner.— Mr. Collins has recently issued what 

 he calls a " Histological Microscope," at ^5. 10s., which 

 would answer all your requirements. It is a marvel of me- 

 chanical skill, and can be easily stowed away. It is sufficient 

 for all the requirements of a natural history student. 



W. H. Jones.- The spikes of Plantago are the largest we 

 have seen. 



