HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



279 



{Hippocampus brevirostris), best viewed with parabo- 

 loid ; the other is a slide of one of the larva hy- 

 drozoa {Peiinaria Carolina), with tentacles fully ex- 

 tended ; also a paraboloid object exquisitely lovely, 

 and in Mr. Ilinton's best style of mounting. 



ZOOLOGY. 



Black-Vei.xed White Butterfly. — It is 

 curious how scarce this butterfly seems to have be- 

 come of late years. In Newman's "British Butter- 

 flies " it is described as being then (1869) common in 

 Monmouthshire, and "in profusion at Strood," and 

 twenty-five other localities are given, in only three of 

 which it is noted as being " rare " or " scarce," while 

 in one it is said to have been "most abundant in 

 1858." I should be glad if any reader of SciENCE- 

 Gossip, who has captured or seen it within the last 

 twenty years, would give some information about it. 

 I am aware it was taken at Ramsgate three years ago, 

 and Mr. Harcourt-Bath mentions in the "Garner" 

 that a specimen was taken in Shropshire last June, 

 but it has been noticeably absent from "capture" 

 lists for years past, and seemed to have quite dis- 

 appeared from the British insect fauna. — Albert H. 

 Waters, Cambridge. 



Monstrosity of Clausilia rugosa. — -The 

 occurrence of a shell with two independent apertures, 

 as figured and described by H. Downes, on p. 257, 

 is rather rare. Still several similar cases are recorded 

 in the conchological literature of the last fifty years, 

 some of which are given by Moquin-Tandon in his 

 " Moll, de France," vol. i., p. 323. It may be 

 interesting to collectors unacquainted with this work, 

 and useful to those who in future years hunt up the 

 curiosities of the past, to have the details brought 

 together here in connection with the example figured 

 last month. The French author states that Hait- 

 mann had observed this anomaly in Claicsilia 

 plicata and C. saxatilis, Duges in C. laminata, 

 .Sarrat in C. bidens (Linn.), and Pavtiot in C. solida. 

 To these he adds, from his own observation, C. 7-olphii 

 and C, nigricans, and gives a figure of the last-named 

 (pi. xxiv. p. 19). Again, early in the present year 

 T. D. A. Cockerell exhibited at a meeting of the 

 Zool. Soc. (see Reports of meeting held Feb. 17), an 

 example of C. riigosa (^ — 7iigricd7ts) in a similar 

 condition. Then among Pupc-e Moquin-Tandon 

 mentions F. cylindrica as communicated to him by 

 ^lichel and P. polyodon as seen by himself in a 

 museum. The questions arise, why is this anomaly 

 confined (as it appears to be) to these two genera? 

 what is its cause ? and how does the animal effect 

 the perforation of its shell to construct its "back- 

 door " ? All the species above mentioned have the 

 aperture of the shell more or less constricted or 

 armed with plaits, folds, or teeth, which, while 

 serving their purpose of barring the entrance against 



living foes, are liable to become blocked with grit or 

 other matter, lodged too tightly for the animal's 

 power of clearance. The Clausilire, . moreover, are 

 liable to have the elastic hinge of their little clausium 

 disarranged, or the flap itself dislocated, from similar 

 causes. The prisoner is then bound to break through 

 elsewhere, or perish. The author further states that 

 he had in his cabinet two Clausilire with double 

 aperture, showing obstructions in situ ; in one case 

 (bidens) the old aperture had a fragment of stalk 

 wedged between two folds, in the other case 

 (laminata) the clausium was fixed fast by a grain of 

 quartz. Judging by the absence of records, shells 

 with large and simple mouths are not liable to such 

 an accident. As to the means employed to make a 

 new outlet, there can be little doubt that the jaw is 

 the instrument. If space allowed, evidence might be 

 adduced. Will H. D. kindly complete his record by 

 mentioning locality. — C. Ashford, Christchurch. 



BOTANY. 



CoRDYLiNE OR Drac^na indivisa. — I do not 

 know whether English horticulturists grow many 

 New Zealand trees or shrubs. There is one of the 

 Dracsena family in this country that certainly deserves 

 to he well-known ; it is called by the Maories Toe, is 

 most striking in appearance and delightfully oriental 

 in effect, is very hardy, and, like many others of the 

 family, will easily transplant when small. I will try to 

 describe one I lately saw at the Maori pah or village 

 that rejoices in the name of Koroniti, the nearest the 

 Maori tongue can get to Corinth. The stem of the 

 tree was about seven feet high and about ten inches 

 in diameter all the length. When the broad and 

 beautifully bordered leaves spread gracefully out and 

 upward, the outer leaves being some eight inches 

 across, and three to four feet long, and not so sharp- 

 pointed as the leaves of the Yucca, the broad 

 bronze margin varying to over half inch in width, — 

 makes the tree one to be remembered. Its botanical 

 name is Cordyline indivisa. Koroniti is a good- 

 sized pah, situated between forty and fifty miles up 

 the Wanganui river ; it is neatly laid out, and where 

 the spaces between the rows of whares or huts cross 

 at right angles there are large walnut-trees that were 

 full of fniit when I was there. These trees were planted 

 by the Missionaries many years ago, when the natives 

 were not too proud to eat a man if he was in good 

 condition, and had no friends who might demand 

 payment. I was much struck with the neatness of 

 the pah ; every fallen leaf was carefully swept up 

 every day, and the little patches of tobacco growing 

 round each whare, with their large green leaves and 

 pink flowers gave the whole a cheerful and bright 

 appearance, quite in keeping with the merry laughter 

 of numbers of Maori boys and girls. At this place 

 there lives a man named Hori Pukeika, versed in all 



