April 27, 1871 | 
NATURE 
5°9 

the flight of butterflies whilst coupling (Ann. Soc. Ent. de France, 
1837, p- 77.) showing that whilst the males of Portia Brassica, 
&c., Colias, and Polyommatus support the females, it is the latter 
which support their partners in the genera 7hais, Thecla, Ar- 
gynnis, Melitea, Hipparchia, and Pieris.” Now this is strictly 
analogous to these exceptional birds, because, among our British 
representatives of these genera whenever a considerable sexual 
difference of colour occurs, ¢he female is always the more brilliantly 
coloured. Thus, the female Zhecla Quercus has the bright purple 
patch, and the female 7#ecla Betule the brilliant orange blotch 
on the fore wing, while the females of //ipfarchia (Satyrus), 
Sanira, and HH. Semele are considerably brighter than their part- 
ners, The female 1. A/egwrais rather brighter than the male, 
and the same is true of Colias Edusa and C. Hyale, since the 
females of these species have orange or yellow spots in the black 
marginal border, represented in the males by thin streaks only. 
The females of the whole genus /%er7s also are omamented with 
black spots on the fore wings, which are only partially present in 
the males. I must confess that I am not convinced of the action 
of sexual selection in producing the colours of insects, but it 
cannot be denied that these facts are strikingly corroborative of 
Mr. Darwin’s views. With few exceptions the rule holds good 
throughout the exotic species of these genera, 
R. MELDOLA 
The Irish Fern in Cornwall 
OwrncG to an accident I did not see NATURE for the 23rd of 
February till yesterday. In a note which appears in it, on the 
report of the Cheltenham College Natural History Society, a 
doubt is expressed as to the accuracy of the statement that the 
fern, Trichomanes radicans, has been found in Cornwall. Know- 
ing that it had not yet been recorded from that county, I have, 
for some years past, intended to take an early opportunity to 
make the following facts public ; time has, however slipped away, 
and I have never yet done if. 
In August of the year 1867, at St. Knighton’s Kieve, a romantic 
ravine and waterfall on the northern coast of Cornwall, about 
two miles from Tintagel Castle, I obtained an undoubted speci- 
men of this fern. It grew on a rock overhanging the water, 
about a quarter of a mile below the fall. It was an exceedingly 
small patch, and I accordingly contented myself with a small 
root bearing two fronds, Wishing to grow this specimen instead 
of drying it, and having unfortunately placed it in a hot-house, 
the plant died. I have, however, preserved it, withered and 
dried up as it is, and when I return to London, where my her- 
barium is, I shall be glad to produce it for the satisfaction of any 
sceptics. In the following year (1868) I paid an exceedingly 
hurried visit to the same spot, but failed to find the fern ; never 
having been in the neighbourhood since, I have been unable to 
confirm or to dispel my fear that the plant has been discovered 
by some ruthless collector. I may add that I have long since 
mentioned this fact to various friends interested in Botany. 
Morebattle, Kelso, April 6 EVERARD F, 1M THURN 
Fertilisaton of Hazel 
In a recent number of NATURE Mr. Bennett makes some 
remarks on the above. What he says leads to the belief that 
the male flowers of any one plant discharge their pollen just at 
the very time the stigmas of the female flowers of the same plant 
are receptive. My observations made this spring, and extending 
over a number of specimens, quite agree with those of Mr. 
Marcus Hartog, and therefore break through Mr. Bennett’s law, 
and show that although the hazel is apparently moncecious, yet, 
practically, it is dicecious. On one plant which I pointed out to 
several gentlemen, the fertile flowers had their pretty red styles 
protruded beyond the scales and the receptive stigmas long before. 
a grain of pollen was discharged from the adjoining catkins, 
whilst on another plant a hundred yards distant from the first all 
the barren flowers were withered up and ready to fall before the 
females could be seen. 
Lexington, Kentucky Joun DuNCAN 
Thunderstorm at Preston 
ON the 25th of last month a violent thunderstorm occurred at 
Preston, in Lancashire. The spire of St. Walburge’s Church, 
which is, perhaps, the highest point in the town, was struck by 
lightning, some curious phenomena resulting. The lightning 


conductor, a rope composed of forty-two copper wires in six 
strands, was ruptured at about sixty feet from the ground. The 
wires were untwisted and spread out, the ends fused, and some 
of them turned up like hooks. The discharge passed obliquely 
through the tower wall for a distance of about three yards to a 
gas-pipe inside. In its passage it wrenched a piece of stone 
weighing 66lb. from an immense block, casting it to a distance 
of a hundred feet, besides literally tearing off other large masses. 
Before reaching the gas-pipe it projected some bricks against the 
opposite interior wall, shattering them to pieces. The gaspipe 
was severed and the lower portion curled completely round. 
Thence it passed to the gas-meter and dislocated many pipes 
beyond. The effect upon one leaden pipe was singular, holes 
were fused into it, in some cases right through, the molten metal 
being scattered about. Another discharge passed down a con- 
ductor at the west end of the church. The conductor itself was 
not ruptured, but a gas-pipe close to it was broken and a piece 
about a yard long was projected to a distance of forty feet, the 
gas meanwhile having ignited. Within the church, too, where 
there happened to be a leakage, the gas also ignited. It was 
further observed next morning that round about the church 
hundreds upon hundreds of worms were dead or dying. 
Stonyhurst College STEPHEN WILLIAMS 

Meteorology in Asia 
In NaTuRy, vol. iii. p. 473, it is said, ‘*from Asia Minor we 
get no scientific records of weather.” Perhaps you will pardon 
my informing your readers that the Turkish Government has 
eight telegraphic meteorological stations, besides its Central 
Observatory at Constantinople, under M. Aristide Coumbary. 
The stations are Sulina, Varna, Salonika, Fao, Bagdad, Smyrna, 
and Beyrout. 
Two of these are in Asia Minor, and Beyrout is not far off. 
The observations are published monthly. In addition Mr. E. 
Purser, C.E., of the Smyrna and Aidin Railway Company, has 
published his observations for several years. 
Rogert H, Scorr 
A Wind Direction Rain Gauge 
REFERRING to the paragraph in your number of March 30, 
p. 433, and Mr. Lyall’s letter, April 6, p. 488, on Mr. Napier’s 
‘© Wind Direction Rain Gauge,” I beg to say that a gauge of a 
similar construction is in use at the Meteorological Observatory, 
Army Medical Department, Aldershot Camp. It was devised 
by the observer, Mr. John Arnold, A.H.C., F.M.S., about 
three years ago, so it would appear that the credit of the invention, 
if I may so term it, is due to no less than three parties, to each 
of whom I believe the matter was entirely original. ; 
Jouwn JAMeEs Hatt, F.M.S. 
Meteorological Observatory, Fulwell, near Twickenham, 
April 20 
Spectra of Aurora, Corona, and Zodiacal Light 
Wuie I am glad on my part to see Mr. Henry R. Procter’s 
letter on the spectra of terrestrial aurora and solar corona in 
Naturg, p. 468, he may not be displeased on his to receive a 
confirmatory statement from an independent observer; and to 
this effect, viz., that whereas, firstly, the spectra of nineteen out 
of twenty auroras this winter have practically shown me nothing 
but one bright green line, and secondly, the spectrum of the 
solar corona, as seen during total eclipses, is said to be mainly 
characterised also by a similarly single vivid green line, yet it is 
not the same green line in the two cases, but a something widely, 
absolutely, physically, different. % 
I shall be glad, however, to be allowed still further ona branch 
of this subject, to ask, through the medium ot NATURE'S useful 
columns, whether anyone can kindly supply me with recent 
observations of the spectrum of the zodiacal light ? 
I have been trying for it in vain all this spring-time, and have 
now in despair given it up for the season. M. Angstrom—to 
whom be all honour for his first observation and correct descrip- 
tion of the ordinary auroral spectrum—says that the zodiacal 
light spectrum shows the same green line as the aurora, viz., 
1249 (Kirchhoff) ; but the eclipse observers, after proving that 
