HA RD WICKE' S SCIENCE-GOSSIF. 



187 



have before me the original description of Lehmann's 

 Ano7i brunneus (' Mai. Blatt.,' 1862, p. 166), with 

 figure of anatomy , . . . A. brmutats, of Lehmann, 

 is a very different thing from any form whatever of 

 A. ater. It is simply a synonym for the unhanded form 

 of ^. stibfuscus." The ground on which I based the 

 assumption that Lehmann's Arion bninnais should 

 be located under A. ater was, that Westerlund, in his 

 " Fauna Europjea," so places it, and Westerlund I 

 considered a good and reliable authority. Wester- 

 lund's description is "caffeatus vel ferrugineus, dorso 

 obscuriore" (by this I considered he meant that it so 

 differed from a typical Arion ater), and it seemed to 

 me that this description fitted in exactly with what 

 Mr. Roebuck had described asvar. bricnnea ("animal 

 dark brown, unicolor"), and in some sense with his 

 MS. svih-v2LxieiY oi Brunneo-pallescens. Since sending 

 to press the corrected proof of the first part of my 

 paper, I must say that I accidentally came across the 

 original description of Lehmann's Arion brunneics, 

 and have had my doubts since that of the identity of 

 that form with Arion ater, var. brunnea, Roebuck. 

 Mr. Roebuck's letter lends no doubt that a mis- 

 apprehension has taken place, and I hasten to express 

 my sorrow that these two errors should have un- 

 wittingly crept into my paper. — jfoscph IV. Williams. 



FORAMINIFERA. — I fail to See how the words 

 "curious facts," referred to in my note in the April 

 number, are affected by misquoting "expounder" 

 for " recorder." Regarding the figure named Ento- 

 solenia squamosa, I notice Mr. Robertson now calls it 

 var. hexagona, which, of course, is correct, according 

 to Professor Williamson's figure. Also do I regret that 

 by pointing out a few little matters like this, I have 

 deserved the qualification of aggressive dogmatism. 

 May I also venture to say that I am inclined to think 

 the safer plan is to follow the dictum of latest editions ? 

 — F. Chapman. 



BOTANY. 



Early Flowering of Potentilla Tor- 

 MENTILLA. — The time given for the flowering of this 

 plant is from June to September (Hooker's Student's 

 Flora). On May 30th, however, I found it in full 

 bloom on Wimbledon Common, and in many cases 

 the petals fell off on my touching them. I suppose, 

 however, that this rather forward state was owing to 

 the hot weather that prevailed from the i8th to the 

 25th of May, added to the fact that the part of the 

 common on which the plant grows so abundantly is 

 exceedingly open and exposed, there being no trees or 

 shrubs for some distance around. — A. L. Clarke. 



Botanical Notes from West Cork. — As an 

 interesting district for the botanist. West Cork is 

 well known. During the third week in July last, 

 while paying a visit near that beautiful and romantic 



inlet of the sea known as Loch Hyne, situated 

 between Skibbereen and Baltimore, I was struck by 

 the very varied flora to be seen even within the 

 circumference of a mile or two. Loch Hyne is 

 surrounded by well-wooded hills and partly culti- 

 vated slopes ; in its midst is a small island on which 

 are the ruins of an ancient castle. From the north 

 it is looked down on by the lofty and solitary, but 

 well-wooded mountain of "The Crooked Hill." 

 Mounting this hill one passes by luxuriant patches of 

 Irish spurge {EtcpJiorbia hiberna) and beds of large 

 ferns (Lastrea, Polystichuin, &c.), and, drooping from 

 the rocks, graceful clusters of that beautiful fern, 

 Asplenium acittum. Higher up large masses of rock 

 are seen covered with the evergreen foliage and 

 pretty pink flowers of London pride [Saxifraga 

 iimbrosa), while from the trees hang festoons of 

 woodbine and ivy. From an eminent point called 

 the "Look Out," the view is singularly wild and 

 romantic -looking : on one side are barren-looking 

 hills and grey rocks, interspersed with green pastures, 

 turf bogs and small lakes ; and on the other side, 

 outside the loch, the Atlantic dashes its spray un- 

 ceasingly against the steep cliffs and rocks. Descend- 

 ing the hill and going eastward, the most common 

 and striking plants along the banks and wayside are 

 Thymus serpyllum, Sediun angliacm, Anthemisnobilis, 

 and here and there, though not so common, Malva 

 inoschata and Erodimn vwschatuni. Through the 

 damp fields and pastures I met with Veronica scutel- 

 lata, Hypericum elodes, Linum catharticuvi, Habenana 

 bifolia, Oi-chis maculata, and Narthecium ossifragum, 

 the two latter most abundant. In a wet gully among 

 the hills I came upon large and luxuriant patches ot 

 that local butterwort [Pinguicula grandiflora), in 

 company with its more humble-looking relation, P. 

 lusitanica and Drosera rotundifolia. Common on 

 the hills are Ulex nanus, U. Europaus, Erica cinerea, 

 E. teti-alix, Salix repens, and Rosa spinosissima, the 

 latter close to the sea. The shallow parts of all the 

 lakes and bog-holes here are covered with thousands 

 of white and yellow waterlilies {Ny7nphica alba and 

 Nuphar luteum), and the banks of streams and ditches 

 are richly lined with the royal and female ferns 

 {OsmiDida regalis and Athyrium filix-fcemina). On 

 the roadside close by the sea I got specimens of that 

 western rarity [Cicendia Jilifortnis), and farther on a 

 sandy field was almost covered with the yellow flowers 

 of Viola Curtisii and Galium verum. By the rocky 

 shores were to be seen in plenty Euphorbia Portlandica 

 and Crithtmc:n maritinmm, while the rocks produced 

 Plantago maritima, P. corotiopics, Cotyledon umbilicus, 

 and Asplenium marinuni. Farther east a gravelly beach 

 called Tralispeer was covered just above the water- 

 mark with large patches of the delicate pink flowers 

 of Convolvulus sardanella, and the showy glaucous 

 leaves and blue flower-heads of the sea-holly {Eryn- 

 gium vtaritimum), and carpeted here and there with 

 Sedtim acre and Arenaria serpyllifolia. Near this 



