HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



211 



of the month that many hundreds were taken daily 

 in the mackerel nets off Wyke Regis and Portland, 

 many others being cast ashore in Weymouth Bay 

 at almost every tide owing to what may be termed a 

 suicidal instinct on its part. It comes sailing in 

 with the tide in the usual vertical fashion, but on 

 finding itself approaching shallow water, instead of 

 backing seaward, it lays on its side and flaps itself in 

 a line for the shore, where it becomes stranded. It 

 is a handsome little fish, and when trapped in a 

 rock-pool, as happened to me on several occasions, 

 is a most interesting and beautiful study. — J. T. 

 Marshall, Sevenoaks, Torquay. 



BOTANY. 



"Annals of Botany." — The June part of this 

 high-class work commences the second volume. It 

 contains the following papers : — " Notes on the Plas- 

 modium of Badhamia utricularis and Brcfcldia 

 maxima," by Arthur Lister; "On the Presence of 

 Sexual Organs in yEcidium," and "A Monograph of 

 the genus Calostoma," Desv. (Mitremyces, Ness), by 

 George Massee ; " On the Formation of Sugars in 

 the Septal Glands of Narcissus," by E. Hamilton 

 Acton; "On a Method of Studying Geotropism," 

 by Anna Bateson and Francis Darwin ; "On Catha- 

 rinea dnomqla, Bryhn, a new British Moss," by 

 J. Reynolds Vaizey ; " On the Structure, Develop- 

 ment, and Affinities of Trapella, Oliv., a new genus 

 of Pedalmeae," by F. W. Oliver. Also notes—" On 

 the Systematic Position of Isoetes, L." by E. H. Vines ; 

 " Preliminary Note on the Development of the Root 

 of Equisetum," by J. Reynolds Vaizey ; " Pinus 

 Monophylla," by Maxwell T. Masters. Most of the 

 papers are illustrated in the highest style of book 

 art. The second volume of the "Annals of Botany " 

 promises even better things than the first. 



Botanical Excursion in Switzerland. — In 

 Science-Gossip for July, p. 146, second column, 

 line 37, for "left and right," read "right and left." 

 Perhaps the error is not of sufficient importance to 

 be noticed. — y. F. Hamilton. 



White Flowers. — It has always seemed to me 

 that albinisms in animals, and white mutations of 

 normally coloured flowers, were of more scientific 

 interest than is generally supposed, so that of late 

 I have been gathering notes bearing upon this 

 question and its solution, with some hope of good 

 result. At present, however, I will not enter into 

 any theories on the subject, but merely appeal to 

 those who meet with such to record them plainly 

 and accurately for the benefit of other observers; 

 and will now record two white-flowered varieties I 

 have this year found in Custer county, Colorado : — 

 Iris missouriensis form albiflora ; flowers white, not 



uncommon with the type, at about 7,600 feet alt.,, 

 but not seen higher, where the type is abundant. 

 Campanula rotundifola form albiflora ; flowers white, 

 and in the specimen I found rather smaller than is 

 typical. Found at about 8,500 feet alt., one plant. 

 It will be noted that both these flowers are normally 

 purplish-blue, and flowers of this colour seem un- 

 usually prone to have white varieties, while yellow 

 flowers most rarely show them — a significant fact, 

 Companula of normal colour will frequently fade- 

 white in drying. — 71 D. A. Cockerell, West Cliffy 

 Colorado. 



Mimicry in Plants. — In hunting for plants the 

 other day, I came across some specimens of Ger- 

 anium tnolle, having not only their petals white, but 

 their leaves also considerably blanched. These grew 

 on a low dune in the lovely vale of Clarach, near 

 Aberystwyth. A little farther inland, I noticed a 

 specimen of G. pratense, with pale petals, growing, 

 on the encroaching sands. I attributed this change 

 of colour to the barrenness of such soils. Cerastiums 

 were absent. — Geo. Bees, Aberystwyth. 



The Flora of Anstey's Cove. — There is pro- 

 bably no spot on the south coast which better 

 repays the botanical explorer than this charming 

 Devonshire cove, about two miles from Torquay, 

 In addition to the loveliness and sublimity of the 

 scenery, the rambler may meet with more rare and 

 beautiful wild flowers there on a summer afternoon 

 than he will find in other less favoured localities in a 

 search extending over several days. My visit was 

 made on the 2nd of August, when most of the plants 

 I shall mention were in full flower. As one ap- 

 proaches the cove over the down, which extends to 

 the edge of the cliff from the Torquay road, he finds 

 its carpet studded with thousands of the blue 

 blossoms of the autumnal squill (Seilla autumualis).. 

 Thence he descends by a slippery stair of rough steps 

 to the cove below, which is bounded by the sapphire 

 sea on one side, and huge Cyclopean rocks on the 

 other, clothed with green ivy and privet, while a 

 beach of white pebbles, on which are huge masses 

 of rock, surrounded by samphire, appears in strong 

 contrast with the darker limestone above it. Close 

 by, I first met with abundance of the lesser meadow 

 rue {Thalictrum minus), the foliage of which at 

 first sight somewhat resembles the maidenhair fern. 

 Large patches also were to be seen of the very 

 rare Sedum rupestre, with its golden stars, and the 

 silvery flowers of Sedum Anglicum, unusually large 

 and fine, also appeared at intervals, as did the 

 yellow Sedum acre. Ik re, too, occurred in plenty 

 and perfection the rare Portland spurge {Euphorbia 

 Fortlandica), with its tufts of lower leaves of glau- 

 cous hue, while the upper leaves and flowers were of 

 livelier green. The next plant which caused attention 

 was the white rock 'rose {Helianthemum polifolium), 

 found only, according to Watson, in Somerset and 



