HA R D WICKE ' S S CI E NCR- G OSS IP. 



141 



ous coming disasters. I enclose specimens of the flies, 

 and also of the pupa-cases : I presume they belong 

 to the Tabanidas, or horse-flies ; but why have they 

 appeared in such force, and taken possession of the 

 limited area referred to, where they had not attracted 

 attention previously? — S. A. Stewart, North-street, 

 Belfast. 



Removing Surplus Balsam. — Allow me to call 

 the attention of those microscopists who mount their 

 own objects, to a most useful and effective implement 

 for removing surplus balsam. It is the invention of 

 Mr. Carey, of Norwood, and can be seen, by his 

 permission, at Mr. Baker's, 244, High Holborn. I 

 call it "The Carey Scraper." In using it, heat accord- 

 ing to the hardness of the balsam, and run the scraper 

 round the edge of the covering-glass, wiping off the 

 removed balsam on a piece of paper. It comes off 

 freely, and leaves but very little on the slide to be fin- 

 ished off by benzole or other spirit.- — John Bramhall. 



Natterjack Toad on the Shores of the 

 Solway Firth (p. 67).— Sir William Jardine 

 mentions the Natterjack as occurring "in a marsh 

 on the coast of the Solway Firth, almost brackish, 

 and within a hundred yards of spring-tide high-water 

 mark. It lies between the village of Carse and 

 S otherness Point, where I have found them for six 

 or seven miles along the coast. They are very 

 abundant." The late Mr. Edward Newman also, in 

 an article on the Natterjack published in the " Zoolo- 

 gist " for June, 1869, writes :• — "In Scotland it has 

 been found abundant on the coasts of the Solway 

 Firth."— W. R. Tate, Blandford. 



The Natterjack Toad in Cumberland.— I 

 have for several years known of the existence of this 

 toad on the shores of the Solway, at Silloth, a few 

 miles from the locality noticed by your correspondent, 

 Mr. Duckworth. I have from time to time obtained 

 specimens by digging them out of the sand, where 

 they hide during the day. They are found in 

 burrows, sometimes a foot or more deep, opening 

 usually at the top of a "scree" of sand, just beneath 

 the overhanging turf. I have found from one to 

 three toads in each hole. Last June I found that 

 they frequented a pond near the railway station by 

 hundreds. Their croaking, which was intermittent, 

 beginning suddenly and ceasing as abruptly after two 

 or three minutes, could be heard on a still evening 

 more than 500 yards away. This toad, like the 

 common one, has the chameleon-like property of 

 being able to adapt its colour to surrounding circum- 

 stances. Those found in the sand were of a beautiful 

 light grey, almost without any spots. Those found 

 amid the moss and slime of the pond had large 

 blotches of greenish yellow, not at all improving to 

 their appearance. — T. Lattimer. 



Wood-Pigeons' Nests. — I was much interested 

 a few days ago, in seeing a pair of wood-pigeons that 

 are building a nest in a tree, in a garden a few feet 

 from the backs of houses and a public road, and not 

 many hundred yards from a large railway station and 

 a busy thoroughfare, with tram-cars and omnibuses to 

 the City and West End. Is it not curious that birds, 

 so associated in our minds with peaceful country 

 scenes, should choose a spot so very near the great 

 desert of bricks and mortar? If the poor birds are 

 unmolested and hatch their young, what long 

 distances they must travel to procure food enough for 

 them.—//. Budge. 



The Whitethroat a Mimic— A curious inci- 

 dent occurred to my observation on Saturday 



afternoon, 4th May. While walking across a mea- 

 dow I heard, proceeding from the hedge on the far 

 side, a variety of guttural sounds, in which I recog- 

 nised the song of the whitethroat ( Curruca eiiierea), but 

 it was strangely interrupted by the alarm notes of the 

 common swallow, sparrow, green and grey linnets, 

 greater and lesser tits, and possibly a few others 

 which I did not recognise. At first I was convinced 

 that the several species were present. I drove the 

 whitethroat out of the hedge, upon which he pro- 

 ceeded to a neighbouring one, and there resumed his 

 imitations. Being anxious to make sure of this, I 

 lay down near the hedge where I formerly heard him. 

 In a short time he returned to it, and I had a favour- 

 able opportunity of seeing him. I watched him 

 long enough to convince myself that every note 

 proceeded from the same species. This peculiar 

 characteristic of this bird I do not find mentioned in 

 any books on ornithology which I have read. — John 

 D. Osborne, Caniehfergus, Co. An trim. 



The Botany of the Channel Islands. — In 

 reply to your correspondent'syf;-^ query under above 

 heading. — Living in the Islands is not expensive. To 

 his second : — At a farmhouse, or private lodgings, by 

 all means. If J. Camber will send me his address I 

 shall no doubt be able to give him all the information 

 he requires. — J. Si net, Bagot, Jersey. 



Aquarium for Microscopic Work. — I use 

 leech vases about eight inches in diameter, which I 

 get from the chemist for three and sixpence each. I 

 think W. D. B. would find two or three such vases 

 better than a larger aquarium. Among several other 

 advantages specimens can be kept separate, and the 

 bottom of the vase reached with the dipping tube. — 

 Richard B. Croft. 



R. FiCARi/EFORMis. — If some correspondent 

 would kindly give the specific characteristics of this 

 plant in Science-Gossip, it would facilitate search 

 for it in the South of England. — /". H. A. 



Pairing of Birds. — I deny altogether that we 

 have any proof that fowls have the slightest regard 

 for the best fighting cock, or for the superior beauty 

 of one male over another. Such ideas are totally 

 opposed to science and to truth. — C. R. Bree, M.D. 



Colias Edusa and its Varieties. — The great 

 abundance of this graceful butterfly during the past 

 season has offered to entomologists more opportunities 

 of studying its nature and habits than they have had 

 for several years. The question naturally arises : — to 

 what cause are we to impute the strange appearance 

 in such numbers of this once-prized insect ? Many 

 are the theories that have been brought forward to 

 account for it, but the solution of this entomological 

 problem seems as far off as ever. Although the 

 investigation of it has been carried on for many years, 

 we have no explanation of this phenomenon that we 

 can receive with any particular amount of credit. 

 The suggestion that the insect we find here has 

 crossed the Channel, tempted by the fineness and 

 heat of an English summer, certainly cannot be put 

 forward as an argument in the case of last year. But 

 to dilate upon, or even to mention, the numerous 

 theories that have been brought forward to account 

 for this would occupy more time and space than I 

 have at my disposal. Another fact may be men- 

 tioned, namely, that the number of males taken was 

 very nearly double that of the females. The differ- 

 ence in the appearance of these is much greater than 

 one at first sight would suppose. The most striking 



