SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



243 



Little Owl in Sussex. — A good specimen of 

 the Little Owl 'Athent cttta) was taken at Heigh- 

 ton, near Newhaven, on December 6th, and is now 

 in my possession. The bird was captured in a 

 rabbit's burrow by some travelling " peg makers " 

 on their way from Xewhaven to Lewes. — Stanley 

 Morris, Li 



Black Pepper-axd-Salt Moths. — In an article 

 upon '• Wild Animals and Civilization," in Science- 

 Gossip, N.S., vol. i. p. 36, I referred to the 

 appearance in Lancashire and Cheshire of a black 

 form oiAmphidasys be tularin, and how it is gradually 

 replacing the " pepper-and-salt coloured type. It 

 is interesting to notice that our contemporary " The 

 Entomologist," forlast month, mentions the capture, 

 this season, of two of these black forms within the 

 London district. — John T. Canington. 



Primitive Trepanning. — One of the most 

 remarkable accomplishments of the ancient Peru- 

 vians was that of trepanning, an operation which 

 is so difficult and hazardous that recovery follows 

 only about a fourth of modern operations. In the 

 remarkable Muniz Collection of Peruvian skulls, 

 now temporarily in the custody of the Bureau of 

 American Ethnology, are about one thousand 

 specimens, of which nineteen are trepanned and 

 eight give indications of subsequent recovery. A 

 young female seems to have survived a series of 

 operations, resulting in an aperture in the skull four 

 inches long and an inch wide, which was covered 

 by a silver plate. On the primitive methods which 

 were adopted by the Chaouias, of the Aures Moun- 

 tains in the Province of Constantin, in Algeria, 

 H Malbot and R. Verneau have an inter- 

 article in " L' Anthropologic " (vol. viii. 

 part ii. 180- . 



p Hornets. — I see ir, my 



• .ber Science -Gossip that a Colchester 

 ;.xmdent has enquired how to get rid of 



• j which nest in an inaccessible place. 

 When I was a boy, living with my parents in 

 Buckinghamshire, a colony of hornets took up their 

 abode between roof and rafters just above the bay 

 window of our drawing-room They thus not only 

 rendered that room well-nigh uninhabitable, but 

 were found occasionally in the nursery tx 

 above it My mother, having been informe 

 three hornets would kill a horse— if only the 

 unanimous as to the part of the victim to be 

 mailed— and excusably anxious for tl 



her babes, determined upon a counter attack. I 

 well remember— being then at home for the 

 holidays — tl e figure of a man with mask 



and gloves seated above the window, eng.v 



a short-handled 



- Ottt of their I, 

 how many prisoners were captu:. 

 to death, but in t [think, the 



lely cxpugnatcl, and 

 i«ain ocupicl by similar (bet This may 



lual M I 



The South London Entomological and 

 Natural History Society. — November 25th, 

 Mr. R. Adkin, F.E.S., President, in the chair. 

 Mr. Tunaley exhibited xanthic specimens of 

 Epinephih janira taken in North Kent in 1S96, a 

 variable series of A ngerona prunatia from the same 

 locality, and, on behalf of Miss Miller, of Chelms- 

 ford, an unusual variation of Acronycta vumicis, 

 having a distinct submarginal red tinge on the 

 wings, some portions of the body being similarly 

 tinted. Mr. H. Moore, a small collection of 

 lepidoptera taken in France last August while on a 

 cycling tour, and contributed notes; EpinephiU 

 janira, generally, and Erebia qethiops and E. neoridas, 

 locally, were the only species at all commonly 

 seen. Chambery was the farthest point reached. 

 Mr. Bristowe, a small collection of lepidoptera taken 

 during a short visit to Japan. It was remarked 

 how close many of the species were to those of 

 our own country, but generally much larger. Mr. 

 Tutt, a bred series of Enethocampa pityocampa from 

 larvae taken by Dr. Chapman in South France, 

 and remarked on the considerable sexual dimor- 

 phism ; also a specimen of Eriogaster catax from 

 the same locality. Mr. Adkin, an asymmetrical 

 specimen of A rctia caja in which the left fore and 

 hind wings were much suffused with the dark 

 brown colour, the right wings being normal. The 

 specimen was one of a second brood, and emerged 

 from pupae in October last. Mr. Harrison, 

 F.C.S., exhibited a large number of very admirable 

 lantern-slides illustrating the " Haunts and Habits 

 of Birds." The lantern arrangements were kindly 

 undertaken by Mr. Clarke, the Society's lantern 

 and screen being used. — December gth, Mr. R. 

 Adkin, F.E.S., President, in the chair. Colonel 

 Partridge exhibited specimens of Ephyra trilimaria. 

 (1) Female parent, typical ; (2) specimen of brood 

 from above, dwarfed, very red, and annulated ; 

 (3) specimens of same brood, which stood over in 

 pupal stage. The last were not so red, nor 

 dwarfed, and the annulated spots could only just be 

 traced. Mr. McArthur, a box of varieties captured 

 or bred this year, including Arctia caja, yellow, 

 Ai'i.n.as grosstilariata, radiated and coalescent, and 

 others. Mr. Montgomery, specimens of lepidoptera 

 which had been extremely affected by grease, and 

 which were admirably cleansed, even to the fringes 

 of the abdomen, by the use of benzine collas and 

 pipe, Mr. Clarke, a micro-photograph of a 

 mite which, with numerous others, he had found 

 on a humble bee. Mr. Adkin, series of Epione 

 paralltllaria Ivespertaria) from Sutherland. Mr. 

 Step, specimens of eight species of swimming 

 chiefly of the genus Portwms, and made 

 remark', on their habits, relationships and <>< 

 currence. He al o exhibited specimens of the 

 hermit crab which he had found in hole:, in rocks. 

 Rev, Joseph Greene, "i Clifton, Bristol, Benl 

 drawin I tome seventy varieties "I Ibraxas 

 ired during the last six year . m ai 



I notes thereon Mr. 



Turner, eight species "i the genua Libytlua, and 

 r'.-ri'l note, OB n ashlps, cliaractei 1 II Ii 



