2o6 



IJARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



Cardiiiis iiiitiiiis, May 1st ; Filago Germauka, May 

 1st (solitary flower) ; Cnurana laiiipestris. May ist ; 

 Chrysanthiiiiuin Iciuaiithewiiiu, first week in May ; 

 Cainpamtla glomerata. May 29th ; C. hybrida, middle 

 of May ; Vtronka Chaiihcdrys, middle of April ; 

 Vdbiuciim Thapsus, middle of June ; Anagallis 

 arveiisis, raiildle of May ; Tlusiitin linophyUiitn, first 

 week in June ; Orchis tisliilata, butterfly orchis, bee 

 orchis, and Gyinnadcn'ui coiiopsra, last week in May ; 

 Jris Pseiidacorus, middle of May. 



It may be observed that the great majority of the 

 above-named species are perennial, which by the 

 mildness of the season would have an increased 

 growing period previous to flowering, and that the 

 dates given show the flowering period to have been, 

 on an averaije, nearly a month earlier than usual. 

 .\s an instance of the effect of the favourable season 

 we have had upon the rarer species, I may mention 

 that the somewhat rare Astragalus hypoglottis, or 

 purple milk vetch, and the elegant Spinra Filipendiila 

 liave this year been so abundant on Royston Heath 

 as almost to cover the gr<;und in some parts ; and to 

 a less extent the same remark applies to the rare 

 Cineraria campcstris, to the still rarer Thcsiiiin 

 liitophyUiiin (one of the rarest species of this 

 country), and especially to the pretty little Asperitla 

 cynamhica ; also to the rare Orchis nstulata and 

 Gymtiadenia conopsea ; while the interesting Ophrys 

 apifera (l)ee orchis), of which there is no record for 

 Royston Heath in "Flora Hertfordiensis," appears this 

 year at several different spots on the Heath a con- 

 siderable distance apart ; and at two of these spots it 

 was so common that it would scarcely be an exagge- 

 ration to say that it could be gathered by the handful. 

 I was somewhat puzzled by their sudden and total 

 disappearance at one of these spots, not a vestige of 

 the foliage being discoverable a week after I had 

 found them in such abundance. Had they been 

 gathered by passers-by, one would expect to see at 

 least some remnant of the plants. A flock of sheep 

 had just been grazing over the spot. Does any one 

 know if sheep are fond of orchidaceous plants ? I 

 may add that from my own observations the present 

 promises to be one of the most favourable seasons we 

 have had for many years for searching- for rare or 

 uncommon species. I must add to the above list the 

 following characteristic species : Thalictriim minus 

 and Anknnaria dioica, first week in June ; Ga/eopsis 

 -•crsicolor, June 29th. The orchidaceous tribe, 

 always a capricious family, have this year not only 

 upset the established record of local " floras," but the 

 commoner species, such as Orchis viacii/ata, have 

 been as common as weeds by the roadside. The 

 pretty bluebottle or cornflower (Centaiirea cyani/s) 

 has extended its habitats enough to satisfy its royal 

 admirer the Emperor of Germany, while the beautiful 

 Chrysati/hetintm segclutn, or com marigold, has yielded 

 a wealth of golden blossoms which even our grand 

 florists would fain stop to admire. 



MICROSCOPY. 



I5LOOD Corpuscles. — The size and shape of the 

 blood corpuscle is apportioned to the form of the 

 circulation ; but the nutrition of the osseous system is 

 evidently in relation as the lacuna of bone and the 

 blood disc, evinced by careful microscopic measure- 

 ment, approximate. — jfaiiics Foster, Carlisle. 



Mounting Entomostraca. — I have lately 

 mounted with success, bladderwort and various 

 specimens of pond life in carbolised water. Procure 

 a small quantity of carbolic acid in crj'stals from the 

 chemist, add a drop or two of water to facilitate melting 

 by gentle heat over a gas flame, andpoar out say five 

 or six minims into half a j^int of distilled water. The 

 fluid may be placed with the object in a shallow cell, 

 formed by a tin ring cemented to the glass slip with 

 brown cement, and the glass cover fixed with the 

 same material. After the cell has thus been sealed 

 and allowed to dry, place on turn-table, and run on a 

 thick ring of white zinc cement. By this process the 

 tissues do not shrink as with glycerine jelly, and my 

 specimens mounted a few weeks ago, preserve a 

 very natural appearance. — G. J. Johnson, Hale, 

 near Manchester. 



The Sign x. — Allow me once more, and only 

 once, to reply to Mr. Kitton's remarks on the above 

 sign. I quite follow, and to some extent appreciate, 

 his argument, but I wish simply to answer the 

 question which he puts, viz. : "Why does T. R. J. 

 maintain that this sign means more than amplifica- 

 tion?" It is for this purpose, that the public may not 

 be misled, and microscopists misrepresented by a dia- 

 gram purporting to represent an object X 500 diam. ; 

 while it is but an enlargement of one X 50. Those 

 who think this correct will not be reached by any argu- 

 ment of mine ; but if it is not correct, then it should be 

 explained why it is not. This I endeavoured to do 

 in my former papers. If my reasons are not sound, 

 will some one else supply such as are so? We all 

 know tliat magnifying powers and defining power are 

 distinct things, though they go very much hand in 

 hand. Now while it would have been correct in 

 1782 to exhibit a diagram as X 500 diam., with as 

 little definition as one now magnified by a much less 

 power (because it would faithfully represent the object 

 as then seen), yet such a diagram would not faith- 

 fully represent an object X 500 diam. in 1SS2. 

 Magnifying power is of course abstracted by " not a 

 variable quantity," but practically it is so, and all I 

 contend for is that a diagram said to represent an 

 object X 500 in 18S2 ought to be a faithful repre- 

 sentation of that object as seen under an average 

 microscope of the same date. I might I think success- 

 fully combat some of Mr. K.'s arguments, but I content 

 myself with answering his question.— 71 A'. Jones, 



