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HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



The fifth day was by train to Whauphill, and then 

 drive to Portwilliam. Along the road Trifoliutii 



medium was noticed in one place, and Sambucus nigra 

 occurred in the hedgerows. At Portwilliam, on the 

 sea-shore and shingle grew in plenty Carduus tenui- 

 florus, Rosa spinosissima, and the Crambe maritime, 

 in great quantity, with ripe fruit, and then small 

 patches of some vetch, which at first from the rigid 

 habit looked like Orobus, but nearer inspection showed 

 to be sylvatica* very different from the type : instead 

 of the large rampant plant, "climbing and twisting in 

 iendrilled strength " over the bushes, with thin leaves 

 and white flowers delicately pencilled with blue, 

 appeared a small compact prostrate plant, about two 

 feet across, with coriaceous, glabrous, and frequently 

 glaucous leaves, rigid habit, short peduncles and 

 pedicels, and flowers not nearly so large as type, suf- 

 fused with a brownish-purple colour ; which, despite 

 the crowded state of our synonyms, seems worth 

 varietal distinction, at any rate if such forms as Lotus 

 crassifolius, Sarothamnus procumbens, or Genista 

 humifusa are to be so distinguished. This probably is 

 the plant recorded from the Galloway coast by Prof. 

 Balfour. Glaucium luteum occurred at intervals with 

 Geranium Robert., Convolvulus, Soldanella, &c. In 

 the sandy tracts the maritime form of Galium verum 

 (G. iittorale) occurred, and in the shingle a prostrate 

 growth of Prunus spinosa, about six inches high, was 

 plentiful ; then on a muddy tract where Sclerochloa 

 had formed a turf grew Carex extensa in considerable 

 plenty ; later on came Salsola, and then on the sands 

 near Monreith Bay came Eryngus maritimus, Carexare- 

 naria, Erythrcea littoralis, Carlina vulgaris, Erodiutu 

 maritimum, Triticum junceum, etc. At Monreith on 

 the hillside in damp ground occurred Juncus glaucus, 

 Samolus, Anagaliis tenella, Triglochin palustre, Schce- 

 nus nigricans (the latter singularly absent from a great 

 part of the county), Helianthemum vulgare (another 

 rarity), Etipatoriuin canndbinum, Briza minor (rare), 

 Rubus ccesius, etc. On the hill-slopes overlooking the 

 sea in early spring there must have been a profuse growth 

 of Scilla vema, here and there the dried capsules still 

 showing themselves, and the tubers could be turned up 

 by scores with little trouble. Returning to Portwilliam 

 and keeping on the hill-slopes, Equisetum maximum 

 was found in a curious state ; the barren reslival 

 branches bearing at the apex the fertile vernal spike, 

 a form very rarely noticed in Britain. Then came 

 some nice bushes of Rosa Sabini, then Senebiera 

 coronopus, and shortly before reaching Portwilliam, a 

 discoid of Senecio Jacobcca, of rare occurrence. Boswell 

 records it from Wexford and Sutherland ; and Sherard 

 in Ray, Syn., 3rd edition, records: " Jacobaea, Flore 

 nudo copiosissime nascens in sabulosis prope littus, 

 tribus vel quatuor millioribus a Drogheda occurrit ; " 

 and inspection of the Sherardian specimen showed it 

 to be identical with the Wigton plant. Between Port- 



* Since described as Vicia sylvaiica, L., var. condensata. 



william and Clone Point Malva moschata grew in 

 great plenty ; Lycopsis arvensis occurred in cultivated 

 fields, and in the grass by the sea-shore Ranunculus 

 hirsutus, which I should think to be wild ; nearer the 

 town in suspicious localities occurred Echium, Ana- 

 cyclus radiatus, Phalaris Cauarieusis, and other intro- 

 ductions. 



The result of the five days' work in the county was 

 the recording of 509 species and 34 varieties, for a 

 detailed list of which I must refer your readers who 

 are interested in the subject to the Report of the 

 Botanical Record Club of the British Isles for 1883. 



It may be well to state that Balfour's tour in N. 

 Uist, Harris, and the Lewis yielded 338 records. My 

 own West Ross list contained 373 ; and Balfour's list 

 of plants seen in the Mull of Canty re, &c, 456. 



SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



Some details have lately been published about the 

 Forth railway bridge. It has been in progress for 

 two years and is expected to take five years more. 

 Some of the girders have been placed upon the 

 piers, though the piers on which they rest are not yet 

 built to their full height, the mode of procedure 

 being to raise the structure gradually by hydraulic 

 power, the masonry being at the same time built up 

 foot by foot beneath it. The metal-work is all of 

 steel. The total length of the bridge will be over a 

 mile and a half; the two main spans 1710 feet each, 

 and the height of the rails above the water 150 feet. 

 The estimated cost is £1,600,000. 



In a pamphlet on " The Origin and Reproduction 

 of Animal and Vegetable Life on our Globe," Mr. 

 Thomas Spencer,F.C.S., F.R.M.S., states, among the 

 conclusions at which he has arrived, some which differ 

 more or less from those generally received. He be- 

 lieves that he has discovered " the hitherto inscrutable 

 principle by which life is imparted to matter," not, 

 however, to the exclusion of a Creator. The long 

 sought origin of the life on our globe is to be found in 

 the fact that the acid-forming suboxide or magnetic 

 oxide of iron exists, accompanied by moisture, in 

 every reproductive germ, animal or vegetable, on the 

 surface of the globe ; though the author allows after- 

 wards that this wide statement is partly arrived at 

 by analogy. The preservation for ages of moisture in 

 the seed is due in part to the occult action of ozone, 

 which "contains a double atom of oxygen with 

 water and electricity, in combination with some 

 iron." It seems also that at least part of the warmth 

 of the body is due, according to our author, to the 

 heat liberated, along with electricity, at the same 

 time as the moisture in the air inhaled by the lungs 

 is decomposed. There is an air of dogmatism about 

 these statements. They are indeed said to be in no 



