168 



SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



[July 1, 1865. 



NOTICES TO COSESSPONDENTS. 



All communications for tlie Editor should be addressed to 

 No. 192, Piccadilly, W. To avoid disappointment, contribu- 

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

 month. No notice can be taken of anonymous communi- 

 cations. All notes, queries, or articles for insertion, must 

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

 may be withheld from publication if so desired. 



QaERiES. — Having been inundated with questions, we are 

 compelled to announce that we cannot undertake to answer 

 those of which the querist might satisfy 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." 



W. W. K.— Your plant, which is odorous when dried, is the 

 " Sweet Woodruff," or Asperiila odorata. 



A Constant Reader will find some information on the 

 American Water- weed at page 141. 



E. M.— The galls are not uncommon around London on the 

 Ground Ivy. 



H. T. K.— If you will send us one of the beetles in question, 

 we will endeavour to answer your query. 



S. Capron. — We think the Mcidium on Galium aparine is 

 the same as that on Galium Mallugo, but nnt the same as that 

 on G. verum ; as you observe, the colour of the spores differs. 



W. S. K. — Your little reptile is the common Smooth Newt 



{Lophinus ptmctatus) . 



E. T. S. — Our correspondent must exercise a little forbear- 

 ance with those who may not have acquired so much scientific 

 knowledge. We strive to offer sometliing for all. There are 

 other journals devoting themselves to "dry science;" we 

 only profess to " Gossip." 



S. M. T. — Withering's Botany is quite out of date. 

 We cannot give better advice, we think, than that given to 

 " P. C." (page 141). Perhaps Notcutt's " Handbook of British 

 Piants " would suffice for your purpose (see below). 



J. R. E. — The small beetle is Phyllohius uniformis. It is 

 tolerably common on low-growing plants.— JJ. G. K. 



C. K. — The caterpillars which are making such havoc of 

 the hawthorn hedges, and stripping them of every green leaf, 

 are those of a little moth known as Hyponomeuta padellus. — 

 F.M. 



R. W. — The caterpillars referred to as completely stripping 

 the foliage of oaks, ash, and hazel, according to your speci- 

 men, are those of Hybernia defolinria, a moth which appears 

 in October and November, the larvae are not particular what 

 tiiey eat.— i/. T. S. Those on the Bird-cherry most probably 

 Hyponumeuta Padi. 



T. H. H. — A well-known habit with the Grasshopper 

 Warbler, in common with several other birds. 



A. S. — Is there not some confusion in your names ? 



R. A. — You will observe that we have ceased to insert 

 Reports of Societies,they being of little interest, except to the 

 members. 



G. D. — A " Fellow " of a society properly means a member 

 of a chartered society who has fulfilled the requirements of 

 the charter in that case provided. An " Associate " is also a 

 member of such a society, fulfilhng other requirements, pro- 

 bably less rigid and carrying fewer privileges. The title of 

 Fellow is often assumed by members of societies not consti- 

 tuted by Royal Charter. 



Microscopical Amateur Society.— All letters on this 

 subject were forwarded to " W. G." 



Nova Scotia Insects. — All letters were forwarded to the 

 correspondent " J. B. F.," upon their arrival at our office. 



C. A. J. — You would find your two first queries illustrated 

 in any good work on Vegetable Physiology. The third is not 

 within our province. Correspondents would oblige by 

 adhering to the good old rule of " one question at a time." 



L. S. informs us that she has exterminated the Herbarium 

 insect (see page 111) from dried plants by keeping camphor 

 with the specimens. 



W. S. K.— The little black insects belong to the Phryganidee, 

 and are known as Mystacides nigra. It is a very common 

 species. — R. McL. 



E. W. wishes to know where vipers abound near enough to 

 town to be accessible to a cockney.. — Write to Mr.W. R. Tate, 

 4, Grove Place, Denmark Hill, Camberwell, and he will uiform 

 you of several localities. 



W. W. K. — An error, by some means, insinuated itself into 

 the reply at page 141. It should have been thus stated: — 

 Margarudes belongs to the Coccidne, a family of insects placed 

 by Latreille at the end of Homoptera. 



E. A. H. — British Orchid-tubers are too succulent to be 

 treated in the manner you suggest. Many foreign species 

 with pseudo-bulbs will succeed : we have seen them grow 

 after having been kept dry in a drawer for twelve months. 



P. P.— You really must forgive us, but we cannot make out 

 the names you inquire about. A good eyesight is one of the 

 blessings we enjoy, but to decipher such mystic hieroglyphics 

 presupposes a knowledge of Sanscrit or Coptic. If some of 

 our correspondents would oblige by writing names more 

 distinctly, and confine themselves to one side of the paper, 

 and one query at a time, what a Paradise they would create 

 for us. 



British HEPATiciB Number. — The special number, con- 

 taining descriptions of all the species of British Liverworts, 

 &c., with 200 figures, for four-pence, will be ready in a few 

 days. As only a limited number will be printed, our sub- 

 scribers are advised to order it without delay. 



J. W. will appreciate our disinclination to mention any 

 nam.es of tradesmen. It gives an undue advantage to the 

 parties named to the injury of others. This we desire to avoid. 



R. Bl. — We do not observe any deviation in your Lathrea 

 fi'om the normal condition. 



Paris Qu.^drifoi.ia. — Correspondents appear to have 

 fallen into error with respect to the query (psge 143). We 

 have received specimens with 3, 5, 6, and 7 leaves. This is 

 nothing uncommon. The query referred to a corresponding 

 variation in other of the floral organs. Has any variation 

 been observed in the number of stamens or carpels ? 



A. E. L. — Ferns are much given to variation. Such sport- 

 ing as you sppak of has induced some botanists to regard 

 Asplenium trichomanes and A. viride as the same species. 



A. M. B. — Your primrose, the lower part of the floral axis 

 being confluent half-way up, and two flowers appearing to 

 surmount a forked peduncle, is scarcely deserving a special 

 illustration. It is curious, but not unique. 



A. L. — The caterpillars of two species of moths are very 

 destructive to apple-trees. The one you refer to is probably 

 that of Clissiocampa neustria. — F. M. 



A Hint for Contributors. — If our contributors will oblige 

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

 insects, &c., wherever there is a common 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 we do not pretend to address scientific readers 

 jdone, vernacular names are indispensable. 



Communications Reckived. — T. P. B 

 — H. S.— H. M. W.-G. G.— W. W. K.— 

 address enclosed). — C. A. J.— J. B.— 

 J. H. W.— L. S.— J. R. E.— B. T.— R. B 

 HuMBER.— E. G. W.— A. B. F.— R. K.- 

 G' M. R.— H. C. S.— E. P.— J. K.— E. A 

 — G. D.— H. F. H.— J. B. (Leeds).— E. 

 H.A. S.— H.U.— A. H. L.— B. B. B.— S. 

 J. E. M.— A. P. F.— S. M. T.— H. W.— E. 

 -R. C. D.— L. G. M.— A. S. B.— C. A. 

 H. W. L.— J. J.— E. C. N.— G. H. P.— P. 

 — E. C— W. H. F.— A. E. L.-M. A. L.- 

 — G. D.— T. A.— R. E. M.— E. G.— W. A 

 — H. P. S.— W.L. S.— J.W.— E. W.— W. 



Local Names.— R. W. 



— W. S.K.— W.J.B. 

 Z. Z.— H. M. H. (no 

 - F. P. P.— R. W.- 

 .— W. (Ross).— J. B. 

 -A. G. R.— Y. Y.— 

 . E.-C. S. B.— E. C. 

 M. (Bath).— A. L.— 

 , C. S.— W. H. A.— 

 T. S.— A. S.— R. T. 

 — W. L. N.— J. W.— 

 S. B.— C. K.— E. S. 

 -E. A. H.— H. A. A. 

 L.— W. B.— J. McV. 

 G.S. 



BOOKS RECEIVED. 



" A List of Certain Plants to be met with in the Neighbonr- 

 hood-i of Barmouth, Dolgelly, and Harlech, &c." By the Rev. 

 T. Salwey, B.D. (Barmouth : D. Jones.) 



" Handbook of British Water-weeds, or Algse." By Dr. J. E. 

 Gray, F.R.S., &c. The Diatomace?e, by W. Carruthers, F.L.S. 

 (London: Hardwicke.) 



" Handbook of British Plants." By VV. Lowndes Notcutt, 

 12mo. cloth. 213 pp. (London : Longmaais.) 



