HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



20' 



we left Corfe, we found nothing on our journey 

 worth mentioning. 



The first thing I met with on Saturday morn- 

 ing (August 9th) was Helix aculeata, and afterwards 

 careful search revealed several other species. The list 

 of our captures is as follows : Pisidium pusillum, 

 Spharium lacustre, Planorbis nautileus, Helix 

 rupestris, H. virgata, II. hortensis and var. roseo- 

 labiala, Clausilia rugosa, C. laminata, Baka perversa, 

 Carychium minimum, Bulimus obscurus, Zonites 

 ccllariiis, and, lastly, Bulimus acutus. Finding a 

 boat just starting for Weymouth, we took it, as we 

 were informed it would save us much trouble. On 

 landing at Weymouth, and searching along the sands 

 and rocks, we obtained the following shells : Venus 

 Gallina, Pandora incequivalvis, Pecten opercularis, 

 Mactra stultorum, M. solida, var. truncata, Venerupis 

 irus (with Saxieava rugosa in crevices in hard rocks), 

 Tapes pullaslra, Trochus magus, Tr. cinerarias, T. 

 lineatus, T. utnbilicatus, Littorina obtusata, L. ricdis, 

 L. litorea, Odostomia lactea, Purpura lapillus, Nassa 

 reticulata, N. incrassata, Rissoa cingillus and var. ru- 

 festris (under rocks in quantities, alive), R. parva, 

 R. striata, R. costata, Truucatella truncatula, and 

 Cyprcea Europiea. The following day being Sunday, 

 we did not continue our journey, but remained at 

 Weymouth. 



On Monday, August nth, we started en route for 

 Bridport. In the hedges near Weymouth we took 

 Helix hortensis and var. roseolabiata, H. rufescens and 

 var. alba, H. rotundata, Clausilia rugosa, Limax 

 agrcstis, L. maximus, and Arion ater, one specimen 

 of which was white with an orange margin. We 

 found it impossible to follow the coast-line all the 

 way, so we took the shortest road via Portesham 

 and Abbotsbury. Near the former spot we noticed 

 H. caperata and H. ericetorum, and also the butterflies 

 Lyccena corydon and Pyrarga Galatea. The principal 

 attraction of Abbotsbury appears to be a swannery 

 containing fifteen hundred swans. This we did not 

 see, as it was considerably out of our way. We met 

 with nothing more till we approached Bridport, near 

 which place we noticed Helix nemoralis for the first 

 time, and also H. hortensis, H. virgata, and Succinea 

 putris. 



Tuesday, August 12th, found us on our way to 

 Lyme Regis. Near Bridport we took II. hortensis and 

 H. nemoralis in great variety. After an uneventful 

 walk as far as Charmouth, we were glad to find the 

 tide out and our way open along the shore. The 

 cliffs at this place are very imposing and, as every- 

 body knows, swarm with fossils. On the rocks were 

 Trochus utnbilicatus, Chiton marginalus, Patella 

 ■vulgata, Littoj-itia rudis, and Purpura lapillus, and 

 nearer high-water mark Trochus lineatus in mode- 

 rate abundance. Littorina neritorides was extremely 

 common on the pier at Lyme Regis. 



On referring to the map, the reader will observe 

 that Lyme is just in Dorset. We were anxious to 



push our way well into Devon on Wednesday, and 

 consequently did not linger in search of specimens. 

 It was dusk when we reached Budleigh, after passing 

 through Sidmouth and Otterton. Our captures were 

 limited to a few II. nemoralis, var. castanea, but 

 those of the next day quite consoled us for our bad luck. 



It may interest entomologists to know that Salyrus 

 semele and S. CEgeria were very common on the hills 

 near Budleigh, as we crossed them on our way to 

 Exmouth. We reached the latter place at high- 

 water, and found little else than single valves of 

 Mactra solida and Cardium tuberculatum. Crossing 

 over to Dawdish Warren, we paced along the margin 

 of the water without expecting to find anything. 

 We w 7 ere soon agreeably surprised by the frequent 

 occurrence of Tapes decussatus and Scrobicularia 

 piperata. The fresh appearance of these shells 

 caused us to look about for something better. We 

 were not long in finding it. The discovery of one 

 specimen of Bulla hydatis was followed by that of 

 another and another till they appeared strewn on 

 every side. Nor was this all. We soon began to 

 notice black slug-like creatures slowly traversing 

 the mud, and these p roved to be the same species 

 in a living state. After taking several we 

 walked on past Dawdish to Teignmouth, and on our 

 way met with Donax vittatus, Cardium tuberculatum, 

 C. exiguum, Loligo vulgaris, Sepia officinalis, and 

 single valves of Lutraria elliptica, Mactra subtruncata, 

 and Psammobia Ferroensis. 



The next day (Friday, August 15th) we went 

 across country from Teignmouth to Torquay. Near 

 the latter place we met with H virgata, H aspersa 

 and var. grisea, H. nemoralis, and H. hortensis (one 

 specimen having the band-formula 00040) all in 

 tolerable abundance. Torquay being our destina- 

 tion, we remained there for a few days, and then 

 returned home by train. Our principal captures 

 there are as follows : — Cardium aculealum, C. tuber- 

 culatum, Donax vittatus, Venus Gallina, and Terri- 

 tella terebra ; dead shells common in the harbour at 

 Torquay and on the sands at Paignton. Trochus 

 umbilicatus and T. lineatus associated with the 

 ordinary littoral species on the rocks, and Helix 

 sericea in great abundance at Paignton. 



Thus ended our little tour, and after our 

 experiences I am convinced that there is no more 

 pleasant way of spending a short holiday than the 

 one we adopted, and no better way of seeing the 

 country than on foot. Autumn is no doubt the most 

 favourable season of the year for a shell-collector's 

 tour, when the high-tides and rough weather bring 

 in many rarities to the shore, and the showers induce 

 the land-shells to emerge from their retreats. In 

 conclusion I may say that it will give me the greatest 

 pleasure to furnish every particular concerning route 

 and expenditure to any one desirous of following our 

 example. Sydney C. Cockerell. 



5 1 Woodstock Road, Bedford Park, Chisxuick, W. 



