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HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



Hellriegel, which had now been generally accepted, 

 viz., that the bacteria possessed the power of absorb- 

 ing free nitrogen to feed the plants ; and explained 

 certain experiments which he saw conducted at 

 Rothamsted to test this view, which experiments 

 made him entertain the idea that it was correct. The 

 next point touched upon was an experiment which he 

 was conducting with an improved Lathyrus (Z. 

 sylvestris , "SVagn.). Great results were claimed by 

 Dr. Wagner, the improver of the plant, from Lathynis 

 sylvestris (Linn.) ; but the experiment, along with 

 others in Britain, had been practically a failure. The 

 grounds of the improvement rested on the great 

 power of the plant to absorb nitrogen as mentioned. 

 The failure of the plant in this climate led him to 

 inquire into the matter and to compare investiga- 

 tions which he had made on native leguminous 

 plants regarding the Bacteria. It appears that the 

 plants produce, or Bacteria is produced, in best form 

 where the plants are growing under favourable 

 conditions for their development, thus assisting 

 prolific development and not extension of geo- 

 graphical area, as is the case with bulbs and creepers 

 on grasses, etc. This was partly confirmed from 

 observations taken from the broom and needle- 

 greenweed, and on a very prolific dwarf pea, which 

 produced a great development of Bacteria, as well as 

 coinciding with results gained at Rothamsted, 

 where a cultivated plant did not produce Bacteria 

 on arid soil, but when garden humus was added 

 i^acteria was produced. 



To Lincolnshire Botanists.— We have pleasure 

 in inserting the following letter : — " I am busy col- 

 lecting materials for a ' Flora of Lincolnshire.' 

 W^ould you put a notice in your widely-read paper to 

 say I shall be most happy to receive voucher speci- 

 mens, with localities, dates, &c., for any of our less 

 common or rare plants. Unless I am dealing with 

 past-masters, mere lists are of little use, though 

 thankfully received." — E. Adrian Woodniffe-Pcacock, 

 Cadney Vicarage, Brigg. 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



" Sea-Fowling," — I was both surprised and sorry 

 to see the letter s-igned, "Sea-Fowler" last month, 

 and I would fain hope that this gentleman's notion 

 of the way to spend a "happy Saturday" will not 

 commend itself to many of your readers. When he 

 tells with evident glee that one gunner shot twenty- 

 seven dozen and five harmless birds at one shot, 

 the feeling in the minds of most persons will hardly 

 be one of admiration, but rather of deep disgust, 

 especially when it is remembered that in addition to 

 the number of birds killed, many more must have got 

 away wounded, to die a lingering and painful death. 

 When I read his description of how he shot one of those 

 noble birds, a wild swan, and wounded another which 

 got away and was caught (evidently still alive) next 

 day, I did not wish this self-complacent gentleman 



any harm, at least not much, but I could not help- 

 thinking that if he had lain helpless through a long 

 frosty winter's night with a gunshot wound, and a 

 broken limb, he would look upon his pleasant day's- 

 sport, as he calls it, in a different light. I suppose 

 there will always be a certain number of persons who 

 find their pleasure in killing for killing's sake, but 

 they should not be encouraged to make a boast of it. — 

 W. Ward, Southampto7i. 



Cleaning Varnish.— Can you, or any of your 

 readers, tell me of a good method of cleaning the 

 balsam, asphalte varnish, etc., offspoiled microscope 

 slides, in order to use the glass slips again ? I find it a 

 very slow process scraping them clean one by one. — "< 

 A. Verinder. 



Optical Effect, Science Gossip for August, 

 p. i88.— The optical effect described by H. J. T. 

 is well known as " Purkinje's figures" (see Huxley's- 

 Elementary Lessons in Physiology). It is not quite 

 easy to understand without some knowledge of the 

 anatomy of the eye, but, briefly, is due to this : the 

 optic nerve, which enters the eyeball at the back (like 

 the stalk of an apple), spreads out over the back of 

 the eye into a delicate nervous layer, the retina. 

 Minute blood-vessels enter the eye at the same spot, 

 and ramify over the inner surface of the retina. 

 When a beam of light is thrown very obliquely into 

 the eye (as H. J. T. describes), these branching blood-- 

 vessels are seen, by means of the retina behind 

 them.— y)/. E. Pope, 



Snakes and Parasites. — There are several 

 species of ticks parasitic on snakes, but it would be 

 impossible to identify them from Mr. Tilly's note. 

 Judging from his description, the insects found on the 

 sloughs, may, I think, be mites so often found to be 

 troublesome to cage-birds when due attention is not 

 given to the cleanliness of the cages. — J. Macnaiight 

 Campbell. 



Floral Guide to Kent. — Will some one tell 

 M. B. W. by whom Cowell's "Floral Guide to E. 

 Kent is published, and also the price of the same ? 

 It was mentioned by "Ede" under the heading 

 " Flora of Kent " in the May number of Science . 

 Gossip. — M. B. Wigan. 



The White-flower Question. — A London 

 reader of Science-Gossip- sends me a very interesting 

 letter on this subject. He speaks of having found in 

 North Wales, last autumn, Gentiaiia amarella and the 

 plume thistle both bearing pure white flowers. Sym- 

 phytium officinale, which I spoke of last month as occa- 

 sionally bearing white flowers in this neighbourhood, 

 he mentions as growing around Bath much more 

 frequently than the purple variety. In Switzerland 

 and the south of France he has met the lesser peri- 

 winkle bearing blue, red, and white flowers, all 

 growing together. The most important part of this 

 letter relates a curious experience with three plants of 

 Ca7)ipafiula latifolia someone had given him bearing 

 pink bells. He planted all three in his garden, and 

 at the end of the season carefully saved the seed they 

 had produced. From these he had, the following 

 year, plants bearing white, light and dark blue 

 flowers, and only just one or two plants with pink 

 ones. Since then he has grown all shades and 

 varieties of colour, but never since the first seed 

 sowing any pink. To all these interesting remarks he 

 adds that he has more than once found Anthyllis 

 z'ldneraria bearing white flowers. I, too, have 

 found this plant with white flowers, but only very 

 sparingly. Besides those plants mentioned last month 



