SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



[Dec. 1,1865. 



NOTICES TO COEEESPOl^DENTS. 



Ali, communications for the Editor should be addressed to 

 Ko. 192, Piccadilly, W. To avoid disappointment, contribu- 

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

 month. No notice can bs taken of anonymous communi- 

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

 be g-uaranteed by the name and address of the writer, which 

 mny be withheld from publication if so desired. 



Wk cannot ur.dertake to return "rejacted addresses." 



The Aquavivarium, Fresh axd Marine.— The new 

 Edition of the above work has been somewhat delayed by the 

 desire of the publisher to present it ia a more useful shape 

 than any work hitherto published. It will consist of different 

 departments, by various writers, each especially " up " in his 

 own subject; and in addition to the usual information about 

 Fresh-water and Marine Aquaria, there will be sopara'e chapters 

 devoted to the Cultivation of Minnte Plants and Animals for 

 Microscopic purposes ; and on Out-door Aquaria, Ponds, and 

 Ornamental Waters. As the Editor would illielhe infcJrmat.ion 

 to be as complete as possibie, he would be glad to receive any 

 hints or suggestions f/om readers of Sciexck Gossip who 

 possess special knowledge on the latter subjects. Address the 

 Pubhsher, iy2, Piccadilly. 



E. M. — The price of " British Reptiles " vail be bix shillings, 

 coloured plates. 



Port St. Jui,iA>f Earth.— F. W. desiies a little of this 

 diatomaceous eaith, in exchange for other objects. — Address, 

 No. 1, New Road East, London, 



T. S.— We take no note of queries unless the initials of the 

 inquirer are attached. See pp. 48, 144, &c. 



W. G. — The Meadow-sweC' {Spirtsa Ulmnriit) is a common 

 w Id-fiower. The object on Hazel-leaf is also a fungus called 

 Phijllactima guttata. The parasitic fungi are themselves 

 plants of a low organization. * 



J. I. — Dr. Baird's Entomostraca, witii 3G plates, mo^tly 

 coloured, Svo. pp. .364, 2ls., is published for the Ray Society, 

 by R. Hardwicke, 192, Piccadilly. It is the best and most 

 recent book. 



C. M. D. L — The Caterpillars v.'h'ch caused such irritation 

 of !he sku'i belonged to the BombycidBe, but from your de- 

 scription we could not venture to name the species. They are 

 covered with stiff brittle hairs, the t-harp to'.nts o! which 

 breaking into tiie skin occasion the annoyance you complain 

 of. This was increased by the rubbing.— F. M. 



J. S. has unmounted sections of H^rn of Rhinocero?, Ante- 

 1 pe, 0.x, and Whalebone, which he would exchange tor 

 sfctions of Korfolk Island Pine {Araururta cwci'Jsa), or Chili 

 Pine {Arauc-uria imbricata). Address, 103, St. John's Road, 

 London, E.G. 



J. R. — The object on Oak-leaf is a gall. It is one of the 

 Oak spangles referred to at p. 240. 



A. M. B. — Your shells are Limnc^a pulimtrin.— R. T. 



P. G. {Wiifa7i) says that immense swarms of spiders have 

 occurred there, so that the ground was quite covered with 

 them. 



H. W. J. E. — We have seen the sunflower attain fully 

 twelve feet during favourable seasons, on a rich soil. 



BarTiSH Land Shells. — A. M. B. offers to exchange 

 specimens. For particulars, address, 36, Guildford Street, 

 Bury St. Edmunds. 



A. G. — Your fish are attacked by the fish mould (see p. 134). 

 We can only recommend their removal to a constant current 

 of water. If.thls fails, we know of no remedy. 



A. W.— See several communications on mounting Polyz a, 

 pp. 65, 93, 94. 



Plan'ts Named (A. M.).— Three specimens received appear 

 to be — 1. Bupleurum tenuissiminn ; 2. Junius ticittijlorits ; 

 and 3. Junctts compress iis ; but the specimens were too f. ag- 

 mentary to name witli ctrtai:;ty.— I?'. IK. N. 



Errata.— At p. 26'), column I, 15 lines from bottom, for 

 " crustaceous fish " read " Crustacea, fish ;" column 2, line 22, 

 for " Complex " read " Gonoplax ; " line 26, for " Aldheus " 

 read " Altheus ; " p. 262, column 1, hne 10, for " conductor " 

 read "condenser." — W. A. L. 



C. A. J. — The book projected will include both marine and 

 fresh- water tquaria. Covers for Scib.vce Gossip will be stld 

 separately. 



A. W. — Your sea- side plant is a Salsola ; but as the character 

 is gone we cannot state the species. — W. W. N. 



J. H. B.— The coccas on Myrtle-leaves is the same as 

 occurs on Orange-leaves, viz., Lecunlum hespcridium. — 

 J. 0. W. 



AV. D.— See our reply to A. G.. 



F. H. B. — The larva sent, and which you saw, attacking an 

 earthworm, was that of one of the Stapliylinldoe (beetles), 

 probably a Fhilonthiis.—J. 0. W. 



A. C. S. — The best book on British Birds is Yarrell's ; but 

 that is more than double the price you name. We should 

 think Macgillivray's would meet your views. 



Hair-wor:\i. — F. H. M. remhuls us that the figure of the 

 Hair-worm at p. 197 should be "male," and not "female," 

 as stated in error. 



C. A. J. — The Brown Rat (71/. decumanus) X{a,% not known in 

 this country prior to 1730. 



H. B. — We cannot afford space. You had better insert an 

 advertisement. 



MicRoscopisT. — Please observe our notice, oft repeated, 

 about anonymous communications. 



F. J. B. — " Toynbee's Hints for the Formation of Museums, 

 &c.," published by R. Hardwicke, 192, Piccadilly, at one 

 shilling'. 



B. T. offers Diatoms {P. angiihitum, Campylodiscuscostatas, 

 or JSpatliemia turgida) in exchange for Vuluox globatur.— 

 Address, 57, Lovvther Street, Whitehaven. 



J. B. B. affirms that the figs. 3 and 4, on page 83, are repre- 

 sentations of the larva and egg of th.e Bihio, probably B. /w)-- 

 tulanns; and that the fly parasite, fig. 1, page 227, is Chllif'jr 

 cancrokles. He recommends the examination of the skin of 

 the latter, as an interesting microscopic object. 



E. R. — The plan you propose to follow with your pupse is 

 the best. Study to leuder the condition as natural as possible. . 

 —F. M. 



W. H. H. — Angular aperture has reference to the angle at 

 which oblique rays are admitted by the object-glass. To 

 describe the mode of ascertaining angular aperture would 

 require too much space to be inserted here. See Griffith & 

 Henfrey's Micrographical Dictionary. — W. M. B. 



W. J. E. — Focal length of an object-glass is the distance 

 from the object under examination to a point within the object- 

 glass. The actual distance from the bottom of the object- 

 glass to the object varies according to the angle of aperture. 

 — W. 31. B. 



Crvst.\llized Carboy. — J. E. sends us a small crystal, 

 which he states that he obtained from the fusion of charcoal. 

 This has been examined and found to be glass. All vegetable 

 charcoals contain both silica and alkali in small quantities, and 

 it is suspected that tlie charcoal was heated so long that all 

 the carbon was driven off, and that the ashes then fused and 

 formed the glass bead received. It certainly is not carbon; 

 therefore our correspondent must not flatter himself that he 

 has discovered the secret of manufacturuig diamonds. 



CoMJiux'icATiaxs Received. — R. T.— J. G. — C. A. J.- 

 — J. B. A.— J. C. Q.— P. S. B — J. J.— A. B.— W. B.— E, 

 R. G. C— A. G.— G. T. A.— E. J. W.-J. S. T.— B. T.— H. 

 — W. R.— C. D. M. S.— T. J. W.— A. W.— R. T.-A. L.— 

 — H. E.W.— J. B.— E. C— T. P. B.— J. G.— S. L.— C. M. 

 — O. J. T.-A. C. S.— AV. J. E.— li. W.— A.— E. M.— J 

 A. W.— J. A. K.— H. J. B. H.— E. W.— A. G.— W. H. H.- 

 — A. M. B.— W. A. L.-H. W. J. E.— R. H. J. -P. G.- J 

 J. R.— J. S.— E. R.— F. G. D. D.— J. S.-C. M. D. L.— G. 

 BiCRNARDiN-.— J. I.— C. A. J.-F. H. M.— J. B. B.— W. 

 T. S.-F. W.— E. D. 



•C.S. 



, A.— 



D. G. 



R. B. 



D. L. 



. S.— 

 P.P. 

 S.— 

 G.— 

 G.— 



BOOKS RECEIVED. 



" Contributions to Blow-pipe Analysis." By E. J. Chapman, 

 Ph. D. Toronto, Canada West, 1805. 



"Traite des Champignons, au point de vue Botanique, 

 Alimentaire, et Toxicologique." Par L. F. Morel. (Paris 

 Germer-Bailliere, 18G5.) 



" How to use the Barometer ; a Companion to the Weather- 

 glass." By the Rev. R. Tjas, M.A, (London : Bemrose and 

 Sons, 1835.) 



" Les Cryptogames classes d'aprcs leurs stations 

 naturelles." Par G. D. Westendorp. (Gand: Van 

 Doo.selaere, 18G5.) 



