HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



91 



those I dissected out were formed previously to 

 hibernation. If the animal has had the need to use 

 his dart previous to hibernation, I do not think it 

 feasible on physiological grounds that another will be 

 formed to replace it during the quiet and slow 

 physiological state of hibernation. He will doubt- 

 less have no difficulty in finding darts, if he will 

 examine some specimens in spring, for then anabolic 

 processes are at their greatest development, and it is 

 wonderful to note with what rapidity they are 

 produced by the secreting activity of the cells 

 at the posterior end of the lumen of the dart- 

 sac (fundus) ; for C. Arndt, in a paper entitled 

 " Entwicklung des Pfeils bei Ildix 7icino}'alis" in 

 Arch. Ver. Mecklenb. xxxii, pp. 87-95, states that 

 he has found the dart of Helix neiiioralis to be repro- 

 duced within a week. It is interesting to note in 

 this place, the various abnormal situations in which 

 one finds a dart during dissection. I have several 

 times dissected darts out of the connective tissue 

 around the receptaculum seminis, an abnormal place 

 for them, to which I believe Lloyd ]\Iorgan, in his 

 "Animal Biology," refers, and during the last 

 Christmas holidays, my friends Mr. George Mellors 

 and Mr. A. Paling found one in the crop of a Helix 

 aspersa. — J. W. Williams. 



Pallas Sand Grouse in Worcestershire. — On 

 December 29th, a farmer shot in this parish two males 

 and two females out of a flock of five. I have not seen 

 any record of the previous occurrence of this species 

 in this county. — K. D. Cofton. 



The Senses of Insects— have l^een made the 

 subject of speculation during the course of a late 

 address to the Entomological Society of London, by 

 Dr. David Sharp. With regard to the notions of 

 foreign comparative anatomists on this and cognate 

 subjects there is, of course, a fine field of research in 

 the rooms of the Linnean Society of London, where 

 any moderate linguist may sit and sip the flowers of 

 philosophy very enjoyably. But while thus occupied 

 let us never fail to mark, learn, and inwardly digest. 

 Now in order to controvert the Mosaic theory of 

 Johannes Miiller promulgated about sixty years ago, 

 that the picture in the insect's eye is composed of a 

 large number of separate pieces, the Doctor— and may 

 we suppose also Sir John Lubbock ? whose views are 

 similar — held that the picture formed on our retina 

 is flat, and that consequently any ideas of capacity we 

 may possess are the results of mental experience. 

 Let us put this assertion to a crucial test. Suppose 

 at the present moment I am thinking of nothing and 

 you are thinking of nothing. Now I see a man, and 

 not allowing the idea of a man access into my 

 thoughts, I shut one eye and look at him with the 

 other. For the life of me I cannot suppose that he is 

 flat, and so I open the two. If I ever before could 

 fancy that he was otherwise, he most certainly has 

 now capacity — Why is this ? Tlie images in our two 



eyes are different truly, and is it not likewise true 

 that they are inclined at an angle to each other like 

 an inverted v ? — A. H. Swinton. 



CORONELLA LiEVIS IN HAMPSHIRE. — It may 



interest some of the readers of Science-Gossip to 

 know that I have had this rare snake brought to me 

 from Hampshire. It is not uncommon on the continent 

 from Norway to the southern parts, but it has been 

 doubted to be a British reptile. I hope it has now 

 really taken its abode here, for it is both harmless 

 and useful. — A. J. Field, 43, liTedina Road, Finsbury 

 Park, N. 



LiTT. RUDis V. siNiSTRORSUM. — With reference 

 to this monstrosity, recorded last month from Wey- 

 mouth, Mr. Marshall informs me that the specimens 

 are full grown and belong to var. tenehrosa, Mont. I 

 have now discovered four specimens in all — three of 

 them being also scalariform. — B. Tomlin, Llaiidaff. 



Birds of Hampshire. — Having been asked by 

 the Hants Field Club to compile a briefly annotated 

 list of the birds of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, 

 I should be glad to hear from any of your corre- 

 spondents of the occurrence of rarities or the nesting 

 of local species, such as the cirl bunting, wood lark, 

 Dartford warbler, and raven, not necessarily for 

 pubhcation. Our list contains about 280 species, 

 notable absentees being the shore lark, Lapland 

 bunting, and roseate tern.— y. E. Kelsall, Farekam. 



BOTANY. 



Alchemilla vulgaris in the South-East.— 

 In answer to Mr. H, Lamb's inquiry, "Is Alchemilla 

 vuharis rare in the south-east?" I reply, "Yes, 

 decidedly so. It occurs in E. Sussex, in Surrey 

 (about three stations are known), and it is reported 

 for W. Kent in the "Journal of Botany," 1888, 

 p. 311, by Mr. H. W. Mornington. In Middlesex 

 it is more plentiful, and in some parts of Herts may 

 be called common ; it also occurs sparingly in N. 

 Essex. The station Mr. Lamb found Sonchjis palus- 

 tris in has been known for some years, and been 

 gathered from several times. I have seen specimens 

 in several herbaria from thence. — Arthur Bennett. 



The South Wiltshire Flora.— Through the 

 kindness of Mrs. Howard, of Ula, Colorado, I have 

 been permitted to examine an interesting collection 

 of plants, made recently in the neighbourhood of 

 South Newton, near Salisbury. The species are 

 mostly such as one finds in the chalky districts of 

 Kent and Surrey, and include the following:— 

 Aconitum 7tapelliis, Adonis autumnalis, Hippocrepis 

 comosa, Anthyllis vulneraria, Atropa belladonna, 

 Butomtcs iimbellatits, Sagittaria sagittifolia (R. Avon), 

 Reseda lutea, Saxifraga granidata (Broken-bridges), 

 Scutellaria galericnlata, Nepcla cataria, Impatiens 



