27S 



11 A K D VV i C K E ' S S C 1 E N C E - G S S I P . 



ilieni ill a glass Lottie, full of sea water. I regret 



that I did not examine the laiTaundcrtliemicroscope 



hv.t have no doubt I can get more next summer if 



iiot now. An\how the genus I^i/j/o^/s is disposed 



of! Montague describes and figures Diplolis in, 



I think, vol, xi. of the "Journal of the Proceedings 



of the Linnean Society." He remarks on its 



resemblance to the larva of au insect. Gosse 



includes it among his doubtful genera of areuicolous 



Amiclids.— ./^//>6y/ 0. IFalker. 



Provincial Societies. — We have received 

 several numbers of "The Yorkshire Naturalists' 

 Recorder," which is devoted to reporting the meet- 

 ings of natural history societies iu Yorkshire and 

 the neighbourhood, and to such notes and queries 

 and general observations as come under the notice 

 of or interest local naturalists. It is well conducted, 

 and cannot fail to stir up au enthusiasm in the 

 study of nai ure. We want more attention tobegiveu 

 to tlie fauna and flora of each neighbourhood. The 

 "Proceedings of the Bristol Naturalists' Society," 

 from Jauuary to May, 1872, contains some good 

 papers, but few devoted to the natural history of 

 the neighbourhood. It seems strange to find 

 a paper on "Australian Possils" in such a pub- 

 lication as this. The "Anthropology of the Danu- 

 bian Region," although by such a good ethno- 

 logist as- Dr. Beddoc, would, we think, have been 

 better iu a journal devoted to such subjects. One 

 naturally associates the botany and zoology of a 

 district with the " Proceedings " of a local society 

 devoted to such studies, and is apt to be disappointed 

 when we find every other subject treated but those 

 we wished to see. The ninth annual Report of the 

 Belfast Naturalist Field Club is much better iu this 

 respect, although it is not free from the same tempta- 

 tiou. The strength and enthusiasm of the society 

 is well indicated by the number of its excursions 

 during the last summer, all of which are very well 

 described. Anioug the most important papers are 

 " Au Inquiry into the Possibility and Probability 

 of the Occurrence of Coal in the Neighbourhood of 

 Bellast," by Mr. William Gray ; " The Geology of 

 Cultra, CO. Down," by Mr. Joseph Wright ; "A 

 Day with the Oyster-dredgers," by .Mr. S. A. Stewart; 

 "Giants' Graves," by Dr. Ilolden. 



BOTANY. 



lusxcT Agency on Plants.— A very suggestive 

 article appears in the Journal of Botany for No- 

 vember, by Mr. A, W. Bennett, on the Influence 

 of Insect Agency on the Distribution of Plants. 

 Mr. Leo. Grindon had shown that there is a general 

 absence from the neighbourhood of Manchester of 

 fragrant labiates— in fact, of every labiate that 

 yields a powerful odour, except Stachys sijhatlcct, 



and this is regarded as suggestive of the absence 

 of fertilizing agencies, iu the shape of insects, that 

 are attracted by these flowers. There are no known 

 climatic reasons for the absence of these common 

 plants, and Mr. Bennett recommends that particular 

 notice be taken by local botanists and entomologists 

 of the part played by insects in the fertilization of 

 our common plants. He shows that a list of the 

 insects that have been observed to be active in the 

 fertilization of our common wild flowers would be 

 of the utmost value. 



Epipactis palustris and E. latipolia. — 

 In a recent number these two plants are considered 

 of Rufiicient rarity (particularly the first) to be 

 worthy a special notice. In the romantic Castle 

 Eden Dene, Durham, both these plants are to be 

 found iu abundance, particularly E. latifolia, which 

 may be gathered by the wayside ; the palustris is 

 to be searched for in dam. p and boggy spots; but 

 what I have always considered a much rarer plant 

 is the E. cnsi/oUa, which is to be found there 

 flowering in the end of May or beginning of June 

 and its white flowers are most conspicuous in the 

 spots where it grows. Perhaps there are few spots 

 in England so rich in botanical treasures as Castle 

 Eden Dene. I have seen in this favoured spot not 

 only the plants I have" named, but also the Ely 

 Orchis (0. ?/V«.si? //«■/•«), theButterfly Orchis (0. ii/oZ/rt), 

 0. pjjramidaUs, the Bird's-nest Orchis (Z. nidus- 

 avis), and the still rarer and curious Lady's Slipper 

 (6'. calceolus). If any south-country botanist were 

 to devote a day to ramble in Castle Eden Dene, he 

 would fiud a great treat in store for him. The 

 graceful Lily of the Valley there grows in wild 

 luxuriance, [clothing in mauy places considerable 

 spaces with its elegant leaves, and when they arc 

 in flower, perfuming the air with their fragrance. 

 As the summer advances, the elegant and sweet- 

 smelling Pi/rola rotumlifolia is to be found in 

 several places ; but it would take a larger space 

 than I can ask for iu this instance to enumerate all 

 the botanical and entomological varieties to be 

 found iu Castle Eden Dene.— r. /. B., Fernjhill, 

 Durham. 



PoTENTiLLA FRUTICOSA.— Has a stray individual 

 plant of this rare species ever been seeen on the 

 Durham or northern bank of the Tees ? I have 

 looked all along this side where the river brink M-as 

 accessible, and did not meet with so much as au 

 accidental waif (stray plant). "Ad ripam meridio- 

 nalem Tesa} fluvii infra vicum Thorp dictum variis 

 iu locis necnon infra ccenobium Athclstani vulgo 

 Eggleston Abbeylin agro Eboracensi." — Dillcnius, 

 in Raji Sfnopsin, 25G. Where are Thorp hamlet and 

 Eggleston Abbey ? Compare Dillcnius' edition of 

 Ray's Synopsis; also Jcnkiuson's and Robson's 

 Eloras. This rare British species is found, I believe 

 as low as Winch Bridge, halfway from Middletonto 



