HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



163 



Geology of the Cheshire Plain, and on the Disposition 

 of the Flora of the Carboniferous Period in the Coal 

 Measures." 



Ice Action in Wales. — A itw mornings ago, 

 when close to the Little Orme's Head, on the Llan- 

 dudno side, I noticed a large mass of the carboniferous 

 limestone of the district, that appeared to have been 

 detached from above by wave action, and to have 

 fallen on to the beach, two of the surfaces of which 

 block were distinctly and largely striated by ice 

 action, while part of the surface was planed over 

 comparatively smooth, in the usual form. One groove 

 was about sixteen inches long, another about nine, 

 both large and deep ; very many, and some minute 

 strice passing along the faces. It would seem to have 

 been in the line of ice action, when probably high up 

 on the Little Orme which is now being slowly 

 reduced by power of the sea. I am not aware if other 

 similarly marked masses of the rock are there to be 

 seen, having but once or twice visited Llandudno, 

 and then only for a short time. While upon this 

 subject, I may mention the largely planed-off lower 

 slopes of the mountains sinking down into the valley 

 of the Dwyryd, where the waters of various valleys 

 unite to drain the southern slopes of Moel Wyn and 

 the Manods chiefly, planed off, mainly in broad flat 

 surfaces, not found by the eye from similar distance 

 in any part of the great and frequently precipitously 

 steep sides of Moel Wyn, and presenting a marked 

 contrast to ordinary water action, so well seen near 

 here in the grand bed of the torrent Cynfael. — Horace 

 Fearce, F.G.S. 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



An Appeal. — There are few fields in which the 

 microscope rewards the observer more richly than the 

 study of botanical objects. They abound on every 

 side, and only require as a rule low magnifying powers. 

 As botany is the one branch of science with which I 

 have any acquaintance, it has naturally been my 

 chosen study for the microscope. I wish however to 

 ask the sympathising aid of any of your readers who 

 may be devoting themselves to the same pursuit, and 

 have overcome some of the technical difficulties with 

 which it is beset. The popular works on microscopy 

 do ndt as a rule give practical help in the matter. 

 They point out in a most attractive way the objects 

 to be selected, but do not enter sufficiently into the 

 particular mode of preparing special objects. May I 

 enumerate a few which I have failed to prepare, and 

 ask for practical advice from your readers ? Deutzia 

 leaf, stellate scales on cuticle &c. I have boiled in nitric 

 acid, but find that it makes the cuticle too tender to 

 handle, and does not remove the chlorophyll from the 

 scales. Wanted a satisfactory solvent for this and 

 other leaf tissues, leaving the cuticle clean and entire. 

 Spiral vessels : the books give beautiful pictures of 

 spiral vessels from lily, ringed vessels from rhubarb, 

 &c. How can these be got clean and entire ? Wood- 

 cells also form a prominent feature in such books. 

 How are they to be treated ? I have seen various 



solvents suggested, such as copper turnings dissolved 

 in ammonia, and chromic acid with addition of 

 sulphuric acid, for these purposes. What I want ta 

 learn is what solvents should be applied to the 

 different classes of objects and how to prepare them. 

 Possibly the subject may have been treated of in past 

 numbers of Science-Gossip ; if so a reference to 

 such numbers would oblige. Also the name and 

 price of any book which gives exact information on 

 the subject. Or you might think it a matter of 

 sufficient general interest to prepare a special article 

 upon it. I doubt not that many who, like myself, are 

 struggling alone with the elementary difficulties of 

 this branch of microscopy, would feel grateful for 

 such assistance. — Beginnei: 



ASELLUS AQUATicus. — Can you or any of your 

 readers tell me whether this is the same as A. vul- 

 garis ? Judging from the picture of it in Science- 

 Gossip for April (fig. 62), I am inclined to think it 

 is. I have constantly found large numbers of Rotifer 

 vulgaris attached to it, as well as the common 

 vorticella. — J. A. C. 



The Great Tit. — I wonder why it is that people, 

 great authorities on birds too, seem all agreed to 

 describe the great titmouse as having nothing but 

 harsh and disagreeable notes. These birds are great 

 favourites of mine, and I think so differently of them 

 that I should like to say a few words in their favour, 

 being particularly roused to do so now by having just 

 read an interesting article on birds by the Rev. J. G. 

 Wood, where, to my astonishment I find it stated that 

 the great tit utters " nothing but a single sharp 

 grating cry," and that its voice is " peculiarly dis- 

 cordant to human ears." What a strange statement 

 from so great an authority ! It may seem too daring 

 of a "small unknown" like myself to venture to 

 controvert what Mr. Wood says, but "seeing is 

 believing," and I have so often both seen and heard 

 these little oxeyes uttering a number of different 

 notes, all sweet and tuneful to my ears, that I do 

 not like to hear them so traduced, and feel sure there 

 are many persons who enjoy listening to them as 

 much as I do. Quite early in the year, often in 

 January and always in February, their sweet ringing 

 notesare to be heard. I have listened to and watched 

 them for years, and have never been able to hear that 

 dreadful note like " the setting of a saw " that I read 

 about in books on birds, unless it means a churring 

 noise that is sometimes tacked on to the end of the 

 other notes, but I cannot fancy that being called the 

 distinguishing note of the bird. The other sweeter 

 notes are louder and much more often repeated, and 

 there is such a variety of them that I tried in vain 

 last year to count how many different sounds there 

 were ! At the end of the paragraph about the great 

 tits, Mr. Wood says " Even human ears are differ- 

 ently affected by sounds, and strange as it may 

 appear, there are human beings who like the bag- 

 pipes." I must confess that I am one of these 

 strange beings (if the pipes are Irish and not too 

 near), so this will explain to Mr. Wood the reason 

 why I differ so much from liim in my opinion of 

 the voice of the Great Tit ! But I hope other cham- 

 pions of the Tit will come forward who will be 

 without that unhappy bias for the bagpipes. Bird- 

 lovers may like to hear that flocks of Siskins come 

 here (north-west of Donegal) in winter, and some 

 stay and breed. I have not found their nests, but 

 have been told of them. — Unknown. 



Rat's Nest. — A few days ago a friend of mine, in 

 movinc: some bundles of straw in his barn, discovered 



