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HARDWICK&S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



These molluscs, which I procured last spring plenti- 

 fully in an almost stagnant dyke near Lewes, Sussex, 

 on the decayed leaves of Iris pseudacorus, are still 

 thriving in my aquarium. This evening (July 22nd) 

 I first noticed two of the ancyli floating, very slowly, 

 but surely, making their way from one piece of duck- 

 weed to another ; the greatest distance between the 

 fronds of duckweed being about three-quarters of an 

 inch in width. They appear to float in the same way 

 as other Limnseadse with the exception that every now 

 and then they swayed from one side to the other the 

 forepart of their bodies, apparently in quest of a frond 

 nearer to them than the one in a direct line : they 

 also continually opened and shut their mouths, and 

 generally carried the hind of their shell closer to the 

 tail, than the forepart to the head, so that the shell 

 appeared to have an oblique direction. It was inter- 

 esting to watch them as they progressed from one frond 

 of duckweed to another, for sometimes on coming 

 to two stems which proximated so closely as not to 

 allow of a passage between them, the little creatures 

 would cleverly turn their shell in a slanting position, 

 and so manoeuvre their onward course. — S. S. Pcarce. 



Sphinx PiNASTRr.— I have just received a fine 

 specimen of this very rare moth, taken on August 3, 

 by Mr. A. W. Waller, in the gardens of Waldringfield 

 rectory, on an Austrian pine. This makes the fourth 

 specimen taken in the neighbourhood of Ipswich 

 within the last three years. — J. E. Taylor. 



BOTANY. 



Viper's Bugloss [Echium vulgare).— Whilst 

 walking on the South Downs, about a mile west of 

 Shoreham, my attention was attracted by a mass of 

 blue flowers growing in such luxuriance as to be 

 visible at a considerable distance. On proceeding to 

 the spot I found them to be the common viper's 

 bugloss, which had spread themselves over about a 

 quarter of an acre of land, and although there were 

 no other of the same plants visible in the neighbour- 

 hood, yet at this particular spot there must have 

 been several thousand plants, the flowery spike 

 measuring from fifteen to eighteen inches in length. 

 I may mention that Echium vulgare grows somewhat 

 freely at a spot on the seashore some four miles 

 distant, and I have occasionally met with it growing 

 scantily on the Downs, but the plants have been 

 usually much smaller. I thought its occurrence in 

 such profusion is at least unusual in Sussex, and as 

 such might deserve a note in the pages of Science- 

 Gossip.— T. Comlidge. 



Vegetable " Commensalism."— The association 

 of Chlora perfoliata and bee orchis is certainly fre- 

 quent, although not invariable. During the present 

 summer I have seen them growing together on the 



cliffs near Beachy Head, and also a few days ago on 

 the Chiltern Hills in South Beds. Last season I 

 noticed them growing in company at another spot in 

 the Chilterns, about two miles from the last-named 

 locality. The bee orchis also occurs in a field at the 

 base of the Chilterns near Barton, Beds, where it 

 sometimes appears in great profusion ; but the Chlora 

 is never to be seen there, possibly because the field is 

 occasionally mown. In this district (South Beds) 

 Geranium pratense always grows associated with the 

 stinging-nettle, and as I have never seen it, except 

 in grazing fields, it occurred to me the latter pre- 

 vented animals from browsing on the former. At any 

 rate, the two grow in the closest companionship. — 

 J. Saunders, Luton. 



Bernard Hobson, Tapton Elms, Sheffield, will 

 be glad to receive, not later than November 3, 1879, 

 for publication, carefully arranged under respective 

 counties, post-cards giving Christian and surname, 

 full address, and subject of special study, of all 

 persons (ladies included) who are willing to gratui- 

 tously assist in determining species, and otherwise 

 personally helping with advice, &c. — or through the 

 post, on receipt of two stamps for reply — all lovers, 

 learners, or beginners of botany, zoology, geology, 

 and microscopy. 



The "Student's Catalogue of British 

 Plants." — We have received a copy of this excellent 

 pamphlet, compiled by the Rev. George Henslow, 

 F.L.S., according to Hooker's " Student's Flora 

 of British Islands." It is published by Bateman, 

 High Street, Portland Town, London, at is. 6d., 

 post-free. 



Wild Geum Rivale rivalling cultivated 

 Monstrosities.— Last July I gathered near Malham, 

 Yorkshire, a most interesting specimen of Geum 

 rivale. The plant was twenty-two inches in height ; 

 there were three stem leaves, the highest of which was 

 situated three inches from the root-stock, and then the 

 stem was naked up to the leafy calyx for seventeen 

 inches. Instead of the usual drooping flower, there 

 was an erect monstrous flower, the calyx segments of 

 which had become transformed into petioled leaves, 

 varying from an inch and a half to two inches in length j 

 four of the brae teoles were also transformed into petioled 

 leaves about eight or nine lines in length, the other 

 was an ordinary large but double bracteole. Inside 

 this monstrous calyx, there were about thirty petals 

 fully twice the usual size, their prevailing colour being 

 red ; there were also about ten objects which were 

 neither imperfect stamens nor petals, also one perfect 

 stamen. Instead of the female part of the flower the 

 axis was continued for an inch and then produced a 

 perfect normal flower, save that one of its bracteoles 

 was double, and it had the addition of another small 

 calyx segment within the calyx. On this continued 

 axis about three lines from its base were situated five 



