HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



163 



holds that the measurement of children, as they 

 grow, has not yet received the attention it deserves, 

 and he points to the opportunities afforded by schools 

 for settling this physiological matter. Mr. Soames 

 shows how the measurement should be made. 



The Geologists' Association went for an excursion 

 on June 13th to Selborne, under the directorship of 

 Dr. Sclater and Mr. Wm. Whitaker, and on June 

 20th to Greys Thurrocks, with Mr. F. C. J. Spurrell 

 as guide. 



" Pantobiblion, or a Review of the World's 

 Scientific Literature," published monthly, is among 

 the latest of periodical announcements. 



We would strongly call the attention of our ento- 

 mological readers to the papers now appearing in 

 the "Entomologist," by Mr. F. H. Perry Coste, 

 entitled "Contributions to the Chemistry of Insect 

 Colours." They approach tliis very important sub- 

 ject from a new direction. 



The Rev. Hilderic Friend has an important paper 

 in the last number of the " International Journal of 

 Microscopy and Natural Science," on the "Earth- 

 worms of Scotland." 



A PIECE of genuine good work has been the result 

 of the "Microscopical Society of Calcutta" — Mr. 

 H. H. Andrew's "Notes on Indian Rotifers." It is 

 accompanied by three exquisitely-drawn plates and 

 twenty figures. 



All who have the opportunity should pay a visit 

 to IMr. Wm. Bull's Orchid Show in King's Road, 

 Chelsea. 



Dr. a. Milnes Marshall's lecture on "Animal 

 Pedigrees" is being continued in "The Midland 

 Naturalist." 



The next Annual General Meeting of the British 

 Association will be held at Cardiff, commencing 

 August loth, under the Presidency of Dr. Wm. 

 Huggins, F.R.S., <S:c. 



The Anniversary Meeting of the Linna;an Society 

 this year was noteworthy for the address of the 

 president. Professor Stewart, on "The Secondary 

 Sexual Characters of Animals and Plants." The 

 society's gold medal was awarded to Dr. Bornet, of 

 Paris, for researches in botany. 



The Council of the Geologists' Association have 

 decided to publish the long and valuable paper by 

 Messrs. Harris and Burrowes on the Eocene and 

 Oligocene Beds of the Paris Basin as a separate 

 publication, illustrated by maps, sections, etc., at is. 

 to members, and 3^. to non-members. 



H.R.H. the Prince of Wales fixed Wednesday, the 

 17th of June, for the dehvery by Lord Rayleigh of 



the first of the two lectures at the Royal Institution, 

 in connection with the centenary of the birth of 

 Michael Faraday, and Friday evening, the 26th of 

 June, for the second lecture, which was given by 

 Professor Dewar. 



It is with unfeigned regret we have to record the 

 death of an old friend and contributor to Science- 

 Gossip, Professor M. Duncan, F.R.S., &c., in his 

 sixty-seventh year. 



ZOOLOGY. 



"Our Lane." — We are sorry that through in- 

 advertence the name of E. H. Robertson, the writer 

 of the charming articles in our columns bearing the 

 above title, was omitted. 



The Chitinous Plug in Mollusca. — In the 

 December number of Science-Gossip I made re- 

 ference to the first volume of Balfour's " Comparative 

 Embryology," and gave the reference as on p. 229. 

 I find that Mr. Webb says in the June issue that this 

 page is not the right one. I can only add that it is 

 the page in my copy (2nd ed. 1885), and also in 

 seven other copies which I have taken the trouble 

 (perhaps very needlessly) to examine. This is the 

 only remark I think I have need to make on Mr. 

 Webb's criticisms. ^ — J. IV. Williams. 



Hydrobia Jenkinsi in Essex. — I have received 

 a letter from Mr. W. H. Smith, of Canning Town, 

 enclosing copy of a communication addressed by him 

 to the editor of the " Essex Naturalist," dated 27th 

 March, 1 891, which he informs me he has sent to 

 you for publication. Should you insert his letter, I 

 beg you will also publish my reply, dealing with the 

 facts connected with the discovery of Hydrobia, 

 Jenkinsi in Essex. When Mr. Allen, of Canning 

 Town, sent me, on the 29th of January, 1889, a few 

 hydrobia shells from Beckton for identification, I 

 noticed at once a few with carinated whorls, a form 

 which had never been described as British, and 

 concluded they were either a new species or had 

 been introduced. I took the three specimens up to 

 Mr. Edgar A. Smith (Nat. Hist. Museum) on the 

 2nd of February, and we then decided to send them 

 to Dr. Boettger, of Frankfort, who replied that they 

 were not known on the Continent, and that the 

 nearest ally was H. Legrandiana, of Tasmania. I 

 then wrote to Mr. Allen (i6th April, 1889), suggest- 

 ing that they had been introduced in some raw 

 material, such as flax, hemp, &c., which might have 

 been used in some of the manufactories in the dis- 

 trict, and proposed to visit the locality. In his reply 

 (17th April) he offered to accompany me, and wrote : 

 "The discovery is yours, and I am glad of it ; I 

 leave the determination in your hands." On the 

 19th of April Mr. Allen and I went down to the 



