HARDWICK&S SCIENCE-GOSSIP 



19 



ZOOLOGY. 



Notes on the Mollusca of Surrey, Sussex, 

 and Kent. — I have lately been on a walking 

 tour, and have collected many uncommon shells in 

 localities which have not yet, as far as I am aware, 

 been recorded. I think that a few of the more 

 interesting will be worth recording now. In the 

 neighbourhood of Addington, in Kent, I found a 

 .single specimen of Helix rotundata, var. alba, and 

 the same variety also turned up later on at Eyns- 

 ford, where I also got a specimen of H.pomatia, thus 

 extending its range well into Kent, in which county 

 I had never before taken it, though I found it very 

 common in Surrey from Caterham to Shiere. About 

 half-way between Reigate and Dorking, Clausilia 

 Rolphii was common on a bank on one side of the 

 road, and with it Cochlicopa tridens, while close by a 

 stream rather nearer to Reigate we found also the 

 variety crystallina and some specimens of Helix 

 arbustorum. Hyalina (or Zonites) glabra was very 

 abundant in^ Surrey, and in some parts of Kent, 

 but we did not meet with a single specimen in 

 Sussex. The following are a few of the localities : 

 West Wickham, Addington, Reigate, Shiere, Pad- 

 dock Wood, and Eynsford. H. nitidula seemed 

 commonest in Kent ; H. cellaria and H. crystallina 

 were, well ^diffused, but H. fulva we only found at 

 Haslemere. A few miles to the north-west of Wrot- 

 ham I found a few specimens of a greenish variety of 

 H. cellaria, similar to one found at Maidenhead, 

 which I considered at the time to be alliarius var. 

 viridula, the specimen being immature, but com- 

 parison with the adult specimens now found convinces 

 me that they are identical. Achatina acicula we 

 found in two Sussex localities, one being the extreme 

 summit of a high hill, a few miles north of Chichester, 

 and the other a mossy bank at Robertsbridge, where 

 we found several other good shells, such as Clausilia 

 Rolphii, which was by no means uncommon, and with 

 it Cochlicopa tridens, Helix arbustorum, H. lapicida, 

 and others. On a wall at Battle we found some 

 specimens of Clausilia rugosa, var. gracilior, and close 

 by one C. laminata. Helix cartusiana was found 

 only at one place, a little to the east of Worthing, 

 where my brother, who was with me, got two speci- 

 mens. We found a large number of other shells, but 

 I have no space to record them at present, and as 

 they are many of them common ones they would be 

 of less interest than the above. — T. D. A. Cocker ell, 

 August 18S4. 



Capture of Sun-fish. — A fine specimen of the 

 sun-fish {Orthragoriscus mold) was captured about 

 four miles off Redcar, Yorks, on September 13th. A 

 party of gentlemen were engaged in shooting sea- 

 birds, when they sighted what they supposed to be 

 the fin of a shark standing out of the water about 

 18 inches. When within range, the fish was fired at, 



and immediately after the boatman gaffed with the 

 monster, which was promptly got on board. On the 

 following Monday, Dr. W. Y. Veitch purchased the 

 fish on behalf of the Middlesbro' Museum Committee, 

 and it is now in the hands of the taxidermist. The 

 demensions of the fish were as follows :— From tip 

 to tip of fins, 5 feet. From nose to anal fin, 3 feet 

 9 inches. From back to belly, 2 feet 3 inches. 

 Weight, after removal of entrails, 9 stone 2 pounds. — 

 Baker Hudson, Middlesborough. 



Lantern Illustrations in Natural Science. 

 — I should be obliged for information respecting the 

 best means of demonstrating to large classes upon 

 natural history objects with the aid of microscopic 

 slides (not micro-photographs) and lantern. I 

 understand that there is a method by which the 

 image of opaque objects even can be thrown upon 

 the screen. How far can an ordinary microscope and 

 lantern be adapted to such work ? — E. W. 



Scientific Societies, and the Work they 

 are doing. — We have received the Transactions of 

 the Hertfordshire Natural History Society and Field 

 Club, Parts I & 2. Amongst the papers therein we 

 notice the following: "The Diatomacese, with 

 special reference to species found in the neighbour- 

 hood of Hertford," by Isaac Robinson; "The re- 

 corded occurrence of land and fresh-water Mollusca 

 in Hertfordshire," by W. D. Roebuck' and John W. 

 Taylor ; " Remarks on the Land Mollusca, with 

 reference to their investigation in Hertfordshire," by 

 John Hopkinson ; " Notes on Mosses, with an out- 

 line of a Hertfordshire Moss-Flora," by A. E. Gibbs ; 

 " Notes on Birds observed in Hertfordshire," by 

 J. E. Littleboy ; "List of Land and Fresh-water 

 Mollusca observed in Hertfordshire," compiled by 

 J. Hopkinson ; " Notes on Boulders and Boulder-clay 

 in North Hertfordshire," by H. G. Fordham ; " On 

 the Microscopic structure of Boulders found in the 

 North of Hertfordshire," by J. Vincent Elsden ; 

 " Notes on Lepidoptera observed near Sandridge," 

 by A. F. Griffith ; " Report on Insects observed in 

 Hertfordshire during the year 1883," by F. W. 

 Silvester. 



The Transactions of the Ottawa Field Naturalists 

 Club is of great interest, proving the vitality and 

 thoroughness of scientific investigation amongst our 

 Canadian neighbours. Besides the inaugural address 

 of the president, Dr. H. Beaumont Small, and the 

 various official reports of the different sections of 

 Geology, Conchology, etc., the following valuable 

 papers are given : " Notes on the ' Flora Ottawensis,' " 

 by Jas. Fletcher; "On the Sand Plains of the 

 Upper Ottawa," by E. Odium; "List of Ottawa 

 Fossils," with introduction, by Henry M. Ami ; 

 " Edible and Poisonous Fungi," by J. Macoum ; 

 " List of Ottawa Coleoptera," with introduction, by 

 W. H. Harrington; "Suctoria," by J. B. Tyrrell; 

 "On the occurrence of Phosphate in Nature," by 



