HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



259 



very similar question presents itself when, as often f 

 happens, the plant forms a densely matted tuft on 

 the surface of the mud, and at the time of flowering 

 is quite free from the water : it seems improbable 

 that the same method could be employed for an 

 aerial as for a subaqueous process. In this connec- 

 tion it would he interesting to ascertain definitely 

 whether , the plant is really annual or perennial, a 

 matter which at present seems open to some doubt. 

 3. Neottla Nidus- Avis, Rich. — Besides the generally 

 unattractive appearance of the flowers, and the 

 absence of odour, there is no spur, or other visible 

 reservoir for honey. Where then is the induce- 

 ment for the larger insects to visit this plant ? And 

 in the case of the pollen-eaters, there is nothing to 

 take them near the stigma at all. Left to themselves, 

 the contents of the anther fall naturally on to the 

 upper surface of the style and projecting rostellum, 

 which effectually shuts off the stigma below, and 

 there the smaller insects would betake themselves, 

 alighting on the tongue-shaped termination, without 

 visiting any other part of the flower. Agency of 

 this kind, then, seems quite inadequate. I have 

 experimented with pencils, blades of grass, &c., 

 without producing the slightest result ; and yet, in 

 gathered specimens at least, I have seen i^ortions of 

 pollen which had apparently detached themselves 

 from above, and still retained their connection, 

 adhering to the viscous surface of the stigma. How 

 then did these pass the projecting cornice of the 

 rostellum ? I do not doubt that the subject is fully 

 treated by Mr. Darwin, but I have not now his 

 work to refer to. The question may not be found 

 without interest by some of your correspondents. — 

 R. A. Prijor. 



Deosera rotundifolia. — Have any of the 

 readers of Science-Gossip ever observed that this 

 plant is proliferous ? If the leaves become partly 

 covered with soil, numbers of young plants are 

 produced from their surfaces. — Henry Laver, Col- 

 chester. 



Marine Alg^. — Mr. Grattann's very interesting 

 paper on marine algse in Science-Gossip for 

 September induces me as a collector to offer a few 

 remarks on what are termed the "rare algaj." 

 There must be many parts of our sea-coast that 

 probably have never yet been visited by an ex- 

 perienced algologist, and, excepting the "favoured 

 localities," many others have only been superficially 

 explored. For instance, Weymouth is very seldom 

 named as a locality for sea-weeds, and yet there are 

 few parts of our sea-coast more rich in algse, both 

 as regards the common and the rare species. I 

 visited Weymouth for the first time in 1803, and 

 although not an experienced algologist, I found 

 among sea-weeds of the rarer class, the Seirospora 

 Griffithsiana, the Diidresnaia coccinea, the beautiful 



Naccaria, lovely Callitham7iions, Sporochmcs pedun- 

 culatus, the rare Foly.furcellata, P. subulifera, P. 

 simulans, the pretty little Bangia ceramicola (a 

 northern plant), parasite on Ceramium and fringmg 

 the leaves of the Zostera marina ; luxuriant bunches 

 of Bryopsis hypnoides and plumosa, and above all 

 I had the gratification of collecting, and in some 

 plenty, the very rare GriJ)Uhsia harbata. I sent 

 specimens of it to the late Dr. Harvey, who in 

 acknowledging them said, " it had hitherto only 

 been found on the Brighton coast by Mr. Borres." 

 But it would occupy too much space were I to 

 enumerate all the treasures of the deep that are 

 found growing on the Weymouth coast or thrown 

 up by the sea from deep water. But from my 

 experience of the marine algse at Weymouth, I think 

 it probable that many parts of our sea-coast hitherto 

 but little known, may be as favoured, if only carefully 

 explored, and algse that we now consider local or 

 rare be found to be more generally distributed. — 



/. n. I. 



Cotoneaster vulgaris. — I should be glad to 

 make known to botanists that I have lately dis- 

 covered on Worle.Hill, near Weston-super-Mare, a 

 shrub of Cotoneaster vulgaris, which I believe has 

 been hitherto only known to grow at Llandudno. 

 It had every appearance of being perfectly wild, 

 and the situation and soil were much the same as 

 those on which it is found at the Gi'eat Orme's 

 Head. I should be'glad to know if this locality is, 

 as I suppose, a new one. — H. Header. 



Local Names oe Common Plants (p. 235).— 

 " E. D. B.'s " interesting list of Devonshire plant- 

 names would be much more useful if he would 

 kindly make it a little more explicit. Generally 

 speaking, " E. D. B." seems to have put what he 

 considers the common English name first and then 

 the local name ; but in one instance, the first of the 

 list, the reverse seems to be the arrangement, and 

 the first name " Summer Earewell" seems to be the 

 Sidmouth name for "Ragwort," which is the 

 ordinary English name for some of the coarser 

 Senecios. Again is " Willow-herd " a local name, 

 or is it merely, as I suppose, a misprint for " Willow- 

 herb " ? It is misleading, too, if the scientific 

 name is not used instead of the ordinary English 

 name, because one of the chief objects of collecting 

 local names is to identify them, and make it certain 

 what plant is intended. Thus is any particular 

 species of St. John's Wort called "Tipsen" ? Is 

 " Hemp-nettle " Galeopsis ? if so, which species ? 

 Does " Dropwort " mean Spircea filipendula or 

 CEnanthe crocata ? because it makes a good deal of 

 difference. Which "Bind-weed" is intended? Is 

 " Snapdragon " the wild Linaria vulgaris, or the 

 garden Antirrhinum majus ? Perhaps " E. D. B." 

 will supplement his list with the Latin names. 



