SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



Norfolk and Norwich Naturalists' Society. 

 — A meeting was held on November 25th, at the 

 Castle Museum, the President, Mr. Geldart, in the 

 chair. The members of the Science Gossip Club 

 were specially invited to attend. Mr. Patterson 

 reported from Yarmouth, that on October 29th, a 

 specimen of Ray's bream was brought to the wharf ; 

 also, on November 22nd a streaked gurnard. His 

 observations on some of the migratory birds in 

 November were mentioned. Mr. Southwell gave a 

 second paper on " Some of the more remarkable 

 birds in the Castle Museum. Commencing with 

 the family of the crows, so well-known to us by the 

 rook and the jackdaw, he selected the Indian 

 grey-necked crow fCorvus splendens), giving some 

 account of its worderful intelligence and amusing 

 habits ; from this he passed to the jays, quoting 

 Mark Twain's inimitable account of the North 

 American blue jay in his" Tramp Abroad," but for 

 the scientific account of its habits and the life- 

 history, he said he must refer to the pages of 

 Alexander Wilson's " American Ornithology." 

 The beautiful and sprightly magpies and tree-pies, 

 as represented by Calocitta formosa, were next 

 reviewed, followed by a very remarkable New 

 Zealand bird of uncertain affinity, known as the 

 " huia." In this bird the form of the bill differs 

 greatly in the opposite sexes, that of the male being 

 powerful and pointed, whereas in the female this 

 organ is slender, crescent-shaped, and pliable. 

 Their food consists of the grubs of insects inhabit- 

 ing the wood of decaying trees, in pursuit of which 

 the male attacks the soft wood with his chisel- 

 shaped bill, but should he be unable to reach the 

 grub, the female comes to his assistance with her 

 long, slender probe, and successfully extracts the 

 delicate morsel, this wonderful division of labour 

 being one of the most remarkable features known 

 in the economy of bird life. Near allies of the 

 crows are the birds of paradise, several species of 

 which are exhibited, and the habits and plumage 

 referred to at length. Passing to the rifle birds, 

 remarkable for the resplendent lustre of their 

 plumage, the less attractive and still more 

 interesting bower birds, descriptions were given 

 of the truly wonderful structures erected by the 

 various species, from which they derive their 

 name, and which it was stated had nothing to do 

 with their nesting, but were erected simply as play 

 places for the male for the attraction of the opposite 

 sex. Passing the beautiful starlings, king crows, 

 or drongas, the lovely orioles, weaver birds, and 

 the numerous family of finches, a pause was made 

 at another wonderful New Zealand bird, the tui, 

 or parson bird, so called from the two little white 

 curled feathers on the throat, which somewhat 

 resemble the "bands" formerly worn by the 

 clergymen of the old school. This bird is 

 restricted to a very limited area, and is now 

 becoming scarce. Captain Cook found it numerous 

 when he visited Dusky Bay in 1773, and 

 expatiates not only on the beauty of its 

 plumage and the sweetness of its note, but 

 also on the deliciousness of its flesh. The 

 Cayanne bell bird was next noticed, and 

 Charles Waterton's description of the marvellous 

 effects of its remarkable bell-like notes in the 

 stillness of the South American forests quoted. 

 The lyre birds received brief notice ; as also the 

 humming birds, which alone were w 7 orthy of 

 separate treatment. The structure and habits of 

 the hornbills were briefly alluded to. The 

 lovely South American quezel, perhaps one of the 

 most beautifully plumaged birds known, was next 



described, and its habits quoted from Mr. Osbert 

 Salvin's account ; this led to the toucans, hand- 

 some and grotesque birds with exaggerated and 

 gaudily coloured bills, inhabitating the tropical 

 forests of Central and Southern America, and from 

 these to the plantain-eaters, cuckoos, and the 

 extensive family of the pigeons, all of which had to 

 be passed over with very brief notice, the great 

 family of the parrots was reached, these latter 

 alone affording material for a whole evening, but 

 attention had to be restricted to two genera, Nestor 

 and Stringops. In conclusion, Mr. Southwell said 

 that in his two papers he had merely introduced 

 the subject. There was sufficient in the various 

 collections to form the material for a series of such 

 addresses, and he trusted that others would follow. 



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All communications, remittances of subscriptions, books 

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EXCHANGES. 



Notice. — Exchanges extending to thirty words (including 

 name and address) admitted free, but additional words must 

 be prepaid at the rate of threepence for every seven words 

 or less. 



Duplicates. — Ranunculus arvensis, Lepidium smithii, 

 Trifolmm arvense, Alchemilla vulgaris, (Enanthe fistulosa, 

 Caluna erica. iJesiderata: Myosmrus, Flelleboru<=, Trollius, 

 Actaea, Raemeria. Subularia. — F. Watts, 40, Goldhurst Ter- 

 race, London, N.W. 



Wanted, 8th Ed. I, C, Nos. 612, 615, 623, 627, 629, 631, 652, 

 653. 657, 659, 671, 674, 676. Offered, Nos. 11, 27, 46, 137, 150, 

 161, 163, 191, 202, 219, 229, 286, 379, 536, 538, 552, 564, 741, 919, 

 1,029, 1,077, r,i43, 1,401, 1,548, 1,550 and others. — Jo Beanland, 

 7, Oastler Road, Saltaire. 



Captain T. Brown's " Fossil Concholoey of Great Britain 

 and Ireland," giving description, illustration and localities 

 of all species ; royal 4to, 116 beautifully coloured plates, 3,521 

 figures. Wanted, J-plate camera or student's microscope.— 

 J. G. Dufty, Kenyon Road, Wigan. 



" London Catalogue," 9th Ed., 123, 175, 233, 309, 324, 

 355: 539i 840, 1,053, i'o83, 1,137. 1,294, 1,440, etc., in exchange. 

 — C. E. Britton, 189, Beresford Street, Camberwell, London. 



Offered, L.C., 9th Ed., 1,059, 1.785, 1,630, 1,448, 1,838, 

 1.312, 1.089, 533, 536, 1,369, 385, 845, 1,493. 592, 651, 761, 1,037, 

 319, 1.788, 1,794, 130, 1,663, 1.681, 1,917 : desiderata numerous ; 

 lists exchanged. — W. Falconer, 4, Roseville Avenue. Leeds. 



Cuckoos' eggs with those of foster parent wanted. — 

 W. Wells Bladen, Stone, Staffordshire. 



Offered, "The Zoology of Captain Beechey's Voyage," 

 4to— Mammalia. 2 plates; birds, 12 plates; fishes, 9 plates; 

 Crustacea, 5 plates; reptiles, 4 plates (text incomplete); 

 Mollusca, marine, 9 plates (text incomplete) — in exchange for 

 reprints on land shells, cash, or foreigh Helices. — G. K. G 

 5, Gresback Road, Upper Holloway, London. 



British, Swiss and exotic Lepidoptera; desiderata, many 

 ditto or British birds' eggs ; lists exchanged. — Rev. J. M. 

 Hich, Trimdon Vicarage, Trimdon Grange, R. S. O. 



