n6 



HA RD WICKE' S SCIENCE- G OS SIP. 



British killed specimens of rare birds, and eggs taken 

 in Great Britain, that has to answer for the rarity and 

 extinction of some of our birds, and as long as men 

 can be found willing to give long prices for such 

 specimens, so long will the birds be slaughtered 

 directly they reach these shores, or their eggs taken 

 directly they attempt to nest. If men must collect 

 birds and eggs, let them be content to obtain their 

 specimens of British rarities from foreign places 

 where the particular species is abundant, then there 

 may be some chance for such beautiful visitors as the 

 golden oriole and hoopoe to live and nest after they 

 have reached England.— E. IV. H. Blagg, Cheadle, 

 Staffs. 



and that they differ in some important particulars 

 from the members of the genus Lumbricus on the- 

 one hand, and Allolobophora on the other. These 

 researches are being laid before the Linnean Society 

 of London, and will probably form the subject of a 

 paper to be read at the forthcoming meeting of the 

 British Association in Edinburgh. 



Malformation of Periwinkle. — I send you 

 herewith sketches of, a curious malformation in the 

 shell of a periwinkle. Having noticed more than one 

 record of similar monstrosities in land-snails, in your 

 journal recently, I thought that this might possibly 

 prove of interest. The second mouth appears to be 



Fig. 71. — Head of Fowl with curved upper beak. 



Singular Beak of Fowl. — I take the liberty to 

 send you a rough sketch of the head of a fowl, 

 showing the curved and hawk -like shape of the 

 upper mandible of the beak, giving the head the 

 appearance of a bird of prey. — y. Boggitst, Alton. 



Ivoryine Tablets. — We beg to call the attention 

 of working naturalists and curators generally to the 

 Ivoryine Tablets recently brought out by Mr. W. 

 Tylar, 57 High Street, Aston, Birmingham. They 

 are specially prepared for labelling cabinets, boxes, 

 drawers, and natural history specimens. Pencil- 

 marks are easily removed from the Ivoryine label by 

 a damp cloth. The tablets are very useful and very 

 cheap — is. 6d. per. dozen. 



A New British Worm. — A new British worm, 

 known as Tetragomcms pupa, Eisen, has recently 

 been discovered by the Rev. Hilderic Friend, F.L.S., 

 who has also been able to settle a moot point in 

 relation to a group of tree-worms (Dendrobsena), 

 whose exact position among the Lumbricidi has 

 hitherto been but imperfectly defined. It is now 

 found that some half-dozen species of worms live 

 largely among decaying timber and vegetable refuse, 



somewhat clumsily attached to the shell, and the 

 original one is somewhat damaged. Is it possible 

 that the periwinkle preferred making a new orifice 

 to repairing the old one ? — y. Holloway. 



BOTANY. 



Fall of the Leaf in Trees. — I have been very 

 much interested in Mr. Whitaker's notes on trees. 

 In respect to the " Varying Fall of Leaf in Oaks," I 

 may remark that I noticed parallel cases in this 

 neighbourhood last year, but the trees were ashes. 

 In more than one place I observed trees within a few 

 hundred yards of each other, one retaining its full 

 foliage, having a slight yellow tint as the only sign of 

 approaching winter, some quite bare of leaves, with 

 others in intermediate conditions. I have never seen 

 the contrast so marked in any previous year. — W. A. 

 Cain, Newark. 



Prickly Holly. — Being but a young beginner of 

 the study of Botany, I should be pleased if the follow- 

 ing matter could be explained. It is said in most books 

 treating on the subject, that the prickles on the edge of 



