July 1, 1865.] 



SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



167 



■ A CURIOUS Blight. — On Sunday last I noticed 

 many little floating particles ot" wool or cotton, as it 

 seemed, in the garden, in a bright sunshine. On 

 looking closer, I discovered that they were insects. 

 I captured several and put them into separate pill- 

 boxes. On looking at them some hours after, I 

 found that there were also in each box some ten to 

 fifteen other fawn-coloured insects, much more 

 minute and wingless. 1 at first thought they might 

 be parasites, hidden before in the cotton covering ; 

 but to-day, having again seen some specimens, 1 

 examined one under a microscope, and found that 

 they were young, extruded from the parent ; at first 

 motionless, with antennag and legs placed chrysalis- 

 wise, but in a few minutes becoming active. I have 

 never noticed this insect before; and only now on 

 these two days. I can discover none on any plants 

 in the garden, though they approach in character to 

 what is commonly termed " blight." I enclose two 

 specimens, with some of the young, which I hope 

 will not get quite dried up. If you can tell me what 

 they are, I should feel much obhged : they may be 

 common, bat I never before observed them. — H. W. 

 Livett, M.D. 



[The species sent is one of the Aphidgs, nearly 

 allied to the woolly American blight {Aphis lanigent). 

 It belongs to the genus Pemphigus, having four 

 simple oblique veins to the fore wings, none of them 

 being furcate. — /. 0. W.\ 



Bees' Bemains. "A. 0." Answer.— \Q.wix easily 

 explain the cause of the death of the humble-bees, 

 having as a boy often found, more especially the 

 large red-tailed humble-bee, crawling on the ground, 

 disabled. On examination, I have invariably found 

 them infested, and completely eaten into by a dark- 

 coloured louse, which always chose the back of the 

 bee for its point of attack. I have found li-ving 

 bees with holes large enough to admit a pea, and 

 containing three or four of these parasites. Our 

 belief was that the bee was eaten in this unvarying 

 manner for the sake of its " honey-bag," the hole 

 being always made in its immediate proximity. — 



Aquarium Query answered. — In reply to 

 " G. B. B." (page 14!3),the best remedy, and also pre- 

 ventive, against growth of the plant he describes, is 

 three or four snails, either Trumpet {Plcmorbis 

 corneus) or Pond Winkles [Paludina vivipara) ; they 

 are both capital cleansers. Tadpoles are also of 

 benefit ; but not to the same extent. I am enabled 

 to speak from experience, having been very success- 

 ful with my aquariums for the past two years, 

 although previously I think I had as many accidents 

 and misfortunes as any one. — Thomas Armstrong. 



[The same advice is given by G. M. Buck.] 



Exotic and British Diatoms. — Mr. Kitton 

 (page 140) seems to be under a mistake in supposing 

 the Coscinodiscus radicdus to be exclusively an exotic 

 diatom, as I have found it plentifully in a cave 

 attainable only at lowest water, in the face of the 

 rocks about ten miles south of Aberdeen ; more 

 sparingly along the coast in the neighbourhood. 

 Enclosed is a slide (I am. sorry it is not a very clean 

 one) showing the proceeds of one dip in a washing 

 therefrom. — H. Ambrose Smith, Aberdeen. 



Beech-trees. — Why is it that these trees injure 

 all others encroaching upon them, but are seldom, if 

 ever, injured in return, and will allow nothing to 

 thrive under them ? — A. H, 



The Golden Bloomeria.— A friend of mine, 

 who has lately returned from California, allows me 

 to take an occasional peep at his note-book. I 

 there I alighted on a short account of what I should 

 imagine to be a very lovely bulbous plant, called the 

 Golden Bloomeria, and I should much like to know 

 if it has been introduced into this country by any 

 botanist. The specimen of the blossom I saw was 

 dried, and it had consequently lost the bright golden 

 hue which marks its beauty when growing. {Apropjos 

 of dried flowers, I saw a remarkable group, mounted 

 with their natural colours, exquisitely preserved, at 

 the grand fete, on Saturday the 10th, at the Horti- 

 cultural Gardens) ; its bloom is wonderfully lasting, 

 I am told, continuing in flower for a month or five 

 weeks ere it begins to fade ; but I believe it is scent- 

 less. Tiie bulb was first found in Nev/ Idria, and 

 has been classed by a Califoniian florist with lilia- 

 ceous plants. — Helen Watney. 



White Sparrows in Smoke.— I am informed, 

 by an eye-witness, that some time back a white 

 sparrow was seen to fly backwards and forwards 

 through the smoke of a factory chimney ; and this 

 it continued for several days, and then disappeared 

 as suddenly as it came. I also nm well acquainted 

 with a glass-manufacturer, who informs me that for 

 several weeks he observed a white sparrow flitting 

 about the works undeterred by the constant noise 

 and smoke. Can any correspondent favour me with 

 iuformatiou as to whether ths white sparrow has a 

 predilection for smoke, and prefers to live in smoky 

 districts; also, if cases similar to the above have 

 been noticed ? — R. A. A. 



Sea Anemones Dividing. — I had a very fine 

 Ajithea in a small sea-water aquarium for some 

 months. One night I left it on a piece of rock, and 

 to my surprise, the next morning, I found two in the 

 place of one, on the same stone, with about the space 

 of half an inch between them. They were both fully 

 expanded, and lived for some months after ; indeed, 

 till I left liome. Are Antheas in the hal)it of divid- 

 ing themselves in half ? and what can have been its 

 motive ? I should mention that the tioo Antheas 

 were about equal in size. — L. S. 



Black Beetles.— Can any one tell me an effec- 

 tual method of getting rid of black beetles in a 

 house which has been swarming with them for many 

 years, in spite of several common remedies, — poisons, 

 &c., of which they seem to grow shy after a time ? 

 -A.E. 



White C9RN Poppy.— I recently found a splen- 

 did pure white variety of Papaver RJiaas in a field 

 between Stoke Newington and Hornsey ; the petals 

 were pure paper-white, with a purple-black blot at 

 the base of each petal, in all other respects exactly 

 the same as the ordinary red form. — JF. G. Smith. 



Stream Bubble-shell {Physa fontinalis). — 

 Many of your readers are doubtless aw^are of tlie 

 power possessed by this mollusc of letting itself 

 down from the surface of the water by means of a 

 thread which it forms for the purpose. As perhaps 

 only a few may have had the opportunity of wit- 

 nessing the phenomenon, I will attempt to descrilje 

 it. Happening to look along the surface of the 

 water in a small aquariumj 1 noticed a small circular 

 spot about half a line in diameter. The centre was 

 depressed and funnel-shaped, while to the under side 

 was attached a thread, at the lower end of which 

 was i\iQ physa. I touched the floating speck with a 

 stick, to which it adhered, and I lifted the mollusc 

 out of the water by the thread. — C. A. 



