SCIENCE- GOSSIP. 



295 



characteristic of lliis mite. The hind legs an 

 furnished with a highly developed spur on tin 

 fourth internode. 



Fig. 19. Dorsal view. Fig. 20. End of tail, highly 



magnified. 



Pig. 21. Ventral view. 

 Figs. 19 to 21. A. robustus. 



I believe it has not been before recorded as 

 British. 



Mr. Soar gives me the following measurements, 

 taken from the living mite: — Length, 128 mm.; 

 breadth, 0-84 mm. ; palpus, 0-15 mm. ; petiole 

 length, 0-12 mm. ; breadth, O07 mm. 



Ourvipes aduneo2)alpis Piersig. 



In Mr. Soar's papers on Curvipes (Science- 

 Gossip, January to May 1899) he describes eleven 



Fig. 22. Pig. 2:!. 



Figs. '-'2 ami 2:;. C. aduncopalpis. 



species of that genus as British. On April 21st, 

 I'.mhi. I had the pleasure of taking the female of 



another species. ('. (uhnicopalpig Piersig. This i- 

 thc mite which Piersig take- as hi- type of this 

 genus. The genital disc-, are embedded in the 

 skin, and nol placed on chitinous plates. These 

 discs vary in number, not only indifferent speci- 

 mens, bul sometimes, also, on the different sides of 

 the same specimen. The most remarkable feature 

 of this species is that the second internode of the 

 palpus is unusually dilated, and very much thicker 

 than the first pair of legs. This increases the 

 number of described British species of Curvipe* to 

 twelve. 



Kirton in Idndsey, December 1900. 



[The description of A. gemmus was in type for 

 publication in December last, and that of -i. soari 

 in January, but they have had to stand over for 

 want of space in our pages. — Ed. S.-CI.] 



The Zodiacal Light may be seen as soon as 

 it is sufficiently dark, nearly following the course 

 of the ecliptic, in the western sky after sunset 

 when the moon is absent. 



New Lists of Chemical Apparatus— Messrs. 

 Gallenkamp & Co., Ltd., have recently issued a 

 large list of chemical and physical apparatus. An 

 enormous variety of glass and metal wares are 

 described, and, on the whole, the publication is a 

 decided advance on the majority of English lists. 

 There is one very advantageous feature, a good 

 index. Messrs. Griffin & Sons, Ltd., have issued, as 

 an adjunct to their " Sets of Apparatus," a descrip- 

 tive price-list of all the apparatus and chemical- 

 required for working through Gregory and Sim- 

 monds's "Elementary Chemistry and Physics." 



Sound from Long Distances. — Sound carried 

 far on the mournful event of the first portion of 

 Queen Victoria's funeral. Whilst the body was 

 conveyed from the Isle of Wight to Portsmouth on 

 February 1, minute guns were fired by the battle- 

 ships during the progress between their two lines. 

 The day being calm, the sound of the guns was 

 heard at long distances. We have extracted some 

 records from various sources, including reports 

 sent to the Times and other daily London news- 

 papers, from Nature, and direct correspondence. 

 At Axeland, near Horley, they were heard by Mr-. 

 Ashington Bullen; at Boars Hill. Oxford (t!7 

 miles), by Professor E. B. Poulton ami others; at 

 Sutton. Surrey (GO miles), by Professor F. J. 

 Allen: Wimbledon Common and Bichmond, Surrey 

 (64 and (i'2 miles), by many people: Beaehv Head, 

 Sus.-ex (60 mile-). Woodchurch (84 miles), Croydon 

 (66 miles), Marcham (l>4 miles). Tunbridge Wells 

 (66 miles), King's Langley (74 mile-). Leighton 

 Buzzard (84 miles), and Great Missenden, where 

 windows were shaken at a distance of 69 miles. 

 At Brightling, 69 miles away, cock pheasants 

 crowed as is their habit during thunderstorms. 

 There can be little doubt about the source of the 

 sounds, as in most of these places they were noted 

 to be at minute intervals. 



