HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



23 



Hill. Specimens of Scabiosa succisa may be found 

 of shades from white to purple ; and Scabiosa 

 columbaria from white to dark blue, but the latter 

 very rare. It may be noticed, at least in many cases, 

 that the want of colour is usually due to the ex- 

 clusion of light and poorness of soil, while the excess 

 of colouring (as the purple Pyramidal Orchis just men- 

 tioned) is caused by excess of light and nourishment ; 

 but this does not account for the cream-coloured 

 form in the same situation : plants having been 

 placed in an air-tight bottle, and kept in the dark for 

 a few days, will, as a rule, lose more or less their 

 colouring. While speaking of abnormalities, I may 

 mention some plants of Geranium violle; they were 

 all above a yard long, and bore double flowers 

 (November 14) of half to an inch in diameter, with 

 from fifteen to thirty parts of all the whorls. — Henry 

 E. Griset. 



Toad-Spaw.v. — On August 1st, while visiting 

 some small ponds, which had been dried up for some. 

 weeks, I found some spawn similar to that of the 

 toad, but as I never knew toads to spawn there, and 

 the ponds were a great resort of natterjacks, I 

 suppose it was their spawn. Can you account for 

 their late spawning? 



Edwards' " Reptiles." — Can any reader tell me 

 if I could procure a copy of the paper which Thomas 

 Edwarrts wrote upon the " Reptiles of Banffshire," 

 and also what preparation is used to prevent the 

 skins of such reptiles as frogs, newts, etc., from 

 shrinking when bottled. — M. A. Smith. 



The Solar Year. — The Solar Year consisting of 

 365 days 6 hrs. 9 min. 9 "6 sec, and the 6 hrs. being 

 accounted for by leap-year, I shall feel much 

 obliged if any one could inform me how the remain- 

 ing 9 min. 9 '6 sees, are allowed for; whether in 

 1900 a.d. an extra day will be inserted in the 

 calendar. — T. R. Joties. 



Late Swifts. — On the 13th last November, I 

 saw a swift. Had it been a swallow or martin I 

 should scarcely have deemed it of sufficient interest 

 to send to your paper, but that it was a swift I am 

 quite sure, as it crossed the road I was on three or four 

 times, flying low down ; once being chased by one 

 of our small native birds. This year I saw several in 

 the early part of September. — Chas. Law. 



Animated Oats. — My cousin having sent me 

 some of these oats, I followed out her instructions by 

 dipping one in some cold water and then lightly 

 throwing it on a piece of paper. In a few seconds 

 the awns began to move, and after some struggling 

 the oat lifted itself up and turned over. After it had 

 performed many gyrations the oat again became 

 inanimate. I should be greatly obliged if some 

 reader of Science-Gossip, could explain the cause 

 of these movements. — Clara Kingsford, Canterbury. 



The Plague of Flies. — Whilst botanizing in 

 ■woods during last summer and autumn, I was on 

 several occasions almost driven mad by the constant 

 attack of flies and other insects, and although I en- 

 deavoured to ward off the same and keep them at a 

 respectful distance by smoking and sprinkling my hat 

 and clothes with camphor or carbolic, I found that 

 my rude remedies were quite unsuccessful. Thinking 

 that some of your esteemed contributors could suggest 

 an efficient remedy for this plague, I have ventured to 

 ask your kind assistance, not only for myself, but many 

 others who have suffered in the same way. — C. Rea. 



NOTICES TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



To Correspondents and Exchangers. — As we now 

 publish Science-Gossip earlier than formerly, we cannot un- 

 dertake to insert in the following number any communications 

 which reach us later than the 8th of the previous month. 



To Anonymous Querists. — We must adhere to our rule of 

 not noticing queries which do not bear the writers' names. 



To Dealers and Others. — We are always glad to treat 

 dealers m natural history objects on the same fair and general 

 ground as amateurs, in so far as the " exchanges" offered are 

 fair exchanges. But it is evident that, when their offers are 

 simply Disguised Advertisements, for the purpose of evading 

 the cost of advertising, an advantage is taken of our gratuitous 

 insertion of "exchanges," which cannot be tolerated. 



We request that all exchanges may be signed with name (oi 1 

 initials) and full address at the end. 



Special Note. — There is a tendency on the part of some 

 exchangers to send more than one per month. We only allow 

 this in the case of writers of papers. 



To our Recent Exchangers. — We are willing to be helpful 

 to our genuine naturalists, but we cannot further allow dis- 

 guised Exchanges like those which frequently come to us 

 to appear unless as advertisements. 



A. E. Boycott. — We shall be very pleased to have your 

 paper for Science-Gossip. 



J. A. W. — See Dr. Taylor's book on "Our Common British 

 Fossils," for descriptions and illustrations of the crag shells 

 found in the Walton-on-Naze cliffs. 



J. H. B. Green. — Many thanks for the unusually large and 

 fine specimen of abnormal growth of cabbage-leaf. It well 

 illustrates the origin of Pitcher plants. See the papers on 

 "Vegetable Teratology," in Science-Gossip vol. for 1890. 



F. G. Bing.— Many thanks for your pretty sketch of the 

 three funguses growing together by their caps. 



J. E. K. — Apply to Messrs. Wesley & Son, or Messrs. 

 Dulau, for works on Natural History, &c, of Brazil. 



H. W. Bishop. — You can procure a simple section-cutting 

 machine from any dealer in microscopic materials. 



A. W. Richardson. — Coloured plates were only issued with 

 Science-Gossip during 1884 and 1885. 



Alfred Tarner. — Get Mr. English's (of Epping) little book 

 on how to preserve fungi. Mr. Maynard, of Saffron Walden, 

 prepares them beautifully. 



H. E. Craven. — The only mineral resembling iron-ore 

 (specular iron) in the very small specimen sent, is the dark 

 transversely striated mineral " Black Jack," or zincic sulphide. 



"Hussar." — Get the "Collector's Handbook," published 

 by W. H. Allen & Co. There is no little book on marine life 

 correspnding to Cook's Ponds and Ditches." Pennington's 

 "Zoophytes," and Dr. Landsborough's ditto are good. 



Joseph Smith. — See chapters on "Sponges," by Professor 

 Sollas, in 1884 vol. of Science-Gossip; also on "Shore 

 Collecting," in Science-Gossip vol. for 1888. All the works 

 on the subject are expensive. 



EXCHANGES. 



Geological works by Geikie, Woodward, Dawson, Green, 

 8rc, wanted, in exchange for foraminifera named and mounted, 

 or for foramini feral material. — J. H. C, Highland House, St. 

 Julian's, Malta. 



Tertiary fossils. Wanted, tertiary fossils, named and 

 located, in exchange for Mediterranean shells, Iepiduptera, &c. 

 State desiderata.— J. H. C, Highland House, St. Julian's, 

 Malta. 



Humboldt's "Kosmos," 2 vols., 1845-48, cloth gilt, scarcely 

 soiled. Offers. — Joseph Wallis, Deal. 



Wanted, fertile eggs of vapourer moth {Orgyia antiqua), in 

 exchange for eggs of gipsy moth. Address — A. Witt, Hale 

 Parsonage, Salisbury. 



I shall be glad of any named British shells to start a 

 collection. Can offer a few species of British lepidoptera. — 

 Miss E. M. Pepperell, 5 Park Street, Bristol. 



Science-Gossip wanted, cheap (Nos. 241-288, both in- 

 clusive), to complete set. State lowest price.— H. J. Barber, 

 Brighouse, Yorkshire. 



Wanted, good micro, slides up to the value of 4/., in ex- 

 change for an aquarium 24 X 12 X 12 inches, glass slides.— 

 W. Davis, 48 Richmond Road, Cardiff. 



A fine gathering of Batracheosperma moniliforfna, suitable 

 for mounting, in exchange for good slides, preferably of marine 

 hydrozoas and polyzoas. — J. E. Lord, Rawtenstall. 



Eggs to exchange for others n>t in collection: sheldrake, 

 spoonbill, red grousej quail, wcodchat, shrike, common shrike, 



