20 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



G. M. Dawson ; "The Deer of the Ottawa Valley," 

 by W. P. Lett ; and a "Note on Doassansia occulta,'''' 

 by W. G. Fallow. 



The Report of the Liverpool Science Student's 

 Association is mainly occupied with accounts of the 

 various excursions made by the members during the 

 past session, many of which are of considerable 

 interest. Amongst these we notice more especially 

 visits paid to Boston Observatory, and to the 

 Seacombe Phospho-Guano Works. 



There is also, as an Appendix, a valuable series of 

 " Local Notes for Science Students," by Osmond W. 

 Jeffs. 



The Report of the Norwich Science Gossip 

 Club contains, beside the list of members, Report of 

 the Committee, &c, the address of the president, Mr. 

 T. Irwin Dixon, which conveniently summarizes the 

 proceedings of the Society during the past year, 

 briefly describing the various meetings, and giving in 

 condensed form many valuable papers and addresses 

 delivered by members. t 



The Proceedings of the Folkestone Natural History 

 Society contains the following papers : " The Hand, 

 considered as an organ of expression; or, Scientific 

 Chirognomy as opposed to Chiromancy," by Dr. 

 FitzGerald, the president ; "Pain," by Dr. Tyson; 

 "The Nautilus and the Ammonite," by Mr. Hy. 

 Ullyett, the secretary ; "Earthquakes and Volcanoes," 

 Dr. FitzGerald ; and a most useful paper, intended 

 as a general guide to the amateur naturalist, read by 

 the Secretary at the field day at Lydden Spont. 



BOTANY. 



Sagittaria sagittifolia.— Cette particularity 

 de vegetation n'est point signalee dans la plupart des 

 ouvrages de botanique, ou les flores que j'ai a ma 

 disposition ; cependant Cosson et Germain de St. 

 Pierre, dans leur "Flore des^ Environs de Paris," 

 s'expriment en ces termes (page 640) : " Souches a 

 fibres nombreuses, emettant plusieurs rhizomes qui 

 portent une ou plusieurs ecailles espacees et se renflent 

 au sommet en une bulbe charnue qui devient libre par 

 la destruction du rhizome et donne naissance a une 

 nouvelle plante l'annee suivante." J'ajouterai qu'il 

 m'est souvent arrive de recueillir des echantillons des 

 bulbes en question, flottant dans le fleuve la Somme, 

 a Amiens, soit que ces bulbes se soient eux-memes 

 detachers de la base, soit qu'ils en aient ete arrachees 

 par le passage des bateaux ou par les travaux de 

 faucardage (coupe des herbes aquatiques avec une 

 faux). — C. C, Somme. 



Parasitic Fungi.— Professor Trelease sends us a 

 copy of his carefully drawn up pamphlet, entitled 

 " Preliminary List of Wisconsin Parasitic Fungi. ' 



It includes only species which have been examined by 

 himself, and, with one or two exceptions, all are in 

 his own herbarium. The list includes about 270 

 species, and about the same number of " hosts ; " 

 but he thinks their number will be doubled by a few 

 years' collections. 



" The British Moss Flora." — The author of this 

 beautiful and valuable work, Dr. Braithwaite, F.L.S. r 

 has now reached his eighth part, which deals with 

 the family Tortulacea:. It is illustrated by six plates, 

 each giving from eight to ten species, with details of 

 structure, &c. This is unquestionably the most 

 valuable work on mosses which has yet appeared. 



Leaf of Nepeta Glechoma. — Every observer 

 will have noticed that the leaves of the ground ivy 

 have a tendency to become patched with white, 

 thereby assuming a pretty variegated appearance. 

 Has anything been written on this subject ? I have 

 examined several leaves under a strong i-inch power, 

 and find that the white spots show heaps of black 

 refuse, which looks like excrement from some small 

 insect that has been feeding on the leaf, while there 

 are proofs that the chlorophyll has been consumed. I 

 have, however, failed as yet to detect either insect or 

 fungus, and should be glad to know whether the 

 cause of this peculiarity has yet been traced. — IF. 

 Friend. 



Double Dahlias. — It was not until this summer 

 that I ever observed two dahlias upon one peduncle, 

 back to back, or otherwise. It is evidently due to the 

 economy of nature to utilise one peduncle for two 

 flowers. The "freak" could not have arisen from 

 the want of light ; for my plant, also old-fashioned 

 double dark red, was exposed to ample, being in a 

 good upright position. I thought at first one flower, 

 in its struggle for existence, would outdo the other ; 

 but no, both were beautifully developed and remained 

 in bloom as long as any other. Last spring I was 

 presented with a primrose {Primula vulgaris) suffer- 

 ing from the same abnormality ; in this latter case the 

 peduncle was much thickened and flattened. — R. If. 

 Wellington. 



GEOLOGY, &c. 



Geologists' Association. — The Proceedings of« 

 the Geologists' Association is to hand, containing, 

 besides reports of the ordinary meetings, papers of 

 great interest by members, among which are the 

 following : " Fossil Plants," by J. Starkie Gardner ; 

 " Notes on the Krakatoa Eruption," by Grenville J. 

 Cole; "The Implementiferous Gravel cf North-East 

 London," by J. E. Greenhill ; and an address on 

 " Fossil Plants from various Formations," by William 

 Fawcett. Exceedingly interesting, too, are the 

 reports of visits paid by the Society to the British 



