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Manx Cats.—In the Burmese empire this species of cat is well known, and a military friend, who was with the army in the conquest of that country, brought me a pair from Ava, from which I had quite a little family at Madras, and made a most acceptable present of them to an officer on leaving India. You are in error in stating that this species of cat have not tails, for there is a little screw-like knot, which forms a singular little round tuft of hair, being the only tail, if such it may be called. I know the Manx cat very well, having seen them often at Wighton, in Galloway, where I was in early life, and have since been upwards of thirty-six years in India, of which I spent fifteen in Calcutta.—David Ross.

Insects of Nova Scotia.—In 1863, being obliged to leave Bermuda on account of failing health, during the summer months I took my passage in the Cunard steamer Alpha, and in four days found myself in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The passage was an exceedingly pleasant one, and made very attractive to me by having to cross the Gulf Stream. That stream, as most of your readers may know, is almost as clearly defined in the ocean as any river can be inland. The temperature and colour of the water, the natural productions, and especially the gulf-weed, all proclaim that you are in it, and at certain seasons of the year you are unmistakably warned of its neighbourhood by the violent storms, generally accompanied with lightning and thunder, that agitate its surface. On arriving in Halifax, after a few days spent in town, I proceeded to the house of my friend, J. M. Jones, Esq. (author of "The Naturalist in Bermuda"), a most ardent naturalist, and with whom I had spent previously many happy and interesting hours in Bermuda. His house is situated in the woods, or rather, I should say, in the "forest primeval," for man has never disturbed the country in some directions for hundreds of miles. There, roaming in the woods, I regained in great measure the strength I sought for. Having been an enthusiastic entomologist in earlier days, I was soon attracted by the number and beauty of the insects, especially the butterflies, flitting around me; so, providing myself with a box, I set to work, and in a few weeks filled it. Forms exceedingly rare in England seemed quite common. The clouded yellow was more abundant than our cabbage butterflies. Two of the Fritillary tribe were very common (Cybele and Aphrodite, I believe), and later in September the scarce painted-lady and the only white butterfly in that part of the American continent, Pieris oleraceæ. I captured duplicate specimens of those I have mentioned, and shall be glad to send them to any of your readers who may care to possess them, as I do not desire to keep a collection of insects myself, but am much interested in shells. Where it is possible, I shall be very glad to receive any English or foreign land-shell or fresh-water duplicates in exchange (I may just mention that I could make up a series or two of those of Bermuda for any person who wished, and could exchange others). I ought to mention the "Camberwell beauty," which is a common sight in the streets of Halifax; but of such I was too late to capture many specimens. I enclose my card, and should any of your readers care to have the insects, my best plan will be to forward the specimens to you.—T. B. F.

The Hive-bee and its Sting.—After using its sting, the bee will always carefully withdraw it, if possible. In this case, the bee does not die; but only when it loses its sting by being unable to withdraw it. When two queen-bees fight, each takes all possible care not to inflict the death-wound till she can do so without being stung in return. Her adversary's body is soft enough to allow her to withdraw her sting uninjured. "E. W.'s" query is one which cannot always be answered. It is not an uncommon occurrence for bees to quit their hive without any apparent cause.—M. A. L.

Cleaning Objects.—Will any correspondent kindly tell me how to clean the pedicellaria of echini and starfishes? By cleaning, I mean getting rid of the membrane by which both the head and the stern are enveloped, and which renders them opaque, even in balsam. Water is useless, and liquor potassæ causes the three members of the head to separate and fall apart.—W. W. S.

Incubating Robin.—I cut the following paragraph from a Reading paper the other day; can any of your readers corroborate the alleged fact?—"A robin is now sitting on eggs in a garden near Southampton. The nest is in a hole in a brick wall, near the ground where a cat prowls. Redbreast, how ever, is safe unless she should happen to be seen by Grimalkin, for the hen bird cannot be scented during incubation—a wise provision of nature. Even the female fox, when with young, has no scent, and cannot be hunted." I have said alleged fact, for I have great doubts on the matter, my own experience evidencing to the contrary.—W. I. S.

Cape Hens.—The Cape hen belongs to the family of the petrels, and is the Procellaria Atlantica of Gould, and is one of the most common oceanic birds.—W. I. S.

Colour of Birds' Eggs.—A question is asked in the February number of Science Gossip as to whether the eggs earliest or latest laid are deepest in colour, or most definitely marked. Many years' close observation leads me unhesitatingly to say that the earliest-laid eggs possess this distinction. I have paid much attention to the subject, and on two occasions have had singularly favourable opportunities for verifying my assertion. These were respectively the eggs of the Nuthatch (Sitta Europæa) and the Robin. Both nests were in such a position that I could examine them daily, and I found a gradual diminution in the intensity of the ground-colour and markings in the eggs of each species, the first-laid egg being far darker in colour, and possessing more numerous markings. I think this is a result we might reasonably expect, for the glands secreting the colouring matter would naturally become more and more exhausted of their contents as each egg passed through the oviduct. Before I saw the query I never heard this fact questioned.—W. I. S.

Hissing of Snake and Viper.—There is a difference between the hissing of these two serpents which I think is not generally known. The viper after each hiss always makes an equal noise in drawing his breath in again. The snake hisses much louder, but does not draw in again.—W. R. Tate.

Jerusalem Artichoke.—On page 118 I observe a query: "Does this plant ever flower in England?" In 1861 I saw several specimens in blossom in a kitchen-garden in Brompton, Middlesex; the owner looked on them as great curiosities, having previously