14 



HARD WICKE 'S SCIENCE- G OSSIP. 



•considerable thickness were formed. 7. Re-elevation, 

 at least above sea level, to account for the sub-aerial 

 denudation of the chalk. 8. A slight re-subsidence, to 

 form the marine plateau and introduce the rounded 

 and foreign pebbles. 9. Re-elevation to the present 

 altitude, combined with extensive recent denudation 

 and excavation of the present valleys. Denudation 

 has swept away enormous masses of both Trias and 

 Greensand, but happily it is a broom which seldom 

 sweeps quite clean, and hence Haldon is left to tell 

 its tale. 



BRITISH PLANTS IN NYMAN'S " CON- 

 SPECTUS FLOR.E EUROPyE^E." 



By A. R. Waller. 



THE following notes are intended to give the 

 readers of Science-Gossip some idea of the 

 differences in the nomenclature and classification of 

 British plants in Dr. Nyman's " Conspectus Florce 

 Europseae." Dr. Nyman's work is most invaluable to 

 all systematic and geographical botanists ; as it gives 

 the full distribution of all known European species 

 and sub-species, and in many cases that of varieties. 

 English botanists will have to adopt the earlier 

 names he uses, as the only safe rule for botanical 

 nomenclature is that of absolute priority. 



The classification of the Thalictrums (meadow rues) 

 is rather different to what we have generally been ac- 

 customed to use. T. Jacquinianum, K. (=T. minus, 

 Jacq. non L.), is the plant we have so long called 

 T.majtis, Smith, "Jacq." : T. majus, Murr. "Jacq." 

 is not a British plant. England might be added to 

 the list of countries for T. alpinum, L. (Alpine 

 meadow rue) ; it grows in Yorkshire, Westmoreland, 

 •&c. It is mentioned as growing in Scotland and 

 Wales. The Jersey buttercup is not thought to be 

 Ranunculus charophy litis, L., but R. flabellatus, Dsf. 

 var. Europaa. R. sardous, Cr., 1763, rightly replaces 

 R. Philonolis, Ehrh. 1788, as the] name of the hairy 

 buttercup, and Glaucium flavum, Cr., 1769, instead of 

 G. lutcum, Sep. 1772, for the yellow-horned poppy, 

 is another change in the right direction. Fumaria 

 JBorai, Jord., is elevated to specific rank with F. 

 Bastardi, Bor., 1847 ( = /'. confusa, Jord. 1848), as a 

 sub-species. Scotland might be added to the list of 

 •countries for F. parviflora, Lam. We are not credited 

 with Iberis arnara, L. (candy-tuft) ; it is certainly 

 native in the centre of England. 



Lepidium Smithii, Hook., is considered a variety of 

 L. heterophyllum, Bth. Coronopus Ruellii, All. 1785, 

 gives way to C.procumbcns, Gil., 1782. Helianthemum 

 vineale, P., appears as a full species with H. eanmn, 

 Dun., as a variety, thus reversing the places of the 

 two plants. Viola per mixta, Jord., is thought to be a 

 hybrid between V. hirta, L., and V. odorata, L., and 

 Drosera obovata, Mk., a hybrid between D. lougi- 



folia, L., and D. rotundifolia, L. Polygala serpyllacea, 

 Whe., 1826, takes the place of P. depressa, Wend., 

 1831, and Silene Cucubalus, Wib., 1799, that of S. 

 infiata, Sm., 1800 (bladder campion). S. quinque- 

 vulnera, L., is thought to be a sub-species of S. 

 lusitanica, L. Scotland might be added to the list 

 of countries for Dianlhus Armeria, L. (Deptford 

 Pink). 



Sisymbrium Sophia, Sinapis arvensis, Capsclla 

 Bursa-pastoris, Batrachium heterophyllum, and 

 Violas tricolor and arvensis are found in every country 

 in Europe. Erucastrum Pollichii, Schp., is given as a 

 native. At most, it is only a colonist. Arabiseiliata, 

 Br., and Brassica mouensis, Huds., are among the very 

 few plants which are confined in Europe to Britain. 



NOTES ON SOME VARIETIES OF BRITISH 

 SHELLS. 



I HAVE in my collection several interesting 

 varieties of British shells which do not corres- 

 pond to any of the named varieties generally regarded 

 as British, but are nevertheless fairly well marked. 

 These I now describe. All those described below 

 were taken by myself. 



1. Hyatina nididula, var. Shell large, whorls 4, 

 slightly whitish beneath, last whorl expanded, and 

 having a dull waxy appearance, and possessing a 

 rather broad band in thi position of No. 5 in 

 H. nemoralis. Found at West Northdown, in 

 Thanet. 



2. Hy. glabra, var. Shell greenish-white, glossy, 

 and semi-transparent. Bromley, with the type. 



3. Valvata piscinalis, var. Shell shewing tracings 

 of spiral banding. I am not sure of the exact locality, 

 but it is from some part of Kent. 



4. Planorbis vortex, var. Shell large, concave 

 above, keel prominent, and placed almost in centre 

 of periphery. From Fuiham. 



5. Limnaa glutinosa, monst. Spire very short, 

 sunken, slightly raised at apex, body whorl swollen 

 above, top of shell nearly flat. St. Nicholas Marsh, 

 with type. 



6. L. peregra, var. Shell showing spiral banding. 

 From a ditch near Walmer Castle, Kent. (v. pictat) 



7. L. stagnalis, var. Shell having short spire, 

 body whorl large and expanded, mouth wide. Pond 

 at Bromley with Lemna minor. Type form not 

 present. 



8. L. stagnalis, var. Shell smaller than type and 

 shaped like L. palustris. Suture shallow. Shell 

 often eroded. Pond at Chislehurst, with Anacharis 

 alsinastrum and Callitriche verua. 



9. L. stagnalis, var. Shell much smaller than 

 type, usually about % inch to I inch in length, suture 

 rather deep. Shell eroded. Pond on Chislehurst 

 Common, with Polamogeton crispus and Ranunculus 

 aquatilis. 



