30 



RECEEATIVE SCIENCE. 



THINGS OF THE SEASON— AUGUST. 



FOR VARIOUS LOCALITIES OF BRITAIN. 



The following are intended merely as reminders for 

 ont-door naturalists and collectors :— 



Birds Arriyinq. — Mountain Finch, Siskin, Blue 

 and Gray Gull, Crossbeak, Gray Plover, Purple Sand- 

 piper, Cambridge Godwit, Knot. 



Birds Departino. — Lapwing, Field Titlark, Dot- 

 trell. Razor-bill, Turtle Dove, Quail, Cuckoo, Swift, 

 Wryneck, Puffin, Foolish Guillemot. 



Insects to be Sought. — Field Cricket, Clouded 

 Sulphur Butterfly, Camberwell Beauty, Callistus 

 lunatus, Eed Admiral, Brown Hair-streak, Purple- 

 edged Copper, Middle Copper, Pear Skipper, Brown- 

 tailed Moth, Yellow-legged Locust, Painted Lady. 



Wild Plants in Flower. — Purple Melic Grass, 

 Small Teasel, Devil's Bit Scabious, Corn Bell-flower, 

 Hoary Mullein, Dodder, Marsh Gentian, Alpine and 

 Water Parsnep, Water Hemlock, Samphire, Fiddle- 

 dock, Small Water Plantain, Common Soapwort, 

 Orpine, Horsemint, Wild Basil, Daisy-leaved Carda- 

 mine. Small Fumitory, Dwarf Furze, Yellow Vetch, 

 Hawkweeds, Plume Thistle, Southernwood, Fleabane, 

 Chamomile, Yarrow, Ladies' Tresses, Sea Spurge, 

 Wild Amaranth, Club Moss. 



The greatest heat in shade reached 93.5'' in 1856, 

 and only 74.5" in 1845, giving a range in greatest heat 

 of IS.Q" during the past seventeen years. 



The greatest cold was as low as 34.2" in 1850, and 

 never below 50.0" in 1846, giving a range of 15.8 in 

 greatest cold. 



There has never been less than an inch of rain fallen 

 in August, whilst there was as much as 6.2 in. in 1857. 



August is subject to great weather changes, and in 

 the first fortnight severe thunder-storms usually occur, 

 more especially about the 9th of the month. 



E, J. Lowe 



Mt ]M olewortty's d 



orner. 



How TO Observe the Habits of Birds. — Mr. 

 Noteworthy has a favourite nook in his garden very 

 much enshrouded with overhanging branches, where 

 the birds love to congregate and warble sweetly. 

 Every year a large patch of hemp is sown to make a 

 graceful tuft of green, and as soon as it begins to 

 ripen seeds, the tomtits crowd tlie stems, and in 

 all sorts of comical attitudes enjoy a daily feast. This 

 year the feathered family is more numerous than it has 

 ever been, and very lovingly do they chatter to their 

 delighted benefactor. The birds on the branches are 

 not too far ofi" for a minute inspection of theii-plumago 

 when a short focus telescope is used in the observa- 

 tion. Mr. Noteworthy once suggested to a London 

 optician the advisability of producing a' telescope 

 expressly for naturalists. The hint was not taken ; 

 it is now ofi'ered to the world : Wanted, a Naturalist's 

 Telescope, adapted as to focus for the observation of 

 birds at from five to twenty yards' distance. Cheap 

 enough to command young people's pocket-money, and 

 good enough for the vision of a philosopher. 



Miniature Eockwork. — The best of all materials 

 for rockwork in fern-cases and aquaria, except where 

 only a few loose blocks of stone are required, is com- 

 mon coke. Break the coke into pieces of a suitable 

 size for the intended structure. Make a thin batter of 

 Portland cement, and dip each piece into it. Eepeat 

 the dipping after the first has set, and then build up 

 and cement together with Portland. Masses of rock- 

 work are objectionable in aquaria and fern-cases, 

 from their enormous weight, but by employing coke, 

 you have it almost " as light as a feather." To 

 make a pyramid, take a flower-pot and cement frag- 

 ments of broken burrs all over it. It may then be lifted 

 in or out of a tank or fern-case with the greatest ease, 

 and is far preferable to a permanent structure. 



Flints in the Drift. — The recent discovery of 

 flint implements (?) in the drift, has given rise to con- 

 siderable discussion as to whether they are to he 

 regarded as bona fide products of human art, or, as 

 Mr. Wright has it in his coiTCspoudence with the 

 Alhenaum, " the result of some mysterious operation 

 of Nature." Mr. Noteworthy has at present no opinion 

 on the subject. He has seen some of the so-called 

 implements, and, instead of jumping to conclusions, 

 will see them again and again, and in the meantime 

 revolve the matter in his mind. Those who are in 

 the habit of visiting the library of the Society of Anti- 

 quaries should not fail to obtain a view of the objects, 

 on the presumed histoi'y of which, doubtless, many 

 very pretty hypotheses will be put forth. 



New Solvent and Cement. — Copper dissolved in 

 ammonia is, by the Builder, said to form a solvent 

 which acts on woody fibre, wool, and sUk in such 

 a way as to produce a waterproof cement ; and cotton 

 fabrics saturated with the solution of wool take dyes 

 which have hitherto been used only to woollen goods. 

 Many useful appliances are anticipated from this 

 discovery. 



