54 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



The nightingale (Daulias luscinia) is coming 

 nearer to the north of the county ; in the summer of 

 iSSj, many were delighted by listening to the sweet 

 song at Sandon. Unfortunately one night it was 

 frightened by some dogs, and deserted the place, at 

 least it was not heard again. 



It has been heard in Brandesert Park, Rugeley, for 

 some years past. On May 13, 1880, I found also at 

 Sandon, the nest of the Zwete or Mountain Linnet 

 {Linola flavirostris), it was built at the extremity of 

 the bough of a holly-tree, just on the ground ; this is 

 much further south than the usual nesting range of 

 this interesting bird. 



The Great Crested Grebe (Podiceps cristatus) 

 nests with us yearly at Copmere. In June last, a 

 friend and I observed the male bird covering the 

 eggs before leaving the nest, showing that he was 

 sharing the labours of incubation. I have often 

 observed the nest of this species, and have always 

 found the decaying weeds of which they were 

 composed to be very hot ; no doubt this arises from 

 their decomposition, and it materially assists to hatch 

 the eggs. 



THE MOSSES AND HEPATIC/E OF THE 

 FOREST OF DEAN. 



IN March of last year, a small party of kindred 

 spirits addicted to confirmed habits of grubbing 

 about under hedges and in ditches and bogs, for mosses 

 and such-like unconsidered trifles, visited the Forest 

 of Dean with the object of ascertaining how many 

 species of the classes Mitsci and Hepaiiac could be 

 obtained during a day's walk in this paradise for the 

 cryptogamic botanist. The day proving all that 

 could be desired, in the absence of drying winds or 

 hot sunshine, such drawbacks to the successful obser- 

 vation of these frail cellular plants, the list may be 

 considered a fairly representative one ; and the follow- 

 ing record of the species observed during the walk 

 shows that this locality teems with good things, 

 though having previously decided to record every- 

 thing met with in these classes, some of the included 

 species are common almost everywhere. The start- 

 ing point in the morning was the Newnham Railway 

 Station, and the route fixed upon lay by the way of 

 Pleasant Stile, through the valley running from Little 

 Dean to Soudley Furnace, past the Abbott's Wood, 

 thence through the Soudley Valley to Blakeney, in 

 time to catch a homeward train in the evening from 

 the Severn Bridge Station, after a most enjoyable 

 day. The distance traversed would be about ten 

 miles ; though collecting was practically over after 

 eight miles, on account of the growing dusk. 



The mosses were as follows : — Rhynchostegium 

 rtiscifolium, R. tenellum, A', confertum, Brachythecium 

 glareosum, B. albicans, B. rutabulum, B. populeum, 

 Eurhynchium striatum, E. pnclongum, Piagiothecium 



denticulatum, Amblysfcgium serpens, Hypnnm filici- 

 unin, H. cupressiforme (two or three forms), H. pa- 

 ticnticc, H. molluscum, H. chrysophyllum, H. stellalum, 

 II. enspidatum, II. Schreberi, H. pnruni, Hylocomium 

 splendcns, H. squarrosum, H. triquetrum, Catnpto- 

 thecium lutescens, Homalothecium sericeum, Thuidium 

 taiuariscinum, Fissidins bryoides, F. adiantoides, F. 

 taxi/olius, Neckera complanata, Homalia irichoma- 

 noides, Pogonatnm nanum, P. abides, P. urnigerum, 

 Airichum undulatum, Polytrichum pilip'erum, P.juni- 

 perinitm, P. commune, Aulaccmnium palustre, Milium 

 undulatum, Jll. hornum, M. rostratum, Bryum bimurn, 

 B. pallescens, B. caspificium, B. argenteum, B. capil- 

 lare, Webera carnea, Physcomitriutn pyriforme, Philo- 

 notis fontana, Funaria hygrometrica, Orthotrichum 

 saxatile, O. Lyellii, Ulota crispa, Rhacomitrium cane- 

 scens, R. lauuginosum, Grimmia apocarpa, G. pul- 

 vinata, Eucalypta vulgaris, E. streptocarpa, Ccratodon 

 purpureus, Tor tula ru rails, T. unguiculata, T.fallax, 

 T. convoluta, T. muralis, T. subulata, Didymodon 

 rubellus, Anacalypta lanceolata, Plcuridium subu- 

 latum, Dicrauella heteromalla, D. varia, Dicranum 

 scoparium, Weissia cirrhata, Sphagnum molluscum. 



The Hepatiac met with were these : — Jungermania 

 gracillima, jf. crenulata, Diplophyllum albicans, 

 Plagiochila asplcnioidcs, Porella platyphylla, Ccphalozia 

 divaricata, C. bicuspidata, Lopliocolea heterophylla, 

 Chiloscyphus polyanthos, Kautia Trichomanis, Nardia 

 scalaris, Frullania dilatata, Aneura multijida, Metz- 

 geria furcata, Marchantia polymoipha, ConocepJialus 

 conicus, Anthoceros lavis. 



The nomenclature of the London Catalogue has 

 been followed in this list, which must not be by any 

 means considered exhaustive of this interesting and 

 delightful locality, as the route lay over only a small 

 portion of the outskirts of the forest. It is hoped at 

 some other time to supplement this by a further list 

 to include other species to be hunted up during future 

 visits, and already met with in past visits, but not 

 falling under notice in this present one. 



G. Holmes and E. J. Elliott. 

 Stroud, Gloucester. 



GEOLOGICAL DISCOVERY, 1SS4.* 



The Two Views. 



The Official View. 



Oil ! where do patent-rights exist 

 Outside of governmental camp ? 

 Or why with loud complaints rjersist 

 When we put the official stamp — 

 The survey stamp — on what is done 

 By others, by their labour won ? 



What gold, we ask, would circulate 

 Until impressed within our mint ? 



* See papers by Dr. Geikie in " Nature " on Highland 

 Geology, and letters by Dr. Callaway in " Daily News," &.c. 



