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SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



bison, deer of several kinds, bighorn, or Rocky 

 Mountain sheep, moose, wild boar and some 

 others. The illustrations of these animals and the 

 sylvan scenery are charming. 



The Lddgate Monthly (London : October, 

 1897, 6d.). Robert Machray's " Story of the 

 Weather" opens with a portrait of Robert Scott, 

 Esq., F.R.S., the Chief of the Meteorological 

 Office in London. The story told is of the 

 establishment of that now important institution 

 and of the work it does for the public. It is very 

 popularly told and would easily bear expansion, and 

 though a scientific subject is not very scientifically 

 treated. " The Rocking Stones of Cornwall " is a 

 prettily illustrated account, by Archibald S. Hurd, 

 of those remarkable stones which are ever attrac- 

 tive to the touring public. 



The English Illustrated Magazine (London : 

 October, 1897, 6d). " By Hedge, Stream and Spin- 

 ney " is a chat with a squire's gamekeeper. It is 

 a pleasant bit of country-lore by Young Stewart, 

 illustrated with pictures of the keeper's surround- 

 ings. There is an interesting article on ballooning, 

 which describes, with pictures, the long voyage 

 from London to Weilburg, in Nassau, a distance of 

 500 miles, which was accomplished in eighteen 

 hours in 1836. The aeronaut was Charles Green 

 of ballooning fame, and he was accompanied by 

 two private gentlemen, Robert Holland, M.P., and 

 Thomas Monk Mason. It is an old story, but one 

 well worth repeating. 



The Gentlemen's Magazine (October, 1897, 

 is.) Mr. J. Ellard Gore, F.R.A.S., tells us about 

 " The Distance of the Stars." He first treats his 

 subject historically, and shows how far out in their 

 calculations were the early astronomers. Thence 

 he leads on the reader to the modern systems of 

 measurement, which after all appear to be only 

 approximate. The brightest stars are not, as a 

 rule, the nearest to our earth. In " A visit to the 

 Western Sahara," by Harold Bindloss, are several 

 nature notes, and the article will well repay the 

 time spent on its reading. 



Westminster Review (London: October, 1S97, 

 2s. 6d.). " Bees and Flowers " forms the title of a 

 chatty article by G. W. Bulman. He treats his 

 subject quite from the literary side. While point- 

 ing out that many savants believe the colours 

 of our wild and some other flowers have been 

 produced by the selection of the bees, he at the 

 same time rather grudgingly allows this. He 

 doubts whether the " idea that we owe the colour 

 and form of our flowers to insects, and chiefly to 

 bees, can any longer be seriously maintained." 

 The author is, perhaps, to some extent right, but 

 his statements are, to say the least, of a sweeping 

 character, and he appears to depend on others for 

 his information. 



Windsor Magazine (London : October, 1S97, 

 6d.). In this number Walter George Bell has an 

 illustrated article upon "Trapping Planets," in 

 which he describes some of the asteroids. In 

 drawing the attention of his readers to the small 

 size of some of these occupants of space, Mr. Bell 

 remarks that " Great Britain, if rolled up into a 

 sphere, would make a very respectable minor 

 planet, or Ireland might be sent off on a career of 

 absolute independence somewhere between Jupiter 

 and Mars, where all minor planets circulate." 

 That we venture to protest against, or where 

 would the Irish emigrate. How America would 

 miss them. 



Albino Sparrow. — Mr. Fierke recently exhibited 

 before the Hull Field Club an albino of the common 

 house-sparrow, which was caught at Victoria Dock, 

 Hull, this autumn. 



Lambeth Field Club and Scientific Society. 

 — The Annual Soiree and Exhibition will be held 

 at the Lambeth Wesley an School, Lambeth Road, 

 on Monday, November 8th, at 7.30 p.m. We are 

 informed that the admission is by tickets, priced 

 sixpence each. They can be obtained from Mr. H. 

 Wilson, the Hon. Secretary, 14, Melbourne Square, 

 Brixton. 



The Coming Solar Eclipse. — The expedition 

 from the Lick Observatory will consist of Professor 

 Campbell and some volunteer assistants, who will 

 endeavour to photograph the spectrum of the 

 reversing layer, as well as that of the corona, with 

 a view to determining the rotation speed of the 

 latter. If successful, these investigations should 

 prove not only novel but a distinct advance in our 

 knowledge of the sun's atmosphere. 



Earthquake Shock. — In regard to Professor 

 Milne's recent observations on earthquake shocks, 

 I should like to place on record that on the night 

 of February 19th and 20th, 1S97, at 4.5 a.m., I was 

 awakened by a loud noise in the basement, which 

 in fact awakened the whole of the household. In 

 a few seconds it was followed by a jingling as of 

 hanging crockery downstairs, and this was accom- 

 panied by a noise in my bedroom as of a watch- 

 chain dangling against the metal bed-post. I went 

 downstairs and examined the place thoroughly, but 

 could find nothing to account for the noise. I came 

 to the conclusion there had been an earth-shock. 

 I wrote to a London paper about it, but presumably 

 it was not considered worth insertion. — Eda^trd 

 A . Martin, F.G.S. 



October in Cornwall. — On October 18th, we 

 were favoured here with a brilliant sunny morning, 

 warm, and with a light wind from the south- 

 west. During a walk of a couple of hours I took 

 on the wing Colias edusa (two males), Pyrameis 

 cardui, Polyommatus phloeas (five in good condition), 

 Pieris brassicae (two males) ; and saw Pieris rapae, 

 Pyrarga egeria, P. megaera and Vanessa atalanta. 

 The following named wildflowers I also gathered : 

 Convolvulus arvensis, Papaver rhoeas, Viola canina, 

 Taraxacum dens-leonis. Vicia septum, "Rubus fruticosus, 

 "Lonicera periclymenum, 'Linaria vulgaris, "Poleniilla 

 reptans, "Linaria cymbalaria, 'Bellis perennis, "Trifo- 

 lium pratense, *Daucus carota, "Lamium amplexicaule, 

 'Serratula tinctoria, Fragaria vesca, 'Ulex europoeus, 

 "Lychnis diurna, 'Achillea millefolium, "Anagallis 

 arvensis, "Knautia arvensis, 'Scabiosa succisa, "Fumaria 

 officinalis, Valeriana officinalis, "Apargia autumnalis, 

 'Geranium robertianum, Viola tricolor, ' Senccio jacobaea, 

 Ccntaurea scabiosa, Erythraea centaurium, and Linum 

 catharticum. Those marked with an asterisk were 

 fairly abundant. This is, I think, a very good list 

 of insects and flowers for the time of the year, and 

 proves the mildness of our county. — W. A. Rollason, 

 13, Lemon Street, Truro, Cornwall. 



