258 



HARD WICKE'S SCIENCE- G OSSIP. 



carried by currents much after the fashion that the 

 pollen-grains are conveyed by the wind, and that such 

 infusoria as Vorticella, by their attached positions on 

 the sea-weeds, cause the spores to be deflected on to 

 the female organs, and thus produce fertilisation. The 

 theory opens up another remarkable chapter in the 

 inter-relation of animals and plants, and shows that 

 animalcula thus do for red sea-weeds, what insects 

 perform for coloured and attractive flowers. 



Parasites on Hedgehogs. — Hedgehogs are by 

 no means exempt from these parasites and some 

 forms of Acari — in addition to Ixodes (" X " of present 

 No.)— maynot unfrequently be taken from their bodies. 

 Before me is one in my cabinet taken and prepared by 

 my own hands a long time since, to add to my collection 

 of animal parasites. The hedgehog had many, but I 

 never observed signs of discomfort. At a cursory 

 glance, Piclex erinacci might be accepted for P. cants. 

 They differ, however, the specific characters of 

 erinacci being — Head, naked. Mesothorax fringed. 

 Tarsi, anterior, 5.2.1.3 — 4; posterior, 1.2.5.3 — 4. 

 Considering the adaptability of means to ends, the 

 peculiarities of the animal, and the uses of the 

 flea in creation, I should consider it remarkably 

 strange that the hedgehog should be deprived the 

 benefit resulting from the habits of this parasite in 

 its larval state, which I apprehend must far out- 

 weigh any inconvenience from the suctorial habit 

 of its final condition, since hedgehogs are possibly 

 less acutely sensitive of cuticular irritants, while pain 

 and its effects seem modified by peculiarities of 

 structure. — J. Fedarb, B. C. 



Rare Cetaceans. — In my note under the above 

 heading in Science-Gossip for October, p. 233, by 

 some error " white-3«j£«/" dolphin is printed " wflite- 

 scaled dolphin." — T. Southwell. 



"The Popular Science Review."— Among the 

 leading articles which appear in the last number of 

 this popular serial are the following : — " On Jade 

 and Kindred Stones," by Prof. F. W. Rudler ; 

 "Report on American Dredgings in the Caribbean 

 Sea," by A. Agassiz ; "The most Powerful Telescope 

 in Existence" by E. Neison ; "Flight and its 

 Imitation," by F. W. Breary, &c. 



BOTANY. 



The Common Stinkhorn {Phallus impndicus) 

 AND Ants. — During the months of July and August, 

 I met with several specimens of this noisome fungus, 

 and became quite expert in discovering their where- 

 abouts by means of the peculiar fetid odour arising 

 from them, which, if once smelt, will not readily be 

 forgotten. One fine specimen, which measured seven- 

 teen inches from the base to the summit, had its 

 cap almost denuded of the dark slimy mucus which 

 covers it, and from which the powerful scent princi- 



pally arises, by swarms of ants, which were busily 

 engaged upon what appeared to be to them a dainty 

 feast. The ant-hill was thrown up around the 

 bottom part of the stalk of the fungus, up which a 

 stream of eager little insects was continually climbing 

 to share in the bancpiet above, which they evidently 

 enjoyed. I have, on one or two occasions, seen the 

 cap of the stinkhorn covered with various species of 

 flies, but never before observed ants attracted by it. 

 I may observe that the stinkhorn is far from common 

 in this locality, but the damp summer appears to 

 have been favourable to its growth, for I have met 

 with more specimens this season than ever I did 

 before. — R. Standen, Goosnargh, Lancashire. 



Geum Rivale. — I was much interested on seeing 

 the notice of a monstrous form of this plant in a 

 recent number of SciENCE-Gossir. Departures 

 from the normal form seem to be plentiful this 

 year. One I came across seems worthy of notice 

 as being useful to students of morphology. The 

 calyx consisted of five ternate divisions quite distinct, 

 having exactly the appearance of stem leaves, only 

 smaller ; the corolla had ten petals instead of five, the 

 stamens were rather less in number than usual, and 

 all perfect, carpophore long. The greatest change 

 was in the pistil, which may be best described as an 

 ordinary flower, with calyx, petals, stamens, and 

 carpels complete and normal, except that the latter 

 were sessile instead of on a carpophore, in fact it was 

 a flower within a flower.— IV. Wise, Launceston. 



Register of Field Botanists.— The sug- 

 gestion of Mr. Arthur D. Melvin, as to the formation 

 of a Register of Field Botanists, is a most excellent 

 one, and I should think calculated to increase the 

 interest of Science-Gossip. I should propose that 

 a sort of "Natural History Directory," with list of 

 Natural History Societies, and the names and 

 addresses of naturalists, their branches of study, and 

 (as Mr. Bernard Hobson in another part of last 

 month's number proposes) those willing to assist. 

 This might be given in an extra Christmas number of 

 Science-Gossip, and should meet with support, 

 unless you thought it advisable to make the Christ- 

 mas number always a double one, price 2>d. — 

 J. Morton, President, Rochester Naturalists'' Society. 



Duration of Plant-Life. — The classification of 

 plants as annuals, biennials, and perennials, is con- 

 venient for nurserymen and practical gardeners, but 

 many observations have yet to be made before the 

 value of such characters can be ascertained with so 

 much precision as to be fairly considered scientific. 

 Canterbury bells are called biennials, but often do 

 not flower till their third year. Then they die after 

 flowering, and that they are plants with strictly limited 

 lives appears in general unquestionable ; at least I 

 thought so till the present year. Now, however, 

 I have several plants in flower, raised from seed 



