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Bees.—I beg to say, in reply to "H. E. A.'s" question, that it is by no means an unusual thing for bees to plunder their neighbours. I have known several instances where a strong hive of bees have attacked a weak one, killed all the defenders (for the poor injured insects generally make a good resistance, and fight to the death for their kingdom), and rifled the combs. This marauding system is most common in unpropitious seasons; and some of my bee-keeping friends have complained this year that their hives have suffered in the way described by H. E. A., from the attacks of robber-bees.—Helen E. Watney.

Bees and their Food.—An intelligent gardener stated to me, that about six years ago, when in the employment of Lady Maitland, at Lindores, we had a very warm summer in Scotland, and from the rapid ripening, so to speak, of flowers, the bees were deprived of their usual food. They, in consequence, attacked plums and apricots in such numbers, that it was no uncommon thing to find eighteen or twenty bees within one plum. They effected their entrance by a small hole, only large enough to admit one at a time, and gradually eat away the pulp till nothing was left but the rind. So artistically did they carry on their operations, that, till examined, the plum or apricot with the bees within, had all the appearance of sound and juicy fruit. My informant further stated, that, on being shaken out, the bees were helpless and feeble, and could not rise from the ground, and most of them, he thought, died from the effects of their rich and unaccustomed food.—A. L.

The Small Tortoise-shell Butterfly.—Perhaps the following account may afford some explanation of the circumstance referred to by Mr. H. Waddington. Some time ago, I kept in a room a number a caterpillars, of the small Tortoise-shell Butterfly, which I had taken from a stinging-nettle. Before long I observed that they lessened in number, and, searching for the cause, I found that the absent ones had crawled on to the walls and ceiling of the apartment, and had assumed the chrysalis state. Here they remained till they were fully developed into butterflies, when my room presented a similar appearance to that described by your correspondent.—T. J. W.

Skeleton Leaves.—"The leaves are boiled for two minutes, then transferred to a strong solution of permanganate of potash, and gently heated. In an hour or two the laxer tissues may be easily removed by means of a brush. Sulphurous acid or a solution of chloride of lime may be used for bleaching them. The stains of permanganate of potash upon the fingers are easily washed off by dilute sulphuric acid."—H. J. Church, in Chemical News.

Colias in Exchange.—In the early part of this month, A. B. succeeded in capturing five specimens of Colis Edusa. Three of these (apparently all males) she would be glad to exchange for some other specimens of value. Apatura Iris, Acherontia atropos, or Hypercompa hera would be preferred. If this exchange could be effected through the medium of Science Gossip, A. B. would be gratified. Please to address any communications to A. B., the Parsonage, Boltonsboro', Glastonbury.

Sea-Anemones Dividing.—In the month of September last I was on a visit, in the Isles of Scilly, to my son-in-law, the Rev. D. P. Alford, M.A., the chaplain of the isles, and the discoverer of the new Anemone, Ægeon Alfordi, when a curious circumstance occurred, that I ought to have communicated to you before this, as I fear the lapse of time may have rendered it comparatively uninteresting; but various professional engagements prevented me. Being one afternoon among the tide-washed rocks of the south side of the island of St. Mary, I saw a rather fine Althea (cera, I think), and having detached it from the rock, there is no doubt that it was a single one. I took it in a large limpet-shell to the Parsonage, and there placed it in Mr. Alford's aquarium. On the following morning two singular things occurred, and occurred contemporaneously; and it is this circumstance which has induced me to write to you. I happened to be reading in the August number of your interesting publication, Science Gossip, the first paragraph of page 190,—"Notes and Queries"—headed, "Sea-Anemones dividing," wherein E. T. Scott appears incredulous on the subject, when casting my eye on the aquarium, I saw my Althea actually divided into two Altheæ, but analogous to the umbilical cord. You may imagine that this singular evidence of the truth of L. S.'s statement very much engaged my notice. I therefore very narrowly watched the Altheæ, until by continued tension, I found that the band snapped, and there were two distinct and detached Altheæ.—I am very truly yours, Osborne J. Tancock.

Kakra-singhee.—Curious horn-shaped galls produced on a species of Sumach (Rhus integerrima,

Wall.), are employed in India as an astringent in medicine, and, to a limited extent, in dyeing.

The Milk-tree of Para.—S. G., in the article on "Wooden Cows," p. 172, speaks of the Milk-tree called "Massenodendron," from the forests of Para. I believe this tree is the same as the Massaranduba, of which the Catalogue of the Brazilian Department at the Exhibition of 1862, says: "330. Milk of Massaranduba, white colour, extracted from the colossal tree Achras paraensis; when liquid very savorous, and used with tea or coffee. In medicine it is employed internally as pectoral and analeptic; and externally in plasters as a solvent. This milk coagulates after twenty-four or thirty hours, and is then like gutta-percha, or gettania; a small difference existing is, that gutta-percha is brownish, and concrete massaranduba whitish; both have the same degree of elasticity.—Bernardin.

Duckweeds.—In reply to the Query at p. 258, I send two notes from Loudon's Magazine. Mr. D. Stock writes under date June 11, 1828:—"I never saw any of the species in flower till the other day, when I found almost every plant of Lemna minor in blossom. Mr. Sowerby (J. D. C. S.) says, "In the vicinity of London, Lemna minor may alwas be found in flower in the beginning of June, and Lemna trisulca rather later." Shirley Hibberd gives May as the month for flowering.—J. A. K.