SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



(Tipulidas), the drone and hover flies (Syrphidse) — 

 though some of these are often mistaken for bees ox- 

 wasps — the blue-bottles and house flies (Muscidse), 

 etc. I do not know that any of the Diptera are 

 directly useful to man, though many are indirectly 

 useful by destroying or checking some of our insect 

 pests. Thus, for instance, the larvse of some of the 

 Syrphidse feed on the green-fly (Aphides), which 

 are so injurious in our gardens and hop grounds. 

 On the other hand many Diptera are to be 

 reckoned among our insect foes. Thus the gnats 

 and mosquitoes (Culicidse), the gad-flies (Tabanidss), 

 and others, suck the blood of men and animals, 

 and in some countries are a dreadful pest, while 

 the larvae of other species are more or less 

 injurious to our cereals, fruits and flowers. Any- 

 one studying the Diptera may find plenty of interest 

 in their structure and habits. Perhaps this short 

 notice may induce some more observers to take an 

 interest in our British Diptera. — E. N. Bloomfiehl, 

 Guestling Rectory, Hastings ; February 12th, 1894. 



Unusual Emergence of Toad. — On Tuesday 

 morning, the 6th inst., I was much surprised to 

 find " Jack " — whom I had better state at once is a 

 very large and favourite toad of mine, and a great 

 pet with all the members of the household — quietly 

 walking down the garden path towards the house. 

 This is somewhat early for this reptile to leave his 

 hybernaculum, and I do not remember in past 

 years meeting with toads until a much later date in 

 the spring. A few years ago a toad I had met with 

 a strange fatality, but one that may occur oftener 

 in a state of nature than we imagine. Finding" it 

 lying dead one day, apparently uninjured so far as 

 external appearances went, curiosity prompted me 

 to hold a post-mortem examination to enquire into 

 the cause of death, which on dissection was imme- 

 diately apparent. In the stomach of the animal 

 was a large round pebble of such a size that it was a 

 wonder how the unfortunate creature had managed 

 to swallow it. Of course this stone could not pass 

 the stomach, and a fatal result was inevitable. It 

 was apparent the stone had adhered to the glutinous 

 secretion on his tongue when snapping up a casual 

 beetle, the undigested elytra of which were also 

 present in the stomach. In confirmation of this 

 view, I might mention that I have frequently seen 

 small loose stones moved in position through being 

 slightly touched by the tongue of a toad when 

 licking up insects that were resting upon them. — 

 H. Williams, Homsey Rise, N. ; February 10th, 1894. 



Locust in London. — It may be of interest to 

 record the involuntary visit to London of a South 

 European locust. This insect was discovered alive 

 on the head of a cauliflower in a consignment of 

 vegetables from Italy to Messrs. Mash and Sons, of 

 Brixton, on the 3rd inst. The locust, missing the 

 warmth of the sunny south, was in a lethargic 



state, but when kindly handed over to me on the 

 5th, a day of Egyptian darkness in London, was 

 still alive, but had not eaten any of the fresh green 

 stuff supplied it. In personal appearance it resem- 

 bles a magnified grasshopper. The closed wing- 

 sheaths, or tegmina, show dull green, but appear 

 browner when extended. The true wings are 

 brown, marked with a bold and broad smoky 

 crescent-shaped patch of darker shading. The 

 under edge of the large femur or thigh of the hind 

 leg is chestnut-brown. The length of the animal 

 from head to tail is 2^ inches, the outspread wings 

 from tip to tip measure 5 inches, and cover a 

 space of 5 square inches. The wing-muscles must 

 be very powerful, but it should be borne in mind 

 that a swarm never flies against the wind. Without 

 raising the bogey of possible danger to the farmer, 

 the liability of so large an intruder suddenly 

 popping out of the " greens," may add a new terror 

 to the kitchen's list of horrors, such as a mouse, 

 wasp, and so-called "black-beetle." The Natural 

 History Museum exhibits a few species of locust 

 (including Acridium peregrimim, and Pachytylus 

 migrator ins), with none of which my capture agrees. 

 — H. A. Sauz'e, 4, Mount Villas, Sydenham Hill 

 Road, London, S.E. ; February 10th, 1894. 



The Great Copper Butterfly. — I well 

 remember at the Meeting of the British Association 

 at Cambridge, in the year, I think, 1844 or 1845, I 

 was introduced by Mr. Vernon Wollaston, or Rev. 

 Hamlet Clark, to a man of the name of Rawlinson, 

 " the Pie-man," as he was called. He used to go 

 out for gentlemen of the University, to collect for 

 them in the Fens, plants, insects, and other objects 

 of Natural History, in the summer time ; but in the 

 winter he sold pies. Rawlinson asked me if I wanted 

 caterpillars of the large copper ; I said I could do 

 with a few. Two days afterwards he brought me a 

 dozen ; I told him six would be enough, which I 

 purchased of him at the price he asked, sixpence 

 each. I took them home and bred five fine and 

 perfect specimens. At that time one could buy the 

 butterfly from Argent and other London dealers at 

 is. and 2s. each. Now, in consequence of the drainage 

 of the Fens, the insect is no longer to be found, and 

 fine and perfect specimens at recent sales by auction 

 have realized from £5 to £6 each. If one could 

 only have anticipated what has happened I should 

 certainly have taken the dozen caterpillars and laid 

 in a large stock of the butterflies, for a little fortune 

 might have been made out of them. — Samuel Stevens, 

 Beulah Hill, Upper Norwood ; February 10th, 1894. 



The British Trap-door Spider. — This grand 

 spider (Atypus piceus, Sulzer), was first discovered 

 in Great Britain by Mr. Joshua Brown, at Hastings, 

 in the year 1856, since which many zoologists have 

 searched for it in vain . in that locality, though it 

 has occurred in plenty at Woking, Hampstead, 



