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HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE -GOSSIP. 



[April 1, 1S6S. 



BOTANY. 



Yellow Violets are common around here (Phi- 

 ladelphia, U.S.) - Viola pubescens (common yellow 

 violet) and Viola hastata both bear a bright yellow 

 flower about May or J ime. I have found them 

 frequently in the rocky woods borderiug on 

 the Schuylkill river, also on the Wissahicon, near the 

 city, and will forward you the first of the season. 

 Viola peclala (Pedate Violet) is a far more beautiful 

 plant than Viola Muhlenbergii (Muhlenberg's Violet), 

 mentioned by Mrs. Watney; it abounds on the 

 rocky banks of the Wissahicon : some years ago I 

 crossed a piece of waste ground on the banks of that 

 stream which was literally carpeted with them. All 

 these plants seem to require a peaty or partially 

 peaty soil ; they stand the winters well, which are 

 much more severe here than in England ; they also 

 bear transplanting, and I have no doubt could be 

 easily cultivated in England, and would hardly need 

 greenhouse culture. We have a great variety of 

 violets here, but all lack that delightful odour so 

 inseparable from the name of our beautiful but 

 modest English favourite. Perhaps Mrs. Watney 

 has mistaken " Viola pedata" for "Viola Muhlen- 

 bergii. " — George Worley, Philadelphia, U.S. 



Beauties op the Wilderness. — Some philoso- 

 pher has said that no being is ever called on to 

 empty a cup of unmitigated bitterness ; that no 

 matter how dreary the lot may seem, it is yet re- 

 lieved by gleams of sunshine. So in the material 

 world, nature has her compensations. How often 

 the botanist notes that in the most desolate and 

 barren spots grow many of the richest and most 

 elegant of our wild flowers. Take this picture as 

 descriptive of many of the little lochs 1 encountered 

 last August, away amongst the wild and lonely bogs 

 of Connemara. The scene is not far from Round- 

 stone, a little lake whose clear waters are begemmed 

 abundantly with the chaste but magnificent blossoms 

 of the white water lily. Prom its bosom tiny 

 cranogue-likc islets rise bosky with blackthorn and 

 hazel. With these are intermingled majestic plants 

 of the Boyal Pern, whose regal fronds also fringe 

 the lake shore. The whole is surrounded by a belt 

 of moor gorgeous with the large purple bells of the 

 Irish heath. The pure mountain air is balmy with 

 odours sublimed from thousands of shrubs of the 

 sweet gale and other fragrant wild plants. No 

 wonder that the language of Cowper comes up in- 

 voluntarily, and one designates such a scene 



A region where, in spite of sin and woe, 

 Traces of Eden still linger below. 



Though late for this species, I yet found the white 

 water lily splendidly in flower early in August, and 

 thus contemporary with Babeocia polij'olia . — S. A. S., 

 Belfast. 



Carmine Peziza. — On reading over an article 

 entitled " Cornish Colloquies," in Science-Gossip 

 for August last, I observe that the author alludes 

 to this lovely scarlet fungus, and writes to say 

 that should "A. C. P." like to have a few tiny 

 cups for a case or cabinet, I will, with pleasure, 

 send her some, for I constantly find the Carmine 

 Peziza in my walks about Hambledon. I sent a 

 nice collection last year to a young lady, a friend 

 of mine in town, who found they retained their 

 brilliant colour and shape for a very considerable 

 time under a glass shade. " Pairy tea cups " 

 is the name they are known by here. — Helen E. 

 Watney. 



Local Names. — The article on " Local Names " 

 of plants, birds, insects, &c., which we promised 

 some time back, is now in active preparation, and 

 we shall be glad if those of our readers who have 

 any additions to make to the list will forward them 

 to the Editor as soon as convenient. 



Stinkhorn Pungus in Midwinter.— I was 

 surprised to find when going through my garden 

 in the middle of December last, a fully-developed 

 and well-grown plant of Phallus impudicus, never 

 remembering to have seen this fungus at such a 

 period of the year as midwinter. It lasted much 

 longer in its perfect state than when it makes its 

 appearance at the ordinary season of the year, 

 neither was it so offensive as in the hotter weather. 

 — TV. P., Llandderfel. 



Are Holly Berries Poisonous ?— I felt much 

 interested on reading Mr. Newlyn's note on holly 

 berries in Science-Gossip for March. That 

 holly berries are not a wholesome article of diet, I 

 think there is no doubt; but that they are " little 

 less dangerous than red-lead or arsenic " is doubtful, 

 because holly hemes are described as purgative and 

 emetic. I do not think we are justified in at once 

 jumping to the conclusion that they are a dangerous 

 poison. It is well known that birds eat holly 

 berries; in fact, during the prevalence of hard 

 weather, "along about Christmas time," these 

 berries are almost the only food accessible to many 

 of our feathered friends; and were this food so 

 poisonous as Mr. Newlyn would have us believe, 

 we might expect to have our paths strewn with 

 dead birds after a few days' frost— from the effects 

 of poison, and not from the want of food, as many 

 would conclude to be the case. I do not wish to 

 question Mr. Newlyn's veracity; but we have 

 already so many fabulous poisons, so many harm- 

 less, nay even useful products of the vegetable 

 kingdom branded with bad characters, that I 

 think we ought to be very careful in adding to 

 the M.— Henry Elliott, Bodorgar, Bangor, North 

 Wales. 



