SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



363 



Africa, for the full extent of the sources whence 

 this valuable product may be obtained is still 

 unknown. In the world's commerce, Africa now 

 occupies an important place, and as a source of 

 indiarubber it is at present attracting the attention 

 of Europeans. The value of the imports of African 

 rubber into the United Kingdom in 1896 amounted 

 to over .£1,000,000, and of this nearly £850,000 was 

 from British possessions. 



5, Brighton Terrace, Joppa, Edinburgh. 



INSTINCT OR INTELLIGENCE. 



By W. W. Midg-ley. F.R.Met.S. 



IN Science-Gossip, at p. 304, Mr. B,. Dickson- 

 Bryson, B.A., in his able article on " Instinct " 

 says : " Note, too, each species (of birds) has 

 built on the same uniform plan from immemorial 

 time." Early in the month a letter was sent me 



guarded. Utilising the dead stalks of last 

 season's nettles, with bill and claws, they have 

 fastened the ends into the nest and round the 

 trunk of the tree, again fastening the other ends 

 into the nest. Still further to guard against the 

 equinoctial gales they have selected two of the 

 longest stalks, slung them round the trunk at the 

 nodes, about fifteen inches above the nest, and 

 woven the ends into the sides of the nest so as to 

 stay it. I enclose photographs showing these 

 clever contrivances. 



Surely here is an instance of something akin to 

 intelligent design to overcome disasters to which 

 these birds or their ancestors have been subject. 

 The nest was finished and contained an egg at the 

 time the photograph was taken. 



Public Museums and Observatory, Bolton. 



South Side. 



North Side. 



Thrush's Nest with Protection Ties. 



from a head-gardener at a residence some two 

 miles west of Bolton, in which he described a 

 remarkable song-thrush's nest, and invited me 

 to go and see it. This I did, taking a camera 

 with me. I found the birds had selected a young 

 fir-tree, Pinus sembra, for nidification, placing the 

 nest in the axils of two lateral tranches, and 

 against the trunk of the tree in the " instinctive " 

 orthodox plan; plus, something fresh in thrush 

 architecture. The grounds are exposed to the 

 full force of south-westerly winds, and the gar- 

 dener says he has often known instances of the 

 nests of birds being overturned by the wind. 



To prevent such a misfortune, this pair have 

 adopted a plan whereby such an event is safe- 



Distribution of Mollusca. — Mr. Wilfrid Mark 

 Webb, F.L.S., has arranged to communicate to 

 Science-Gossip a series of articles upon the dis- 

 tribution of the British land and freshwater 

 mollusca. It is intended to illustrate the range of 

 each species by a specially -prepared map of the 

 British Isles. Mr. Webb appeals to our readers 

 for the latest information as to the distribution of 

 terrestrial and fluviatile mollusca of Britain; 

 either as county lists, or isolated records or refer- 

 ences to such. Mr. Webb has already a large 

 amount of material towards the monograph ; but 

 it is desirable that the very latest information 

 shall be included. Communications may be 

 addressed to the office of Science-Gossip ; or to 

 Mr. W. Mark Webb, 2, The Broadway, Hammer- 

 smith, W. 



