Sei>t. 1, 1808.] 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



197 



about a great deal, but I do not think it ever flies ; 

 when I threw it into the air it never'attempted to 

 do so, it spread out its wings, but merely to break 

 the fall; in fact, it always uses its wings when 

 leaping. 



I noticed the frequent application of the tarsi to 

 the mouth when walking ; it took place, not only 

 when the animal was climbing up the smooth glass, 

 but in going up a wall or door, and even in walking 

 over the carpet. On the wall it took place about 

 every half-dozen steps, but not so often on the'door 

 or carpet, and still less frequently when walking up 

 my coat. I scarcely think with Mr. Tate that by 

 this action the feet are rendered more glutinous, but 

 that it brings them to its mouth simply to cleanse 

 them from any particles of dust that may adhere, 

 by which the action of the pads or suckers may be 

 impeded ; as it uses these suckers more in climbing 

 smooth surfaces than in walking, the cleansing 

 would in the former case be necessarily more fre- 

 quent. Whenever it finds one of its feet slipping 

 about on the wall, it brings it to its mouth and 

 cleans it, after which it adheres very well until 

 clogged again with dust. I noticed especially when 

 it was trying to gain a footing on a dusty ledge 

 above the door, it completely failed, although every 

 foot was repeatedly cleansed. Viridissima is very 

 clean in its habits, washing its face with its feet 

 very much as a cat does ; it also with its mouth 

 frequently cleans its ovipositor and antennae, the 

 latter being bent down to the jaws by one of the 

 front legs and drawn upwards with a curve, like 

 that of a carriage-whip. I have been hoping to see 

 it use its curious ovipositor and lay some eggs, but 

 have not hitherto been gratified. The length of my 

 specimen is two inches and three-eighths, the 

 antennae are two inches, and the hind legs two and 

 a half. 



Folkestone. Henky Ullyett. 



ON THE STUDY OF BRITISH GRASSES. 



TT is a well-known fact that the study of British 

 -*- Grasses is much neglected by amateur botanists. 

 The reason for this neglect appears to be a real or 

 supposed difficulty in determining the characters of 

 grasses so as readily to recognize them. There can 

 be little doubt that this is the principal if not the 

 sole cause; for though much may be learned re- 

 specting the structure and habits of a plant without 

 knowing its name, yet there must of necessity be a 

 lack of interest unless its name be known ; for the 

 chief pleasure of knowledge is derived from com- 

 municating it to others, which cannot be done, or 

 only imperfectly, without an acquaintance with 

 names. 



Is the study of grasses really so difficult as sup- 

 posed? I think it will be found it is not. But 



while young botanists estimate the difficulties of 

 this branch of study far too highly, some bo- 

 tanists on the other hand, whose knowledge of 

 these plants is very great and of long standing, 

 would lead us to suppose that it is an easy matter 

 to find out the genus and species of any grass that 

 may be met with. This is a serious error, which has 

 almost as great a deterring influence as the other 

 — and perhaps acts more injuriously — for it leads 

 the young to distrust their own powers. Nothing 

 can be more injudicious than to represent any branch 

 of science as free from difficulties and easily ac- 

 quired ; for such a course almost invariably prevents 

 the success of all students who have not great faith 

 in their own powers of penetration; for, finding 

 difficulties where they were led to expect none, they 

 are too apt to think the fault lies with them, that 

 the subject is too deep for them, and thus they are 

 led to give up the pursuit in despair. 



The true state of the question seems to be this. 

 There are great, in some cases very great, though 

 not insurmountable, difficulties to be encountered in 

 the study of grasses, but these may all be overcome 

 by time, patience, and application. 



All botanists should attempt to master at least 

 some of the more common and more easily recog- 

 nized grasses, and they would find that each little 

 victory prepared the way for others— that as then- 

 knowledge extended difficulties would vanish — and 

 this branch of their subject would become as easy 

 and as pleasing as that to which they had previously 

 conGned their attention. 



Grasses, though not bearing showy flowers, are 

 yet very various in form and colour, and present a 

 grandeur of effect from their habit of growing in 

 masses that must ever cause them to rank among 

 the most beautiful of nature's productions. Their 

 utility, independently of their beauty, renders them 

 worthy objects of study for all botanists. 



Sweet-scented Vernal Grass (Anthoxanthum odo- 

 ratum).- — This grass blooms at a time when most 

 other grasses are short and inconspicuous, and is 

 doubly welcome on that account. I observed it this 

 year in full flower on the 7th of May. It is easily 

 recognized. Its flowers form a spike-like panicle of 

 from one to two inches in length. The outer glumes 

 are very pointed, the outermost of the two seldom 

 being more than half the length of the other. The 

 longer is from three to four lines. The inner glumes 

 are equal, and are generally included by the outer, 

 though sometimes, as in a specimen now before me, 

 the longer awn protrudes. 



" Abundant in Britain, imparting a sweet scent 

 to new-made hay." The odour, however, "is sup- 

 posed by some to be the cause of that disagree- 

 able disease, hay-fever." It is not very abundant 

 in this locality, though generally occurring in 

 meadows. 



The seed (with its inner envelope) of this plant 



