I40 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



Classificatory Position of the Mollusca. — 

 In answer to Dr. P. Q. Kegan's query on p. 95, ante, 

 as to why the Molluscan phylum is placed higher up 

 on the zoological scale than that of the Annulosa, I 

 think the chief reason is that of the nervous system, 

 which shows greater concentration and, in the 

 majority of the higher forms at least, is chiefly localised 

 in the head as an oesophageal ring. In the lipocephala 

 the head region has atrophied in adaptation to a 

 "sessile inactive life" (Article "Mollusca" in 

 Professor Lankester's " Zoological Articles," p. 102,) 

 and taken all together, the Mollusca, in structure and 

 embryological history, show a decided advance on 

 the Arthropoda and Echinodermata, considering that 

 the ancestor of both these three phyla is common to 

 all, and to be sought in one of the simple worms. If 

 Dr. Kegan will read the articles on the Annulosa 

 and Mollusca in the last edition ;of the " Encyclo- 

 predia Britannica," I think he will very quickly come 

 the conclusion that the present systematic position 

 of the Mollusca is the only true one. — J. W. 

 Williams. 



Erratum. — In my note on "A new variety of 

 Helix Cantiana " (p. i ijanle), about half a millimetre 

 "should read" adove half a millimetre.— y. IF. 

 Williams. 



Mounting Shells.— I cannot "advise" Miss 

 Priest on this subject, not knowing what other 

 substances are used in mounting, but a very good 

 material is formed by equal weights of gum arable 

 and gum tragacanth dissolved in water to the 

 consistency of very thick paste. Hundreds of shells 

 were mounted in this way in the British Museum. 

 Shells even of considerable size can be easily set in 

 any position in a bed of the gum. Dissolve the gum 

 arable in water, making it very thin. Pour this on 

 the gum tragacanth, which swells considerably, and 

 as it swells stir and add water, if necessary. Add a 

 few drops of essential oil to prevent mould. The 

 paste is most useful for general purposes. Caution 

 is desirable in giving it away, every friend to whom 

 I have ever given a pot has required that the supply 

 should be kept up for the term of his natural life. — 

 G. T. Staveley. 



Local Conchological Society. —May I suggest 

 to LJ.S. that it would add largely to the value of the 

 work of his Conchological Society if a rule were made to 

 preserve (if possible, mounted as microscopic objects) 

 the tongues of all the mollusca whose shells are 

 taken. The study of shells alone has now very much 

 given place to that of the animals themselves with 

 their shells, and the tongues are valuable in distin- 

 guishing genera. They will keep for years simply 

 dried. Any members of the Society unable to 

 mount them, might present them, with the shell laid 

 out dry. by its side, for the use of students of the 

 mollusca. — G. T. Slavdey. 



BOTANY. 



Notes on Vegetable Teratology. — Since 

 much has been written of late concerning floral 

 monstrosities, the following notes from my log-book 

 on some which came under my notice a few years ago- 

 may be found interesting to such who have turned 

 their attention to the science of teratology. In the 

 summer of 18S6 I found an isolated plant of Campanula 

 rotu7idifolia growing in a shaded nook near Hampstead 

 Heath, with a flower having the corolla divided into 

 five distinct petaloid segments ; the flower was- 

 found to be homogamous. The gamopetalous flowers 

 of Campanula are decidely dichogamous, and further 

 the vascular system of the corolla does not exhibit 

 that of separate segments cohering by their respective 

 edges, for the veins are found to ramify and anastomose 

 all over the space between each contiguous dorsal 

 rib in such a manner as to render any line of cohesion-- 

 extinct. This dialysis must be regarded as retro- 

 gressive, a reversion to some primordial and less 

 specialized condition, owing perhaps to the scarcity 

 or entire absence of bees, correlated with the 

 combined influences of temperature and the im- 

 poverished condition of the soil in which the plant 

 grew. On November 7th, 1S86, I saw a plant of 

 Angreecum sesquipedale bearing two flowers with 

 exceedingly large nectariferous spurs. The spurs of the- 

 flowers measured respectively 16 and lyj inches in 

 length. The other parts of the flowers were found to 

 be in a normal condition and of the usual size. The 

 cause of the monstrous condition'of these spurs was pro- 

 bably due to the unusually high temperature to which, 

 the plant had been subjected, and it is not an unfeasible 

 presumption to suppose that as the nectariferous spurs 

 are regarded as having originated through irritation 

 set up by insect visitors, that an unusually high 

 temperature would induce an additional flow of 

 nutrition to those parts that are already hypertrophied- 

 through heredity. During the year of 18S8 several: 

 teratological specimens came under my notice. I 

 found two flowers of Sempervivum arachnoideum in 

 which the margins of the anther cells bore from four 

 to six ovuliferous processes. I also found three 

 flowers of three different species of Begonia with- 

 stigmatiferous and ovuliferous stamens, and one flower 

 in which the stigma was antheriferous. I also took 

 note of several cases in which anthers occupied the 

 place of the stigma, (i) A flower of Campanula 

 medium in which four anthers occupied the position of 

 the stigma. (2) A flower of GalaniJms 7iivalis having 

 two anthers in place of the stigma. (3) A term inal' 

 flower of Digitalis purpjtrea having six fertile stamens 

 and no pistil ; the two short stamens reaching 

 maturity first, the two intermediate following, and 

 finally the two largest. I saw on a plant of Aquilegia 

 (var. ?) growing in my garden a flower with two spurs, 

 bearing rudimentary ovules, and three of the stamens. 



