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HARD Wl CKE'S SCIENCE - G OS SI P. 



Dittany. — There is a foreign species of Marjoram 

 called " the Dittany of Crete," much used in medi- 

 cine, and known as Origanum Dictamtius, genus 

 Labiate?, and the "Bastard Dittany," Dicta minis 

 Fraxinella, one of a small order of Rutacea found in 

 Southern Europe and Asia Minor, and also the Cunila 

 mariana, called Dittany, likewise belonging to the 

 genus of Labiates. This is all I am able to find in 

 my botanical books concerning Dittany, and I have 

 much pleasure in forwarding it. — Helen Watney. 



Mandrake. — Mandragora is the name applied to 

 a genus of Solanacece or Atropaceee, natives of South- 

 ern Europe and the East. Mandrakes have poison- 

 ous properties, and are somewhat like in their effects 

 to belladonna. The roots of the Bryony are often 

 trained round a mould, and then sold as Mandrakes. 

 Linnaeus considered the red-berried Bryony a variety 

 of the Bryonia alba, or White Bryony, which is a 

 Central European species possessing like properties 

 to the English species. --Helen Watney. 



Robins' Eggs. — I found myself some years ago a 

 robin's nest, containing five white eggs, of a larger 

 size than any eggs of a robin that I have ever seen, 

 more the size of a cuckoo's egg. The other day I was 

 asked to name an egg, which from the nest I had no 

 hesitation in setting down as a robin's, too ; this nest 

 also had contained five eggs. As both these nests 

 contained the full complement of eggs, all of the 

 same size and colour, they must have been an abnor- 

 mal production from the birds. If there had been a 

 single egg, I should have concluded it to be a while 

 cuckoo's. Is this an unusual variety ? I have, you see, 

 come across two such instances myself; others may 

 have done the same. — C. A. Haden. 



The House-Martin and House-Sparrow.— 

 At the commencement of the past week two martins 

 began to build under the eaves of my house. Being 

 a great admirer of them I was pleased, and hoped 

 nothing would hinder the completion of the nest. 

 It was not long, however, before I noticed two 

 sparrows taking more interest than I liked, and after 

 five or six days, when the nest wanted but little to 

 finish it, they drove away the rightful owners, and 

 took possession. I could not remain neutral ; so 

 with small pebbles I tried at intervals for two hours to 

 drive away the sparrows. This proved effective only 

 for the moment ; so I thought of another expedient. 

 Taking my trout-rod, I tied a piece of string to the 

 end and placed it within a foot of the nest. I never 

 saw more of the sparrows, but in less than an hour 

 the martins recognized the altered state of things, and 

 soon completed the nest. — H. G., Horbling Lodge. 



Birds Singing at Midnight. — In Science- 

 Gossip for April i of this year there is an account of 

 "Birds Singing at Midnight," by Mr. R. Standen. 

 Goosnargh, "Lancashire, in which he states that he 

 heard the various songsters on the night of Saturday, 

 15th February. As I am rather anxious to fix the 

 exact date of the occurrence, I should be greatly 

 obliged by your informing me whether Friday, the 

 15th February, or Saturday, the 16th, is meant ; 

 either the day or date being evidently a misprint.— X. 



Position of the Basque Flower. — Mr. Barrett 

 asks in the June number of SCIENCE-GOSSIP whether 

 the finding of Anemone Pulsatilla at a certain eleva- 

 tion "is a universal fact, or only a partial one"? 

 from my own experience I should say the latter. 

 I have found it in both situations ; but if I remember 

 rightly, in greater abundance in some of the chalk 

 ridges of the North Downs than in the lower-lying 

 country around. I have found it growing in the 



corner of a hay meadow, the land being quite flat, in 

 the parish of Ockham, .Surrey, in close proximity to 

 some woodlands. I have also found it growing some 

 two or three miles off, in the adjoining parish of East 

 Horsley, on a piece of rising ground, or hilly pasture, 

 and called the "Sheep Leas." — J. Mills Higgins. 



Soi.anum Dulcamara. — In reference to the 

 notes lately given about this plant, I forward the fol- 

 lowing facts. In 1869 one of my pupils partook 

 rather freely of the berries while he was searching 

 one evening for "haws." On reaching home he 

 became sick, and for several hours he was in a wild 

 and violent delirium, requiring to be forcibly held 

 down. This happened, too, after the stomach had 

 been emptied of its contents, the poison having had 

 time to extend itself into the system. The physician 

 who attended him at his house told me that the pupils 

 of the eyes were much dilated, and the symptoms 

 closely resembled those resulting from taking the 

 berries of Atropa Belladoima ; in fact, he concluded 

 that these were the berries the boy had eaten. Ice 

 in large quantities was applied to the head, and the 

 patient soon recovered. I copy this from notes which 

 I made at the time. It could not be ascertained how 

 man)* berries had been eaten. — Henry Ulyett, Folke~ 

 stone. 



Queries as to Flowers. — To what flowers do 

 the following lines allude ? 



" One blossom, 'mid its leafy shade, 

 The virgin's purity portrayed ; 

 And one, with cup all crimson dyed, 

 Spoke of a Saviour crucified." 



Holy Flowers, M. Howitt. 



" So have I seen some tender flower, 

 Priz'd above all the vernal bower, 

 Shelter'd beneath the coolest shade, 

 Embosom'd in the greenest glade, 

 So frail a gem, it scarce may bear 

 The playful touch of evening air ; 

 When hardier giown, we love it less, 

 And trust it from our sight, not needing our caress." 



Kedle. 



C. F. IV. 



Hop-gardens. — I am living in the midst of hop- 

 gardens. Can any of your readers kindly tell me if 

 there are any curiosities of vegetable or insect life to 

 be gathered during the season ? — A. C. Smith, 

 Crowbo7'o\ 



Lob-worms. — In reference to this subject by 

 Professor Paley, in Science-gossip for last month, 

 permit me to say that the materials found at the 

 entrance of their holes had adhered accidentally to 

 their slime, and were rubbed off on entering. Leaves 

 with stalks forward they do not carry, with the thin 

 end forward they do, and frequently pass into the hole. 

 Lob-worms clear away the things they have brought 

 home, because it is not convenient for them to adhere 

 again when they go out on visits of ceremony. In 

 clean-swept lawns these encumbrances are not met 

 with, and the entrance to the holes is not obstructed. 

 Crass and leaves may be eaten by these worms, but I 

 do not think they are taken to the hole, and then left 

 at the entrance for breakfast. Fifty years ago and 

 more I used to handle these creatures as Isaac Walton 

 did— tenderly.— //. P. M. 



Blackbirds' Nest. — A pair of blackbirds have 

 built a nest just six" feet from the ground in a honey- 

 suckle climbing up a verandah outside our drawing- 

 room window, and close to a door which is in constant 

 use for going in and out of the garden. They have 

 now hatched their young ones in spite of all the dis- 

 turbance arising from curious eyes watching them, 



