HARDWICKE'S SCIEN CE-GUS SIP. 



67 



laminc, wliicli iu turn takes part in tlic formation 

 of organic nitrogen compounds. 



Vegetable Pakasites on Bread.— In a paper 

 just published in the Comptes Rendiis, Messrs. 

 Rochard and Legros state that the mouldiness 

 which is frequently developed in bread does not 

 result from the presence of certain germs in the at- 

 mosphere, but occurs when the bread is badly 

 made from inferior ilour, and kept under wrong 

 conditions. Of the orange-coloured cryptogams 

 observed, the O'idimn aurantiacum was not nearly so 

 abundantjas tbe Thamnidiim, the latter being one 

 form of Mucor mucedo. The green spots are pro- 

 duced, sometimes by Aspenfillus glmicus, and some- 

 times by Tenicilium glauciim ; the black spots by 

 jRhisopus ni(jricans ; the white spots by Miicor 

 mncedo, and sometimes there is'' also Botrijtis grisea. 

 It is stated that excess of salt added to the bread 

 prevents the production of these parasitic fungi. 



"Pecext Records of Rare Plants."— Mr. 

 P. Arnold Lees, who writes on the above subject 

 in a recent Science-Gossip, will be glad to know 

 that there is little danger at present of lieliaHthemum 

 Breweri becoming extinct on Holyhead mountain. 

 In the autumn of 1871 it was very abundant near 

 the North Hack. The plants varied much in 

 height. Some of those on the dry parts of the 

 mountain did not exceed an inch, while a few in 

 damp, sheltered situations measured over a foot. I 

 saw Cineraria maritima growing sparingly not very 

 far from the town of Holyhead in 1869. I can con- 

 firm Mr. Lees', statement tiiat PoteniiUa riipestris 

 and Lychnis »25Cffn« still exist on Craig Breidden, 

 and I think (thanks to the precipitous cliffs) they 

 are pretty safe. Veronica spicata (var, hybrida) also 

 grows on this hill. — George R. Jebbs. 



Petasites fragrans as Bee Provender. — At 

 a recent meeting of the East Kent Natural His- 

 tory Societ}', referring to the Sweet-scented Butter- 

 bur, now growing and blooming so abundantly near 

 the Cathedral, the Hon. Secretary, Dr. Gulliver, 

 produced further specimens of this plant in order 

 to show its true sexual character, and that this is 

 not in conformity with the current descriptions. 

 Every botanist knows that Petasites is dioecious or 

 subdicecious, or at least that this genus is so de- 

 scribed by all the highest authorities; for example, 

 Lindley says that its " flower-heads are dioecious," 

 and Babington that these "heads are manj'-flowered 

 and subdicecious." But, on the contrary, the 

 Canterbury plant is confined entirely to the herma- 

 phrodite form, cacli of the flower-heads being 

 throughout ..composed of perfect, regular, five-cleft, 

 tubular florets, save a few smaller shortly ligulate 

 and female ones at the circumference of the flower- 

 head. Hence it would be interesting to examine 

 the sexual forms of this plant iu other localities. 



Of the above-named plant the pollen is white, and 

 so abundant as to have been shed from the gathered 

 specimens, like flour sprinkled on the paper over 

 which they were laid in January ; and so fully ex- 

 posed on the exserted stamens, and still more ex- 

 serted styles, of the tubular florets of the growing 

 plants, as to invite insects. Thus bees, tempted out 

 by a genial day in the winter, might find a rich table, 

 even in December, January, and February, when 

 other food was either scarce or absent. And seeing 

 this early profusion of the pollen of the multitudi- 

 nous flowers, the fragrancy, the hardiness, and 

 perennial luxuriant growth of this Italian Butter- 

 bur, even in shady and damp places, it should be so 

 highly valuable as earliest provender for bees as to 

 be better worth cultivation in England for this pur- 

 pose than any other plant. Our native Petasites 

 vulgaris is well known to be grateful to bees ; but 

 it is less sweet-scented, is later in flowering, and 

 requires a wetter situation than Petasites fragrans. 

 The pollen-grains have each three scars, are prickly 

 on the surface, like those of most other Comimsitai, 

 and of an oval shape, the length being about 1-lOOlh 

 of an inch, and the breadth l-700th. Indeed, the 

 pollen is just such abeautiful object, and so easily 

 examined, as may engage the attention of, and 

 serve as a whetter to, the novice in micrographic 

 botany and the inquiries of the scientific bee- 

 master. 



GEOLOGY. 



An Ancient Cheshire Eorest. — About half a 

 mile to the west of Warrington is a large tract of 

 land which is in most parts, during ten months out 

 of the twelve, covered with water. Pormerly a 

 brook ran through this swampy land, and emptied 

 itself into the river Mersey at a point called " Poo 

 Mouth." The Great Northern Railway Company, 

 in connection with the Lincolnshire and Sheffield 

 Railway Company, in their survey for a new line 

 from Manchester to Liverpool, crossed this valley. 

 Tlie line passes at this point over a strong viaduct, 

 and it was in the excavations to find a good founda- 

 tion for the piers of the arches that the remains of 

 an old forest were met with. It was necessary to 

 go to a great depth to arrive at solid rock. The 

 section thus exposed was as follows ; viz.. Lacus- 

 trine accumulations, consisting of silt, surface- 

 washing from the neighbourhood of St. Helen's 

 downward, &c., 5 ft. 6 in. ; black soil, with bands 

 of sand, remains of furze, &c., 2 ft. 6 in.; white 

 sand, 1 ft. Ancient forest, consisting of oak, hazel, 

 alder, "and fir, the two former predominating. The 

 stumps were dug out in the position in which they 

 grew, and several of the branches, when newly 

 excavated, presented the appearance of having 

 been cut with a sharp instrument. Cones, &c.. 



