HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



45 



Botanical Ingratitude.— Mr. J. M. Macfar- 

 lane, of Edinburgh, has just given in "Nature" the 

 result of his study of the pitcher plant {Nepenthes 

 bicalcarata) . Its flowers are dioecious, so that the 

 services of insects are necessary to carry the pollen 

 from one flower to the other. Mr. Macfarlane says 

 that the same structures which by their secretions 

 attract insects for aiding in fertilisation, also lure 

 them to the fatal " pitcher," so that their dead bodies 

 may help in the nutrition of the plant. 



Abnormity of Plants. — In my garden last 

 summer a few peculiar " freaks of nature " occurred. 

 In a plant of the new tall French poppy the two 

 peduncles, or flower stems on one plant, being united 

 together at the top for about a foot, the stems being 

 separate at the bottom for a few inches, the two 

 flowers were perfect blooms, and the plant was a free 

 growing one, unstaked or tied up in any way. The 

 same kind of abnormality occurred to many plants in 

 a bed of Linnianthcs douglasii, one plant in particular 

 having the peduncles united together so as to become 

 an inch and a quarter in width, while of the usual 

 thickness. This feature was also to be seen in the 

 Canterbury bell. Can this be due in any way to the 

 dry summer ? — J. C. S., Penrith. 



GEOLOGY, &c. 



A Buried Valley.— In connection with the 

 Mersey Tunnel, now so rapidly approaching comple- 

 tion, a discovery has been recently announced of 

 considerable importance to geologists. It was ex- 

 pected that during the progress of the works evidence 

 would be afforded on the question of the pre-glacial 

 river valley which, it was predicted by Mr. T. 

 Melkrd Reade, F.G.S., so long ago as in 1S72, 

 would be found to exist below the level of the present 

 valley of the Mersey. Mr. Reade's deductions were 

 based upon certain borings at Widnes, and the 

 upper reaches of the Mersey, revealing an unexpected 

 gorge deep below the "drift," on which the town of 

 Widnes stands, and connecting the rocky bed above 

 Runcorn Gap with that below it by a regular gradient. 

 The course of the pre-glacial river was presumed to 

 be, in the main, identical with that of the existing 

 river Mersey. It now appears that, at about 300 

 yards from the Liverpool side, the upper part of the 

 tunnel intersects for a distance of about 100 yards a 

 gorge filled with boulder clay, containing erratics. 

 The clay is hard, and of the usual type of lower 

 boulder clay elsewhere found resting on the triassic 

 sandstone. Well-rounded boulders of granite, 

 felstone, and greenstone were taken out of the clay. 

 The rock through which the tunnel is cut belongs to 

 the pebble beds division of the bunter sandstone, and 

 was found to be remarkably free from faults. The 

 tunnel is now, we believe, completely arched in under 



the river, all difficulties having been surmounted 

 with entire success. The pre-glacial valley of the 

 Mersey is now, therefore, an admitted fact. The 

 discovery affords a very complete proof of the truth of 

 Mr. Reade's theory, submitted over twelve years ago. 



The Liverpool Geological Society.— The 

 Proceedings of this Society for the last session 

 contain the following highly interesting papers : 

 " On a Section across the Trias recently exposed by a 

 Railway Excavation in Liverpool," by G. H. Morton ; 

 " Experiments on the Circulation of Water in Sand- 

 stone," byT. H. Reade, "On Indented Pebbles in 

 the Bunter-sandstone, near Prescot," by Dr. Charles 

 Recketts ; and the Address of the President (Mr. D. 

 Mackintosh) on " The Time which has elapsed since 

 the close of the Glacial Period." 



Obituary.— It is with deep regret we have to 

 chronicle the death of one of the most active contri- 

 butors to field geology of modern times, Mr. S. V. 

 Wood, of Martlesham, near Woodbridge. Mr. 

 Wood's name is associated more particularly with 

 Pliocene and Pleistocene geology, and only in our 

 last number we recorded his new discovery of beds of 

 crag age in Cornwall. In spite of his wonderful 

 intellectual activity, Mr. Wood has for years been a 

 great sufferer. Another geologist of note who has 

 recently died is Mr. Alfred Tylor, brother of the 

 distinguished ethnological writer and discoverer. 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



Food of Tortoises.— In reply to an inquiry in 

 your issue of Science-Gossip for November, from 

 K. H. J. respecting the food of a land tortoise, I 

 have found one thrive well on dandelions, grass, and 

 buttercups, and even a few rose leaves. It sometimes 

 took a little milk, but preferred water. Little food 

 is required in winter. — A. U. 



Late Swallows.— It may be interesting to note 

 that on the afternoon of the 14th November, while 

 walking in a lane near Exmouth, I saw about a dozen 

 swallows (house martins). The day was fine and 

 clear, and they were flying high above the tree-tops, 

 evidently hawking for insects. On the 21st I again 

 saw several swallows early in the day, not far from 

 the same place. On this occasion some friends living 

 near also observed them. — E. S., Exmouth. 



Mounting Insects, &c— I shall be glad of any 

 and all information which will enable me to mount 

 for the microscope the head of a spider and similar 

 objects as an opaque preparation for reflected light 

 preserving, without contraction, the natural colours 

 and appearance of the head and eyes. Also, to 

 know where the pure tin cells with caps or covers (of 

 which I remember to have heard or read) can be 

 procured. — J. JZ. Brokenshire. 



A Hybernating Cuckoo. — One of the strangest 

 tales about a cuckoo was recently related to me that 

 I ever heard, and had it not been told me by a friend 

 in whose veracity I have the most unlimited faith, 



