IIARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



91 



rooks, though, if we except the Medusoid im 

 pression said to have beeu observed by Professor 

 Agassiz in the Oolitic lithographic slate of Soleu- 

 hofen, they appear to be absent in rocks of more 

 recent age. The Athecata, or Tubularian zoophytes, 

 are represented in a fossil state by the SUurian 

 genus Conjiioides and the Carboniferous genus 

 Palceocori/iie, and the Thecaphora, or Sertularians, 

 by the Silurian genera Dendrograptus and Ftilo- 

 graptus, and probably, also, Callograpdus and 

 Dictyonema. Then there are the Ilhabdophora or 

 Graptolites, an entirely extinct sub-order of the 

 Hydroida, found exclusively in Silurian rocks, and 

 consisting of sixteen genera, with nearly ten times 

 as many species. The Hydrozoa are thus repre- 

 sented in Palaeozoic rocks by at least twenty genera 

 and from about ISO to 200 species of hydroid 

 zoophytes.—/. Uopkinson. 



NOTES AND aUERIES. 



Dried Plowers.— From what Mrs. Watney 

 has written to Science-Gossip last mouth, I have 

 ventured to hope that, with the editor's kind per- 

 mission, a few words on the subject of an amateur 

 Hortus siccus may not be unwelcome to some of its 

 readers. Of course to the botanical student, a 

 Hortus siccus has au extensive signification, and 

 brings with it visions of volumes of brown paper, 

 and large collections of withered plants, and hard 

 Latin names. Now, to an amateur who has plenty of 

 leisure, all this might be changed, and knowledge be 

 gilded over by beauty's magic wand. I think one 

 of the most charming occupations in which one can 

 indulge during a summer vacation is the study of 

 Nature, i have liad some little experience in 

 preparing jjlants for tiie little cards to which Mrs. 

 Watney alludes ; and, some six years ago, when 

 my father had the honour of contributing to the 

 pages of Science-Gossip, we had several elegant 

 wreaths and bouquets of wild and exotic llowers on 

 card-board. The modus operandi of preparing the 

 blooms, leaves, &c., is simple enough, care and 

 attention only being required as to the time of 

 gathering them, and the delicate manipulation 

 whilst preparing and fixing them on the cards. 

 Whilst visiting the Ciiannel Islands, some of our 

 most richly-coloured and handsome wreaths were 

 made, but nothing, in my idea, could rival the 

 spring blossoms and wild fiowers found near our 

 Dorset home, in the lanes and on the downs. One 

 collection of single violets, purple aud white, inter- 

 mixed with feather mosses {llypiuim trichomanoides 

 and H. rufescens), with a few violet-leaves, and a 

 frond or two of fern, was a particular favourite of 

 mine : they were gathered and mounted in 1859, 

 and for years kept their freshness and colour. The 

 best time for plucking the blooms, leaves, aud 

 especially ferns, is when they are ripe, i.e. in their 

 prime. Immature petals and leaves are apt to 

 droop and fade before there is time to bring them 

 home and press them. Bright, warm, dry days 

 are the best to select for botanic excursions. 

 Having collected the quantity and variety required 

 lor a wreath or bouquet, whilst they are yet fresh, 

 take some good pink blotting-paper, fold it to the 

 size of an ordinarily large book, place the flowers 



carefully between the leaves, so that the blooms 

 may be kept in as perfect a form as possible. Take 

 for an example the simple little primrose ; separate 

 the bloom from the stalk, and, on laying it down 

 on the paper, the amateur will find some little 

 trouble in fixing it for pressing so as to preserve 

 the symmetry of the flower. Having arranged the 

 subjects at proper distances, place the blotting- 

 paper under some large books, and put heavy 

 weights upon it. Should the collection not be 

 made all at once^ the leaves and blooms will keep 

 in this way well ior a month or so, and they should 

 be exposed as little as possible to the light till 

 mouuted. A week or ten days will suflice in an 

 ordinary way to press the subjects. When they 

 are sufliciently dry for mounting, select some white 

 Bristol board, arrange the design intended to be 

 formed, then fix them to the card-board with liquid 

 gum. The same instruments may be used as in 

 mounting seaweeds for the smaller and more 

 delicate blooms. When completely grouped, place 

 them again under pressure, and leave until quite 

 dry ; then take out the card-board, and varnish or 

 not. Any one who may take the trouble to form 

 one of these very lovely natural pictures, will be 

 more than repaid for the time expended in prepar- 

 ing it. Would not an album (say like a photographic 

 alburn) filled with little cards tastily arranged with 

 specimens of local floras, mouuted in the way 1 

 have now described, be a pleasant and pretty sou- 

 venir of summer holidays, liavmg the Latin names, 

 and the locality the specimens were found in, 

 together with the date, inscribed on the back of the 

 card, or on the margin? 1 see some of the cor- 

 respondents to Science-Gossip are writing on the 

 subject of Poisoning Dried Plants. I have now a 

 collection of plants gathered by ray father whilst a 

 student at the Edinburgh University in 1S39, and 

 they were simply pressed and kept between coarse 

 blue paper.— i/arZii^ra Wallace iyfe, Nottingham. 



Glowworms.— Mr. T. Buck, Chelmsford, wishes 

 to know how to catch male, glowworms. Let him 

 put a lamp or candle in au open window when the 

 females are shining, and he will have as many as 

 are about. — 6'. Kingsley. 



Glowworms. — I think if your correspondent 

 Mr. Buck will go with a lighted lamp or lantern, 

 some warm dark night in June or July, into the 

 woods or lanes where the glowworms abound, he 

 will have no difficulty in getting males. 1 used to 

 find them a nuisance rather than otherwise when 

 " sugaring" in the woods in the South of England. 

 They flew in my face, settled on my coat-collar, 

 waistcoat, aud whiskers, and were especially fond 

 of perching oa the edge of the rim of my liat. — 



Male Glow^vorms (page 68).— In reply to Mr. 

 Buck, I may state that the male beetles are not to 

 be found during the day, nor so readily at the 

 evening dusk, as are the temales. When the night 

 is further advanced, however, they fly abroad 

 briskly, and as the pages of various magazines 

 testify, have frequently been mistaken for fire-flies. 

 In and about woods are favourite resorts, aud they 

 have been noticed dashing to and fro near the lan- 

 terns carried by entomologists engaged in moth- 

 huntiug. Kegarding the longevity of ihe insect 

 in confinement, 1 may add that 1 am aware of one 

 instance where some females were brought into 

 a house aud allowed to wander away. All disap- 



