SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



Nisoniades tages, may be taken in sufficient abun- 

 dance by searching the dead seed-capsules of 

 the plants of black-knapweed of the previous year. 

 This species roosts in a position quite unlike others 

 of the group native to these islands. It folds its 

 wings under the body, like a noctuid moth. On 

 one evening, on the Horsley Sheep Lees in Surrey, 

 I searched a dead plant of knapweed for varieties 

 of this dingy skipper butterfly and took sixteen 

 specimens off about ten seed-heads. Being unable to 

 find more, I shook the plant into my entomological 

 net, with the result that four additional butterflies 

 were shaken off. The protective position selected 

 was so perfect that all my trained experience failed 

 to show me the remaining four on the plant. 



I quote Mr. F. W. Frohawk's notes, taken when 

 he sketched the white butterfly sleeping on a pea 

 flower, herein reproduced from his drawing. 



"August 19th, 1885, between 10 and 11 a.m., 

 dull day, found Pieris rapa, female, at rest on 

 pea blossom which it closely resembles and mimics 

 both in form and colour. It remained motionless 

 until noon on the following day, when the sun 

 shone for a short time, and it flew away. The 

 similarity between the unexpanded blossoms and 

 the resting butterfly, was an excellent example of 

 protective resemblance." 



About three years ago I was visiting a house well 

 covered with ivy of a variety with rather large 

 leaves. One recently-grown branch had developed 

 a few whitish or cream-coloured leaves, as a "sport " 

 amongst the ordinary green leaves. This branch 

 being near the dining-room window, was convenient 

 for observation. Every evening for several days, 

 about sunset, a large cabbage-white butterfly (Pieris 

 brassier) used to search out one of these half-dozen 

 white ivy leaves, and roost upon it for the night. 

 The protective value of the creamy-white leaf for the 

 creamy-white underside of the butterfly was perfect. 

 The butterfly seemed to be the same individual on 

 each evening. 



The drawing of some three dozen Plexippus 

 butterflies at rest on a dead branch of a shrub, is 

 taken from a photograph by Prof. C. F. Nachtrieb, 

 of the Department of Animal Biology, in the United 

 States of America, who lent the picture to " Insect 

 Life," the excellent journal published by the 

 Entomological division of the United States 

 Department of Agriculture, in January, 1893, 

 (vol. v,, p. 206). This butterfly is larger than any 

 species native to our islands, so an idea may be 

 gathered of the appearance of the branch as seen 

 by Prof. Nachtrieb. Being in colour yellowish 

 orange, with black veins, these roosting butterflies 

 would have the appearance, when seen at a distance, 

 of withered leaves attached to a dead branch. 



Without becoming speculative as to how far the 

 power of reason, as apart from instinct, guides, we 

 cannot fail to see how important for the preservation 

 of butterflies is the selection of suitable roosting- 

 places during the helpless period of sleeping. 





COUNTRY LORE 



inT" tL '*'rT<irfiiir --■-'•■ >.i.tdJ**™^.'. . ...iw 



Ill-luck of Spring Flowers. — In some parts 

 of Sussex, instead of spring flowers being a joy to 

 the cottager after the dreary frosts of winter, they 

 are thought most unlucky. For instance, to take 

 the first primrose or snowdrop into some nouses is 

 enough to raise the ire of the whole family. A 

 single snowdrop is said to be a sure death sign, 

 because it grows so close to the ground and looks 

 like a corpse shroud. The blackthorn is associated 

 with life and death on account of the white 

 flowers appearing on bare black twigs, which but 

 for the fair blossoms would seem dead. In 

 Germany, too, the blackthorn is considered unlucky 

 in the same manner, and is said to always grow 

 from the corpse of a pagan slain in battle. In 

 many old-fashioned houses in Sussex, broom is 

 forbidden ; the use of it is coupled with an old 

 aphorism, " If you sweep the house with broom in 

 May, you'll sweep the head of the house away." 

 To bring in holly or ivy for decorative purposes, 

 excepting at Christmastide, is considered by some 

 people a sure sign that there will be a death in the 

 house before Christmas. I wonder how this 

 association of spring flowers with death com- 

 menced. Most old sayings connected with ill-luck 

 are associated with the avoidance of some act 

 which might lead to personal harm. Perhaps, as 

 the flowers supposed to bring ill-luck were chiefly 

 the first flowers of spring, the inventors of these 

 sayings really wished to protect early blossoms 

 from wasteful and destroying hands. Charming, 

 however, as it would be to credit our ancestors 

 with so much love of nature, I fear it is scarcely 

 a likely explanation. Probably the presage of 

 death from taking early spring flowers into houses 

 arose owing to the changeable weather and 

 trying winds of early spring, causing many deaths 

 naturally to occur after the first snowdrops and 

 primroses had bloomed. — Flora Winstom, Epping ; 

 February 15th. 



Ancient Iron Trade in England. — There are 

 many old references to the iron trade in the county 

 of Sussex. King Henry III. made a grant to the 

 people of Lewes in 1266, empowering them to levy 

 a toll of one penny on every cartload of iron, and a 

 half-penny on every horseload of the same metal, 

 which passed through the town from the Weald. 

 An inhabitant of Lewes supplied the ironwork for 

 the tomb of the same king in Westminster Abbey. 

 In Edward I.'s reign iron was being smelted in St. 

 Leonard's Forest, and complaints were made by 

 the ironmongers of the city of London in regard to 

 certain manufactured articles supplied by the smiths 

 of the Weald. In the following reign the sheriff 

 of Surrey and Sussex was ordered to supply 3000 

 horse-shoes and 29,000 nails for the expedition 

 against Scotland. The ancient banded guns, which 

 were used by the English in the fifteenth century, 

 are believed to have been made in Sussex. A good 

 specimen of this kind of artillery, and, according to 

 tradition, the first gun ever made in England, 

 formerly stood at Bridge Green. 



