l62 



HARDWICKE' S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



North Staffordshire Naturalists' Field 

 Club. — (President, Mr. W. Challinor ; Hon. Sec, 

 Rev. T. W. Daltry.) The sixteenth Report of this society 

 has just appeared, containing lengthy abstracts of 

 papers read last year, and of the places visited during 

 the excursions. The society devotes a large share of 

 its attention to archaeology. Chief among the papers 

 are those of Mr. Clement L. Wragge, relating to 

 Meteorological and Phenological observations, and 

 of Dr. McAldowie, Mr. Robert Garner, and Mr. F. M. 

 Sexton. 



The Electric Light at Norwich is a great 

 attraction to moths, especially the lamps in the 

 Market Place, as they are much higher than the 

 others and light up the castle hill which is covered 

 with trees and bushes. This year there have been 

 a large number taken at these lamps. In one week 

 (May 9-16, 18S2) I collected the following specimens 



1 Smerinthits popiili ; i Smcrinthiis tiluc ; I Sphinx 

 ligustri ; 15 Cerura vcmtla ; I Dicronitra fitrcula ; 



2 Pygirra biiccpliala, and hosts of others more common. 

 Papilio viachaoi! are out, and very plentiful on the 

 marshes. — E. P. Dyhall. 



Embryology of the Podophthalmata. — A 

 pamphlet on this subject, by Mr. Edward Lovett 

 (Croydon " Advertiser " Office). It gives a series of 

 careful observations on the ova of several species, and 

 is of great value to all students of embryology. Mr. 

 Lovett thinks that some species may be double 

 brooded. 



Provincial Scientific Societies.— Mr. H. G. 

 Fordham, F.G.S., Odsey Grange, Royston, has issued 

 circulars to all the scientific societies throughout the 

 kingdom with which he was acquainted, inviting 

 them to send delegates to the forthcoming meeting of 

 the British Association at Southampton, when the 

 second conference of scientific societies will be held 

 for the purpose of recommending objects of local 

 research, &c. Secretaries who have not received these 

 circulars should communicate with Mr. Fordham at 

 the above address. 



The Kelvin Grove Museum. — Every lover of 

 natural history who has visited Glasgow will be sure 

 to have paid a visit to the above museum, and 

 admired its arrangements. We are glad to see, from 

 the report for 1 881, that it has continued to grow in 

 resources and public interest and attraction. 



Walthamstow Natural History Society. — • 

 We are pleased to see this recently founded society 

 in a flourishing state, as indicated by its report just 

 issued. It now numbers sixty-six members, and last 

 season had four original papers read. The President 

 is Mr. David Howard, F.C.S., and the Hon. Sec. 

 Mr. O. C. Goldthwait, 



Entomology. — Professor Riley's monthly contribu- 

 tions to the " American Naturalist " are among the 



most important of the new and improved features of 

 that well-known journal. They deal chiefly with 

 practical economical entomology. 



In Memoriam. — The "American Naturalist" 

 has issued a special evolution number in honour of 

 our deceased naturalist. Dr. Darwin." 



IIampstead Naturalists' Clue. — The second 

 annual Report, issued last April, shows that eleven 

 papers were read last session, and six special excur- 

 sions made. President, Mr. Wm. Boulting, L.R.C.P. ; 

 Hon. Sec, F. L. Watkins. 



East Kent Natural History Society.— The 

 twenty-fourth Report of this old-established society 

 gives an outline of the work done, together with 

 abstracts of the papers read last year. President, 

 Capt. McDakin ; Hon. Sec, Mr. G. H. Nelson, M.A.; 

 Assistant Sec, Mr. James Fullagar. 



BOTANY. 



Notes on the Ferns of Killarney.— But not on 

 the Killarney fern {Trichoviaues radicans), fori regret 

 to say its place knoweth it no more. Many a hunt 

 had I during my six months' stay, and many a consul- 

 tation with woodmen, gamekeepers, and others, all of 

 whom know every inch of Turk, but one and all 

 assure me it has completely disappeared. Why will 

 tourists persist in carrying off these " fairy tokens," 

 which Kingsley tells us were left for "wise men and 

 good children." And yet as if to punish visitors for 

 depriving their land of its peculiar treasure, bare- 

 legged Irish laddies often succeed in foisting upon 

 strangers Hymenophyllmn Timbridgense for the " rale 

 Killarney fern." I myself saw an instance of this at 

 Looscannagh, and judging by the "number of hands 

 employed," should imagine they drive a pretty brisk 

 trade. So far as my own observation extended, I 

 should not say Killarney possesses many very rare 

 ferns. It may be as well to add that the species 

 enumerated were all found either on the peninsula, 

 which divides the middle and lower lakes, or on the 

 neighbouring mountains on the south side of the Turk 

 lake. The more common ferns are extremely abun- 

 dant ; such are Polypoduim vtilgare, Lasirca filix-mas, 

 Asplenhim ntta - miira7-ia, Aspkiiinm trichomanes, 

 Polystichiim angiilare, Scolopeiidrhim vidgare, Blech- 

 mim spicant and Pteris aquilitia. Less common, but 

 still fairly abundant, are Aspkitium adia7itu7n-mgr!tin, 

 Cclcrach officinantm, and Lastrea thdypteris. The 

 Lastreas are well represented, in addition to the two 

 just mentioned. L. dilatata and another Lastrea not 

 unlike Z. dilatata collina, [also Lastrea fa-tiisecii are 

 exceedingly abundant. This last is particularly 

 luxuriant in the recesses of the woods, where it grows 

 in large clumps ; as everybody knows, Killarney is 

 the headquarters of Osmitnda regalis. Well might 



