262 



HARD WICKK S SCIENCE- G OS SIP. 



find their way out into the wool and there begin a 

 series of changes. I have heard the young of the 

 Trematode Worm called Cercaria, and I have also 

 been told that this worm is the fluke. There are, ac- 

 cording to some writers, 344 species of flukes, and 

 they are divided into five families, the yEestomidae 

 being one of the number. — Helen IVatney. 



Albino Flowers. — I have been somewhat struck 

 by the large quantity of albino flowers that I have 

 seen this year. In the spring a large field at Ewias 

 Harold, Herefordshire, was covered to some extent 

 with perfectly white flowers of Orchis fnorio, and 

 white specimens of Lychnis flos-cuculi, and Malva 

 Moschata were for the first time found. Geranium 

 Robertianurn was also prevalent in the albino state. 

 During a ramble along the shore from Ventnor 

 towards Blackgang, in the month of August, I 

 found some flowers of 6". Dulcamara quite white, and 

 although dry, they have not altered in colour. Is it 

 not unusual to find this plant with albino flowers ? — 

 George T. Harris. 



SiNGUL,\R POSITION OF Snails. — While in my 

 greenhouse the other evening I noticed what ap- 

 peared to be a large snail spirally twisted, climbing 

 on the woodwork. On examining it, I found that 

 it was two large common tiger snails twisted 

 round one another. From the right side of each of 

 their heads, just behind the feelers connecting 

 the two was a ligature formed of some substance 

 resembling white of egg when boiled ! From the 

 extremity of their tails was a connection, formed 

 of a substance somewhat resembling a leather shoe- 

 lace, the covering of which was striped like their 

 bodies — thus forming a double connecting link ; 

 head and tail. You will understand how it occurred, 

 that they were twisted as the head connection pro- 

 ceeded from the right side of both. I immediately 

 (I regret without thinking) severed the connections, 

 when the whity substance soon dissolved ; the other 

 did not. The snails both seemed no worse for their 

 liberation, and both prepared to walk off. I regret, 

 however, that I killed them. I wish to know if 

 this is not extraordinary. — J. Ernest Bancroft. [No 

 doubt the snails were in cop. — Ed.] 



Tree Frogs. — Whilst at Budapest this past July 

 and August I found some beautiful little tree frogs. 

 I have them here safe in a glass case, and at present 

 they are most flourishing. I feed them on flies, but 

 what I should much wish to know is, what can I feed 

 them on in the winter ? If any of your readers have 

 kept these beautiful little green creatures, can they give 

 me hints as to their management? — J. Fitz-Gcrald, 

 Folkestone. 



L.\MPREYS. — Can any one give me any information 

 as to the best food for these in captivity ; also is the 

 character of the pope such as would admit him into 

 an aquarium containing rudd, gudgeon, tench, carp, 

 minnow and bleak? — Walter A. Pearce. 



Insect Swarms. — The article on " Insect Swarms" 

 in Science-Gossip for October has made me search 

 up the accompanying specimens of swarms of insects 

 which jjrevaiied here from 19th to 28th of April, 

 l88i, and the following notes written at the time. 

 I should like to know the scientific name of the 

 creature. The insect, of which specimens are en- 

 closed, is known to the dwellers on the shore of 

 Lough Neagh as the pollan fly, it being a favourite 

 food of that fisli during the summer months. The 

 fishermen say that the pollan is not worth eating till 

 it has fed for a few days on the fly. The first ap- 



pearance of the insects — they pass the larva state in 

 the water — takes place about the middle of April ; 

 round the margin of the Lough they cover the ground 

 and every stone and blade of grass, and cloud the air 

 in millions. Outside the whitewashed walls and 

 windows of my glebe house are dark grey with the 

 little beings, each of which is -flj of an inch long. 

 The piece of paper which I send I covered with 

 paste and laid it against the wall, but it did not take 

 off half the insects that were beneath it ; however, 

 though it measures only 5 by 8 inches it has i5o 

 adhering to it. When the air is calm the noise of those 

 which rise and play in clouds is as if the atmosphere 

 were thronged with swarms of bees. I notice that 

 my bees which are in wooden bar-frame hives are 

 greatly annoyed at the flies alighting in thousands on 

 the hives, as evidenced by the bees soiling the 

 alighting board, and instantly killing with their 

 mandibles such as come near the flight hole. The 

 natives of this parish tell me they never before saw 

 them so numerous. They get into everything, one's 

 tea, or milk, or water, or plate at dinner ; they have 

 however, while alive, no unpleasant smell or taste, 

 and do not bite or sting : if I open a book I am sure 

 to crush some dozens that instantly creep in betv^'een 

 the leaves — and one's eyes have suffered. Some 

 trout I bought were gorged to the gills with these 

 flies. I am glad to say " the plague of flies " lasted 

 but one week, when they died oft" as quickly as they 

 appeared, and then the smell from the heaps of the 

 dead was most unpleasant for another week, — H. \V. 

 Lett, xU.A., Ardmore Glebe, Lurgan. 



Varieties OF Mountain Ash. — On reading the 

 query about this, I looked into my " Ancient and 

 Modern Botanical Authorities," Smith, Withering, 

 Mackay, Bentham and Hooker, but found no 

 mention of any sub-species of Pyrtcs aucnparia. 

 However, after living for forty years amongst "rowan 

 trees," growing indigenously in glen and bog and 

 mountain, I quite agree with your correspondent that 



there are "three distinct varieties, 

 middling sizes."— i^! IV. Lett, ALA. 



big, little and 



" Ramble on Leckhampton Hill." — As Mr. 

 Melvin appears to know Leckhampton Hill and its 

 floral treasures far better than I do, and as the notes 

 in question were jotted down hurriedly as I went along, 

 I think that veiy likely Mr. Melvin is right, and that 

 C. glomcrata was mistaken for C. rapunculus. Did it 

 occur to Mr. Melvin that were his remedy for the 

 preservation of rare ferns applied, the innocent 

 botanist might be mistaken for the guilty collector, 

 and punished accordingly ? — George T. Harris. 



Interesting Discovery. — On cutting below a 

 bog in the townland of Tunnabarson, Pomeroy, co. 

 Tyrone, the stones were discovered with the paved 

 road, well worn, 14 yards_long, and 2 feet broad, to 

 what is supposed to have been an altar of Druidical 

 structure. Opposite this altar of whin-stone 2 feet 

 square, there was found a stone 2 feet long dished with 

 a cover, and a similar one to the one side, both cut out 

 of freestone, which is not found in the vicinity and 

 must have been brought from some distance. One of 

 the dish-shaped stones and cover is in my possession. 

 — Rev. S. Arthur Brenan, Allan Rock, co. Tyrone. 



Scarcity of Wasps. — I, like your correspondent 

 John L. Hawkins, Reading, have noticed t he great 

 scarcity of wasps in this district. This time (Sept.) 

 last year the grocer's shops in this city were infested 

 with swarms of them, greatly to the annoyance of the 

 grocers and their customers. This year only an odd one 

 is to be seen, and indeed, one grocer's assistant told 



