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HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



our ramble. We had intended to stay at Elstead 

 this night, but as we were unacquainted with the size of 

 the place, and it was marked on our maps in the 

 same type as Frensham, we decided to make for 

 Farnham, which place we reached via Farnham 

 Common in time to secure a suitable lodging for the 

 night. 



Our journey that day had been chiefly through 

 commons of the wildest possible description, covered 

 with dry heather and gorse ; and the only insects we 

 had seen were a few hibernated specimens of V. 

 7irtic<z and lo, G. rhamni, and a few hymenoptera 

 and diptera and the tiger-beetle (Cicmdela campestris) 

 the latter very beautiful insect flying about in con- 

 siderable numbers over the sandy heaths. On the 

 morning of the 26th, we made for the well-known 

 ridge of hills called the Hog's Back, and continued 

 along it to the road which crosses it shortly after 

 leaving Seale. 



Continuing along this road past Ash railway station, 

 we proceeded over Ash Common, the Fox Hills, 

 Romping Downs, and Pirbright Common, to the 

 village of Pirbright, where we obtained some refresh- 

 ment, and striking out towards the east, passed 

 through the London Necropolis, and having struck 

 the Basingstoke Canal, continued along the towing- 

 path as far as Woking, from whence we took train 

 to London, arriving at Waterloo early in the evening. 

 Although we had, of course, not made any captures 

 of importance, we had seen enough of the country to 

 induce us to visit it again during the summer months, 

 when we have no doubt whatever that our sanguine 

 anticipations as to the localities referred to will be 

 abundantly verified. If the reader will take the 

 trouble to trace out our course on the map of 

 Surrey, he will find that we walked over the wildest 

 and most thinly populated portions of the county, 

 which obviously are the parts most likely to be 

 productive of specimens for the naturalist, whatever 

 branch of natural history he may study. Altogether 

 I thoroughly enjoyed the excursion, as also did my 

 companion, who had accompanied me on former and 

 more extensive expeditions ; and London naturalists 

 desirous of taking a few days' walk, cannot do better 

 than take the course we have indicated. It seems a 

 great pity that more accurate county maps are not 

 published for the use of pedestrians. As a rule 

 second-rate roads and footpaths are wholly ignored 

 on those at present in use, much to the annoyance and 

 inconvenience of the traveller, who either has to use 

 his own discretion and take the best roads leading in 

 the direction he wishes to make for, or go miles out 

 of his way in following the roads marked on his 

 map. If less space were devoted to information 

 respecting post towns, market days, boundaries of 

 parliamentary boroughs, and matters of a similar 

 nature, more space might be given to bye-lanes and 

 footpaths which appear to be at present wholly 

 unrepresented. 



THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE COLOURS OF 

 FLOWERS THROUGH INSECT SELECTION. 



AS doubtless do many of your readers, I welcome 

 the reappearance in your pages of articles 

 anent that most interesting subject, " The Develop- 

 ment of the Colours of Flowers through Insect 

 Selection." 



Now fain am I to frankly admit that I am no 

 advocate of the theory, believing it to be as utter a 

 delusion as ever found acceptance with real or quasi 

 scientists. Nevertheless 'twould be sheerest presump- 

 tion on my part if I were to assert that the conten- 

 tion of its supporters could not be sustained by a 

 single indisputable fact ; I think, however, that 

 I may venture to say thus much, viz., that it is 

 sustained — if sustained at all — not so much by 

 proved facts as by inferences and — possibilities. 

 Now, superadded to these, those who hold views 

 entirely at variance can produce a host of facts 

 which directly tend to the very opposite conclusions 

 to those arrived at by the selectionists ; and believe 

 that one might just as reasonably attempt to account 

 for the various lovely amethystine, emeraldine, and 

 rubescent tints of Orient gems by a process of insect 

 selection, as hope to prove that the exquisite floral 

 colours which garnish this world with beauty were 

 once non-existent, and are mainly due to, or have 

 been brought about by, the agency of insects — or 

 have been "stereotyped and perpetuated" by them. 

 Thus much may be fairly conceded, viz., that the 

 colours' of flowers may be, and probably have been, 

 modified — greatly modified— through their agency, as 

 they have been unquestionably both by climate and 

 soil ; beyond this it would, in the present state of our 

 knowledge, be most unwise to go. 



I fear, Mr. Editor, that the pages of Science- 

 Gossip for twelve months to come would not suffice 

 to exhaust the subject, and am therefore warned 

 not to exhaust the patience of your readers by a long 

 introduction. More immediately then to the point. 



I am free to admit that I am staggered by Mr. A. 

 G. Tansley's quotation from Hermann Miiller, wherein 

 it is asserted that "The most primitive flowers are 

 ... for the most part simple . . . devoid of honey, or 

 with their honey unconcealed and easily accessible ; " 

 and yet it is added that "there arose others" 

 (insects) "more skilful and intelligent, with longer 

 tongues and acuter colour-sense, and they gradually 

 caused the production of flowers with more varied 

 colours, honey invisible to or beyond the reach of 

 the less intelligent short-tongued guests, and various 

 contrivances for lodging, protecting, and pointing 

 out the honey." If this be Nature's method of 

 working, then let us have as little of her as possible^ 

 the less the better. Now, let us briefly examine this 

 statement. Here is something desirable and easily 

 attainable, both by long- and short-tongued insects, 

 and yet, as it is sought to make it appear, by some 



