HARD WICKE ' S S CIE NCE- G O SSI P. 



259 



variety inflata (Locard), which he kindly identified 

 as British from specimens I submitted him in 1886 ; 

 and, as he doubtless had these in mind, I venture to 

 offer the following notes from the series in my collec- 

 tion. This interesting variety is characterised by 

 deeper sutures, more inflated whorls, and a some- 

 what lower spire than the type ; some specimens also 

 have a slightly more open umbilicus — all particulars 

 in which it approaches P. contecta ; and indeed Tate, 

 in his "Plain and Easy Account," p. 56, mistook 

 them for that species. The above varietal characters 

 are not so marked in the young ; the spires of the 

 adults of those from the "Leg of Mutton " pond are 

 much eroded. It is remarkable that while all the 

 specimens from this pond are of the variety inflata, 

 those from the bathing pond on the East Heath are 

 quite normal. The same variety also occurs in the 

 Welsh Harp reservoir, where the environmental 

 conditions are, so far as one can tell, quite dissimilar. 

 The " Leg of Mutton " pond contains, in addition to 

 those mentioned by Mr. Williams, Planorbis contents, 

 of a ruby-red colour, possibly due to the oxide of 

 iron with which the stream flowing into the pond is 

 charged, Planorbis umbilicatus, P. contorltts, and 

 Spharium laaistra. Mr. Williams also seems to 

 have overlooked the U7iio iufnidus, var. ovatiis, found 

 in the Red Arches pond. Several specimens of 

 Limnea stagnalis from the bathing pond have very 

 low spires with shallow sutures, approaching L. 

 peregra, var. inta'media, in shape; I have seen the 

 same form from Beccles, Hatfield, Wembley, and 

 Sweden, and Mr. Cockerell's variety expansa is 

 somewhat similar. Is this a case of reversion to a 

 low-spired progenitor ? Among the rank vegetation 

 that until recently clothed the disused brick-fields on 

 the East Heath, I have found Arion ater, Limax 

 agrestis, L. maxitmts, L. Iccvis (one specimen), Zonites 

 alliarius. Helix rufescens, H. rotundata, H. hispida 

 and concinna ; Arion hortensis and Zonites nitidulus 

 occur in Caen Wood ; Zonites cellarius and Testacella 

 haliotidea in my coal-cellar. On the West Heath 

 itself, although I have searched it more closely than 

 any other part of the district, save a few Arion ater 

 and Limax agrestis, I have found no shells, and 

 their absence here is no doubt due to the abundance 

 of furze, ferns, and coniferous trees, which, together 

 with a peaty soil, render it uninhabitable to them. 

 In the ponds bordering the lane leading from North 

 End to Hendon, Planorbis vortex and Vdlvata c7-is- 

 tata may be found, and in the same locality Zonites 

 crystalliniis, Z. alliat-ia, var. viridula. Helix hispida 

 and H. rufescens ; Pisidium pusillum and Cochlicopa 

 lubrica occur in a dry ditch at Child's Hill, while 

 Mr. Cockerell records Pisidium fontinale, var. ciiterea, 

 for Hampstead. The Welsh Harp reservoir contains 

 Unio tumidus, U. pictorum, Anodon anatina, Limnea 

 peregra (one specimen having white bands), Z. stag- 

 nalis and L. auricularia ; in a stream flowing into 

 the reservoir near the railway bridge are Neritina 



Jluviatilis, Valvata piscinalis, V. cristata, and Sphoe- 

 riiim rivicola. In the numerous streams (feeders of 

 the Brent) about Neasdon and Wembley, Physa 

 fotitinalisy Limnea peregra, var. ititermedia, Z. stag- 

 nalis, var. albida, Planorbis carinatus, Ancylus la- 

 custre, and Succinea putris ; and in Wembley Park, 

 Zonites nitidulus, Z. crystallitius, and Clausilius 

 rugosa. Mr. A . H, Shepherd records Zonites glaber 

 for Hendon. From the Highgate Woods I have 

 Z. radiatulus, Limax hortensis, var. rufescens. Helix 

 7iemoralis, var. interriipta ; this species presents the 

 following band formulae near Hendon : rubella 

 00300,00000, carnea 12345. On the left of Finchley 

 Road, opposite the Oakhill fields, was a numerous 

 colony of Helix hortensis, the varieties lutca and 

 incarnata (bandless) far outnumbering the type. — 

 C, Clare Fryer, 139 Fellows Road, South Hampstead, 

 N.W. 



BOTANY. 



Sunflowers. — There has long been a doubt in 

 my mind as to whether the old idea, taught in our 

 youthful days, that sunflowers follow the sun in his 

 daily course, was based on fact or otherwise. During 

 the past season, I have made many observations on 

 these plants, so as to find out the truth, if possible. 

 Fortunately this has been a comparatively easy task, 

 as these flowers have been strongly in evidence in 

 South Beds. In some instances, gardens have been 

 occupied almost solely by them. The conclusion 

 forced on one's mind is, that sunflowers do not turn 

 their heads with the sun. The only apparent 

 exceptions are where they are planted close to a dead 

 wall, in which circumstances the faces of the flower- 

 heads are turned from the wall, or, in other words, 

 towards the light. But, even here, the discs are 

 always directed to one point of the compass, and do 

 not make a diurnal semi-revolution. To effect such 

 a mission, there must be a torsion of the peduncle, 

 which does not occur, and on examining a plant it 

 will be readily seen that such a movement would 

 require considerable mechanical force. Wherever 

 they grow in open situations, or even near alow wall, 

 the flower-heads are directed to all points of the 

 compass, and there does not appear to be any 

 greater number facing the south than any other way. 

 They evidently obey the law that governs most flowers, 

 which impels them to present their broadest surfaces 

 at right angles to the incidence of the light ; which 

 again is modified by centrifugal development, so that 

 each individual head has its due share of illumination. 

 As to the origin of the common name, may it not 

 have been applied because of the resemblance to the 

 conventional sunflowers of public-house signs, &c. 

 Or was the scientific name Helianthemum coined 

 first, and sunflowers thus only an anglicised form of 

 its generic appellation ? — J. Saunders^ Luton. 



