156 



HARDWJCKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



little plantwith awl-shaped leaves, of apeculiar cellular 

 structure ; these arise from a crown on a creeping root- 

 stock ; the roots also exhibit an annular structure 

 very distinctly. We were not fortunate enough to 

 find it in flower. Growing with the above was 

 Lobelia dortmanna ; this is a rather curious plant, all 

 the leaves are under water ; the flower-stalks stand up 

 several inches above the surface, bearing a few lilac 

 flowers. At a distance they have the appearance of 

 dead straws standing in the water. 



Another plant the drag brought up was Scirpiis 

 fliiitans. This varies very much with the depth of the 

 water ; in some specimens I found the branches were 

 as thin as horsehair, and others, in shallower water, 

 considerably thicker. 



Ardostaphylos iira-ursi, was found trailing along 

 the ground close to the edge of the lake. On our way 

 back to Roundstone across the bogs, we came to a 

 small stream of deep water, which was covered with 

 NymphcEa alba ; between twenty and thirty of its 

 beautiful white flowers were floating in the space 

 of a few square yards. It abounds on most of the 

 lakes, &c., in this part of Connemara. 



Samolus valerandi, Habenaria chloroleuca, and 

 Carex stricta, were also observed. 



July 2nd. We went along the heaths and bogs by 

 the side of the road that runs from Roundstone to 

 Clifden. On a slightly elevated heath about five miles 

 along, we found the rare Erica Mackayi, growing in 

 fair quantity. It is easily distinguished from E. 

 Tetralix, by the reddish tips of the branches and the 

 more ovate leaves. I found some forms of Tetralix 

 that come very near to this species. While speaking 

 of heaths I may say that we found white varieties of 

 Tetralix and cinerea. 



Cladium germanicum was found growing by the 

 side of a small lake near this spot, 



July 3rd. This day we drove from Roundstone to 

 the picturesque group of mountains known as the 

 Twelve Pins, a distance of about eight miles. On 

 arriving there we at once started to ascend the 

 nearest, which is rather steep all the way up. The 

 only plants worth notice we found on the lower part 

 were Thalictrum minus and Carex pitlicaris. The flora 

 of these mountains is most scanty ; we went to the 

 top of three of them, and the only plant we thought 

 worth taking was Saxifraga timbrosa ; this was very 

 various in form and size, some plants only about \\ 

 inches in height, and others as much as i foot. Our 

 labours were rewarded in another way this time, for on 

 reaching the top (over 2,000 ft.) there was a most 

 splendid view of the whole coast-line from Achil 

 Head on the north to Loop Head on the south. 



As the day was perfectly clear and bright we could 

 make out, with the aid of our map the islands of 

 Clare, Inishturk, Inishhofm, Inishark and Aran 

 besides numerous smaller ones. 



On the descent we followed the course of a small 

 stream flowing in a deep bed with very steep banks. 



Along this we found Dabxocia polifolia very large, and 

 in some spots 'vci great quantity ; also some of the 

 hybrid thistles. So after a hard day, we had done 

 very little botanical work, and were glad to get back 

 to our car, which had been " put up" by the road- 

 side, and drive back to Roundstone, 



Next day we drove to Galway by the mail car, in 

 time to catch the night train for Dublin, en route for 

 Burton. 



Jno, E, Nowers, 



Burton- on- Trent. 



AN INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF 

 BRITISH DIPTERA. 



By E. Brunetti, 

 \C0ntin1tedjr07n p. 131.] 



IN my introductory remarks on existing collections 

 in the first portion of this paper, I mentioned 

 the unsatisfactory state of the British Museum Col- 

 lection, but I can now, with much pleasure, retract 

 that statement, as a new and able assistant (Mr, 

 Austen) has been added to the staff, and under his 

 indefatigable efforts the Collection is being rapidly 

 overhauled and properly arranged, 



29. MuscidcB, 



Over 800 species of this immense family are known 

 to be British, and ere long the list will probably 

 exceed a thousand, as over 4000 European species 

 (nearly half the total number inhabiting Europe) 

 belong to it, and there are probably 30,000 species 

 distributed over the world. The venation is very 

 similar throughout the whole group, the genera in 

 which it varies most belonging to the group Acalyp- 

 terata. 



Six sub-families are universally recognised. 



AlulcC large [Calypteratd]. 



Fourth longitudinal vein (from just beyond external trans- 

 verse vein) bent up towards tip of third. 



Arista bare (in some genera pubescent) : TachinincB. 

 Arista pubescent. 



Arista bare from the middle to the tip : Sar~ 



coj>liagi>ice. 

 Arista pubescent to the tip. 



Abdomen conical, covered with long spines — 



legs rather long : DexiiiiF. 

 Abdomen rounded, no spines, legs rather 

 short : JShtscina;. 

 Fourth longitudinal vein not bent up towards the third, 

 and diverging from it towards the tip : Anthomyina. 

 Alulae small or absent [Acalypterata). 



The arista is the antennal style — usually long, and 

 seated on the upper side at the base of the third 

 joint. 



The antennae in the calypterate MiiscidiC are 

 usually pendent, lying close together in the centre 

 of the face — the arista being generally horizontal. 



A very slight acquaintance with the Ahiscidce is 

 sufficient for the student to recognise at a glance the 

 sub-family to which any specimen belongs. 



