35* 



SCIEXCE- G OSSIP. 



about 30 per cent. A pansy exposed to diffused 

 light in a 5 per cent, solution was rapidly bleached. 

 with the exception of the lower yellow petal. A 

 white tulip became translucent, but retained its 

 external form perfectly. The odom- of mignonette 

 was still perceptible after four months, notwith- 

 standing the penetrating odour of the formalin 

 itself. Unfortunately the solution soon bleached 

 bine colours. A blue hyacinth became opaque 

 white in two days and translucent in six months. 

 Green leaves became only slightly translucent, and 

 were otherwise unchanged. In order to prevent 

 the bleaching action of sunlight it was found 

 essential to keep the specimens in as dark a place 

 as possible. The preservative action of the forma- 

 lin is due to its destroying all external micro- 

 organisms, and preventing the inter-action of the 

 plant-cells by contracting then- protoplasm. — C. A. 

 Mitchell, Chancery Lam-. London. 



A Section in Westminster. — The workmen 

 employed in the excavations for the foundations of 

 the new Government offices in Parliament Street, 

 Westminster, have brought to light several finds of 

 considerable interest. The section, which attained 

 a depth of 30 ft., showed made ground containing 

 old-fashioned tobacco pipes, pottery, etc.. overlying 

 alluvial peat with Pleistocene river drift below. In 

 the peat, which contained numerous mollusca, 

 several human remains were found — namely, a 

 frontal bone, a portion of a tibia, and several 

 vertebrae, ribs, and metatarsals. The peat also 

 yielded a complete lower jaw and two hom-cores 

 of Bos primigenius. a horn-core with a portion of 

 the skull of B. longifrom. a complete skull of Equus 

 eaballuz, two incisor teeth of Sits scrofa. and a skull 

 of a horned sheep. The only mammalian remains 

 obtained from the drift were a single molar of the 

 Elephas prvmigenius and an antler of the reindeer 

 (Rangifer tararulus). They were both in excellent 

 preservation. — Gilbert White, 31 North Side. Clop- 

 ham Common, S. W. 



NOTICES OF SOCIETIES. 



Ordinary meetings are marked f, excursions 9 ; names of persons 

 follotcing excursions are of Conductors. Lantern Ulustra- 

 lions §. 



North London Natural History Society. 

 April 4. — J - Some Notes on British Spiders." Frank P. Smith. 

 „ 18. — f ■' The Tree in its Relation to Primitive Thought." 

 Mrs. H. M. Halliday. 

 27. — ' Visit to Royal Botanic Society's Gardens. 



South London Entomological and Natural History 

 Society. 



April 25.— f " Birds and their Nests." B. Kearton, F.Z.~. 

 Birkbeck Natural History Society. 



April 13. — * Natural Historv Museum. South Kensington 

 A. B. Bendle, M.A , D.Sc., F.L.S. 



Lambeth Field Club axd Scientific Society. 

 April 1. — § " The Natural Beauties of Crohamhurst." 



8.—* EflBngham and Bookhain. E. A. Martin, F.G.S. 



„ 2u. — » Crohamhurst. 



London Geological Field Class. 



April 27. — * Nutfield to Caterham. Anticlinal of the Weald. 



("Weald Clav to Chalk.) Professor H. G. Seelev. 



F.R.S. 



Camera Club. 



April 1. — Discussion : " The Development of Bollable and 

 other Films." 

 ,, 1& — t " Man"s Place in Nature." Percy Ames. 



Nottingham Natural Science Rambling Clo;. 

 April 6.— f " The Teachings of Geology." 



■ 20.— f " Meaning of the Colours on a Geological Map." 



Prestox Scientific so ikty. 



April 10.— " Peculiarities of Animal Forms." James Harrison, 



A.K.C.S. 

 ., 24.— -1116 Origin of the Higher Vertebrates: a Study 



in Evolution " James Marsdcu. 



Manchester Museum, Owens College. 

 April 8.— t " Selection." W. E. Hoyle. 



NOTICES TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



To Correspondents and Exchangers. — Science-Gossip is 

 published on the 25th of each month. All notes or short com- 

 munications should reach us not later than the 18th of the month 

 for insertion in the following number. No communications can 

 be inserted or noticed without full name and address of writer. 

 Notices of changes of address admitted free. 



Business Communications. — All business communications 

 relating to Science-Gossip must be addressed to the Manager. 

 Science-Gossip, 110 Strand, London. 



Editorlax Communications, articles, books for review, instru- 

 ments for notice, specimens for identification, etc., to be addressed 

 to John T. Carrtxgtox, 110 Strand, London, W.C. 



Subscriptions.— The volumes of Science-Gossip begin with 

 the June numbers, but Subscriptions may commence with any 

 number, at the rate of 6s. 6d for twelve months (including 

 postage), and should be remitted to the Manager, Science- 

 Gossip, 110 Strand, London, W.C. 



Notice. — Contributors are requested to strictly observe the 

 following rules. All contributions must be clearly written on 

 one side of the paper only. Words intended to be printed in 

 italics should be marked under with a single line. Generic 

 names must be given in full, excepting where used immediately 

 before. Capitals may only be used for generic, and not specific 

 names. Scientific names and names of places to be written in 

 round hand 



CHANGE OF ADDBESS. 



J. Burton, from 39 Ingham Bead to 20 Fortune Green Road, 

 West Hampstead, N.W. 



EXCHANGES. 



Notice.— Exchanges extending to thirty words (including 

 name and address) admitted free : but additional words must be 

 prepaid at the rate of threepence for every seven words or less. 



About 300 specimens of Helix nenioralis, 12 varieties, and 

 100 H. aspersa for dried specimens of Foreign Plants. — F. T. 

 Mott, Birstal Hill, Leicester. 



Wanted, a bit of Sugar Cane, fresh or dry : also, when in 

 season, a few fresh stems of Eqnisetum hyeniale. Botanical or 

 insect slides offered in exchange. — W. White, Litcham, Swaff- 

 liam. 



Wanted to correspond with Collectors abroad for the ex- 

 change of land and marine shells, crustacea and eehiuoder- 

 mata, — H. W. Parritt, 8 Whitehall Park, London, N. 



Exchange — Fifty-one micro-slides in pine box for well-set 

 British Lepidoptera. — Edward Kitchen, 116 Eversleigh Boad, 

 Battersea, London, S.W. 



Wantrh, wild flowers (fresh or pressed) in exchange for 

 microscopical material, &c. — A. Nicholson, 67 Greenbank Boad, 

 Darlington. 



CONTENTS. 



PAGE 



New or Temporary Stars. By Frank G. Dennett. 



Illustrated ' 321 



Some British Diving Beetles. By E. J. Burgess Sopp. 



FJi.Met.Soc., F.E.S. Illustrated .325 



Mechanics of Conduction of Sap. Bv Harold a 



Haig. Illustrated ". 329 



Colouring of Water by Mr bo-Organisms. Bv James 



Burton .". ..332 



An Introduction to British Spiders. Bv Frank 



Percy Smith. Illustrated 333 



The Zem-Ze* Water of Mecca. By C. Atnsworth 



Mitchell, B.A. Illustrated 335 



Butterflies of the Palaearctic Region. Bv Henry 



Charles Lang. M.D. Illustrated .. ".. .. 336 

 Land and Freshwater Mollusca of Hampshire. 

 Bv Lionel E. Adams, B.A, assisted bv B. B. Wood- 

 ward. F.L.S... 33* 



Science Gossip— Books to Bead. Illustrated . . 339. 340 



Microscopy, illustrated 342 



Astronomy 346 



Chemistry — Photography. Illustrated .. .. 347.348 



Notes and Queries. Illustrated 351 



Notices and exchanges :;52 



