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SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



Localities for Tulip and Maidenhair Trees. 

 — In reply to Mr. Martin's enquiry (ante p. 21), there 

 is a fine specimen of tulip-tree in the pleasure- 

 grounds of Boldre House, near Lymington, Hants, 

 the property of Commander Knapton, R.N. — 

 Helen C. Brine, Winchestey. 



In this town a nice specimen of tulip-tree is in a 

 private garden in Southern Hill. The tree, being 

 close to the fence, is easily examined from the 

 roadway. — Alfd. H. Bast in, 28, New Road, Reading. 



There is a fine tulip-tree in the Hon. Mrs. Joyce's 

 garden at St. John's Croft, Winchester. To the 

 best of my belief, there is a maidenhair tree in 

 Waterlow Park, Highgate Hill, London. — Chas. 

 J. Saltan, 5, Morninglon Terrace, Portsmouth. 



In the Botanical Garden attached to University 

 College, Bristol, there are growing two very fair 

 specimens of Liriodendron tuUpifera (the tulip-tree), 

 and Gingko biloba or Salisburia adiantifolia (the 

 maidenhair tree). — H. Andcent, "Corazon," 3, Clifton 

 Wood, Clifton, Bristol. 



A well-grown specimen of tulip-tree is in Maid- 

 well Dale, Northamptonshire, and a fine avenue of 

 them at Chatsworth. There is a specimen of 

 maidenhair tree at the Botanical Gardens, Cam- 

 bridge, and, if I remember rightly, one in the 

 grounds of Orton Longueville, Peterborough. 

 This is a small contribution to what, in the case 

 of the tulip-tree at least, I should imagine would 

 be a long list. — H. M. Dixon, Wickham House, East 

 Park Parade, NortJiampton. 



In 1876 I planted both trees in my garden at 

 Birstal Hill, three miles north of Leicester. The 

 tulip-tree [Liriodendron) has flourished, and is now 

 about eighteen feet high, with a head twelve feet 

 in diameter and a trunk about five inches. Frosts 

 have never injured it, but I do not think it has 

 bloomed yet. The maidenhair tree (Salisbmia) 

 has grown also, but less successfully. Frosts have 

 frequently killed the younger twigs. It is now 

 about ten feet high, but not more than three feet 

 across at the widest part. — F. T. Mott, Leicester. 



Natural History of the Riviera. — Could any 

 of your readers kindly tell me through these 

 columns of any moderate-priced book on the 

 natui^al history, including geology, of the Riviera ? 

 — Helen C. Brine, Winchester. 



Erinus alpinus at Berkeley Castle.— In 

 reply to Mr. Teesdale's query respecting the plant 

 he has forwarded from the walls of Berkeley Castle, 

 it is Erinus alpinus. Babington records it as grow- 

 ing freely on the old river bed near Tanfield, 

 Yorkshire ; but it is not included in the " London 

 Catalogue of British Plants," or regarded by 

 botanists as a truly indigenous species. — W. M . E. 

 Fowler, Liphooh, Hants. 



Electricity and Plants. — Perhaps some of 

 your readers may be able to throw some light upon 

 a curious phenomenon which came under my 

 notice this week in my garden. On Monday 

 evening, at 8.20, while looking at a red Oriental 

 poppy, I noticed continued scintillations of a bluish 



colour, like the playing of summer lightning, pro- 

 ceeding therefrom. This continued for about half 

 an hour, when no further trace of it could be seen. 

 On the following night, however, a similar display 

 took place about the same time, on which occasion 

 I called in some of my neighbours to witness it, 

 when no small astonishment was created by the 

 sight. — (Capt.J E. N. Cobbett, Belmont Road, Tivick- 

 enhani ; June 15th, 1898. 



Range of Platvptilia tesseradactyla. — We 

 notice that this latest addition to the plume moths 

 of Britain, which was identified by Mr. Barrett 

 from specimens taken in Ireland by Mr. De Visme 

 Kane last year, occurs in America as well as in 

 Europe. Dr. Fernald, in his " Pterophoridae of 

 North America" {vide ante p. 24) records it from 

 Massachusetts, where it feeds on Gnaphalium. 



Pink Flowers of Bdgle. — In the little hollow 

 through which a stream flows between steep banks 

 to the sea, a short distance south of Runswick Bay, 

 Yorkshire, there are growing, amidst a profusion 

 of other wild flowers, a number of plants of the 

 common bugle {Ajuga reptans). Most of them are 

 normally coloured, but here and there are a few 

 clusters with pink inflorescence. In the various 

 " Floras" I have consulted, the colour of the flowers, 

 of the common bugle is invariably given as blue, no 

 mention whatever being made of a pink form. Can 

 any of the readers of Science-Gossip say if this 

 latter variety, which has never before come under 

 my observation, is to be found in other parts of 

 the British Isles ? — Wm. Falconer, Slaithwaite , 

 Huddersfield. 



Herring Larvae. — Mr. Matthias Dunn, of 

 Mevagissey, contributed to the Marine Biological 

 Station at Plymouth a curious note, which has 

 been printed in the last issue of the Association's 

 Journal. He says the master of the fishing-boat 

 " Sea Belle " was sailing with a south-east wind on 

 January i.|th, about five miles south of Deadman 

 Headland, when two miles from the shore they 

 " fell in with masses of muddy-brown water in' 

 strings, some of which were three or four hundred 

 yards long, and from two to seven feet wide, 

 floating quite on the surface for miles." On these 

 streaks pilchards were feeding ravenously and in 

 immense numbers, roughly estimated at some 

 sixty thousand fish. Mr. Blamey, the master of 

 the boat, brought Mr. Dunn some of this floating 

 matter, which proved to be young herrings in their 

 first stage, with the yolk still large. 



Thecla w-album. — Writing to the "Ento- 

 mologists' Record " of 15th' May last, Mr. George 

 B. Dixon, of Leicester, describes his method of 

 obtaining larvae and pupae of the white hairstreak 

 butterflies. As this is a distinct advance on the 

 old style of threshing the trees with a beating- 

 stick, we have pleasure in annexing the idea from 

 our contemporary. Mr. Dixon states that in the 

 latter part of June he stands where the butterflies 

 occur, under the lower branches of wych elm, on 

 which the larvae feed, and examines the outer 

 edge against the light. If the insects are on the 

 tree there is seen what "appears to be a beetle 

 resting on the underside of the leaf; pull down the 

 branch with your stick and you have secured the 

 pupa of the butterfly." The same process applies 

 to the larvae. Mr. Dixon says, also, that it is 

 astonishing how easily this process is conducted 

 with a little practice ; and he readily finds a score 

 or more examples in an hour, if wanted. When 

 the leaf is out of reach, he secures his penknife on 



