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HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



Notes on the Lithology of Gas Coals. — A 

 second edition of the above valuable brocJmre has just 

 been issued. The analyses of coals have been materially 

 added to but the letterpress remains unchanged. 

 This little work is of undoubted value to all gas 

 engineers, and all practical men who deal with the 

 subject. 



The Geological Magazine. — The August 

 number of the above interesting and valuable journal 

 contains the following articles : " Notes on Palreozoic 

 Entomostraca," by Professor T. R. Jones F.R.S. ; 

 "On the Archffiic Rocks," by Dr. C. Callaway; 

 " The Megaceros in Ireland," by W. Williams. The 

 above three articles are all illustrated. Also, "The 

 Glaciation of the Shetlands," by Mr. B. N. Peach, 

 F.R.S.E., and Mr. John Plorne, F.R.S.E. 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



Botanical Notes from Kent.— On a beautiful 

 morning, at the beginning of August, I started from 

 Eexley Heath, and turning down the road leading to 

 Bexley, I found on the right-hand side J'erbascinn 

 Lychnitis (white mullein) and Prunella vulgaris 

 (self-heal). After having got through Bexley, I 

 turned to the left and went up a rather steep hill, 

 leading to Dartford Heath. On the side of the road 

 I found Ononis procurrais (trailing rest-harrow). 

 Campanula rotundifolia (harebell), Scahiosa arvciisis 

 (field scabious), dehor ium Intybus (succory). On 

 Dartford Heath I found Galium verum (yellow bed- 

 straw), Lotus eornieulatus (bird's-foot trefoil), Eriea 

 tetralix (cross-leaved heath). Going straight across 

 the heath, I turned down a lane leading to the 

 Dartford road, the side of which was red with 

 Papaver Rhaas (corn poppy) ; keeping straight on, 

 I did not find anything worth mentioning, till I had 

 gone through Hawley and Sutton-at-Hone, and 

 going under some railway arches, I turned to the 

 left. On the side of the railway, which is very high, 

 I came upon Reseda lutea (mignonette). Turning to 

 the left again, I went up a hill past the Little Boys' 

 Home, and keeping straight on, I found on the side 

 of the lane the beautiful \\\.\\q Helianthemum vulgare 

 (rock-rose), and in a field I saw Centaurea scabiosa 

 (great knapweed), or Aeinos vulgaris (basil thyme), 

 Polygala vulgaris (milkwort). Keeping round the 

 road and making my way to some woods I saw, I 

 found Verbaseuni Thapsus (great mullein), Linaria 

 vulgaris (toad-flax), a lot more Ononis proeurrens 

 (trailing rest-harrow), Galeopsis Ladanum (red 

 hemp-nettle) Bartsia Odontites (red eye-bright), 

 Epilobium roseum (smooth-leaved willow-herb). In 

 the wood I found Erytlu\ca Centaurium (centaury), 

 Hypcrieum dubiuni (St. John's-wort), Gnaphalium 

 Germanicum (cudweed), LysimaeJiia nummularia 

 (money-wort), and Stacliys ambigua (woundwort). — 

 H. P. Russell. 



The Dagger Moth. — I am inclined to think 

 that the theory will not avail to prove the identity 

 of the two species of Acronyeta, Psi and tridens. 

 There is a difference between the perfect insects ; and 

 men of large discrimination, such as Messrs. Double- 

 day and Newman, can isolate the one from the other; 

 it is found that these correspond to the two very 

 distinct larvae. It is quite possible tliat further inves- 

 tigation will enable us to discover other circumstances 



in their life history, which will make their distinctness 

 more decided. It must be remembered that instances 

 are not rare where very different larvK produce images 

 nearly identical in appearance, and yet no one doubts 

 that both are good species. So is it with Cueulla 

 Verbasei and Scrophularia, in the larva of one the 

 spots being distinct, in the other they are confluent ; 

 the images resemble each other very closely. — 

 J. R. S. C. 



Animal v. Vegetable Life.— I am almost afraid 

 E. Smilie has presented an insoluble problem, 

 especially when it is the case that so vivacious a 

 creature as the horseleech is the animal to be kept 

 under as opposed to aquatic vegetation. In an aqua- 

 vivarium of glass, experiments might be made by 

 raising the temperature of the water gradually, and 

 watching its effects, as thus one might kill off animals 

 without seriously affecting plants, but this plan would 

 not be applicable to the fountain mentioned by your 

 correspondent. It has been stated, however, that 

 plants v/ill take no harm in water containiiig a certain 

 proportion of the pure solution of ammonia, whereas 

 this would be destructive to most aquatic animals, I 

 presume. Then again, it is said that plants will 

 thrive in camphorated water (not too strong) ; this 

 drug is not favourable to the health of most animals, 

 though I don't know whether horseleeches might not 

 defy it.— ^. R. S. C. 



Tameness of a Sparrow.— I have noted re- 

 cently another instance of the fact that animals 

 injured in anyway become more trustful in man than 

 those of their kind possessing the usual vigour. A 

 young sparrow, that had received some hurt, perhaps 

 through a fall which did not entirely disable it, but 

 obliged it to hop with difficulty, used to .attend with 

 its companions at a morning levee, where crumbs 

 and sopped fragments of bread were freely distributed 

 in a garden in a London suburb. It was soon noticed 

 that the bird would approach much nearer than its 

 companions, looking up at the feeder, as much as to 

 say, "You wouldn't have the heart to meddle with 

 me." Certain prowling cats were usually on the 

 watch for birds at these times, and the Httle cripple 

 showed much dexterity in avoiding them. After 

 awhile, it got bold enough to perch on the window- 

 ledge, and peep through, in anticipation of the cus- 

 tomary dole of food. It was observable that the bird 

 was not spitefully treated by its companions, as is 

 said sometimes to be the case. 



Aphides and the Potato Disease. — The 

 disease has, as already noted, been about this autumn 

 partly made more injurious by the persistent deter- 

 mination of some cultivators to leave the tubers in 

 the ground long after they should be dug up. I have 

 not found that in Kent its appearance was either 

 preceded or followed by any abundance of aphides. 

 On inquiry, I was told that insect enemies, aphides 

 especially, had not been common on the patch last 

 spring. The rainy season which acted unfavourably 

 upon the vegetable, was for the most part equally 

 prejudicial to the insect foes of the potato. On some 

 plants that had suffered severely, I saw a number of 

 small beetles in September, seemingly some species 

 of Otiorhynchus. Should, however, the diseased 

 haulm be left some time on the ground, it soon dis- 

 plays a variety of fungoid growths. 



Keeping Parrots. — The common grey parrot is of 

 exceedingly tough constitution ; individuals of the kind 

 more frequently die from asthma than from any other 

 cause, though they will live many years with this 



