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SCIEXCE-GOSSIP. 





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ZOOLOGY 



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Wolves ix France. — From statistics drawn up 

 by M. Galien Mingaud, it appears that wolves are 

 rapidly disappearing from France. In 1SS3, 1,316 

 premiums were paid by the Government for an 

 equal number of wolves killed, which number has 

 gradually dwindled down to 327 in 1892. 



Cuckoos in March. — We referred (ante, p. 54) 

 to the early arrivals of summer migrants this 

 season. We have further records, especially re- 

 garding the cuckoo, which was credibly observed 

 frequently, on and after March 25th, in various 

 parts of the country. The middle of April is its 

 usual time of arrival. 



Abnormal Starfish. — At Black Rock, Brighton, 

 my brother found a very curious starfish. It was 

 rather a large specimen of the common five-finger 

 1 Uraster rubens) ; but one of its rays was divided 

 half-way into two branches, which gave it an odd 

 appearance. We have now placed it in our 

 aquarium, where it seems healthy and active at 

 present. — Catherine A. Winckuorth, 11, Old Sieine, 

 Brighton ; April i6?/j, 1894. 



Pachxobia hyperborea ix Ireland. — In the 

 1 ; Entomologist " for May, the Hon. R. E. Dillon 

 records breeding a specimen of Pachnobia hyperborea 

 (=alpina) from a larva picked up in a bog in County 

 Gal way, where there are growing many plants of 

 Empeirutn nigrum, the crowberry. He does not state 

 the altitude of this bog ; but we conclude it is a 

 mountain locality. It will be remembered that 

 British examples of this local moth have hitherto 

 only been obtained in Scotland. 



White Viper. — On April nth, a large snake 

 was seen entering a wood near here. On being 

 followed it turned and hissed, and a child, mis- 

 taking it for the common grass snake, touched it, 

 and was bitten on the hand ; when killed the snake 

 turned out to be a common viper (Pelias bents), and 

 was exactly identical with Bell's white varietv, 

 which I believe is rather rare. The specimen is 

 twenty-four inches long ; the ground colour is a 

 dirt}- white, and the markings are of a very dis- 

 tinct black.—/. T. Pym, Foxuvld, Brasted, Kent. 



The Mollusca of the Lake District. — In 

 the "Transactions" of the Cumberland Association 

 for the Advancement of Science, Part 8, there 

 is a Paper by Miss Donald, of Carlisle, on "The 

 Land and Fresh-water Shells of Cumberland and 

 Westmoreland . ' ' We there find seventy-five species 

 recorded from the two counties, seven of which are 

 peculiar to Westmoreland. This may be of interest 

 to Captain Farrer, who will find several species 

 % recorded therein from his neighbourhood, which 

 are not included in his excellent Paper in last 

 month's Science-Gossip. In the same "Transac- 

 tions," Part 9, is an additional list, by the same 

 authoress, giving particulars of other species and 

 localities which had come under her notice since 

 the appearance of the first Paper.—; Jas. Murray, 

 Whitehaven ; May, 1894. 



The Mollusca of the Lake District. — 

 During the last few days I have added to the List 

 of Lake Mollusca, published in Science-Gossip 

 for May, the following species : — Hyalina drapar- 

 naldi, Beck. — Garden wall at Keswick ; very large 

 but not numerous. Pupa cylindracea, var. albina. — 

 Very fine specimens with above. Vertigo moulinsiana, 

 Dup. — Four specimens at Friar's Crag, Keswick. 

 Balea perversa, L. — On the wall at the back of 

 Armathwaite Park. Succinia elegans, Risso. — Com- 

 mon, but small ; about Keswick in marshes. — W. J. 

 .;. Chapel House, Bassenthuaite ; May, 1894. 



Dispersal of Shells. — I have myself caugh: 

 the Dytiscus marginalis with a Sphzrium corneum 

 attached to its leg on a reach of the canal supplied 

 with fresh water, between Halifax and Salterhebble. 

 It therefore seems to be a favourite mode of pro- 

 gression for this mollusc. At this season of the 

 year all possessing aquaria, especially in large 

 towns, should make friends with the watercress 

 sellers — the bottom of their baskets being a per- 

 fect paradise for the coleopterist and the shell 

 collector. My fishmonger, who is also a green- 

 grocer, has always a bait tin of mine supplied with 

 fresh spring water, in which he washes his water- 

 cress, and then sends me the can. I search for 

 rare specimens, which I keep in ordinary round 

 glass aquaria, and the remainder is emptied into 

 my large aquarium holding some 100 gallons of 

 water, and forms a sort of food supply for my 

 fishes, which thus get a fairly good meal of their 

 natural food. — Henry J. Barber, Brighouse; March 

 T-jth, 1894. 



Freshwater Snails ix Trafalgar Square. — 

 For many years past various authors of books and 

 papers upon British shells have speculated upon the 

 origin of Limnea peregra in the ornamental fountain 

 basins in Trafalgar Square, London. These 

 fountains being supplied from an artesian well at 

 the back of the National Gallery, it was clear that 

 the water snails must have been conveyed there 

 by artificial means. No later than last month, 

 Mr. E. L. Layard referred to these shells in his 

 communication to these pages (ante 61). Without 

 going through the rather long list of speculative 

 origins to which have been attributed the occurrence 

 of these shells in Trafalgar Square, I think accident 

 has allowed me to give one other possible cause, 

 which is probably the correct solution of the 

 mystery. On a recent mo rnin g, shortly before 

 six o'clock, at which time the square is so little 

 used by " citizens," that the police officers take 

 scant notice of what may be going on, I was 

 crossing near one of the ornamental basins, and 

 discovered an itinerant watercress-seller. With 

 furtive glances in the direction of a sleepy-looking 

 officer of the law, she was dipping into the 

 water one bunch after another, giving each a little 

 shake to refresh the cress before starting on the 

 morning round, with sonorous cries of " fresh 

 creeces ! fine creeces ! " It is not likely that this 

 was the first occasion of this act being committed. 

 What more probable than that young specimens of 

 L nnea, or the mature ova, were upon the bunches 

 of watercress ? In that case they, in either stage, 

 would be in a flaccid condition, after many hours 

 away from their native stream, and easily washed 

 into the fountain water. There they would find 

 abundant food in the confervoid growth which 

 appears so rapidly under the action of strong light 

 on the bottom and sides of these shallow ponds. 

 — John T. Carrington, 1, Northumberland Avenue, 

 London ; May, 1894. 



