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HA RD WICKE' S SCIENCE- G OS SI P. 



Beckton Marshes, close by the Barking Jute Factory, 

 and gathered some specimens from the brackish 

 water-ditches. I subsequently made many inquiries 

 with regard to the manufactures in the district, but 

 was unsuccessful in obtaining any helpful information. 

 Later in the year I again visited the locality, and 

 collected a goodly number of specimens, some ot 

 which I forwarded to Mr. E. A. Smith. There the 

 matter rested, so far as I was concerned, till I read 

 Mr. E. A. Smith's description of the form as a new 

 species in the "Journal of Conchology " for October, 

 1S89 (published 17th January, 1890). In the same 

 journal further notes appeared, showing that the 

 form had already been taken at Greenwich about 

 two years before (1887), and of which Mr. Allen was 

 aware, having informed me in April 1S89, that he 

 had received the information from a correspondent of 

 his in Glasgow. Later on, Mr. Jenkins' Notes on 

 Hydrobia appeared in Science-Gossip for May, 

 1890, and on the 8th of May Mr. Allen wrote me : 

 * ' I am sorry to see you are not mentioned as the one 

 who first noticed the shell as non-British." I ex- 

 hibited a series of the shells, with drawings of the 

 animal, at a meeting of the Essex Field Club (17th 

 May, 1890), which was duly recorded in our "Essex 

 Naturahst," 1890, p. 128, and then associated Mr. 

 Allen's name with the first discovery in Essex. I 

 had certainly hoped to have had the first record in 

 the journal of our club, of which Mr. Allen is a 

 member, but the publication being already a fait 

 accompli, I asked Mr. E. A. Smith to write a short 

 notice as a record for the "Essex Naturalist," to 

 which I added some remarks, and gave a drawing of 

 the shell and animal (vide "Essex Naturalist," 1890, 

 p. 212), I certainly did not again mention Mr. 

 Allen's name therein, which was scarcely necessary, 

 but would now express my regret for the omission. 

 I am still of opinion, as expressed in the note referred 

 to, that the species may have been introduced. In 

 conclusion, I may say that the species is not, as Mr. 

 W. H. Smith says, a freshwater mollusc ; and as to 

 the vague statement that he examined the mollusc 

 months before my visit to Beckton, that may be true, 

 but is certainly misleading, whether intentional or 

 otherwise, inasmuch as that was not till after I had 

 seen it, and called Mr. Allen's attention to the 

 differences. — Walter Crouch, Wanstead, Essex. 



Hydrobia Jenkinsi. — Mr. W. H. Smith writes 

 as follows to the "Essex Naturalist": — "Referring 

 to the 'Note on Hydrobia Jenkinsi'' (in the Oct.- 

 Dec. 1890, issue of the Journal), by Mr. Edgar A. 

 Smith, F.Z.S. It has given me pleasure to note 

 that Mr. Smith has acknowledged receiving his first 

 acquaintance with this new species of hydrobia at the 

 hands of Mr. Walter Crouch, and that the latter 

 gentleman obtained some specimens at Beckton in 

 the early part of 1889. It affords me pleasure to say 

 that the species referred to was discovered at an 



earlier period than 1889 by a member of your club, 

 who invited Mr. Walter Crouch to visit Beckton. 

 The journey to Beckton resulted in obtaining 

 specimens. It is due to the energy of Mr. W. Allen, 

 of Barking Road, Canning Town, that this species 

 became known to Mr. Crouch and other eminent 

 conchologists. I send you this communication in the 

 •hope that you will make its contents generally known 

 to your members, and I ask this favour because I had 

 the pleasure of examining this remarkable fresh-water 

 mollusc months before Mr. Crouch's visit to Beckton, 

 and I can personally vouch for Mr. Allen's anxiety to 

 make his discovery known. I think Hydrobia Alleni 

 would be a more commendable name than Hydrobia 

 yetikinsi. — IV. H. Smith. 



NoTHOLCA ACUMINATA. — Referring to Mr. Clarke's 

 note on this rotifer in your issue for June, though 

 given in "Hudson and Gosse" as very rare, it is 

 common in several ponds in the vicinity of Chester, 

 In water from one of these ponds it is not unusual to 

 see six or seven of these rotifers at once in the field 

 of the 2-inch objective. — A, H. Hignett. 



Preserving Fish. — Every naturalist knows the 

 difficulty of preserving fish so as to show their natural 

 form and colours. We are only too well acquainted 

 with the stiff, colourless caricatures of the most 

 graceful and often beautifully tinted of living crea- 

 tures, seen in museums and elsewhere. Consequently 

 we are pleased to call attention, after having carefully 

 examined various specimens, to the really beautiful 

 examples of prepared fish now being set up by Mr. 

 J. Sinel, of Jersey. In one specimen of the blue- 

 striped wrasse {Labriis mixtiis), all the striking 

 colours are replaced true to nature ; in another 

 (Platessa), part of the colours have been replaced ; 

 in the bass {Labrax lupus), which usually turns white 

 in drying, all the colours have been retained. Gene- 

 rally speaking, however, Mr. Sinel's system enables 

 all the natural colours to be kept unchangeably. The 

 specimens are also secured against shrinkage, and 

 cannot possibly be injured by damp. Naturalists and 

 anglers can now obtain beautiful specimens of fish 

 for wall and other ornamentation ; whilst to museums, 

 Mr. Sinel's examples commend themselves for their 

 beauty, naturalness, and neatness. 



BOTANY. 



RuBUS laCINIATUS. — Years ago I found a curious 

 cut-leaved bramble growing at Chislehurst ; one 

 bush at Prickend, and one on Chislehurst Common, 

 apparently quite wild. I sent specimens to one or 

 two botanists, and was informed that it was merely a 

 form of R. discolor {rusticanus) by a good authority. 

 In Science-Gossip, 1889, p. 188, I referred to the 

 plant as R. rnsticantts, form incisits. A few days ago 

 I sent a specimen to Kew, and it is now identifi 



