HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



in 



Charse in the island, but have not yet satisfactorily 

 identified them. 



From the above notes some idea may be formed 

 of the peculiarities of the Sarnian flora. It certainly 

 approaches that of Western Cornwall more nearly 

 than any other part of the south of England ; and 

 yet it is quite distinct. Many of the common 

 Cornish plants are either extremely rare, or (like 

 Lastrcea cer/uila among the ferns) absent altogether ; 

 and yet to all appearance all the circumstances 

 favourable to their growth are at hand. I find this 

 even more noticeable, however, with the mosses, for 

 I miss here a large number of my familiar Cornish 

 friends. 



That a considerable number of good plants have 

 become extinct during the last sixty years or so is 

 most certain. Down to the commencement of the 

 present century the sea at high spring-tides flowed 

 over a large low-lying tract of land, so that the 

 northern portion of the island became during such 

 times completely detached and insulated. Subse- 

 quently, this periodically submerged tract was 

 reclaimed, the sea being kept back by solid masonry 

 at each end. Scattered over this recovered ground 

 were many brackish pools and salt marshes, and these 

 remained until within recent years the habitat of 

 many a rare flower. But now these pools and 

 marshes are gone. The rage for greenhouse-building 

 has brought about the drainage and improvement of 

 much land hitherto uncultivated, with the result that, 

 however beneficial this may have proved to the 

 genus Homo, the indigenous flora has suffered 

 irretrievably. On the other hand, certain species, 

 like Veronica Buxbaumii and Allium triquetrum, have 

 spread all over the island, though apparently 

 unknown here in 1839 when Prof. Babington wrote 

 the "Flora of the Channel Islands." 



As an example of a strictly foreign species which 

 has now become thorougly naturalised, may be 

 mentioned Gunnera scabra, a huge plant which 

 thrives in sheltered valleys on the margin of pools and 

 streamlets. It resembles a gigantic sort of rhubarb 

 with leaves four or five feet across, and leafstalks of 

 proportionate length and size. Strangers commonly 

 regard it as one of the vegetable curiosities of the 

 place. A few years ago it was entirely confined to 

 private grounds. 



I will not enter upon the subject of local variation 

 as applied to plants ; but in all probability it will 

 abundantly repay careful attention. Amongst insects 

 it is very striking. Besides many species unre- 

 presented elsewhere in the United Kingdom, we 

 have here distinctly marked races, which entomologists 

 assert are peculiar to the islands, and it is very 

 remarkable that in some instances each of the larger 

 islands possesses a varietal form peculiar to itself. 

 And it may be so with the flowering plants. 

 Certain it is that so complete an isolation, extending 

 back for untold thousands of years, with cross 



fertilisation reduced, one might say, almost to a 

 minimum, cannot fail to have produced some effect 

 upon the indigenous vegetation of such a limited 

 area. 



Fermain House, Guernsey. 



OUR SCIENTIFIC DIRECTORY. 



[The Editor will be obliged, if, for the benefit of his numerous 

 readers, secretaries of scientific societies will send notices like 

 the following, also place and time of meeting.] 



rHE Microscopical Society of Glasgow ; President, 

 Dr. Dallinger ; Hon. Secretaries, M. Ballan- 

 tine, 16 Glassford St., Robert Williamson, 137 

 Ardgowan Street. Meets on third Wednesday of 

 each month from September to April inclusive, in 

 Anderson's College, George St., at 8 p.m. 



ITasclmere Microscope and Natural History Society : 

 President, Colonel Mason ; Vice-President, Mr. F. 

 S. Fowler ; Hon. Secretary, Mr. Chas. Pannell, 

 junior, East Street, Haslemere. Meets on first and 

 third Mondays in the month at the Institute, High 

 Street, Haslemere, at 7.30. 



SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



The February number of the "Geological Maga- 

 zine contained an important article by Mr. J. G. 

 Goodchild, on "The Paste of Limestone." In the 

 first place he reviews the chief of the old theories 

 which have been brought forward to account for the 

 deposition of the limy binding matter of limestones. 

 He considers that none of them satisfactorily 

 account for the great amount usually present. His 

 idea is that the carbonate of lime contained in the 

 water of a river when it reaches the sea is affected 

 by the sulphate of magnesia in the sea- water. Double 

 decomposition ensues, and carbonate of magnesia and 

 sulphate of lime are formed. This latter is taken up 

 by organic agencies, and on their decomposing 

 again becomes carbonate of lime, and is thrown 

 down as a precipitate. 



The last number of the "Journal of Microscopy 

 and Natural Science," with which, it will be remem- 

 bered, is incorporated the "Wesley Naturalist," 

 contains the following interesting articles : — " The 

 Parasitic Fungi of Insects," by George Norman ; 

 "Dips into my Aquarium," by Rev. W. Spiers; 

 "On Certain Phenomena of Hypnotism," by Mrs. 

 Bodington ; " On a Simple Tank Microscope," by 

 C. Rousselet; "The Pine Destroyer (Hylurgus 

 piniperda)," Rev. H. Friend; "A New Staining 

 Method," by J. W. Gatehouse ; " The Indian Chank 

 Shell, Turbinella pyrum (Lam.)," Rev. C. Craw- 

 shaw ; "Note on the Binary Subdivision oi Micros - 

 terias denticulata (Breb.)," S. Helm; "Elements of 

 Microscopy," by E. C. Bousfield ; "Zoological 



