It is in habit and growth like Pteris, simply pinnate with pinna from four to ten inches long, and the general aspect straggling.

L. flabellulata, Dry., has little half-round pinnæ ranged up both sides of the stalk, which is occasionally eight or ten inches in height.

L. heterophylla, Dry., is bipinnate, that is the pinnæ are pinnate again, and these secondary divisions are either half round or pointed. This species may be said to be a combination of the other two.

Lindsæa may be distinguished from Adiantum as the fructification is continuous and not in patches. Ensifolia means sword-shaped; heterophylla, irregular-leaved; flabellulata, like a fan.

Gen. VI. ADIANTUM, Linn.
(Maiden-hair.)

Who does not know a maiden-hair fern, so called from the black delicate stalk peculiar to every member of the family? The well-known form, however, is not found among the commonest species in the island. The name "Adiantum was given to the fern by Pliny, and means "not to be wetted," from the faculty the leaves have of throwing off the drops of water, under which they love to grow.

Three species are named by Dr. Hance as found in the island.

A. lunulatum, Burn, (moon-shaped maiden-hair), is more often met with on the mainland. It is a very delicate fragile fern, so that specimens required for the herbarium must be shut up in a book or paper as soon as gathered.

A. caudatum, Hook., is common. Like the preceding, simply pinnate, but quite unlike in form and texture. The little pinnæ on each side of the stalk are rough, hairy, close together and deeply jagged, each jag bearing the sorus.

A. flabellulatum, Linn., is the most universal of the three. The divisions of the frond are in the form of a fan, and in twos, each pair nearly starting from a common centre. The venation is also fan-shaped.

The sori of Adiantum are too well known to need description. They are in patches along the margin.

The young frond is often tinged red or purple. This is also the case with Blechnum orientale (hard fern).

(To be continued.)

HYBERNATION OF CUCKOO.-I cannot find any allusion to the hybernation of cuckoos, either in White's "Selborne," or in Buckland's Notes to the same, although White has so much to say about the hybernation of swallows. He mentions that when the thermometer is above 50°, bats fly abroad in any month of the year.-M. E. Pope.

THE

THE ASCENT OF RORAIMA.

HE successful expedition of Mr. im Thurn to this remarkable mountain last December has excited a good deal of interest, from the difficulties attending the ascent, and the consequent ignorance which has prevailed concerning the nature of the summit. It was natural to expect, from the inaccessibility of the plateau, that when once it was reached, valuable information would be obtained as to the fauna and flora, if there were any, which had been for so long a time somewhat secluded from the surrounding country. In "Nature" for April 30th, extracts are given from a paper lately read at the Royal Geographical Society by Mr. J. H. Perkin, who accompanied Mr. im Thurn. From these it appears that on the 2nd of December the explorers reached a group of houses about four miles from Roraima, which is near the border of British Guiana, and three from Kukenam, these flat-topped mountains with dark precipitous cliffs, seeming like huge fortresses built on a mountain-top 7000 feet high, and with walls 1200 to 1800 feet in height. The features of these mountains, as seen from a little distance, seem to be extremely grand. Clouds of white mist accumulate in the gorge between, and, as the day advances, rise towards the summits, as was the case on Roraima soon after the top was reached, whereby a limit was put to the wanderings of the explorers; while after wet weather the water pours over the edge in splendid falls, some having a clear leap of 1500 feet down. The scantiness of the vegetation found on the exposed top of Roraima is attributed to the earth being thus washed away from the surface. On the sloping sides of the mountain, before reaching the cliffs, a large piece of swampy ground was met with, which produced exquisite orchids and ferns, and also the Utricularia Humboldtii and the Heliamphora or pitcher-plant with cup-shaped leaves full of Another Utricularia was re-discovered higher up, a small plant, two or three inches in height, growing on the branches of trees, and having a large deep crimson blossom. Higher still was a quantity of a species of heath with dark pink blossoms of six petals, about the size of a halfpenny. As the travellers reached the top of the ledge by which they made their way up, a number of fantastic weirdlooking rocks were seen, but no trees. Small bushes from three to six feet high, a few orchids, two species of thick-leaved ferns, and a Utricularia, formed all the vegetation seen upon the summit. The rock was found by Mr. Perkin to be too hard to permit of his cutting it. The height attained was reckoned, by boiling the thermometer, to be 8600 feet. The ascent to the summit was made on December 18th. "Nature" publishes also illustrations of the scenery of Roraima taken by Mr. im Thurn, from whom a more detailed report is expected.

water.

A

R. HAWKINS.

A BEAUTIFUL DIATOM.

MONG the various genera of the Diatomaceæ,

perhaps there is not one that is more beautiful, interesting and puzzling, than that of Stictodiscus. Puzzling, because of the curious way in which the numerous puncta, radiating more or less from centre to circumference, seem to be imbedded in the silex of the valves, so that it is most difficult to ascertain when their correct forms, or their relative position with regard to the surfaces of the valve is obtained.

The other day, in looking over a general balsam mount of the St. Marcia deposit, I came across a specimen of Stictodiscus Californicus, which may be considered the typical species of the genus. There were of course many on the slide, but this particular one was tilted up at an angle of some thirty degrees;

Fig. 95.-Stictodiscus Californicus (tilted position). X 6oo.

did so, without any prompting from me, but I can vouch for the accuracy of the sketch, which I send for publication in SCIENCE-GOSSIP, as it may be interesting to many of its readers.

MANY

FRED. H. LANG.

MY GARDEN PETS.

By E. H. ROBERTSON. PART III.

ANY there are who firmly believe that bees are attracted by the colours of flowers, a belief in which I need scarcely say, I do not share, a life-long observation having led me to an exactly opposite conclusion. Indeed, as a set off to the few unreliable experiments occasionally recorded, proofs to the contrary may be multiplied indefinitely; and every observant bee-keeper well knows that bees gather some of their richest supplies from plants bearing inconspicuous blossoms, such as the gooseberry, raspberry, snowberry, mignonette, &c. Of all pollen-bearing plants, the almost invisible flowers of the box-tree are rifled with the greatest avidity, whilst many of the most brilliantly-coloured flowers either yield no honey, or secrete it in nectaries which the honey-bee (Apis mellifica) cannot reach.

My old-fashioned garden is, during a great part of the year, a blaze of colour, but comparatively few flowers yield my pets any sweets. It abounds in foxgloves, monk's-hoods, delphiniums, antirrhinums, &c.,

and from early morn till darkness gathers humble bees of every size, from the lumbering giants of their race down to the tiniest black pigmies, are busy extracting their honey, but beyond an occasional cursory visit by a roamer, the honey bee does not come near, nor ever attempts to rifle them of their

sweets.

Why is this? Why does the humble bee fly direct to the flower, and, forcing his way in, clear out the nectary? and why does not the honey bee? His perception of odours is marvellous, and, unless he be colour blind, he must see the bright colours. The answer, as it appears to me, is simply that the humble bee knows that honey is to be found there, and that he can get it. My pet, too, knows that there is a rich store at hand, but does not waste his valuable time in trying to reach it, because he knows that he cannot. Whether this knowledge be, as some believe, a mere blind instinct, the possession of some faculty not cognizable by man, or an intelligent knowledge acquired by the exercise of its senses, it would be beyond the scope of the present paper fully to discuss. I may, however, say, in short, that I believe that there is absolutely no evidence to support the first; that in regard to the second, we need not credit the bee with the possession of some marvellous faculty surpassing our ordinary senses; and lastly, I consider that the healthy operation of the several senses possessed by the lower animals, in common with man, serves to convey to each creature those scraps of knowledge the sum of which we call experience, bees being no exception to the rule-nor can their experience be measured by our own; a single moment in their brief span of life, may mean infinitely more than an hour or day in ours. The fact is that the honey bee most affects those flowers which yield him the most abundant supply of honey and pollen, with the least trouble to obtain it, whether the colours be bright or otherwise. Sometimes indeed the flower is a brilliantly-coloured one, as in the case of the oldfashioned damask rose, in the pollen of which they often revel, although they will not even visit equally richly-coloured roses hard by, the pollen not being so come-at-able. What is sometimes termed the bees' preference for particular flowers over others has not often really anything to do with the creature's likes or dislikes as a matter of fact being oftener than not his ability or inability to get at the coveted store. Even humble bees cannot reach the honey so abundantly secreted by the scarlet salvia without first cutting a hole in the lower part of the tube; when this has been done the honey bee frequently avails himself of his labours, and clears out such small particles as may still remain.

Should it be argued by the supporters of the "hereditary impulse" and "mysterious faculty" theories that the fact of the imago of insects depositing its eggs where its future offspring will find its natural food, although it no longer itself feeds upon it, proves

that it is animated by a mere unreasoning instinct, I reply that this is pure assumption, and that it may, with far more show of reason, be assumed that, notwithstanding the creature's wonderful changes of form, its individuality has not been so entirely transformed that every atom of its larval nature has been annihilated, but rather that, it retains so much of it as enables it to select for the larva the kind of food upon which it once itself subsisted. Even in vertebrates, remarkable changes take place between infancy and the time of arriving at their perfect state, and their nature has not been changed when they have passed from the milk-imbibing to the flesh and fruit consuming stage. But I must draw rein.

I should be doing my favourites very scant justice if I brought to a close my somewhat desultory gossip, without paying a tribute to their intelligence ; whether it be greater or less than that displayed by other members of the same great family, I am not now concerned to show. I may, however, say that, if contrivance, forethought, and calculation of cause and effect be any proof of intelligence, then my pets are worthy to be classed amongst the most intelligent of animals, that, indeed, "they act just as we act, and are as prompt and skilful in overcoming exceptional and artificial difficulties."

As single instances, out of innumerable that I might adduce, let me mention the following.

During the great heat which prevailed one recent summer day, I observed that the bees in a super lately placed over a hive, were in a state of great commotion and consternation, a closer inspection revealing to me that a large sheet of "foundation," which depended from the roof, and upon which they had commenced a superstructure of comb, had in part, by their weight and the heat, been torn from its attachment, and was on the point of utter collapse. Here was an impending catastrophe, to prevent which I was about to remove the sheet, when I discovered that my wise little friends were quite equal to the occasion, and soon I had the satisfaction of seeing a curtain, or chain of bees, formed, after their manner, from the roof of the super to the edge of the detached portion, to which they most tenaciously clung, thus by sheer strength effectually upholding the collapsing fabric. This would have availed but little had their labour not been supplemented by that of a body of wax workers, through whose energy I could almost trace the growth of a deposit of wax beneath their feet and jaws, and in the course of a few hours a thick column was formed from the edge of the circular hole in the super crown to the sheet upheld by the living curtain, and, not long after, an ever-lengthening sheet formed a continuous and unbroken comb from roof to floor. This most skilful labour fairly accomplished, the commotion gradually subsided, the curtain broke up, and all proceeded in the usual manner. Evidently conscious of its weakness at certain points, they here

strengthened it by additional wax ribs, and it ultimately became the thickest comb of the set.

About the same time a similar accident happened to a newly hived swarm, which had been furnished with combs of considerable size. These combs had, doubtless, not been securely attached, and the weight of the syrup, which I had supplied too liberally, brought down the largest comb of the lot upon the cross pieces of wood driven through the skep. Here, ready to topple over, however slightly the balance might be disturbed, it rested, and the sagacious little fellows, to avert the impending catastrophe, set to work with such goodwill that it was soon securely attached to the rods, although lying horizontally, thus preventing any further upset of their domestic arrangements. This preliminary operation finished, and not before, the bees ventured to remove the whole of the syrup, afterwards so skilfully adapting this and neighbouring combs to each other, that, in process of time, the aspect of the full hive differed but slightly from that of a hive wherein no such accident had happened. After witnessing the proceedings of the bees, I could not doubt that, conscious of the danger to the community, should the insecure comb have fallen to the floor, and conscious, also, that the crowding of a body of workers upon one end of the nicely balanced comb would probably precipitate the catastrophe it was their object to avert, they had avoided the ends of the waxen see-saw until the centre was made immovable.

In the case of another hive in the same row, a fallen comb actually reached the floor board; this being a serious obstacle to the efficient working of the hive, it was bit by bit removed, instead of being adapted. These random instances of bee intelligence will, I think, be sufficient to shew that they can contrive, adapt, and most successfully meet exceptional difficulties.

As an example of their sagacity, let me relate the following. During my absence from home, a large swarm of bees having been hived, the hive, with its floor board, was upon the ground, awaiting removal to its stand, when the attention of my wife was attracted by the remarkable proceedings of two bees, which were apparently directing their course towards the mouth of the hive, although at the distance of about a yard from it. Stooping to observe them more closely, she discovered to her surprise that the foremost was a queen, who was being urged forward by her companion, a worker, this latter displaying quite as much intelligence in driving the mother of the colony as would a drover driving an erratic cow. Now he would touch her gently with his antennæ, as if coaxing her to proceed, now hasten her lagging feet by a push up behind; now appear on the right, and anon on her left side, as she seemed inclined to deviate from a direct course. Soon he was joined by a second worker, who came out to meet them, and

helped to.escort his queen, and before the hive door was reached, she was surrounded by a crowd of delighted subjects, who led her in triumph to her new home.

Whether the first bee designedly set out in search of the missing queen, or whether he accidentally discovered her, his intelligence was, I think most persons will allow, equally remarkable, not, however, more so than I have witnessed in hundreds of instances. Young, and probably idle, bees are commonly driven out to their field work, for idlers are not tolerated in these industrious communities by the older bees, who follow them to the edge of the board, urging them forward by pushing their heads against their hinder parts. The driven one fairly off, the hive is re-entered and the process repeated. (To be continued.)

SCIENCE-GOSSIP.

MR. A. G. CAMERON, of H. M. Geol. Survey, writing to the "Geological Magazine," says that fuller's earth is used in the fen districts of Cambridgeshire and Lincoln to purify the water, rendering it colourless and pleasant to the taste. It greatly weakens chalybeate water filtered through it, and will clarify muddy water, while springs rising from below the fuller's earth are said to be remarkably limpid and free from earthy impurities.

IN connection with the columnar structure of the basalt of the Giant's Causeway, a letter in "Science" describing hexagonal columnar structure in subaqueous clays is interesting. It was observed in the clays occurring in the nearly vertical side of a deep railway cutting near Menomonee, Wis., U.S. The columns, some of which fell out individually, varied in diameter from ten to fifteen or sixteen inches, were irregularly six-sided, and showed convex and concave surfaces where divided across their longer axes, parallel to the bedding planes. These cross-section surfaces exhibited also distinctly concentric, though somewhat interrupted, lines,-structure lines, not colour lines.

AT a recent meeting of the Royal Meteorological Society the report of a Committee appointed ten years ago on the decrease of water supply in springs, streams and rivers, and on the rise of flood level in cultivated regions was read. The drought period, of which till lately we had an example, is said to occur in cycles of ten years, and to be followed by a wet In accordance with this view, Mr. Baldwin Latham expected a wet season next autumn. The lowering of the water level in the chalk of the London basin was attributed, not to the condition of the general water supply, but to the constantly increasing pumping from new artesian wells.

season.

IN a paper contributed to the "Midland Naturalist," and published in separate form, Mr. E. Wilson, F.G.S., curator of the Bristol Museum, discusses the Lias Marlstone of Leicestershire as a source of iron. This rock has been already worked to some extent, and the author anticipates a great extension of the industry from the large stores of iron which must be contained in it and its proximity to the NottsDerbyshire coal-field. The upper beds only are sufficiently rich in iron to pay for working. The paper is illustrated by a map of the Marlstone Rock of the district.

The "Youth Scientific and Literary Society" is now in its 2nd or 3rd Session. Its headquarters are at the Tolmers Square Institute, Drummond Street, N.W., where the meetings are held, and lectures, &c., delivered, one of the objects of the Society being to encourage the study of Natural History among young people. The President of the Society, which has representatives in a good many provincial towns, is Mr. J. W. Williams, B.A., B.Sc., and the Secretary, Mr. R. A. Neville-Lynn, from whom further information can be obtained.

DR. P. Q. KEEGAN writes in opposition to the certainly rather pungent paragraph of Mr. Mattieu Williams, in the May number of SCIENCE-GOSSIP, on the question of throwing the classics overboard in modern education. Dr. Keegan thinks that an exclusively scientific training will not enable a man to dispense the elevating influences of science to the masses sympathetically or with the spirit of humanity. There are doubtless many who, for the same or other reasons, will to some extent agree with Dr. Keegan's views.

It seems that a great deal of lead is expended harmlessly in war. The "Popular Science News" for April publishes an illustration of a soldier surrounded with a multitude of bullets, grouped pretty closely over a circular space around him. It is intended to convey to the sense of sight the fact, that it takes on the average thirteen hundred bullets, even under the conditions of modern marksmanship shown in the Franco-Prussian war, to kill each soldier who falls in battle. The assertion, attributed to Marshal Saxe, that it took a soldier's weight of lead to kill him in battle, is said to have been shown to be not far from the truth at the battle of Solferino, where for every man killed, four thousand two hundred bullets were expended, which would weigh about two hundred and seventy-seven pounds of lead.

MR. A. MELVILLE BELL, who has been absent for some years from England, has been lecturing at Oxford on Visible Speech, or the Science of Universal Alphabetics, of which he is the inventor. Mr. Bell is the father of Mr. Graham Bell, the well-known inventor of the telephone.

CHLORINE, hydrochloric acid, carbonic oxide, silicon fluoride, and arseniuretted hydrogen are now all known in the solid state.

MR. F. O. BOWER, Lecturer on Botany in the Science School, South Kensington, has been appointed Professor of Botany at the Glasgow University, succeeding Professor Bayley Balfour.

IN the April number of "Science" may be found notes of the work done by the U.S. fish-commission steamer "Albatross," which last winter made a cruise in the region of the Gulf of Mexico. Near Havana large supplies of sea-lilies were hauled up on the Pentacrinus' ground. On the island of Cozumel, east of Yucatan, thirteen new species of birds, and two new sub-species were obtained.

It is said that a German publisher has brought out a book printed in dark blue ink on pale green paper, on the theory that neutral tints are good for the eyesight.

THE programme issued for the annual conversazione of the Sheffield Naturalists' Club (April 17th), included the annual address by the President, Dr. Sorby, F.R.S., on Biological Researches, carried out on the yacht Glimpse" in 1884, with lantern illustrations; ants' nests after Sir John Lubbock's method, from Mr. Henry Burns, the nests being illuminated and magnified, and containing the living ants; a collection of skeletons, zoological models, &c., from Messrs. Moore Bros. of Liverpool; entomological specimens from H. L. Earl, Esq., Oxon. ; birds and other animal specimens, stuffed or living, from Mr. A. S. Hutchinson and others; the exhibition of microscopic objects by the owners of the instruments; a large number of mounted specimens of flowers from Mr. G. Hann, living wild flowers and wild ferns. Altogether to judge from the programme the conversazione must have been a success.

It appears now that not only coins, but bank notes are found to harbour bacteria and other microscopic organisms.

66

ON the 20th March last the "Society of Amateur Geologists" met at 31, King William Street, E.C., when a paper was read by Professor Boulger, F.L.S., F.G.S., on Organic Acids and their Geological Effects." Mr. Charles Lane also read a short paper on "Volcanic Rocks." On April 11th, the members of the society went to Finchley, under the direction of Professor Boulger, to examine the glacial deposits there. Both the meeting and excursion were thoroughly appreciated by the ladies and gentlemen who attended them.

IT is announced that Dr. Frankland is about to resign the Professorship of Chemistry at the Normal School of Science and Royal School of Mines.