HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



185 



most unpleasant to those passing under the trees. 

 The perfect insect appeared at the end of June in 

 countless thousands, neaily every oak-tree having 

 its own swarm. It is a pretty little moth, with bright 

 green upper wings. I do not know whether it has 

 been equally destructive in other localities, but 

 during a long residence at Basset, I have never seen 

 the oaks so completely divested of their leaves 

 before. — A. G. Rogers, Basset, Southampton. 



Dumb Animals. — Professor J. Woodroffe Hall 

 has just published two able lectures on "The rela- 

 tive positions of the higher and lower creation," 

 which are intended as a plea for dumb animals. 

 We heartily commend the work to all genuine 

 lovers of animals. 



The East Kent Natural History Society. — 

 The twenty-third report of this old-established society 

 contains (among others) papers on the following 

 subjects: "Phosphates and Superphospates," by 

 Mr. W. H. Hammond ; " On Spongidce," by 

 Colonel Cox; "On the changes which have taken 

 place in East Kent, in the coast and river valleys 

 since the Roman occupation of Britain," by Mr. G. 

 Dowker, F.G.S. ; "On the development of the 

 T)-cmatoda,''' by the same, &c. 



The Natural History Clubs of London. — 

 We have been frequently asked to give information 

 on this subject, and we are now glad to draw atten- 

 tion to a twopenny " Guide '' which has been drawn 

 up by Mr. Henry Walker, F.G.S. (than whom we 

 know of nobody more competent), and published at 

 Water's Library, 97 Westbourne Grove, W. 



The Hertfordshire Natural History 

 Society. — Parts 3 and 4 of the Transactions of this 

 vigorous society are to hand, containing (among other 

 interesting papers) " Notes on Sponges," by H. 

 Gilbertson ; " The post-tertiary deposits of Hertford- 

 shire," by J. V. Elsden, B.Sc. ; "Observations on 

 Rotifers," by F. W. Phillips; "Meteorological 

 Observations," by John Hopkinson, F.L.S. (hon. 

 sec.) ; " Report of Rainfall in Hertfordshire," by the 

 same ; " Phenological Observations in Hertfordshire," 

 by the same ; "Notes on Fluke in Sheep," by A. T. 

 Brett, M.D., &c. 



The British Association meets this year at 

 York, on the 31st of August, under the presidency 

 of Sir John Lubbock, Bart., F.R.S., when the fifty- 

 first year of its existence will be celebrated. One of 

 the best meetings for many years is anticipated, as 

 all the presidents of sections are past presidents of 

 the Association. The number of excursions arranged 

 for, conversaziones, exhibitions, &c., is unusually 

 great, and we hope that the sketch of the geology 

 of the neighbourhood of York we give this month 

 will prove useful. 



Cirencester Microscopical and Naturalist 

 Society. — We are glad to notice that a new society 

 has been formed as above. The society already 

 numbers twenty members, under the presidency of 



E. J. E. Creese, F.R.M.S ; Mr. T. C. Vize, son of 

 the Rev. J. E. Vize, the well-known mycologist, 

 is hon. sec. 



Birds of Ceylon, — I notice a few errors in the 

 spelling of the names of places in the sketch map 

 that you made, which for the sake of accuracy should 

 be corrected as follows : for Gampora read Gampola ; 

 for Pustlana read Pusellawa ; for Rotmalu read 

 Kotmalee ; for Muaru Elluya read Newara Elliya. — 



F. L., Ballangoda, Ceylon. 



BOTANY. 



Crat/EGUSOXyacantha (Hawthorn).— Commonly 

 called May, as it usually comes in flower early in that 

 month. In seventeen years at my present residence 

 I have not been more than three years without 

 gathering at least a few sprays on the first of the 

 month ; this year, however, it flowered in very small 

 quantity, as late as the twelfth. Last year it was diffi- 

 cult to find any in flower by reason of its scarcity, but 

 what there was was early. This season it has flowered 

 as profusely as we ever remember to have seen it, 

 and I have been curious to note the fact that while 

 pink May has been more than usually brilliant in 

 colour, even the white May as a rule assumed a more 

 or less pink hue. Haws promise to be veiy abundant 

 this year ; let us hope that they may this time really 

 presage a mild winter. — James Bnckfnan, Bradford 

 Abbas. 



Ilex Aquifolium. — The holly flowered very 

 abundantly this year, and at the present moment the 

 trees are very thickly laden with berries, which 

 promise well for the lovers of berried holly for Christ- 

 mas decoration. Last winter a small spray with a few 

 berries was charged highly, for such a commodity, 

 by the greengrocer. Some years I have known 

 mistletoe berries to be very scarce, but it is very 

 unusual for such to be the case. When it is so it 

 causes even greater disappointment than a scarcity 

 of holly berries, as the latter is so much made up for 

 by artificial holly sprays. — yaines Buckman, Bradford 

 Abbas. 



In contrast to the lateness in the flowering of the 

 hawthorn, I may mention that this year in this warm 

 district whole fields of wheat on my farm had fairly 

 shot ear as early as the 5th of June. This is a week 

 earlier than I have before observed it in my seventeen 

 years of occupation. —JJ'rtwrj- Buekman, Bradford 

 Abbas. 



Swiss Alpine Flora.— Referring to the notice 

 to a correspondent on this subject at page 143 of 



