they can scarcely fail, to act thereupon in accordance with the dictates of their own consciences. To the microscopists of our cities and large towns, we present the example of the Quekett Club, and beg of them to take courage and establish for themselves similar local associations which shall bind hand and heart in a noble enterprise all good men and true, who are fellow explorers in the new world of little things, and who would discover more of the hidden mysteries of life.

ZOOLOGY.

VARIETIES OF BUTTERFLIES.-On a recent visit to the Isle of Wight I captured a male specimen of Colias edusa, the hind legs of which, on the upper side, present in certain lights a most beautiful display of colour, "shot" (as we may call it) in the same way as the wings of Apatura iris, only in Edusa the colour is rich plum. I should like to know whether this play of colour has been observed before. I may mention, for the information of Lepidopterists, that on a visit to the New Forest in July, I took the variety of the female A. paphia figured in plate xii., fig. 3, of Westwood and Humphries' "Book of British Butterflies," and described therein as being then "unique." I should much like to know whether it has been taken since the publication of that work. My specimen has rather lighter patches on the upper portion of the wing than in the figure, but is in ground colour and in other respects identical. To those who have not yet tried the American moth trap (procurable at Cooke's, naturalist, New Oxford Street), I would say try it. C. cytherea and Leucania pygmina are among my captures by its means.-Windsor Hambrough.

BEES AT LARGE.-On the 19th of August a strange scene was witnessed in the shop of a wellknown fruiterer and dairyman of Bath. On the previous Saturday evening two hives of honey were conveyed to his premises, which were duly secured after business hours, and remained unopened till the following Monday morning, when to the amazement and discomfort of the proprietor and his family, it was found that the supposed suffocated bees had become resuscitated, and were as busy as bees can be, although confined within a fruiterer's window. The latter was a very unusual and attractive spectacle to many of the public throughout the day; and although it is to be regretted that the worthy inmates experienced a loss of trade, and had several practical illustrations that bees possess stings, it is satisfactory to know that, as evening approached, the bees returned to their hives, and long ere this, we fear, have met with a fate too cruel for insects so industrious and provident as the English honeybees.-R. H. M.

THE KINGFISHER.-In the reedy, grassy banks of the Brathay a pair of kingfishers had a nest, and it was beautiful to see them dart like a flash of emerald light into the stream, catch the fish they had marked, dexterously kill their prey by knocking its head against a stone, and then retreat with it into the hole, which I supposed was a deserted rat-hole, of which there were many in the bank. About a foot within the hole was a layer of fish bones, no doubt the skeletons of the eaten prey, and on these were laid the eggs, seldom, I think, more than two in number, of a very pale bluish colour. My son has repeatedly noticed the same circumstances in his fishing expeditions along the banks of the Yorkshire Derwent.-P. S. B.

THE MOLE CRICKET.-In the reprint of Knight's 'English Cyclopædia," in the article "Gryllidæ," it is stated, "As yet it is doubtful whether these insects (Mole Crickets) prey upon worms or other insects, or whether they feed upon roots." I kept one in a box of earth some time ago, and fed it entirely upon worms, of which it ate on an average about three a day. It used to take the worms between its spades or diggers, and suck out the flesh, leaving the skin entire. A large Indian Centipede which I also possessed fed in a similar manner, steadying the worm between its pincers.W. R. Tate, Grove House, Hackney.

CHAFFINCH NEST.-In May, 1866, I found a nest of the chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs); it was placed in the cleft of a hawthorn bush, and contained two eggs; but was constructed of a novel material. It was of the usual chaffinch, with its neatly rounded edges, but instead of the lichens with which they are generally adorned, it was entirely covered with pieces of paper of a pearly whiteness, procured, no doubt, from a heap of refuse lying near it, and which, upon examination, I found to be house paper, with the colour bleached out of it. Altogether, it presented quite a unique appearance, and suggested the idea of a shower of snow having caught it.-Thos. H. Hedworth.

A MEDIEVAL ANECDOTE OF A DOG.-When Duke Robert and Richard duke of Capua besieged Palermo, which the ferocious Prince Gisolfe defended, the sufferings of the inhabitants through hunger and misery are described by the monk of Monte Cassino, as resembling those experienced during the siege of Jerusalem by the Romans. The interests of humanity required that an end should be put to the horrible despotism of Gisolfe, by winning the town, so that these sufferings were unavoidable; but the Norman Princes nevertheless found occasion to evince mercy to vast numbers, while persevering in their laudable enterprise. Two young men on this occasion, followed by a dog, contrived to escape from the city, and came to

where the duke was, and begged bread for God's sake, which was given to them, and the boys gave a third part of it to their dog; and the dog that evening ran back to the city, carrying the bread to their father's house, and placed it at his feet, and then returned to the lads; and the next day they had bread enough, and gave more to the dog, though they knew not what he had done] with it before; and the next evening again the dog carried it to their father, and the third day likewise; and the father believing that some Christian sent him bread for the love of God, tied a card round the dog's neck, on which he wrote, "I thank God for him who has given me these alms, and I cease not to pray to God for him." With this the dog returned, and when the boys had read the card, they carried the dog, having it still hanging from his neck, to the duchess; but she would not believe their report. However, she caused a little sack of bread to be fastened to the dog; and the dog seemed to be afraid of the people, as if he expected to be accused before the prince; but after sunset, as usual, he set off, and carried the bread to the city; and on his return, another card was found, on which was written, "Greater thanks I render thee for these greater alms." At length the prince heard of this circumstance; by his orders the dog was slain, and his master cast into prison and put to a cruel death.-(Mores Catholici, vol. ii., pp. 357, 358.)—G. S. A.

SPARROWS AND MARTENS. - We had a good opportunity this month (May), of observing the strong and amusing contest carried on between the common sparrows and the house martens; the latter began their nests in the angle of our gable quite independent of, but in close proximity to, a colony of sparrows already established beneath the slates. However, before the martens had made much progress with their plastering work the sparrows seemed to think it would suit them very well, so usurped the martens' yet unfinished nest, and fought hard to retain possession, actually throwing down portions of the plaster and using it as weapons of defence against the martens, while the latter attempted to recover their legal rights. This was carried on for some time, but eventually, to our no small delight, the martens gained complete victory.-W. P.

ANECDOTE OF A HORSE.-Last year, during a tour for toadstools, I made a temporary stay at a small house in Bedfordshire, when a horse in the back-yard grasped with his mouth the handle of the door of the room in which I was sitting, and by a twist of his head turned the spindle and entered the room. The mistress of the house knowing his habit, put a piece of loaf-sugar into his mouth, when he immediately backed out and again grasping the handle closed the door after him. The woman

told me that when the horse was disengaged in the yard he often came inside for a piece of sugar in that way.-W. G. S.

ANECDOTE OF A MONKEY.-Last week I was watching the antics of an organ-grinder's monkey at Stoke Newington. I noticed the monkey carefully searching under the coping of an old brick wall, and on closely observing him, I saw him, with his fore-finger and thumb, fetch out three or four large full-grown spiders, and eat them, apparently with the highest relish.-W. G. S.

BARN RAT EATING WORMS.-I have never seen the barn rats eat the "Marsh worm," though it is very likely they will do so. Last summer the meadows seemed to be invested with the barn rat, and before the grass was mown, their beaten tracks could be seen almost everywhere from one hedge to another. After the grass had been cut, I frequently used to go into the meadows entomologizing in the evenings, and was often much interested to see the manner in which the rats secured and devoured the common earth-worm out of the grass, sitting upon their haunches squirrel like, as "H. Smith" describes in the March number of SCIENCE-GOSSIP. It was often amusing to see them when they had to pull the worm out of its burrow. The rat would seize the worm and try to pull it out of its subterranean retreat, but finding the worm of such a length, the rat would stretch up his neck to a considerable extent, or stand on his hind legs and pull, never leaving his hold till the worm was fairly out of its tunnel, as if he well knew that letting it once go would be losing it altogether. Doubtless every reader of SCIENCE-GOSSIP has observed how a thrush stretches up his neck and pulls when extracting an earth-worm from its retreat, and the rat acts in somewhat the same manner. Having completely dislodged the worm, the rat takes it in his paws and proceeds to devour it as a squirrel would a nut or acorn. During the past cold weather I think a large number of those rats perished from hunger. I shot a number of them, and they were apparently in a starving condition.G. B. C., Ringwood.

DISGUISES OF INSECTS.-The little HuntingSpider (Salticus scenicus), of which I have a large number on a sunny wall in my garden, so exactly resembles a grain of mortar as to be quite indistinguishable, except when the creature is in motion (indeed its movements are sometimes so slow as to be imperceptible). This disguise is of immense advantage to the spider in securing its prey, as flies frequently walk into close proximity to it without detecting its presence. Although common, it is extremely difficult to find, except on very sunny days, when the little shadow which it casts [helps to betray its whereabouts.-W. G. S.

TOADS AND FROGS.-I have a collection of these in my garden. The toads invariably select the sunniest, hottest, and driest places, and there bask or crawl about in the sun. I never see them in damp shady corners. The frogs appear to object to moisture; when it rains, they leave the beds and get under shelter. This is always the case. I have seen them climbing up the walls; they get over one ten feet high. They frequently get three or four feet up the stem of a medlar tree, and there rest, or creep about the branches of an American creeper nailed to a wall. In one part of the garden there are five stone steps; the frogs know them quite well, and go up and down, springing one step at a time in the most methodical and laughable manner. Should the garden door be open in wet weather, they come in and sit round the kitchen fire. They are lively at night, squeaking and hopping about in a sprightly manner. I saw a frog sitting on the top of an agaric a few days ago, in the manner of the sketch I made for SCIENCE-GOSSIP last year.W. G. S.

FROG IN GOOSEBERRY BUSH. I have, like most others, frequently seen frogs take refuge in holes, ditches, ponds, or banks, also underneath grass, heather, stones, or roots, but never until yesterday morning (August 20th) up a gooseberry bush. I believe the occurrence to be worthy of remark. The frog in question had been frequently worried by a terrier, whose especial delight consisted in hunting the wretched thing out of its hiding-place and carrying it about the garden for short distances in its mouth, so that there was a good reason for its choosing so unusual a position. The gooseberry bush is of a fair size, and the branch on which our friend was seated very slender, and overhanging the ground about a foot and a half above the soil. He was partially hidden from view, though hardly out of reach of the dog's mouth, which had frequently been brought very near him. It would have been impossible for the frog to have hopped to this seat, as the branch was too slight to have borne the shock caused by his weight, its occupant being very fat and heavy, so that he must have climbed up the stem, and thence gradually have proceeded along the branch. Anyhow, there he was, and there he remained for upwards of an hour. -J. G. T.

[In answer to our correspondent we append a similar occurrence recorded by a well-known author some years ago.]

CLIMBING FROGS AND TOADS.-Have any of your readers experience of the climbing propensities of the British Batrachians? Some few years since I was summoned by my children into my drawingroom "to see a frog climbing up the glass of the window." This seemed a fool's errand, but it was

a fact; a halfgrown frog was adhering by its stomach to the outside of the damp glass, and slowly making its way upwards. More recently, a pet frog, which I had kept in my greenhouse to destroy insects, elected to take up his residence among the branches of a very fine tree-mignonette which I had trained up to be a shrub five-and-a-half feet high. Only a few days since I was called away by a young friend to see a toad which had found a retreat and shelter from the broiling sun in an old blackbird's nest, constructed in a dense thorn hedge, some three or four feet from the ground. All these incidents I can satisfactorily verify if required. Do any books on Natural History record similar facts? -C. A. Johns.

TORTOISES.-Last autumn I obtained several tortoises from the river Douro; being recently captured, they would eat nothing until the spring, when they became familiar, receiving food from the hand, as flesh of any kind, cooked or raw, snails, bread, &c. In feeding, they much remind one of a dog in the way they snap, and continue the snapping until the whole piece is in the mouth; but if too large for one mouthful, they tear it asunder by placing the forefeet firmly against it, whilst with outstretched neck they hold the piece in the beak, and retracting the head, swallow the morsel so detached, renewing the attack with surprising dexterity, showing the wonderful fitness of these clumsy looking creatures for the place in nature assigned to them by God.-G. S., Oporto.

FIELD MOUSE.-My children found a very young field mouse, apparently dying; it however took food, recovered, and became a favourite. I made a small revolving cage for it, similar to those sometimes used for squirrels. He grew fast, and became very fat. At dusk he habitually left the dormitory, where he slept during the greater part of the day, and worked away at the cylinder for hours, not attempting to escape, but as far as we could judge being pleased with the exercise, whether in a lighted room or in the dark. He ate most kinds of grain, and fruits, biscuits, cakes, &c., but his standing dish was bread and milk. After being kept for eight or ten months, he became morose, biting when handled, and was liberated.-G. S., Oporto.

DISGUISES OF INSECTS.-Will you allow me to supply an omission made by Mr. A. R. Wallace on page 198 of your last month's issue? I refer to the larvæ of the Swallow-tail Butterfly, with regard to which it should have been stated that the boxes containing them were opened and exposed to the fullest light as soon as the larvæ had attached themselves permanently to the insides for the purpose of changing into pupa. This is of importance, as I have no doubt that light has a strong influence in producing the effect mentioned.-T. W. Wood,

BOTANY.

ENANTHE PIMPINELLOIDES.-There seems to be some confusion in the names given to this plant by different British botanists; at least, the plant so named by Smith, Withering, and Macgillivray is not the same as that called by the same name by Babington and Sowerby. The Enanthe pimpinelloides of the former is the Enanthe lachenalii of the latter. I am now speaking of the Enanthe pimpinelloides of Sowerby's "British Botany." In that work, now in course of publication, this plant is stated to be rare; only one habitat, Fifehead Neville, is given for Dorset. A short time ago I found it very abundant in a field about six miles from Sherborne in that county. The locality is in the parish of Bishop's Caundle, adjoining the footpath from Holwell Rectory to Bishop's Caundle: there were scores of plants. As it is expected that a new Flora of Dorsetshire is about to be published, perhaps it may interest the compilers thereof to know also that the somewhat uncommon plant, Monotropa hypopitys, var. glabra (Bernh-), grows in the beechwoods surrounding the beautiful park at Milton abbey in the same county.-R. W.

BLUE PIMPERNEL.-This is not so uncommon as "G." supposes; in limestone districts I have often found it in profusion. On Lincoln Heath it occurs in almost every field, and not sparingly. In addition to the blue variety, I have often found pink, buff, and cream-coloured flowers.-L.

THE BLUE PIMPERNEL (Anagallis cærulea) p. 209. -This very pretty little plant, although by no means common, is scarcely as rare as your correspondent "G." implies. The comital estimate, as given in the "Cybele Britannica," is thirty. Mr. Borrer inclined to the belief that A. cærulea was a true species, although A. arvensis occasionally varies with blue flowers. I fancy it is hardly necessary to record every locality for the Blue Pimpernel, but I have observed it for two or three years in succession in two localities near High Wycombe.-B.

DOUBLE BITTERCRESS.-Some years ago I found a large plot of ground at Dalhousie covered with double Cardamine pratensis, which had the singular characters noticed by "C. B." There were many scores of the double blossomed plants.-L.

THE MARSH SOWTHISTLE (p. 210).-May I, as one who takes considerable interest in the distribution of our British plants, request your correspondent "Jas. W. White" to publish at least the name of the county in which he made his fortunate discovery? The Sonchus still, I believe, grows in the neighbourhood of the Plumstead Marshes ; but I would not ask for the definite locality of Mr. White's discovery, having as great a horror of "depredators" as he has.-B.

PRIMROSES AND OXLIPS.-We must again call the attention of our contributors ("A. C. E.," "A. C. P.," "G. E.," "R. S.," and others) to the fact that at least two different plants bear the popular name of "Oxlip." One of these is only a variety of the primrose, with the flowers in umbels; or rather it is a hybrid between the cowslip and the primrose, and often found in company with them. It is Primula officinali vulgaris (pl. 1132, 1133 of "English Botany," 3rd edition). Most of our correspondents evidently allude to this as the "oxlip." The other plant (see "Phytologist," vol. i., pp. 232, 1001), is Jacquin's oxlip ("English Botany," 3rd edition, pl. 1131), the Primula elatior. Mr. H. C. Watson writes of it thus: "In the cowslip and primrose, and all their varieties, a circle of scalelike glands surrounds the orifice of the tube of the corolla. These glands are absent from the Primula elatior. It is difficult to specify any other sufficient character." We hope that in any future communications greater care will be taken in noticing this distinction.

BOLETUS IMPOLITUS, Fr.-This fungus may not unfrequently be observed in this neighbourhood, growing under oaks, in the vicinity of the upland woods. It often attains a large size, looking in colour and form not unlike a huge underdone batchcake. In Berkeley's "Outlines of British Fungology" it is aptly described as having the taste of sprouted walnuts, and moreover that it is esculent. Being one of the species which turns blue when broken asunder, and which are generally held in bad repute, I have been induced to make a trial of its edible qualities. Having selected a promising specimen, I had it nicely cooked; and on tasting it found that the peculiar bitter flavour, instead of being dissipated, had become more developed; indeed, to my palate it was altogether unsatisfactory; and I do not hesitate to say that if this fungus is esculent, it is certainly not excellent, or worthy of commendation. Now that many persons are turning their attention to a number of our native fungi which have been recommended as really both palatable and wholesome, it is desirable that none should be enumerated as such of which there may be any doubt, otherwise a prejudice is easily raised, leading to an undeserved condemnation of all.-H. B., Cheltenham.

THE YEW proved fatal to three of our kings. Harold was killed by an arrow at the battle of Hastings, in Sussex; William II. was slain by an arrow in the New Forest, Hampshire

Lo! Rufus, tugging at the deadly dart,

Bleeds in the forest like a wounded hart-(POPE); and Richard Cœur de Lion received his death wound from the same weapon, at the siege of Chalus, near Limoges, in the department of Upper Vienne, in France.-Sylva Florifera.

MICROSCOPY.

APPARATUS FOR DRAWING OBJECTS.-I have read several suggestions in SCIENCE-GOSSIP upon microscopical drawings, but have not seen mentioned a very simple method I have tried, and which any person with a little ingenuity could manage easily. Having myself done a deal of microscopical drawing, I can answer for the plan I describe below. Get a

POLARIZING OBJECT.-One of the most beautiful objects under the polariscope with which I am acquainted is the fresh-water shrimp, which may be found in any stream.-Samuel Morris.

PHYLLACTIDIUM.-In an interesting article on Phyllactidium in the August number of your periodical, there is an intimation to the effect that you will be glad to record any additional localities where that beautiful water-weed has been found. I have

common deal muscatelle box at any grocer's shop, cut a hole in one end large enough to fit the body of the microscope; the wood from the opposite end of the box should be taken entirely away, and in its place fitted a sheet of common window glass. Then place the microscope in a horizontal position, inserting the eye-piece end of the body into the hole made for it in the box (the eye-piece is not used), then with a bull's-eye condenser concentrate direct rays of light from a lamp through the object, which can now be focussed, in the same way as the magiclantern, on to a sheet of paper which is placed over the glass for drawing. With a 1 or 2-inch objectglass, very excellent outline drawings can be made. The above figure (fig. 249) will immediately explain its simplicity.-John Robins, Bartholomew Close.

THE CHALK.-Searching the chalk for foraminifera, a diatom is occasionally found, and by dissolving the chalk in dilute nitric acid, and afterwards boiling the residuum in strong acid, as with other infusorial earths, a variety of spongispicules and diatoms may be obtained. These are, indeed, few and far between as compared with those of the rich Toome Bridge earth, and yet the same forms are found in both, with one or two exceptions. The beautiful little circular discs with fine markings are conspicious in both. Chalk being a marine deposit, it would appear that the Toome Bridge earth is so likewise, and that the country bordering the river Bann, where it is found, has been covered with salt water since the formation of the peat mentioned in Mr. Gray's interesting paper. I find no diatoms in the lower chalk from Folkestone; in the upper chalk here they are frequent, 'though not abundant. -S. S., Brighton.

noticed the plant in question adhering in great numbers to the sides of an aquarium which I established in 1862, the material of which I got from ponds in the neighbourhood. Last year I had an accident with it in the shape of a breakage. I set up another soon after, but hitherto I have not seen a single specimen of Phyllactidium; it seems to have given place to that beautiful polyp the Hydra viridis. -Samuel Morris, Casterton, Kirkby Lonsdale, Westmoreland.

FORAMINIFERA.-(Reply to J. H. G.)-The object of washing the pounded chalk is entirely to remove all traces of it from the fossils; the washing must therefore be continued until this result be obtained; whether in one washing or several must of course depend upon the length of time allowed, the nature of the chalk used, and the expertness of the operator. Some chalk, particularly the lower, contains no fossils whatever, whilst other samples, as the Kentish, say from Gravesend, Charlton, &c., abound with them as a rule, that containing many large fossils will be found rich in foraminifera. It is better, before operating on a piece, to wash the surface with a brush under a stream of water; if upon viewing it with a magnifying glass, no minute shells are visible, it will probably yield few when prepared, and vice versa. The milky fluid should not be thrown away, but carefully washed, as it contains the most minute fossils. J. H. G. perhaps washes his chalk too little, instead of too much, and should try another piece; unless well washed, the particles of chalk adhere so tenaciously to the fossils that their form is not easily discerned. The masses alluded to are probably pieces of the tests of echini, &c., and the pencil species of spatangi. The fossils must either be viewed as opaque objects-dry, or mounted in balsam, if as transparent objects.-Edward H. Robertson.