HARD WICKE' S SCIENCE- G OSS IP. 



213 



disease. It is a curious fact that most we receive in 

 this country turn out to be females. Sopped bread 

 is usually their staple food — water they do not 

 require ; the bread may be moistened with milk, or 

 cccaaionally with ale. A little hemp seed now and 

 then, or Indian corn, is recommended. I have 

 not found that they eat the sand or gravel, as do the 

 smaller cage birds, but it helps to keep the bottom 

 of the cage sweet. These birds are also fond of raw 

 meat ; to give this too frequently is injurious, though 

 it does no harm in moderation. — J. R. S. C. 



Stray Leaves on Trees. — In the months 'of 

 winter those hving in the country, or even in a town 

 suburb may notice that there are few trees or shrubs, 

 even of the deciduous in character, that are entirely 

 denuded of their leaves. Here and there, as in the 

 case of pollard oaks and beeches, a tree will retain 

 all its old leaves till the new foliage shows itself ; but 

 it is not to such I refer. I mean the straggling leaves 

 remaining apparently by chance, on trees which 

 display for the most part bare boughs and twigs. 

 To some it would be a sufficient explanation to say 

 that these leaves retained more vitality than their 

 brethren, because they came forth later, or chanced 

 to escape the wind and rain of autumn. But the 

 truth is, in a great many instances, these solitary 

 leaves are each the abode of some insect, it may be 

 in the pupal stage, or not unfrequently in that of the 

 larva, and they have been secured from falling by 

 a fastening of silken cord. When little besides can 

 be done, an examination of these relics of the summer 

 will often repay the entomologist. 



Newts near London. — In answer to S. Roberts : 

 Newts are to be found in ponds north of Highgate. 

 A school-boy of that locality would be a good guide. 



A Fine Meteor. — At 10.40, onthenightof the 19th 

 of July, 1881, a very grand meteor shot from the zenith 

 and passed between the Great Bear and the comet ; 

 there was a thunderstorm blowing from the north 

 and the meteor was lost behind it. This meteor 

 seemed to be in our atmpsphere. I had only seen 

 one before with so long a flight, the noise of that was 

 very audible, its course a broad flame. The meteor 

 now seen had a thin line of light and gave no sound. 

 — //. F. Malet, Hamburg, Germany. 



L. Sibylla. — While sitting in my garden on 

 Saturday, the i6th of July, I was surprised at the 

 appearance of L. Sibylla sailing round a cloth which 

 had been lately saturated with sugar and water in 

 front of some bee hives. Where could it have come 

 from ? I imagine it is long since one has been seen 

 so near the metropolis, and so far from its sunlit 

 forest glades. — Windsor Hambrough, Worcester Park, 

 near Wimbledon. 



"fuRBELLARlA. — In answer to an article on " Tur- 

 bellaria"in July Science-Gossip, Mr. Young has 

 fallen into a common error respecting the anatomy 

 and relations of Turbellaria, and I hope he 

 will excuse me for venturing to correct the error. 

 From his description of the habits and mode of loco- 

 motion of the animals he noticed, I should say that 

 they were planarians, and are the best known mem- 

 bers of the order. Locomotion can hardly be said 

 to be effected by definite muscular contractions (for 

 the muscular tissue is of such a low grade of develop- 

 ment as to be incapable of regular contractions), but 

 by a regular flow of the body substance, like the 

 flowing of the protoplasm of an Amoeba. The body 



is abundantly supplied both internally and externally, 

 with vibrating cilia ; cnidae, or nettle-cells, are also 

 present, like the nettle-cells of medusae. The state- 

 ment that Turbellaria have suckers is incorrect ; for the 

 chief characteristics of the order are absence of 

 suckers and booklets, neither are they in any way 

 related to the leeches. The differences between 

 them are sufficiently marked. I. In the greater 

 number of turbellaria the alimentary canal termi- 

 nates in blind pouches. 2. The nervous system 

 consists of two ganglia, placed in front of the mouth, 

 and connected by a cord. 3. Respiration is effected 

 by the general surface of the body ; and 4. The body 

 does not show distinct segmentation. In the leeches, 

 on the other hand, i. the intestinal tract is always 

 terminated by a distinct anus ; 2. the nervous system 

 consists essentially of a double chain of ganglia 

 placed along the ventral surface of the body, each 

 segment of the body having one pair ; 3. respiration 

 is effected partly by the general surface of the body, 

 but principally by means of special organs terfned 

 segmental organs or respiratory pouches, formed by 

 involutions of the integument ; and 4. the body is 

 distinctly segmented. These characters sufficiently 

 indicate their position in the scale of animal life ; the 

 indistinct segmentation, the branched and closed 

 intestines of the turbellaria show their relationship 

 with the flukes ; both orders belonging to the sub- 

 kingdom Annuloida ; on the other hand the distinct 

 segmentation and the straight alimentary tract, the 

 more highly developed apparatus, and the form of 

 the nervous system indicate that the leeches and 

 earth-worms are closely allied, and in fact both these 

 orders are branches of the sub-kingdom Annulosa. 

 — G. Forden. 



Notes on Hailstorms. — May I ask you to re- 

 quest any of your readers who have opportunities of 

 observing hailstorms to oblige me by sending their 

 observations to me ? The points to be particularly 

 noted are as follows : — i. Date, and hour of the day. 

 2. Area of the storm. If it assume the tornado form, 

 give (rt) length of the course, {b) breadth, {c) direc- 

 tion of motion, {d) rate of progression. 3. Physical 

 features of the locality, {a) elevation, (b) mountains 

 and plateaux, {c) rivers and valleys, {d) forests, &c. 



4. Temperature, (a) before the storm, (/') after the 

 storm, and if possible, (c) changes during the storm. 



5. Barometrical readings. 6. Wind, {a) direction 

 near the earth's surface, (/') direction of upper current 

 as indicated by the cloud motion, {c) force. 7- Pre- 

 ceded or followed by rain. 8. Aspect of the clouds. 

 Note if there be any appearance of two separate 

 strata at different elevations. 9. Electrical phe- 

 nomena. Should there be lightning, note the rela- 

 tion between the discharges and the fall of the hail, 

 whether the lightning precede the hail, or vice versa. 

 10. Duration of the storm at one spot. 1 1. Sound. 

 Note if a peculiar noise precede the descent of hail. 

 12. Conformation and size of the hailstones. 13. 

 General character of the weather before and after the 

 storm. — J. A. B. Oliver, Athenceum, Glasgow. 



Jacob's Ladder, &c. — In reply to C. W. Holgate, 

 respecting the localities south of Derbyshire in which 

 "Jacob's Ladder" {^Polemonium ccerulenm) is to be 

 found, we beg to say we have in our herbarium 

 specimens from the High Tor, near Matlock, and 

 Haddon Hall, also from Ashford, near Bakewell, 

 Both these places, namely, Haddon Hall and Ashford, 

 as well as Matlock, are in Derbyshire. We have not 

 met with this rare plant elsewhere. We also had 

 gathered for us, by a friend, the milk-wort [Polygala 

 vulgaris) about the same date, April 18, as men- 



