Maech 1, iS65.] 



SCIENCE-GOSSIP, 



59 



A EUIENDLY NOTICE OE THE TOMTIT. 



(PARUS CJilllXJLEUS.) 



EvEEYBODY is HOW acquainietl with the vaw oak- 

 gall, so much like the nut-gall from Avhicli ink is 

 prepared, as it is now met Avith in nearly if not in 

 every county in England and AYales, and for aught 

 we know has penetrated into Scotland. We still 

 call it new, because no longer ago than 1853 these 

 galls were confuied to Devonsliire, and we have 

 traced their gradual spread from this county over a 

 la:*ge part of our island : at first, only as great I'ari- 

 ties, difScuIt to discover; but in 1SG2 they were so 

 abundant around Cirencester that we had no dif- 

 ficulty in procuring large bunches for the nse of our 

 pupils and lectures. Guess, then, our astonisliment to 

 find the same localities the following year, 1SG3, so 

 scarce as to disappoint most of the members of our 

 class who went in search of them. 



Now, as we had heretofore observed these galls 

 to increase from year to year, until, indeed, they 

 have become a great pest, as threatening the very 

 existence of young oaks, we were at first not a 

 little puzzled ; but on examining more closely into 

 the matter, we saw quantities of freshly-broken 

 galls beneath the trees, whilst those not so much 

 broken were pierced to the centre — just sufficient to 

 extract the grub by which the gall is caused — and 

 the like was observed in the few examples then 

 found on the trees. 



• Having observed so much, of course we concluded 

 that some bird ha.d pierced the galls for the sa.ke of 

 the fat maggot ; and as we love birds, and quite agree 

 with Coleridge— 



"He prayeth best who loveth best 

 All things, both great and small ; 

 Eor the dear God who loveth us, 

 He made and loveth all," 



— ■Ancient Mariner. 



— Yes, with this sentiment v/e watched for our friend, 

 and a little patience discovered to us that pretty little 

 bird known as the bluecap.,OY iomiii {Par us aernlcus), 

 busily engaged in pecking a triangular hole in the 

 sides of the galls and extracting tlie grubs, looking 

 all the time as cheerful and liappy as though he had 

 made a new discovery, and felt himself rewarded for 

 his iugenuity. That this was a new discovery to 



food "little tommy titmouse" we have no doubt; 

 ecause, though tliis bird abounds in the locality, we 

 had scarcely observed their attack upon the galls on 

 any previous season. 



Mr. Hewitson says of this bird — "Although he has 

 long been outlawed, and a price set upon his guilt- 

 less head, he is of a race still sufficiently numerous 

 to rid us of countless insects, and to heap benefits 

 upon us in return for all the persecution that he has 

 met with." 



In the county in which we now live— Dorset — ^tliese 

 galls are so abimdant that we this autumn gathered, 

 for experiment, no less than six bushels from our 

 own farm, where they are so thick that bunches of 

 from 30 to 50 are not uncommon at the tops of two- 

 year-old twigs ; from one such bunch we had the 

 pleasure of observing the plump little flies make 

 their exit by dozens. Here some of the galls have 

 been perforated for the maggots in the manner de- 

 scribed ; but, alas 1 our dexterous little tit is not 

 common with us. TVe hope, however, after this, th.at 

 the readers of Science-Gossip will join with us in 

 wishing that there were more of them, and extend 



their protection not only to this but to the other 

 species of a most beautiful, interesting, harmless, 

 nay, emmently useful genus of birds. 



Wc append a drav/iug of a small bunch of these 

 galls. Eine buuchcs are to be got from the hedge- 

 rows of Woking Common and other places round 

 London. If gathered as late as September or 

 October, the larvaj will be found in their centres ; but 

 later, the perfect fly makes its exit by a round orifice, 

 as seen in the left-hand gall of our cut — unless, in- 

 deed, they should be matured late, and then the fly 

 is not hatched until the follovi'ing spring, 



Jajies BuCK.j!.IA'N% 



AQUAEIUM EXPERIENCES. 



The Sea-Worm {Nereis hilicceata) . — We were 

 introduced to the pages of Science-Gossip by a 

 friend, v.'ho sent us a copy of the first number, re- 

 questing us not only to take it in and read it, but 

 to contribute occasionally some of our small ex- 

 periences in the circles of natural history. We are 

 most unlearned in technical phraseology ; but still, 

 as we wander through the world with our eyes open, 

 and have an intense and appreciative love for the 

 beauties which the Great Giver has so bountifully 

 laid even at our very feet, we sometimes wish all 

 the world could enjoy them with us ; and here in 

 your unpretending columns we have found a medium 

 through which we can direct the attention of our 

 readers to these pleasant subjects, assuring them 

 that eiviui could never visit the mind of one con- 

 stantly employed in unfolding the secrets contained 

 in nature's charming page, Avliich lies ever open 

 before them, and which gives to _ her perusers food 

 for sweet thought and contemplation. 



Just now our own sphere of observation is neces- 

 sarily circumscribed, and an aquarium receives much 

 of our attention. Pray do not lift your brow, gentle 

 reader, and exclaim, " That hobby has been severely 



