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Sea-Anemones Dividing.—I think "L. S." must have had another anemone in his aquarium without knowing it, as I have kept them for a length of time, and have often watched the young expelled from the mother's mouth (which is a curious sight) in quite a stream, but never saw any appearance of division take place.—E. T. Scott.

The Swift (Cypselus apus).—This curious and interesting summer visitor is much less frequent in the part of North Lincolnshire where I reside than it used to be. Twenty or thirty years ago they used to build in many of the village churches, where none are to be seen now. They appear to be forsaking the country for the towns, as many of their unfeathered biped brethren are doing. Does the experience of your readers tally with mine, and have they any explanation of the fact to suggest? My own idea is, that the better care bestowed upon our village churches is the cause of the change; but I should like to know what others have to say.—J. B. Humber.

Blighted Beech-leaves.—The leaves of a beech-tree have been sent us from Saxmundham, which are blackened and shrivelled, containing minute yellow grubs in the folds. The leaves affected are those terminating all the branches, and consequently are the young leaves. They look at first sight as if frost-bitten. The grubs and leaves have been submitted to a competent authority with the following result:—"The small yellow grubs are the larvæ of some species of gall-midge (Cecidomyia)."—J. O. W.

Stalked Eggs.—I enclose a vine-leaf, with a number of minute insect-eggs attached thereto by means of fine stalks or tubes. Can you inform me what they are?—R. R.

The eggs sent are those of some species of Lacewing fly (Chrysopa); but in the absence of the insect that deposited them I cannot state precisely which species, there being about twelve in this country. The larvæ are very serviceable to the horticulturalist, as they feed entirely upon aphides, of which they devour great quantities.—R. McL.

Sexes of Lepidoptera.—"A Beginner" desires to know by what means to distinguish sex, apart from size and colouring; also the title of a "Manual" of Lepidoptera. He must obtain "Staiton's Manual of Moths and Butterflies" (Van Voorst), and seek the distinguishing features of sex in the tarsi of diurnal and the antennæ of nocturnal Lepidoptera.—F. M.

Tusseh Silk of India.—"R. S." inquires, what is the species of insect which yields the wild silk known in India by the name of Tusseh?

The Tusseh silk-moth is Anthereæa Paphia, L., and is very common in Bengal, Assam, &c. It is figured in the "Technologist," vol. i., and an account will be found at p. 353.

Blight of Larch.—E. G. sends us specimens of a white cottony substance, which he found covering fur-trees so as to have the appearance of a slight snowstorm, and concerning which he seeks information. The aphis on larch trees, forming small patches of white downy matter, enclosing the females and eggs, is the Chermes Laricis.—J. O. W.

Pheasants' Eggs in a Partridge's Nest.—I have seen this season two eggs of a pheasant in a partridge's nest containing six eggs. After this number had been laid, the nest, for some cause or other, was forsaken. I have read of similar instances; for example, Morris, in his "British Birds," gives such. I should like to ask your readers whether such occurrences are frequent.—J. B. Humber.

Alexander's Rust.—A mycologist would be glad if any botanical friend, who meets with "Alexanders" (Smyrnium olusatrum) this summer and autumn, would search the lower leaves, and if he finds any of them infested with a kind of rust, which appears in little brown spots, would collect and forward them to the Editor.

Volvox Globator.—Can any "Gossiper" inform me what is considered to be the cause of the constant motion and rotation of the Volvox?—T. Armstrong.

The Stinkhorn.—As I was perambulating my garden, my nose was assailed by a most disgusting odour, resembling that of a "drain" in a bad state of repair. At length I discovered the cause under a bush, which at first looked like a bleached bone; but which proved to be a fungus. The stem was creamy-white, hollow, and cellular, the upper and lower portions appeared to be membranous expansions containing a viscid fluid, which oozed out when the membrane was ruptured. A more loathsome visitor, to a garden one could not wish for. Will you favour me with its name?—J. G. Braden.

Your fungus is assuredly a common one, but possesses neither beauty of form nor pleasurable odour to recommend it. The vernacular name is "the Common Stinkhorn," and the scientific Phallus impudicus.—M. C. C.

Marine Phosphorescence.—At a recent meeting of the French Academy of Sciences, M. Corenwinder, in a paper on the gulf-weed (Sargassum bacciferum), sought indirectly to prove the existence of phosphorus in the ocean by an analysis of sea-weeds gathered far from the shore. His results showed that this sea-weed contains 1.026 per cent. of phosphoric acid, which, it was argued, could only have been derived from the sea.

Preserving Hyacinth Bulbs.—As soon as the flowers wither, take the bulb out of the earth or water in which it has bloomed, wash it and the roots clean, and lay it on the lid of a hamper, or on clean straw, in an airy, shaded, but dry place. Turn the bulb frequently, and when the roots and leaves, &c., have dried up, trim them off, remove loose scales and ripe offsets, and, when the bulb is perfectly dry, lay it by in a drawer, closer, or basket, until the following autumn. By this method the exhaustion of the bulb after flowering is saved. Bulbs planted in September yield better flowers, and bloom, if anything, later in the spring.—Rev. Gerald Smith.

Hart's-tongue Fern.—I lately asked a man in the parish of Hatchford, near Cobham, Surrey, whether the Hart's-tongue Fern grew anywhere in the neighbourhood. He did not know it by that name; but, on my describing it, said, "Oh, you mean the Seaweed-fern." I think that is a very appropriate name for it.—W. R. Tate.