8o 



iCIENCE. GOSSIP. 



[ArEiL 1, 1865. 



ZOOLOGY. 



Natterjack in Ieeland. — I met liere again 

 (Ross Bay) tliat curious ampliibian tlie natterjack 

 (Bufo ccdamita). It is a pretty, harmless creature, 

 and its bell-like chorus at eventide could be heard 

 at a great distance. I had previously observed it 

 amongst the sand-flats of Southport an almost iden- 

 tical habitat. — Dr. Carnngton's Gleanings. 



Mole and Mouse. — Last winter, when the ground 

 was frozen very hard, I saw a bewildered mole trying 

 with all his might to bury himself in the ground. I 

 soon captured the little beast, and pocketed him. 

 In my walk I espied a poor field-mouse running 

 about for shelter ; him I easily captured, and put 

 into the same pocket, which was large and capacious. 

 Very shortly after the introduction, I found a 

 considerable disturbance was going on between the 

 two, and, supposing they were trying to escape, I 

 closed the pocket to prevent their doing so. I 

 reached home in about half-an-hour, when,'what was 

 my surprise, on feeling for my captives, to find the 

 poor mouse gone, all but his head. The mole had 

 disposed of him. I then placed the survivor on 

 the table, laying the head before him, when, with 

 all the coolness imaginable, he picked the bones of 

 liis unfortunate companion, taking no heed of several 

 persons who stood round. — W. H. B. 



Does the Spider Eat his Web ?— Dig out the 

 coal, let the hearth be bright, and let the forge glow, 

 and then watch how the dark vapours creep and 

 spread over the sky like some mighty spider's web. 

 The spider still eats its own web. Even this last 

 product of the furnace and the chimney is too pre- 

 cious to lose. Ten thousand green leaves attract 

 and suck ill the rich carbon which the atmosphere 

 has distilled from the smoke. Through their innu- 

 merable mouths the unwearied old planet swallows 

 her own workmanship again, as a tree extracts the 

 substance of its own falling leaves, or as the spider 

 eats his web. — The Nonconformist, No. 1,009. 

 [What conscientious scruple could have haunted our 

 contemporary to prevent the publication of the 

 name of "the magazine for Eebruary," which sup- 

 plied the title and subject of a "leader" of nearly 

 three columns, whence the above is quoted ? To 

 this example vje are " nonconformists."— JFc^. 8. G?\ 



Your correspondent T. K. has so ably answered 

 the query respecting the garden spider eating its 

 own web, that I can with pleasure bear testimony to 

 the truth, having been a witness to the same nearly 

 ibrty years back. — U. S. B. 



The Cuckoo.— In the west of Scotland, the cuckoo 

 selects, without any exception within my experience 

 or knowledge, the nest of wliat is locally called the 

 "mosschceper" (laossbunting) for its egg, one g^^ 



only being found in any one nest. I have seen very 

 many of the usurped nests vv^ith eggs, and ultimately 

 with the solitary young cuckoo. The eggs of both 

 birds are very similar in form and markings ; but 

 that of the cuckoo is slightly the largest. It is a 

 fact familiar to most observers that a small bird 

 flies some twenty or thirty yards in the rear and 

 direct track of the cuckoo, and rests when the cuckoo 

 rests. This I have observed during a long course 

 of years ; but I do not remember to have seen the 

 fact on record. This devoted attendant is the foster- 

 bird — the bunting — always under such circumstances 

 called the titling. A schoolboy-rhyme, in the form of 

 a puzzle, pointing to this connection, and likely 

 common over the whole country, runs thus : — 



" The liuty, and the linty-whcet. 

 The laverick, and the lark, 

 The cuckoo, and the titling, — 

 liow many birds is that ? " D. R. R. 



Eeptiles in Coneinement.— In- a fern-case, 

 about 3 feet by 1 in area, I kept two toads, a small 

 frog, and a number of newts. The frog did not 

 appear fond of the water ; the newts would not go 

 in, and if thrown in, immediately crawled out again. 

 The toads, on the contrary, appeared to enjoy an 

 occasional bath, remaining in the water, with the 

 mouth and eyes above the surface, for several hours 

 together. " H. F." does not appear to have been 

 able to keep toads in his fern-case for long. Mine, 

 on the contrary, lived, the one for about a year, the 

 other for nearly two. The newts dropped oii one 

 by one, the last surviving for, I think, upwards of 

 eighteen months. The frog lived for several months, 

 and was a very interesting creature. When on the 

 upper part of the fern-fronds, where he delighted to 

 bask, he appeared of a distinctly greenish tint ; 

 but when on the soil, at the bottom, the hue changed 

 to so decided a brown that it was difficult to find 

 him. During the time that these creatures were 

 among the ferns, I am not aware of having seen an 

 aphis, whereas, since their decease, the young fronds 

 (especially those of the Polypods) are, during the 

 summer-months, infested with them. — G. A. 



TiieBittebn. — Afine male specimen of the Bittern 

 {Arclea stellaris) was caught by a dog amongst some 

 rushes in a meadow near Northampton, in January, 

 1S61. Another Bittern was shot by a gentleman, 

 near Wellingborough, in Eebruary of the same year. 

 J may also mention a male Bittern which was shot 

 v/ithin a few miles of Yfellingborough, in 1856. 

 These, I believe, are the only recorded instances of 

 this bird being met with in Northamptonshire of 

 late years. — IF. K 



A Sandpiper in Difficulties. — While walking 

 by the side of a small mountain-stream in the north 

 of Yorkshire, last summer, I was startled by a flutter- 

 ing noise ; and on looking round, saw a sandpiper 



