CORRESPONDENCE. 201 



Natural History Notes by Observers. — Spondon. — -After the 

 thunderstorm of the 24th, the leaves of Broad Beans, Beet, Lettuce, 

 &c, were quite bruised with the violence of the rain, having the appear- 

 ance of being pinched between the fingers, but the natural state was 

 resumed in two or three days. Kettering. — First Wheat seen in ear on 

 12th. Burton-on-Trent. — Elder in flower, 21st ; Hay harvest began in last 

 week ; a " Sea-Swallow," (common Tern,) on the Trent the last ten 

 days. Coi>entry. — A sea-bird (the Scoter Duck) was killed in the 

 Coventry Canal near Wyken ; it is apparently an old male bird. Shifnal. 

 — Grain crops greatly improved ; Swedes, too, doing well ; but Mangolds 

 completely destroyed, (leaves turned into brown paper,) by a leaf -mining 

 grub, the produce of a small fly resembling a house-fly ; the same ravaged 

 them in 1861 ; Turnips, &c, not touched. 



— — •- — — — 



Frogs. — I notice that this year there has been a great mortality 

 among the frogs. I found a large number dead in a little brook about 

 spawning time, and thought they had been killed purposely, but I have 

 since found dead frogs everywhere, so there would seem to have been 

 something like an epidemic among them. Perhaps some of your readers 

 can explain. — B. G. S. 



Thunderstorm and Heavy Rain at Trent College, Long Eaton, 

 South Derbyshire. — On Saturday, July 10th, we were visited by 

 the heaviest thunderstorm that any of us at Trent College can 

 remember. It began at 2 30 ; at 2 45 there was an interval of about 

 ten minutes, and at 3 15 it ceased. The rain gauge registered 1-07 inch 

 as the result of the thirty-five minutes of downfall. The water in the 

 main drain-pipe that carries the water from the college to the brook 

 burst through into the cricket field in three places, and in one place 

 raised about two yards square of turf at least six inches above the level. 

 It seems to have been quite local, for the first storm missed Sawley 

 altogether, and a little way beyond Bisley they had no rain 

 whatever. — A. S. 



Actinia per Post. — Will you kindly inform me in next issue how I 

 can best pack Actinia mesembryanthemum to go through the post ? — C. L. 

 Lord. 



[Mr.W. R. Hughes,F.L.S., has favoured us with tbe following answer 

 to the above question : — " Mr. C. L. Lord will find a full reply to his enquiry 

 in the postscript to my ' Principles and Management of the Marine 

 Aquarium.' As this little book, however, may not be at hand, I 

 have pleasure in answering his question direct. It may not be generally 

 known that most marine animals do better when packed in damp sea- 

 weed than when transmitted in sea-water. All the sea-anemones and 

 corals, all the echinoderms, and several littoral species of fishes, may be 

 packed in this way. Everything, however, depends upon temperature. 

 In the spring, autumn, and winter months, when the external tempera- 

 ture ranges between 30 and 50 deg. Fah., the course recommended may 

 be adopted. If sea-weed is not at hand, then the specimens may be 

 packed in bits of old linen rag saturated with sea-water, folded up in 

 thin gutta percha sheet, and enclosed in a small tin box or hamper. 

 Great care should be taken not to crush the specimens in any way, nor 

 to let them touch each other in packing. Littoral fishes have been sent 

 to me by post from Falmouth, in the weed packing, in a small tin box, 



