66 



RARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



hypopial stage is not caused by exceptional adverse 

 circumstances, as Megnin supposes, but is an ordinary 

 provision of nature" to ensure the distribution of the 

 species, which it is intended to call Tyroglyphus 

 corlicalis. Mr. Michael also called attention to the 

 prevalence of Rhizogliphus Robini on Dutch bulbs 

 imported into England in 1SS4, and to the destructive 

 character of that species, and the damage it did to 

 hyacinth, dahlia, and cucharis bulbs, &c, and recom- 

 mended that imported bulbs should be carefully 

 examined. 



Cole's Microscopical Studies. — All our readers 

 will be pleased to hear that this useful and attractive 

 publication is resumed. Four parts are now ready, 

 dealing with the following subjects : — "The Compa- 

 rative Morphology of Typical Reproductive Organs in 

 the Vegetable Kingdom ; " " The Primitive Cell and 

 its Progeny" (Animal Histology) ; " Alveolar Pneu- 

 monia" (Pathological Histology); and "Popular 

 Microscopical Studies," as illustrated by the spin- 

 nerets of the Spicier. Each part is not only illustrated 

 by an exquisitely coloured plate (whose artistic 

 character is vouched for by the letters E. T. D.), but 

 also by slides of the various objects specially treated 

 upon, mounted in Mr. Cole's best manner. Plate 2 

 appears to be wrongly named. 



ZOOLOGY. 



Notes on the Mollusca of North Hants. 

 — This county has never been thoroughly searched, 

 as regards the mollusca inhabiting it, and as I have 

 recently found several rare species, I think it may be 

 interesting to some of the readers of Science-Gossip 

 to hear of them. Unfortunately I have not been 

 able to extend my researches very far, the centre 

 being Preston Candover, near Basingstoke ; and I 

 have examined the country within a radius of three 

 miles round that centre ; but even within that space 

 I have collected over seventy species and varieties, 

 which is, I think, above the average. The following 

 is a list of some of the rarer sorts and varieties, which 

 may be interesting to some. Valvata pisciuolis, v. 

 depresta; Limnaa peregra, and the vars. acuminata, 

 Candida, ova/a, labiosa ; Ancylus fluviatilis, var. 

 albida ; Zonites alliarius and erystallinus. Helix 

 pomatia ; as far as I can ascertain, this mollusc only 

 occurs in one locality. II. aspcrsa, vars. zonata, nn- 

 dnlata, and an immature specimen resembling var. 

 tenuis. IT. nemoralis, vars. libcllula, rubella, castonea, 

 IT. hortensis, vars. incarnata, lutea, castonea; IT. 

 cantiona, II. rufescens, var. rubens ; II. sericea, var. 

 cornea ; H. virgata, var. albicans ; H. caperaia, var. 

 oi nata ; II. eritetorum, vars. alba, minor ; H. lapi- 

 cida, var. albino ; II. obvoluta and Bulimus montanus, 

 from Buriton. B. obscurus ; Pupa umbilicata, var. 

 edentula ; P. mar gi nata ; Clousilia rugosa ; C. lami- 



nata, var. albinos (with type) ; Cocldicopa lubrica ; 

 Carychium minimum ; Cyclostoma elegans. The rest 

 are more common than the above, and therefore would 

 not be of such interest to the reader. I am now 

 engaged in working up the conchology of North 

 Hants, and would be much obliged for any notes of 

 additional captures, and to hear of any local lists 

 from that county.—//. P. Fitz-Gerald, JII.C.S. 



Helix pygm.ea.— On December 31st, I took a 

 single specimen of this species on Barnes Common, 

 from which locality it has not, I think, been 

 previously recorded. It was amongst rushes in- a 

 damp situation, where one usually finds Hyalina 

 nilida. Barnes Common also yielded specimens of 

 Li max agrestis, var. sylvatica, and J'itrina pellucida 

 on the same day. Vitrina is a most beautiful object 

 when alive, as these were, and it is very little af- 

 fected by cold weather, and a frost seems only to 

 increase its activity.— T. D. A. Cockerell, Bedford 

 Park, IV. 



Limax flavus, var. grisea. — This variety was 

 described by Mr. Roebuck from a single specimen 

 taken at Bath, last year, and has not been recorded 

 from any other district. On the 4th of January of 

 the present year, I found a dark form of flavus at 

 Acton, Middlesex, which I sent to Mr. Roebuck, 

 and which he identified as belonging to the above 

 variety. The specimen, however, was not thoroughly 

 characteristic, since it showed traces of yellow, which 

 in the type specimen were entirely absent. It was 

 found in company with the type form under a log of 

 wood. The only other point worthy of notice is that 

 it was on the brick-earth, whereas the Bath specimen 

 was found on the oolite. — T. D. A. Cockerell. 



The Report and Proceedings of the Belfast 

 Naturalists' Field Club for 1SS3-84, contains a long 

 paper by Mr. J. Starkie Gardner, F.G.S., on "The 

 Age of the Basalts of the North-east Atlantic," in 

 which the author discusses the plant and stratigraphical 

 evidence for the supposed miocene age of the Antrim 

 and Mull beds ; a List of Irish Coleoptera from Notes 

 by the late A. L. Halliday, F.L.S. ; an Account of 

 the Cromlechs of Antrim and Down, by W. Gray ; and 

 Notes on the Prehistoric Monuments at Carrowmore, 

 near Sligo, by Charles Elcock. These two papers 

 are both illustrated, and both topographical, and 

 should be of great use to those desirous of studying 

 these remains. 



Mimicry. — To the " Entomologist," for February, 

 Mr. Roland Trimen, F.R.S., contributes an account 

 of " Protective Resemblances in Insects," in which 

 he mentions disguises by means of which butterflies 

 are caught by spiders. In one case he witnessed, he 

 says, " the actual capture of a small blue butterfly 

 (Lycsenesthes) by a white spider of the genus 

 [Thomisus]. The butterfly was engaged in honey- 

 sucking on a white flower-head of lantana, and 



