HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



191 



^' How does the writer know there is no such phe- 

 nomenon as spontaneous generation ? " Does he 

 argue that because the snail is not produced by 

 spontaneous generation, there is no such process at 

 all ; or does he hold that because spontaneous 

 generation has not yet been detected, no such pro- 

 cess is possible, or if possible that it never will be 

 discovered ? If he depends on authorities for his 

 assertion, I shall be glad to learn who they are, for, 

 so far as I can ascertain, the bitterest opponents of 

 archebiosis content themselves with denying that it 

 has been, not that it ever will be discovered. To 

 frame universal propositions on imperfect knowledge 

 is an acknowledged logical fallacy, and even granting 

 that all the forms of life with which we are acquainted 

 are produced in the manner described (which, how- 

 ever, I do not in reality by any means admit) to 

 assume that all the forms of life with which we are 

 unacquainted also owe their existence to previously 

 existing life is a very unscientific position to take up. 

 With regard to the second proposition, pp. S, 9, and 

 10 of Sachs's "Text Book of Botany" are occupied with 

 a description of " (i.) The Renewal or Rejuvenescence 

 of a Cell ; i.e. the formation of one new cell from the 

 whole of the protoplasm of a cell already in existence ; 

 (2.) The Conjugation or Coalescence of two (or 

 more) protoplasmic bodies in the formation of a cell." 

 Neither of these processes can be called the division 

 of an already existing cell. Bastian, in his " Begin- 

 nings of Life," describes the development of colourless 

 blood corpuscles, i.e. protoplasmic cells, in serum, 

 taken from the human being, containing no corpuscles 

 from which the new ones could arise, and kept in a 

 -\'essel at the temperature of the body from which it 

 ■was derived. This, I should say, would be a case of 

 protoplasm arising in an organic, not an organised, 

 fluid, and altogether independently of cell-division or 

 cell influence at all. I have not Bastian's work by 

 me at present, but if required I can quote ad literatim 

 on a future occasion. — J. Hatnson, Bedford. 



Tropidonotus LiBERis. — H. C. Brooke inquires 

 about the habits and range of Tropidonotus liberis. 

 It is not an uncommon snake in the States south of 

 and adjoining the Great Lakes. Penna and Ohio 

 seem to be its principal habitats. It is aquatic in its 

 habits, frequenting stony mountain streams . — C. II. T., 

 Acad. Nat. Sciences, Phila. Fa. 



White Flowers. — I have found in Cornwall 

 white varieties of the following plants : Polygala 

 vulgaris, somewhat frequently ; Stachys Betonica, 

 occasionally ; Centaurea nigra, once or twice ; 

 Thymus serpyllum, once only. — J. .Snetl. 



Snails near London. — Under the heading 

 "Notes and Queries," in the current number of 

 Science-Gossip, your correspondent, A. S., asks 

 for information as to the best hunting-ground for 

 land snails near London. On Whit Monday I 

 visited Warlingham (Caterham Branch, S. E. R.) 

 and proceeded from the station towards the " Leather 

 Bottle Inn." If your correspondent cares to take the 

 road I followed, viz. from the inn in a direct line for 

 Caterham, and about ten minutes' walk from the 

 aforesaid inn, he will pass down a rather steep hill, 

 having on his left-hand a beech wood, and on his 

 right a high bank, covered chiefly with nettles, long 

 grass, and blackberry bushes. On this bank I secured 

 Cyclostoma elegans. Helix cantiana. Helix pomatia 

 (very fine specimens), H. rufescens and Helix aspersa. 

 In the beech wood, on the trunks of the beeches, I took 

 Helix nemoralis, hortensis and hybrida, fine speci- 

 mens. I have been informed, by a gentleman who 

 had previously taken several specimens, that //. 



pomatia (white species), as mentioned by Jeffreys, 

 has been secured at Caterham. This locality is really 

 a good hunting-ground, and would probably repay a 

 visit by your correspondent. 



Origin of Jet.— It is yet undecided as to what is 

 the nature and origin of jet. The greater part of 

 chemists seem to think that it is a kind of bituminous 

 wood or lignite. Others say that it is a kind of indu- 

 rated carbon. I myself think that it is a form of 

 lignite. It may be found in the Upper Lias of the 

 Yorkshire strata and in Spain. — J. Williams. 



NOTICES TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



To Correspondents and^ Exchangers. — As we now 

 publish Science-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 Anonymous 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 akd 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 qI owx gratuitous insertion of 

 "exchanges" which cannot be tolerated. 



T. CHRISTI.A.N. — The plant enclosed was TIdaspi ai-vense. 

 We failed to find any " minute reddish objects " in your box. 



S. G. R. — Your plant is the common Twayblade orchis 

 (List era ovata). 



W. W. Watts. — Your paper is to hand, and will appear 

 shortly. 



H. P. Malet. — We have not space for you to continue the 

 discussion. We were bound in courtesy to allow iVIr. Halse to 

 reply to you, and there the matter ended. 



J. Scott. — No. i. Water -dropwort (CEna7ithe crocata). 

 No. 2, Cudweed (Gnnplialium 7iligi?iosjun, L.). No. 3, Skull- 

 cap ^5c?//'t'//(r?'/a ^«/fr/c«/(!/rt, L.). No. 4, Common red dead- 

 nettle (Lamijijii piirpuretimj. No. 5, Lastrea or Kephrodiuin 

 nliginosiim, a rare fern. No. 6, Lady-fern. 



Viola (Emsworth). — We should have no hesitation in naming 

 the species V. sepincota, Jord. 



E. W. (Bristol). — It is a form o{ Sphagnum cyvihifoliuin. 



F. A. D. (Winchester). — Verotiica polita, h'r. We should 

 prefer the more recent edition of "Student's Flora" to the work 

 you mention. 



J. H. M. (Piccadilly). — From leaves only it is impossible to 

 give the name correctly, though it certamly is a cruciferous 

 plant ; so far you ure quite correct. 



J. ]\I. H. (Staindrop). — We believe it to be Viola Reiclun- 

 bachiana, Bor. Note the spur, it is very unlike V. hirta. 



R. C. (Perth). — There are two species of lichen. The most 

 prominent, slate-coloured, is Parmclia saxatilis; it is not a 

 fungus, as you suspect. 



A. W. (York).— The plant is Galeopsis tetrahit, L. 



F. A. S. (Stockwell). — Thanks for kind wishes. The exotic 

 plant is new to us ; it will be named in our next number. 



R. L. M. — Halodactylus is the name of a genus of Fulyzoa, 

 found in the German Ocean adhering to seaweeds. Clavaria, 

 opiiioglossoiaes is a fungus found in Carolina, U.S. Its name 

 is now GeoglossHin glabruvi. 



V. G. — The objects floating to the surface of the lake were 

 the fruits of Trapa natans, known as " Water chestnuts " and 

 "Jesuit's nuts." The plant is a member of the natural order 

 Haloragaceac. 



J. E. Priestley.— Your box was smashed when it reached 

 us, and the caterpillars had escaped. 



B. To.MLiN. — Write to Mr. R. Damon, Weymouth, for label 

 lists for shells. The '' Emperor of Morocco " butterfly (Apatiira 

 iris) is more frequently called "Purple Emperor." The inner 

 surfaces of the wings are of a rich shining purple colour ; the 

 outside have some rubty yellow about them, so that Lord 

 Lytton was hardly correct where he speaks of it as a " yellow" 

 insect in " Kenelm Chillingley." 



B. Skeats.— Your plant is the money wort (Lysimachia. 

 nuiiimularia). Mustard grows on wet flannel because the seed- 

 lobes secrete chlorophyll and act a^ true leaves. 



C. F. WoRTEKS.— Thanks for the specimen of malformed 

 daisy. It is an illustration of the peculiar malformation known 

 as Synanthy. 



