HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



91 



Gossip may be able to give us a little more informa- 

 tion on the subject, and tell us which is the head 

 proper in these curious larvoe. Also what is the 

 economy of those circular-shaped dots placed on each 

 side, and also on the hinder margin of what I term the 

 cuirass ? Are they spiracles ? Will Mr. Laker kindly 

 state if he noticed the mandibles attached to the sucker, 

 and also if the legs were still present, as in the nymph 

 stage they are absent ? I might mention that I have 

 only found them on two occasions, each time on the 

 male Dyticus. — Henry Blake. 



AcHATiNA ACICULA. — I have lately found in a 

 railway cutting at Ealing specimens of the burrowing 

 mollusc (Achatiiia aciaila). They occurred at a depth 

 of about ten inches below the surface. All were dead 

 and empty, except that one contained an egg which, as 

 is usual with Achatina, was of large size in comparison 

 to the shell and nearly filled its outer turn. Turton 

 says they are common in Yorkshire, and I am told 

 they have lately been found in Essex. — Geo. D. Brcnon. 



Cambridge Entomological Society. — The 30th 

 anniversary meeting of the Society was held on 

 February 9th in the Secretary's rooms. jMr. Brown 

 was re-elected president, Mr, W. G. Lax of Trinity 

 secretary, Messrs. Hunter, Burgan, and Raynor, vice 

 presidents ; Mr. Warring, librarian. The programme 

 for the year was then made out, and includes excursions 

 to Brandon, Monk's W^ood, and other places of ento- 

 mological interest. Mr. Brown hopes to read a paper 

 on the Pterophoridas at the next meeting. 



"The Butterflies of Europe." — Part IIL, 

 of this work is to hand, by D. H. C. Long, F.L.S. 

 It is in every respect equal in artistic merit to the 

 preceding parts. 



Sir Wyville Thomson, F.R.S. — It is with 

 much regret we have to announce the death of 

 this distinguished naturalist, who, as our readers are 

 aware, was chief of the scientific staff during the 

 Challenger expedition. Sir Wyville Thomson has 

 died of paralysis at the early age of fifty-one. 



Mounting Shells.— In the March number of 

 Science-Gossip, W. C. Hey gave some good hints 

 for mounting shells. In place of wood tablets, 1 find 

 glass covered with paper to have the following advan- 

 tages : (i) It does not warp. (2) Both shells and 

 paper can be removed, if required, from, the tablet, 

 simply by placing them in water for a few minutes, 

 when the shells come off safely and the tablets 

 receive no damage from the water, and are ready for 

 repapering. (3) Glass tablets are cheaper than tablets 

 of wood. The average price of sizes from one inch 

 by 3 in., up to 4 in. by 3 in. made from the glazier's 

 scrap glass selected about the same thickness, may be 

 had for is. 6d., per gross. Tablets in a cabinet look 

 all the better when full, and one, or two, or more 

 rows of shells may be put on with advantage where 



they are to spare. Thin glue for applying the paper 

 to the glass has this advantage over paste : it goes- 

 on smoother, and adheres firmly at once, requiring 

 no pressure in drying. — David Robertson, Glasgmu. 



BOTANY. 



The British Moss- flora, — By Dr, Braithwaite,. 

 F,L.S. Part v. of this excellent and beautifully illus- 

 trated work has just been issued, dealing with the 

 families LciicohryaceiT and Dicranacece. The parts, 

 1$. 6d. can be had of the Author, 303 Clapham Road. 



Notes on the Arbutus. — With reference to- 

 Mr. Rason's queries, I beg to say that I am aware 

 that the genus Arctostaphylos belongs to the Arbutus 

 tribe, and though I have no recollection of having seen 

 an example, I suppose that neither A'uva-ursi, nor A. 

 alpuia could be very well'mistaken for the tree-like Ar- 

 butus unedo, for Babington's Manual describes both as. 

 procumbent in habit with long trailing woody stems. 

 From my own observation Arbutus unedo flourishes as 

 luxuriantly here as at Killamey, many of the trees, 

 being from twenty to thirty feet in height, and I am 

 informed that there are scores of places in England 

 where it flourishes, flowers, and fruits equally well 

 as at Blaise Castle. It occurs here principally on. 

 either side of Kingswestow Hill, and a pathway 

 through the wood on the southern side is locally 

 known as the Arbutus Walk. How and when it got 

 there is more than I have been able to ascertain, but 

 in all probability it was imported many years ago. I 

 am informed by a competent authority, who has been 

 acquainted with the trees for forty years, that some of 

 them are over a hundred years old. So far as I can 

 learn, neither species of Arctostaphylos has been ob- 

 served in this neighbourhood. — J. W. Citndall, 

 Bristol. 



Larch-trees in Switzerland. — Dr. Tilt, in 

 his notice of Swiss trees, states that "what the land- 

 lord of the Tdte Noire Hotel told him of his woods 

 often applies to other points," viz., that his forests 

 were made up of pines (red and white) and larch. The 

 name of the Hotel at Rosenlaui is (or was) the " Bcir,"^ 

 and Brunner, the (whilom) proprietor, is a recognised 

 authority on the botany of his neighbourhood, and 

 his observations on the relative altitudes of Alpine 

 plants are on record. Nevertheless I must adhere to- 

 my statement with regard to the larch, that " it 

 occurs only in the Bernese highlands as an escape 

 from cultivation." But, perhaps. Dr. Tilt means the 

 Hotel de la THe Noire, on the celebrated pass of that 

 name which leads from the valley of the Rhone ta 

 Chamouni. That is a very different thing ; for the 

 larch is indigenous in the southern Cantons of Valais, 

 Tessin, and ihe Grisons. There also flourishes on 

 the lower slopes the Spanish chestnut. About 

 Rosenlaui, I noted no other pine but the red species 



