Nov., 1904.] 



KNOWLEDGE & SCIENTIFIC NEWS. 



267 



meter of 20 miles, whilst keeping its temperature of Oooo'', a 

 balance between the pull of gravitation and the push of sun- 

 light would again be held even. If, in addition, we diminish 

 the temperature. Professor Poynting showed that two spheres, 

 each of the density and temperature of the earth, would 

 neither attract nor repel each other when their diameters were 

 about 6'S cm:, if they received no appricial>le radiation from 

 the surrounding region. This last result is of importance in 

 relation to the meteoritic theory. Seven centimetres is a 

 large value for the average size of meteorites in a swarm, yet 

 Professor Poynting"s research seems to intiicatc th.it the ten- 

 dency of the members of a swarm smaller than these would be 

 to repel each other and scatter, not to attract each other, 

 collide and ignite. 



BOTANICAL. 



Hj S. A. Skan. 



Professor .V.NESTi.KK.whose investigations into the poisonous 

 properties of Vrimula ohcoiiica were the subject of a note in 

 '• KsowLKDGF. " about three years ago, has now published, in 

 the form of a brochure of 46 pages .ind four plates. ,a more 

 comprehensive account of his experiments with various species 

 of the genus, undertaken to ascertain which of them are 

 capable of produiiug skin-irritation, and the origin, properties, 

 and efiects of the poison. Injury is cau.sed most conmionly 

 by Primula olicoiiuu, to which species the paper is chiefly 

 devoted; but Professor Nestler has clearly proved that other 

 species are also poisonous, though less virulent. The well- 

 known Chinese primrose (/'. siiunsis). P. Su-I'iddii, and /'. 

 cortiisoiiits, all three of which belong to I'ax's section Sinenses. 

 in common with P. ohcoiiitn, have been tested and proved 

 poisonous. Eleven other species, including P. i>JJuiiutlis, P. 

 Jariiwsa, and the .\uricula (/'. Auricula), were also tested, and 

 were found to be innocuous. The author shows tliat the irri- 

 tation of the skin is caused by the yellowish secretion of the 

 glandular hairs which clothe the underside of the leaves aud 

 the flower-stalks. This secretion contains largo numbers of 

 variously-shaped, often needle-like, crystals, and its effects on 

 the skin appear to be identical with those of menthol. 

 » * ■» 



The Welsh poppy (Mecano/'sis ciimhricii), which is found wild 

 in Wales and some of the western counties of England, is 

 probably the only species of the genus known to many of the 

 readers of " KNt)wi,Er)c;E." There are, however, several 

 others, some of which, such as M. iiepulcnais, M. W'alliLhii, and 

 M. lu-tcropliylla, may be met with in English gardens. .Mto- 

 gether about 20 species are known, and they mostly inhabit 

 the high-level regions of Northern Indi.i, Western China, and 

 Tibet. The interesting circumstances attending the introduc- 

 tion of another species to cultivation are recorded in a recent 

 number of the ■' Ciardeners' Chronicle." This species, M. in- 

 tefirifoha, has for a long time been represented in herbaria, 

 and attracted the attention of Messrs. Veitch, of Chelsea, who 

 dispatched a collector to the Eastern Tibetan frontier with 

 the main object of procuring some seeds. The plant was found 

 growing in great profusion at elevations from 11.000 to 15,500 

 feet, and was only reached after an arduous journey, during 

 which the travellers suffered more or less from the r.ircfied 

 atmosphere, from the cold, and from snow-blindness. Its 

 seeds were secured and sent to England, and now its large 

 yellow flowers, which in the wild specimens are sometimes 8 to 

 10 inches in diameter, have for the first time appeared in our 

 gardens. 



* * * 



.A Bath firm of engineers has recently met with some vege- 

 table matter in the water of the famous King's Bath, of which 

 the temperature is about 120° F. It was found in a shaft 

 through which the water from the hot spring rises and over- 

 flows to fill the bath, and proves to be a filamentous Alga 

 known as Uscilhiria tlu-nniilis. Mr. G. S. W'est has an interest- 

 ing paper in the " Journal of Botany," 1902, in which he gives 

 an enumeration of species of .-Vlga; found in a collection made 

 in the hot springs ot Iceland, with the addition of a few from 



the Malay Peninsula. In Iceland the highest temperature of 

 the water in which pl.ints were collected was 185' h". The 

 late Professor W. H. Brewer, in a note published in the 

 " .\merican Journal of .Science," 1.S66, \LI.. records (hi- pre- 

 sence of living .Mgie in the geysers of Plutou Creek, California. 

 In this case the highest temperature of the water found to 

 contain living plants was about 200^ F. 



OR.NITHOLOG1CAL. 



l]y W. P. I'VCK.VFT. 



Red-baLcked Shrike Breeding in 

 Confinement. 



Di;. A. r.. GiiNTHi-.i;, h'.K.S., is to be congr.itiilated 011 ha\ iiig 

 succeeded in breeding the Red backed Shrike /.kh/ks cullurin, 

 in confinement. In the Avicnltural MiiL^a:.inc for Octoljcrhe 

 gives a long and delightful description of the habits of his 

 birds botli before .'ind during this momentous time. 



Taken from the nest last year, aud reared by h.uid, they 

 were turned out early this year into a large .iviary. affording 

 plenty of cover in the shape of large bushes. Towards the 

 end of May, Dr. Giiuther first made the discovery that nesting 

 operations were going on by finding a nest in a holly-bush 

 4 feet from tlie ground, aud containing five eggs. This nest, 

 be it noted, though built by l)ircls which had never known 

 freedom, was in all respects typical of the s|)ccies. 



On June (1, after 14 days' incubation, hve yoimg appeared — 

 nearly a month earlier than would be the case with wild birds. 

 Unfortunately, cold weather soon set in, and this proved fatal 

 to the callow young, which died on June 14. 



The bereaved birds, however, soon began to pair ag.iin. 

 By June 24 the female was silting on the old nest; on .another 

 ilutch of five eggs, which, curiously enough, were mure bril- 

 liantly coloured th.an those of the first clutch. ()n July 7 four 

 of the eggs had h.itchcd out, the fifth ne.\t day. This last 

 nestling was conspicuously smaller than the rest, aud died 

 next day ; another death occurred on the iith. ISy the 2 jrd 

 two of the three remaining young h,id left the nest: the third 

 followed next day. But they h.id esidently started too soon, 

 as the flight feathers were not big enough, aud they had to 

 spend the next three days on the ground before they could 

 get back into the bush again. 



By August 2S the parents had ceased to feed them, aud they 

 are still flourishing. 



* » * 



Birds of Paradise in England. 



No less than five Birds of P.ir.uiise arc now living in the 

 aviaries of Mrs. Johnstone, a prominent member of the .-Xvi- 

 cultural Society. Three species are represented two King- 

 birds of Paradise, Citcinui-us rci^ius, to be transferred immediate- 

 ly, we are happy to say, to the Ciardens of the Zoological 

 Society, two Lesser birds of Birds of Paradise, Piirndisid minor, 

 and one (ireat Bird of Paradise, I'lnadi^ia tiputhi, and all 

 are in excellent condition. 



Never before, probably, has Ciuinurus rigiiis been seen alive 

 in ICurope. It is therefore to be hoped that they will live 

 long, more especially as they are regarded by many as the 

 most beautiful species of their kind. 



* * » 



Immigration of Great Snipe. 



During the; end ol Sipleniber these: isl.nids appear to have 

 been visited by consider,if)le numbers of the (ireat or Solitary 

 Snipe (Oatliudf^o ninjnr), inasmuch as individual specimens are 

 recorded as having been shot in Shetland on September 20, in 

 Caithness aud Dumfriesshire on September 2(S, and in Coventry 

 on October i. 



Though occurring regularly every year in Ivngland, it is 

 regarded as a rare autumnal visitant both in Scotland and 

 Ireland. 



The Great Snipe is peculiar in haimling much driei' places 

 than the Common Snipe. 



