36 THE AUSTRALIAN NATURALIST. 
NOTES AND COMMENTS. 
Oxprruary.—There died at Milwaukee, U.S.A., on Janu- 
ary 10th, Dr. George W. Peckham. This distinguished na- 
turalist was born at Albany in 1845, and served in the 
American Civil War in a Wisconsin regiment. After the 
war he went to college, and subsequently graduated in 
medicine at the University of Michigan, in 1872. He did 
not follow this profession, however, but became principal 
of the High School at Milwaukee, which position he held 
until 1892, when he was made Superintendent of Schools. 
From 1896 to 1910 he was librarian to the Milwaukee Pub- 
lic Library. Ie was not only a member of, but held office 
in, several scientific societies: His death was the result of 
a stroke of apoplexy. He was a well-known author, and, 
with his wife, who collaborated with him, published numer- 
ous papers on the Arachnida and Hymenoptera, of the 
former group he was, up to the time of his death, one of 
the world’s leading authorities on the family Salticidx; in 
fact, he was second only to Mons. G. Simon. of Paris. A 
number of Australian species of this group were described 
and figured by him. The two best known works on Hy- 
menoptera, by Dr. George W. and Mrs. Elizabeth Peck- 
ham, are ‘‘The Instincts and Habits of the Solitary 
Wasps’’ (1898) and ‘‘ Wasps: Social and Solitary’’ (1905). 
—W. J. Ratnsow (Australian Museum). 
_A Buack Ravisn (Raphanus sativus, L.).—A_ speci- 
men of the above was exhibited to illustrate the effect of 
colour on articles of diet. The appearance of the ‘‘Rad- 
ish’’ is hardly calculated to inspire confidence in its pala- 
tability, nor would it appeal to the artistic instincts of 
the ‘‘Chatelaine’”’ in a scheme for table decoration, though 
it is as pleasant to the taste as its brighter-coloured bre- 
thren, and has a flavour distinctly its own. It is probably 
the ‘‘Black Spanish”’ variety, which is largely grown in 
the European countries bordering the Mediterranean Lit- 
toral. 
—A. A. Hammon. 
Savin Bower Birp.—At the present time (May, 1914), 
a flock of about 17 of these handsome birds may be seen 
feeding on the fruits of the laurel immediately facing the 
Caves House at Jenolan. The trees are close to the road, 
ae many visitors pass daily within a few feet of the 
irds. 
—D. G. StTEap. 
