HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



189 



Catlow's remarks thereon are altogether wrong. 

 Achatina acicula are not found at the roots of trees, 

 but in the roots of grass and herbage. Achatina 

 octona — Helix octona of Linne, — is a common West 

 India shell, introduced by error into the British fauna 

 many years ago. The Helix octona of Pennant is 

 also an obsolete name and is now represented by our 

 Limnaa glabra, an aquatic species found in streams 

 and ditches. If Mr. Long is entering on the study of 

 conchology I should strongly advise him to shun 

 Catlow and adopt some more modern author. — J. T. 

 M., Sevenoaks, Torquay. 



The Development of the Gnat. — On p. 158, 

 the Fig. 66 has been inverted. On p. 159, read 

 "palpo," the fourth word of the seventh line, under 

 "The Imago." Added note. — In specimens of the 

 egg cases I examined this season (1888), I find that 

 when not attached to the side of the tank they are 

 suspended from any free floating object, and pre- 

 vented sinking by this means. I am doubtful 

 whether the thread always ends in a disk, and be- 

 lieve they are always suspended from some foreign 

 body. — H. T. 



BOTANY. 



" Mimicry " IN Plants. — I enclose herewith a 

 specimen of Geranium molle with white petals. It 

 was found growing by a sandy roadside near Blyton, 

 Lincolnshire, among a great profusion of Cerastium 

 arvense from which the flowers were scarce dis- 

 tinguishable. It might almost be classed as a case of 

 mimicry were it not for the difficulty in seeing what 

 protection a resemblance to Cerastium arvense could 

 afford it. It is, I think, more probably a case of 

 reversion due partly to the dry nature of the soil, and 

 partly to its exhaustion by the large quantity of 

 Cerastium growing closely around. This is rendered 

 more probable by the fact of the specimen being 

 below the average size. — G. A. Gricrson. 



Drying Plants. — I cannot recommend sul- 

 phurous acid and methylated spirits for steeping 

 flowers in. I tried it, and green leaves turned a dull 

 brown ; blue and purple flowers, such as Centaurea 

 cyanus, Phacelia tanacetifolia, Ajuga reptans, Entoca 

 viscida, and Myosotis dissitijlora turned pink and 

 crimson, and Aconitum napellus partly pink and 

 brown. Red and pink flowers were much changed in 

 shade ; the last disastrous effect was on white and 

 yellow flowers, as Doronicum, Pyrethrum, Bellis 

 perennis, Hieracium aurantiacum, &c. ; but their 

 foliage was spoilt ; this effect was apparent after 

 very few hours' immersion. In a spike of Cynosurns 

 cristatus the glumes turned brown and the anthers 

 pink. Can any chemical reader explain why so 

 many turned pink?— E. A, 



Yew Trees of Kingley Vale.— In the beauti- 



ful and secluded spot of ground called Kingley Vale 

 or locally Kingley Bottom, which is equally divided 

 between West Stoke and Lavant near Chichester, 

 there is an assemblage of yews such as is rarely to be 

 met with. They number considerably over two 

 hundred. Tradition assigns to a part of this grove a 

 date of about A.D. 900. In the centre of this is a 

 solitary oak, said to be connected with Druidic rites ; 

 this is now a mere shell, but has one branch still 

 luxuriant and overtopping all the adjacent yews, its 

 foliage appearing in bright contrast. Its girth I find 

 must have been when the tree was perfect about 

 18 ft. That of the larger yews of the grove was 

 about 20 ft. at 4 ft. from the ground. Their circum- 

 ferences are less than those of other yews growing in 

 Sussex churchyards, but the point which chiefly 

 strikes the observer is their great number, and I 

 should be much obliged if readers of Science-Gossip 

 would inform me of any locality in which hundreds 

 of yew-trees are to be seen growing together, and 

 whether, if so, they have the appearance of being 

 indigenous ? — F. H. Arnold. 



The Boreal Flora in Colorado. — Among 

 my finds in Custer Co. this year are several species 

 common also to Britain, and belonging to the Boreal 

 Flora. Yesterday I came across a patch of Geuni 

 rivale, Linn., and this is a more southern locality 

 than any so far recorded for it in America. Equisctum 

 hiemale and E. arvense are very commom here, and 

 among the lower Cryptogamia I have met with 

 Agaricus campestris, Linn., Ustilago segetum, Bull, (on 

 oats), Ceratodon pnrpurens, Brid. (which in England I 

 used to find on Chislehurst Common), Distichium 

 capillaceum, B. and S., and Closterium acerosum. But 

 these cryptogamic plants are so widely distributed 

 that one cannot draw many conclusions from their 

 occurrence in any given region. Marchantia poly- 

 morpha is also very abundant by the creeks in this 

 locality, and recently I found Lemna trisnlca and 

 L. minor close to West Cliff. — T. D. A. Cockerel!, 

 West Cliff, Colorado. 



Unusual Germination.— Last year I frequently 

 met with cases of abnormal germination, similar to 

 that mentioned in the July number of SciENCE- 

 GossiP, with these differences : that my experience 

 was with lemons, and the growth of the young plant 

 had not proceeded quite so far as that shown in the 

 diagram of last month. Taken in connection with 

 the usually accepted teaching that air is necessary for 

 the germination of seeds, and light for the production 

 of chlorophyl, these abnormal germinations are very 

 singular. — F. J. George, Chorley, Lane. 



Corrections to Notes on Eighth Edition 

 of London Catalogue, by Arthur Bennett. 

 — There are some needed corrections which ought to 

 be made, and had escaped my notice until kindly 

 friends pointed them out. 



