194 



SCIEXCE-GOSSIP. 



Notes & 



Formation of Snail Shell. — In " Comptes 

 Rendus," current volume, page 512, Mons. Moynier 

 de Yillepoix states that when he described the 

 formation of the shell oi Helix, in 189 1, he was not 

 aware that already, in 1880, the pallial gland which 

 secretes the lime and organic matter had been 

 described by MM. E. Mer and Longe, under the 

 name of " coin epithelial." 



Shower of Fishes. — Mr, W. C V. Barton, 

 J.P., of Carrigaholt Castle, co. Clare, Ireland, 

 records in " Symond's Monthly Meteorological 

 Magazine," as follows : " On June 15th, a very hot 

 day, some heavy heat drops fell about midday, 

 when a number of small fishes, mostly about one 

 and a half or two inches long fell in the pleasure 

 grounds, where some men were working. I have a 

 large one in spirits, and several people saw the 

 f.si"." 



Sudden Death of Partriege. — On August 

 10th, I saw a somewhat remarkable instance of 

 death, or rather sudden powerlessness, arising from 

 sheer terror. As I was watching a train coming at 

 a rapid rate towards Arbroath I saw a flock of birds 

 approaching, evidently with the intention of 

 crossing the line. The foremost birds had already 

 passed over, at a height of perhaps twenty feet, and 

 the engine of the train was quite thirty yards away, 

 when suddenly one bird, in the centre of the flock, 

 dropped to the rails and lay motionless. The 

 other birds all flew away quite unconcernedly. On 

 going to see the bird, I found it insensible and in a 

 dying condition. It was a partridge, and otherwise 

 apparently in perfect health. — G. B. NeUson, Bank 

 of Scotland House, Glasgow; August, 1895. 



Dry-rot. — The following extract from Riving- 

 ton's " Building Construction " will probably help 

 Mr. Hodgson out of his difficulty (ante page 137). 

 " Dry-rot is generally caused by ventilation. Con- 

 fined air, without much moisture, encourages the 

 growth of the fungus, which eats into the timber, 

 renders it brittle and so reduces the cohesion of 

 the fibres that they are reduced to powder. It 

 generally commences in the sap-wood. An excess 

 of moisture prevents the growth of the fungus, but 

 moderate warmth, combined with damp and want 

 of air accelerates it." Rivington further quotes 

 from Britton as follows :— " There is this particular 

 danger about the dry-rot, viz., that the germs of 

 the fungi producing it are carried easily, and in all 

 directions, in a building where it once displays 

 itself, without necessity for actual contact between 

 the affected part and the sound wood." I have 

 had similar trouble to Mr. Hodgscns, and have 

 generally treated it successfully by the entire 

 removal and destruction of the wood, and the 

 provision of efficient ventilation, which should be 

 so arranged that in no part of the building is air 

 left to stagnate. The danger of an attack of dry- 

 rot is very considerably increased where a floor is 

 covered with oil-case or other air-tight covering. 

 — Thos. Winder, Assoc. M. Inst. C.E., Ashdell Rise, 

 Sheffield; August, 1895. 



Natural History Exhibition. — The South 

 London Society will hold its annual exhibition of 

 natural-history objects at St. Martin's Town Hall, 

 Charing Cross, London, on October 17th next. 



Marine Aquarium. — I think Mr. Blundell can 

 obtain all requisites for starting a marine aquarium 

 from Mr. Hornell, Biological Laboratory, Jersey. 

 I have had many different kinds of specimens from 

 that institution, and have found them entirely 

 satisfactory. — /. Burton, West Hampstead. 



American Zyg.enid.e. — In January last (vol. i. 

 N.S. p. 258) an enquiry was made relative to cer- 

 tain American burnet moths. I have had the 

 opportunity of examining and comparing them, 

 and find they are (No. 1) Sauriia cassandra, Linn., 

 and (No. 2) Charidea fastmsa, Walk. = fulgida, H.S., 

 both species belonging to the Syntominas. — W. H. 

 Nunney, Bloomshury. 



Bird Notes. — I have been rather interested in 

 the doings of a pair of blackbirds this year, and as 

 their habits have been out of the ordinary course, 

 I venture to forward these notes. — On May 20th, 

 I found a blackbird's nest with four eggs in a 

 plum-tree trained against the north wall of a 

 garden of a friend. Three of the eggs duly hatched 

 on May 28th. Nine days after, on June 6th, the 

 young had their eyes open, and a week later (June 

 13th), the brood flew. Now comes the extra- 

 ordinary part (at least, as far as my own experience 

 goes). Happening to pass the nest on the 20th of 

 the same month, I was surprised to find another 

 egg ; the next day there was another, and on the 

 23rd and 24th respectively two more eggs were 

 laid, three of which in due course were hatched on 

 July 7th, the eyes of the young were open on the 

 12th, and the nest was again empt3^ on the 28th. 

 This appears to me quick work for a pair of birds, 

 but it is rendered all the more remarkable by the 

 ' use of the same nest, and the comparison of dates. 

 During the time the hen bird was sitting on the 

 second clutch, the male bird was still looking after 

 the welfare of the first brood. In the first case, 

 one notices the young birds were in the nest 

 sixteen days, but in the later on!}- thirteen days. 

 In the first nest the young were blind nine da3<s, 

 but in the second only five days, and in each case, 

 moreover, one egg proved infertile. In the same 

 garden, on the north wall of the house, in a pear- 

 tree, was a hedge-sparrow's nest eleven feet from 

 the ground. Is this not unusually high, and a 

 strange situation ? It may be only a coincidence, 

 but both the blackbirds and the hedge-sparrow 

 seem to show a partiality for north walls, although 

 the southern aspect afforded quite as good, or if 

 not better situations. So many discussions have 

 taken place as to whether the cuckoo cries on the 

 wing, or if the female's note is " cuckoo," it might 

 be interesting to add the following observations. 

 One evening, last June, whilst I was sitting under an 

 oak, my attention was attracted to a cuckoo on the 

 telegraph wires by the rail-road, making the queer 

 " bubbling noise." Presently I was surprised to 

 see it turn round and face the oak-tree and 

 cry " cuckoo." It then came and settled for a 

 moment in the tree and "cuckooed" loudly. 

 Doubtless having seen me it did not remain, but 

 circled round the tree twice, " cuckooing " while en 

 mg, and then made off. I should take the bird 

 to be a female on account of the " bubbling note." 

 I have at present alive a male example of the 

 peregrine falcon that was shot at and slightly 

 wounded in Surrey this year. There was no mark 

 to suggest it had previously known captivity. — 

 H. Mead-Briggs, 37, Nunnery Fields, Canterbury. 



