HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



239 



-on Ice-age theories. Perhaps the most appro- 

 priate and interesting paper in this section was that 

 by Professor Newberry, on the development of the 

 North American Continent ; and the fact that such a 

 momentous subject could be seriously discussed in an 

 assembly of distinguished scientific men is a testimony 

 to the completeness and value of the work of American 

 geologists and American geological surveys. 



The Mineral Veins of the Lake District.— 

 No geologist has so thoroughly examined the probable 

 formation of the mineral veins of the district he lives 

 in as Mr. J. D. Kendall, F.G.S., whose paper, entitled 

 as above, appears in the last number of the Proceed- 

 ings of the Manchester Geological Society. Mr. 

 Kendall's profession as a mining engineer has given 

 him unusual facilities for observation ; which he has 

 turned to good purpose. His paper is a lengthy one, 

 well illustrated, and his summary is as follows : — ■ 

 "Veins are not filled fissures. The variations in 

 breadth are not due to the sliding of the walls upon 

 one another, but to variations in the solubility of the 

 rock. Veinstone is part of the rock which originally 

 existed where the veins now are, and is a result of 

 metamorphism. The metallic minerals, Haematite 

 excepted, were deposited in cavities of the veinstone 

 from chemical solutions. Haematite veins are sub- 

 stitutional deposits." 



NOTES AND QUERIES: 



The Law of Trespass. — Presuming that your 

 note on the law of trespass refers only to Scotland, 

 I venture to suggest that it would prove a valuable 

 piece of information to many English botanists if 

 the opinion of some competent legal authority could 

 be obtained and published in Science-Gossip accu- 

 rately defining what in point of law is a trespass in 

 England, and clearly st.iting the penalties attaching 

 thereto, and whether they can be enforced or re- 

 covered in the police court or only by county court 

 process. — F. J. Geo7-ge. 



Names on Trees. — A long time ago, a gentleman 

 now living in Dorset cut his name on a tree in this 

 town. A schoolfellow of his did the like. Thirty 

 years after, the tree was cut down. The second name 

 was found easily enough, but, at first, the owner, of 

 the other could not discover his ; but, at last, he 

 discovered it thirty feet towards the top of the tree. 

 Both names were cut at four or five feet from the 

 ground. I have the strongest possible assurance that 

 this is a fact. How do you account for it.? — //. J. 

 Motile. 



Paris quadrifolia. — In reply to K. D.'s 

 question, I beg to state that I found two plants of 

 Paris quadrifolia in this neighbourhood (Cohvall, 

 Malvern), last June, and have a dried specimen with 

 six leaves, found at Malvern Wells. It will be 

 interesting to know if these variations are frequently 

 met with, as Mr. Johns in his "Flowers of the 

 Field," derives the name from the Latin Par-paris 

 on account of the unvarying number of the leaves. 

 • — A, D. Cohvall. 



NOTICES TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



To CORRBSPONDBNTS AND ExCHANGBRS. — As We nOW 



publish SciENCK-GossiP earlier than heretofore, we cannot 

 possibly insert in the following number any communications 

 which reach us later than the 8th of the previous month. 



To Anonvmous (Querists. — We receive so many queries 

 which do not bear the writers' names that we are forced to 

 adhere to our rule of not noticing them. 



To Dealers and others. — We are always glad to treat 

 dealers in natural history objects on the same fair and general 

 ground as amateurs, in so far as the " exchanges " offered are fair 

 exchanges. But it is evident that, when their offers are simply 

 disguised advertisements, for the purpose of evading the cost of 

 advertising, an advantage is taken of our gratuitous insertion of 

 "exchanges" which c:innot be tolerated. 



We request that all exchanges may be signed with name (or 

 initials) and full address at the end. 



W. Duckworth. — There are two kinds of galls on your oak 

 leaves. The round hairy ones are those made by Spathegaster 

 tricolor; the others are the galls of Spathegaster baccarjun. 

 Thanks for the curious specimen of Tragopogon pratense, 

 showing prolification. 



R. H. W. — The black spots and patches on the leaf of syca- 

 more have been caused by drops of rain or dew acting as sun- 

 burners by condensing the solar rays. 



A. S. Mack IE. — Your fossil appears, from your verbal de- 

 scription, to be a species of Orthoceras or Gomphoceras ; or it 

 may even be nothing but a septarian nodule. Send us a sketch 

 of it. 



Marshall.— Get some stout brass wire, bend it into a ring, 

 and fit on it a fine muslin bag. This makes a capital pond net 

 for rotifers, minute Crustacea, &c. Have the ring soldered on 

 to a conical ring to fit a rod or stick. You will find it best to 

 make an aquarium of your own. See Taylor's "Aquarium : 

 Its Management, &c.," price 6s. (London: W. H. Allen & Co.), 

 or advertise for a secondhand one in our columns. 



C. — You will get living Hippocampi from Mr. King, Sea 

 Horse House, Portland Road, London. See Taylor's "Aqua- 

 rium : Its Principles, Structure, and Management," for rest of 

 query. How to make artificial sea water is there described on 

 page 157. 



A. K. P. — If you turn to the volumes of Science-Gossip for 

 1879, 1880, and iSSi, you will find under the title of "Assisting 

 Naturalists " the names and addresses of numerous gentlemen, 

 skilled in every department of natural science, who have kindly 

 volunteered to assi-t students and readers of this magazine in 

 their various difficulties. 



T. W. HoLSTEAD. — If you turn to the past vols, of Science- 

 Gossip, you will find, in the index, reference to articles and 

 notes respecting the preservation of Crustacea, star fish, &c. 



W. S. W. — The " Fleurs du Lac," found as a yellow scum 

 on the surface uf the Lake of Thun at the end of May, is the 

 pollen from the Pine forests. 



F. R. T. — Tethya is a genus of living sponges. Dichorisandra 

 is not a fossil tree, but a genus of Coramelynaceas, with the 

 habit of Tradescaiitia. They are Brazilian herbs. Peristeria 

 data is a genus of Orchidacese, familiarly known as the Holy 

 Ghost, or Dove plant. It grows in Panama. The other name 

 you mention we have not heard of. 



G. Ward. — Get Huxley and Martin's " Practical Instruction 

 in Biology " (London : Macmillan), price 6^-. 



J. R. R.— Get Spencer Thomson's "Walks and Wild 

 Flowers," price 2^-. We don't know of any similar book for 

 Ireland. 



G. A. Simmons. — The specimen of Carp with both ventral 

 fins on same side is very curious and interesting. 



R. H. B. (King's Lynn). — You are quite right in supposing 

 the species to be Stellaria jnedia ; it is a rare form of it, called 

 S. nmhrosa, Opitz. 



G. B. L. (Cupar Angus). — It \s Playitago inarititua, L. You 

 i must not however imagine it is confined to maritime situations, 

 it is often, as in your case, found far inland. 



G. M. (Brechin). — No. i. Cynoglosstnn officinale. No. 2. 

 i Atriplcx crecta, this is very unlike the Pelitory. No- 3. 

 I Eiiphorbia helioscopia, a very common weed. No. 4. Ononis 

 arvcnsis. No. 5. Tansy (^Tanacciiim vulgare). 



H. L. (INIaidstone). — We are sorry, but the small specimen 

 you send is diflicult to decide. It is, however, not a British 

 species. 



A. E. P. (Wolverhampton). — a. Honkeneja peploides ; b. 

 Thyme (Thymus Chamcrdrys] ; c. Parmelia; d. the pretty 

 bellflower (yW'nhl-nbergia hcderacea). 



W. F. H. — From the sketch you sent, your fungus appears to 

 be a malformed agaric. 



