1 20 Qiiei-ies and Answers. 



through the kindness of his master, and the contributions which we expect 

 to receive, of eventally succeeding. . All donations received, and their dis- 



Sisal, and every garden library commenced, will be duly registered in this 

 agazine. 



Art. VII. Answers to Queries, and Queries. 



Hybrid Currants.—" G.S. begs to inform Ribes, {Gard. Mag. vol.i. p. 229.) 

 that many years ago he impregnated Rubus Idaeus, (var. Red Antwerp) with 

 R. caesius, and vice versa. From the seeds of the former were obtained ten 

 or a dozen plants, which were kept three years, and blossomed abundantly 

 the second and third years, but produced no fruit, for which reason they 

 were soon after eradicated, as the object was to get a new fruit. The plants 

 were quite horrid with prickles, and resembled in habit, and in their whole 

 appearance, the male parent more than the female, excepting that they grew 

 more erect, and not so trailing. From the Rubus c. no seeds were obtained. 



"G. S. is in possession of a var. of Ribes nigrum, the fruit of which, when 

 ripe, is of a greenish yellow colour, with a sooty tinge, and by those who 

 have tasted it is said to be of a more agreeable flavour than the black. In 

 other respects there appears to be no difference. The origin of this variety 

 he is not at present acquainted with, but possibly if considered worth while 

 it may be traced out. — Dyrham, near Bath, Sept. 14. 1826." 



Cuttings of this currant have been received from G. S. by Ribes, and 



flants may be obtained in two years from the Clapton Nursery. Mr. 

 .achlan has also been good enough to send cuttings of his Hybrid, (vol. i. 

 p. 464.) to Ribes, and they will be propagated in the above-mentioned 

 nursery. — Cond. 



New Trap for Sparrows. — " In answer to your worthy correspondent, 

 D. B., who wishes to be informed whether any reader of the Gardener's 

 Magazine has ever observed the same phenomenon which he speaks of, I 

 beg leave to state that I have observed the same thing more than once, not 

 only with sparrows, but turkies. Turkies will form a circle round the toad, 

 stretch forth their long necks, view it with peculiar attention, now and then 

 gobble out a note of surprise, and suffer any one to come among them with- 

 out taking any notice. Pigeons, also, if the toad appears among them when 

 on the ground, will gather round it, view it with silent wonder for a few 

 moments, and then begin to take their flight to the dove-house, or other 

 buildings ; and I have reason to believe that some kinds of hawks, upon 

 seeing the toad, will hover or sail round over it for a considerable time. 

 Whether these birds are attracted by the brilliancy of the toad's eyes, as 

 Mr. D. B. suggests, I cannot say positively ; but this I know, that the toad 

 seldom appears abroad in public during the day : he then keeps concealed 

 among plants or m his hole, and comes forth in the evening, when the 

 little busy chirpers, and most other birds, are retired to rest; so that com- 

 paratively few birds have an opportunity of seeing him : and these two cir- 

 cumstances, the brilliancy of the eyes, and the unusual sight of the animal, 

 .most probably, I think, concur in producing the phenomenon alluded to. I 

 have no doubt that if the toad were placed in a conspicuous situation, as 

 your correspondent hints, near where the sparrows resort, their attention 

 would be so absorbed by it, that they might easily be approached so as to be 

 shot in considerable numbers. But I confess I am no advocate for taking 

 away the life of any animal, unless necessity strongly demands it. A few 

 sparrows might be shot, it is true ; there are always, I believe, plenty of them : 



