144 



SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



[June 1, 1865. 



NOTICES TO COERESPONDENTS. 



All coir.munications for the Editor should be addressed to 

 No. 192, Piccadilly, V/. To avoid disappointment, contribu- 

 tions should be received on or before the 15lh of each 

 month. No notice can be taken of anonymous communi- 

 cations. All notes, queries, or articles for insertion, »n!(s* 

 be guaranteed by the name and address of the writer, which 

 may be withheld from publication if so desired. 



Queries. — Having been inundated with questions, we are 

 compelled to announce that we cannot undertake to answer 

 those of v/hichtho querist mightsatisfy himself by an appeal 

 to any elementary book on the subject. We are always pre- 

 pared to accept queries of a critical nature, and to publish 

 the replies, provided some of our readers, beside the querist, 

 are likely to take an interest in them. 



We cannot undertake to return *' rejected addresses." 



Suppressed Nasies. — Our correspondent Mr. Ralph Tate 

 regrets that writers should suppress their names, because 

 publication would authenticate the facts narrated, and sup- 

 pression could scarcely be justified when the interests of 

 science are regarded. Other correspondents have communi- 

 cated similar views. We do not insert any communications 

 unless guaranteed by the name and address of the writer ; 

 and wherever facts are recorded, would always prefer pub- 

 lishing the names of the respective contributors, but we 

 cannot make it imperative. In " Notes and Queries " we 

 think that querists are entitled to employ initials only. 



Infusorial Earth. — A correspondent has a little from 

 Algeria, which he is willing to exchange for deposits from 

 other localities. Address F. White, J, New Road East, 

 London. 



Carbomile.— T. B. T. is referred to page oG- 



J. M. McV.— No good can accrue from rc-opening the 

 Snake-stone controversy; it has been widely discussed, and, 

 in default of fresh facts, v/ould only occupy space which 

 might be better filled. 



E. R. — We can only afford space to record facts, and must 

 leave the deductions therefrom to our readers. 



J. A. N. — The siskin was not included in our list of migra- 

 tory birds, because a few remain with us through the year. 



W. A. — It is an occasional occurrence. 



W. G. S. — It is clear that the entire paragraph alluded to 

 at page 88 was erroneous. See also note on page 111. 



P. H. B. — We gave a list of works on shells at page 48. 



W. B. D. — There are many places and many prices at which 

 land tortoises may be purchased in London. You had better 

 commission some friend in town to procure you one. 



n. G. S.— See our reply to II. G. at page 96. Newman's 

 Bui terfly number of " Young England" may be had either 

 of the author, 9, Devonshire Street, Bishopsgate, London ; or 

 of the publisher, Twcedie, Strand, London. 



A.E. L.— (1.) At present we cannot. (2.) Because cinders, 

 Iiaving been burnt, contain no spores or mycelium of fungi. 



W. A. L. — Aquarium article declined with thanks. The 

 fragment on " Zoology at the Exhibition " we scarcely think 

 advi.'-able to publi-sli. 



G. L. and II. B. — So many methods are recommended, and 

 all but partially successful. Beetle wafers, phosphor pa^te, 

 crickets, tortoises, hedgehogs, traps, cucumber parings, SiC, 

 all have their advocates. None, we believe, so elTectual as 

 the hedgehog. 



E. M. E. — The Society of Amateur Botanists meets at 192, 

 Piccadilly. Ladies are cligiljle. Write to the Secretary for a 

 prospectus at the above address. 



R. D. B. — A continuation of growth, for a limited period, 

 of sucli aquatic plants, when separated from their roots and 

 ]laecd in water, is by no means extraordinary. 



T. P. B. — Your suygcs'ion might be entertained, but for the 

 regulat'on at pp. 24 and 96, whence you will observe that lists 

 arc inadmissible, and we have no de ire to depart from tliis 

 feature in our plan. 



H. F. — It is a common circumstance, unfortunately, for fish 

 in aquaria to be thus attacked. See our present and previous 

 numbers. 



Salamanders.— Mr. G. II. King, of igo. Great Portland 

 Street, informs us that he has plenty of these reptiles to dis- 

 pose of. 



P. H. B. — Some fungi are very diflicult to preserve. The 

 methods employed are detailed in Cooke's " British Fungi," 

 published by Hardwicke, 192, Piccadilly. Price 6s. Yours is 

 probably a morell, and, if suspended by a string, will dry in 

 a current of air, but shrivel a little in the process. 



W. W. K.— Your nut is caUed " Coquillo," and is the fruit of 

 a palm known to botanists as Attalea funifera. The insects 

 3Iti>-i!:arijdcs formicarum belong to the Coccidcc, a family of 

 beetles.— J. 0. W. 



P. C— We know of no means of acquiring the names of 

 plani-s without application. There is no "royal road to 

 knowledge." We should think Bentham's "Handbook of the 

 British Flora," published at 12s., tlie easiest and best for your 

 purpose. 



E. M. W. — The book you refer to is E. W. Janson's 

 " Beetles,'' 29 plates, 4to., with many figures on each. It 

 could be obtained through any respectable bookseller. The 

 " rose linnet " is the "common linnet" in its nuptial dress. 



G. Day. — The Entomological Society of London consists of 

 members (who pay an admission-fee rf two guineas and an 

 annual contribution of one guinea) and subscribers (who pay 

 the same annual contribution, but are exempt from any ad- 

 mission-fee). For further particulars apply to the Secretary, 

 12, Bedford-row, London, W.C. 



Watford. — The poison of wasps and their allies is only 

 injurious when it enters the blood. In the case referred to 

 the child must have been stung internally. The stings of wasps 

 and bees are active for ten or twelve hours after the death of 

 the insect. 



R. S. S. — Your iridescent green beetles are called Chryso- 

 7nela fastuosa, Linn. Their family is Chrysoiiielidce. We are 

 not aware that they have any economic application. — F. M. 



A. L. D. — It is diflicult, from so brief and general a descrip- 

 tion, to say what bird it was. It might possibly be a " siskin." 



.1, C. — Eggs of the chaffinch are occasionally found of a 

 uniform dull blue colour. 



C. CAPRON.— V'our specimen, sent some time since, on ash- 

 bark, is one of the incomp'ete or transitionaiy Con'omycetal 

 fungi, possibly only spermogones, and, in that state at least 

 has not been named or described. The asci, of course, are 

 wanting : spores free, fusiform, quadrilocular, hyaline. If 

 jou are very di'sirous of a name, call it Septoria fraxinicola. 



TI. S. — There is no doubt about this microscope being still 

 to bs had. Wc desire to give no opinion concerning any 

 particular instrinnent or maker. 



E. S.— Your moss appears-tobe a variety of Brjjum ccespiti- 

 cium, but will be worthy of a re-examination when tile 

 capsules are more mature. It is, at any rate, an interesting 

 variety. — J. K. W. 



E. F. M.— Ozone test-papers may be had on application to 

 Haselden & Co., 18, Conduit-street, London. 



W. {Uoss). — Your name and address is lost. Please to 

 replace it. 



A.mateur. Microscopical Society. — Gentlemen willing 

 to join such a society, should it be instituted, are solicited 

 to contribute their ;iames to W. G.,care of Editor of Scien'ce. 

 Gossip, 192, Piccadilly. 



A HiN'T FOR Contributors. — If our contributors will oblige 

 us by always using the common names of plants, animals, 

 insects, &c., wherever there is a comnr.on name in use, to 

 be followed by the scientific name in brackets, this will save 

 us a large amount of trouble in sending their manuscript 

 to press. As wc do not pretend to address scientific readers 

 alone, vernacular names are indispensable. 



CiiiiiMUNicATiox'S Received.— S. A. J.— R.— W. AV. K. — 

 J. C. It.— R. T.— W. G.— M. J. C— M. McV.— H. L.— W. A. L. 

 — F. W. M.— W. H. G.— G. B. B.— R. S. S.— L. W. G.— R. B. 

 —A. L.— R. Bl.— W. W. S.— P. H. B.— A. E. L.— K. A.— 

 E. M. E.— E. M. W.— G. L.-J. B. F.— F. K.— S. W.— E. R.— 

 J. II . B.-T. 8.- II. F.— A. G.— Watford.— G. II. G.— W. E. W. 



— .T. S.— H. W.— W. G. S.— T. P. B.— W. J. B.— H. B.— J. H. 

 — R. II.— W. W. K.— J. C— A. M. B.— J. B. A.— H. E. A.— 

 J. F.— B.— E. M.— E. F. M.— W. B. D.— R. D. B.— W. M.— 

 T. B. T.— W. A.— D. R.— R. S.— AV. R. T.— E. H.— A. J. R.— 

 A. D.— R. T. S.-E. G.— A. R., Jun.— J. G.— M. A. B.— J. J. S. 



— S. O.— B. J.— W. W. C— G. G. L.— M. P.— H. Janson.— 

 R. H. M.— Mrl— J. A.— G. H. K.— E. M.-B. B. S.— A. H.— 

 W. H. R.— J. E. W. 



Local Names. — Richard Tvrer. — B. 



BOOKS RECEIVED. 

 'Gkoi.oov as a Branch op General Education." By 

 David Page, F.R.S.E., F.G.S., &c. (London. W. Black- 

 wood & Sons.) 



