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HARD WICKE ' S S CIE NCR - G O SSI P. 



Scarcity of Birds in Spring. — I beg to 

 announce the scarcity of birds here this spring ; 

 blackbirds, thrushes, redbreasts, wrens, hedge- 

 sparrows and bullfinches, seem especially to have 

 suffered from that fearful weather in January. I have 

 as yet found only one blackbird's nest, and two song 

 thrushes' ; a long-tailed titmouse's nest yesterday 

 contained nine eggs. I have also found a red linnet's 

 nest ready for eggs, and a greenfinch's. Golden- 

 crested wrens are more numerous than I have ever 

 known them to be here before — willow warblers were 

 here on the 9th — I heard a nightingale on the 13th, 

 and several on the 14th. On the 12th I saw a pair 

 of redstarts ; and a male blackcap on the i6th, and 

 this evening I have seen three swallows, hybernated 

 specimens of the "small tortoiseshell,'' "sulphur" 

 (all males) and "peacock" are very abundant. I 

 have also seen one " large tortoiseshell " (polychoros). 

 I have seen several vipers about, they may be seen 

 in March, if the weather be warm, and as late as the 

 middle of October. Vegetation is backward. The 

 birch (betula) is bursting into leaf, and the whitethorn, 

 the wild cherry is in bloom, and horse-chestnuts most 

 forward of trees. — G. Dezvar, Doles, Andovcr. 



Birds and Fruits.— I just wish to add a little 

 to what your correspondent, W. D., says in your 

 February issue (p. 45) under this heading. White, 

 in his "Natural History of Selborne," says, in the 

 fifteenth letter to Mr. Pennant, " I have remarked 

 for years that the root of the cuckoo-pint (arum) was 

 frequently scratched out of the dry banks of hedges 

 and eaten in severe snowy weather. After observing 

 with some exactness myself, and getting others to do 

 the same, we found it was the thrush kind that 

 searched it out. The root of the arum is remarkably 

 warm and pungent." I think this bears out W. D.'s 

 statement a little. They probably eat both the root 

 and the berries. — C. F. Wortcrs, Grafton House, 

 Forest Hill. 



Pigeons feeding on Turnip-roots. — As your 

 correspondent, G. Dewar (see Science-Gossip for 

 February last, p. 47), appears to doubt that pigeons 

 and doves eat the bulb of the turnip, I wish to state 

 my experience on the subject, with a view to elicit 

 facts from others towards the settlement of the 

 question. Some eight or nine winters ago I was 

 staying at a farm on Laindon Hills, Essex, and had 

 a good opportunity of watching a turnip field of a 

 few acres in extent, the crop on which was being 

 considerably damaged, as every one on the farm was 

 persuaded, by a flock of common wood pigeons 

 \Columba palnmbits). That the birds ate the root of 

 the turnip as well as the leaf there seemed little room 

 for doubt, for though I never actually observed a 

 pigeon pecking at the bulb of a plant, yet the bulbs 

 were in numberless cases scooped out in such a 

 manner as could be ascribed to no other agency 

 but the beak of a bird. I feel quite convinced that 

 the pigeons fed on the roots, and this they did, not 

 by necessity, but by choice, for there was plenty of 

 leaf remaining on the turnips, and no scarcity of 

 other green food. For instance, as soon as any one 

 appeared in the turnip field with a gun, the pigeons 

 would betake themselves to a clover ley at the foot 

 of the hill, and they fed off the clover almost as clean 

 as sheep would have done. — G. B. 



Weasel or Stoat. — The stoat {Musiela erminea) 

 commonly, if not invariably, goes by the name of 

 weasel in Ireland, whereas the true weasel, Miistela 

 vulgaris, is believed by naturalists to be rarely, if 

 ever, found in the country. — John Gatcombe, 



Weasel or Stoat.— In Vol. 4 of "Natural 

 History of Ireland," Wm. Thompson writes : "The 

 Weasel (Mitstela vulgaris). I have never met with 

 this animal in Ireland, nor do I consider that the 

 species has yet been satisfactorily proved to be Tiative, 

 although it may be so. The "stoat," which passes 

 under the name of weasel in this country, is common 

 throughout the island. In the counties of Antrim 

 and Armagh I have frequently during the last thirty 

 years obtained and examined specimens of the stoat, 

 but I never met with an instance of a weasel. The 

 stoat or ermine has lately changed its scientific name, 

 being now called, according to Dr. Duncan in "Cassell's 

 Natural History " (vol. ii.) Piitorius erminea. — H. W. 

 Lett, M.A. 



Hawfinches.— In reply to Mr. Parkinson's note 

 on the Hawfinch, I may state that this bird is not so 

 rare in England as he thinks. Their nests are found 

 nearly every year in the neighbourhood of Hitchin, 

 Hertfordshire. During the last few years I have 

 found five nests, and have known two others taken 

 by village lads. I have also found their nests in Hun- 

 tingdonshire. — G. J. Fuller, Hitchin. 



Notes by a Naturalist in Mauritius and 

 Great Britain. — Occurrence of Helix aspersa in 

 Mauritius. Mr. Power will find record of this 

 occurrence in Pike's "Subtropical Rambles," page 

 213. This reference is to the Aloka district. I have 

 also found specimens in Plaines Wilhems, and, if my 

 memory serves me, near Vacoas, not far from the 

 Tamarind Falls. Had Mr. Power consulted Mr. 

 Bewsher, of the Oriental Bank, Mr. Caldwell, or 

 other collectors in the island, I do not fancy he 

 would regard the occurrence as remarkable. — 

 H. H. S. 



Breeding Foreign Birds. — I shall feel obliged 

 if the writer of an article on " Breeding Foreign 

 Birds " will kindly let me know the best place to 

 obtain (purchase) the birds to which he refers. — A/. 

 Pullar. 



Poisonous Herbs. — The idea 'Ca.z.i Aitkusa Cyna- 

 pium is poisonous will not hold good after Dr. 

 Harley's experiments on this herb. A short summary 

 may be interesting (for a full i-eport see an article in 

 " St. Thomas's Hospital Reports," vol. x., reprinted 

 in " Pharmaceutical Journal," 27, 18S0). He, after ex- 

 pressing the juice of plants before flowering and when 

 in green fruit, says, " Being thus provided with care- 

 fully prepared juices of the young plant in its most 

 succulent condition, and of the same generation of 

 plants in their fully matured condition, I exhausted 

 my supply upon four patients : one, a little girl six 

 years old, who took them in quantities ranging from 

 two to four iluid ounces ; and two other adults who 

 were the subjects of spasmodic torticollis. These 

 two took one or other of the juices, ranging from one 

 to eight fluid ounces. Effects were carefully looked 

 for, but there were absolutely none in either case 

 after any one of the doses. Further detail is super- 

 fluous, and I may say in conclusion that the ^thusa 

 Cynapium of Sussex, Kent, Surrey, Essex and Hert- 

 fordshire, is not only absolutely free from the noxious 

 properties attributed to it, but that it is pleasant all, 

 to sight, smell, and taste, and in the absence of the 

 more fragrant and succulent plants might well be 

 used as a pot-herb or a salad. If any one should 

 think differently of the plant of his locality, I will be 

 ready to indulge his scruples, to test the matter with 

 him, and satisfy him, as I have no doubt I shall be 

 able to do, that my conclusions are independent both 

 of locality and season, and that the only influence 



