HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



141 



"Pre-Glacial Forest Bed" of Norfolk. The speci- 

 men, which was discovered by Mr. Robert Fitch, 

 F.S.A., of Norwich, was submitted by him to Mr. 

 E. T. Newton, F.G.S., of Jermyn Street, who shows 

 it to precisely agree (so far as it is preserved) with 

 the same parts in the Glutton, and therefore Gulo 

 luscus has been added, as a new "Forest Bed" 

 species. This specimen is doubly interesting, since 

 it adds additional evidence of the cold climate which 

 was creeping over the northern hemisphere when the 

 " Forest Bed" was forming. 



Discovery of Fossil Fish in the Eocene 

 Strata of Ryde, I. W. — The cliffs (if they may be 

 so designated) are about 3 feet high. To the height, 

 on an average, of about 20 feet and for 30 feet inland 

 there is a slipping talus covered with vegetation, and 

 composed of clay of various colours, with blocks of 

 irregular laminated fresh-water Binstead limestone 

 with ripple marks, and containing Limnei, Planorbes, 

 &c, and rolled fragments of the bones and carapaces 

 of turtles with a few small teeth (rare) of evidently a 

 species of reptile and small mammalian teeth. The 

 slippery soft clay contains no organic remains as far 

 as I am aware. On the shore level with the shingle 

 are strata of clay in situ, the whole series not being 

 more than three feet thick as far as I can judge. The 

 following is a list of the strata with their characteristic 

 fossils : — 1. A layer of bluish or reddish soft tenacious 

 clay with the nodules of hard laminated clay, in 

 which are found the small fossil fish, with scales, 

 bones, vertebra;, &c, of larger fish, leaves of ferns, 

 &c, and rushes, &c, and fragments of araucaria. 2. 

 Strata containing masses of paludiiut crushed or 

 perfect, containing vertebra; from one-eighth to three- 

 quarters of an inch in diameter at widest part, turtles, 

 bones and portions of wood, &c, also small nodules 

 of hard laminated clay with cyprides. Small slabs 

 of comminuted fragments of paludimc held together by 

 being impregnated with iron pyrite. — G. IV. Colemitt. 



[Mr. Colenutt's discovery of these fossil fish is of 

 great value. We have not seen more perfect speci- 

 mens, even from Monte Bolca, than those he sent us, 

 and which we hope will shortly be described. — Ed. 

 S. G.I 



Topographical Geology. — The Scottish Natu- 

 ralist for April contains a most interesting article by 

 the Rev. A. Milroy, D.D., "On the Value of the 

 Names of Places in indicating the Ancient Surface- 

 features of the Country." The article deals with the 

 Celtic and Saxon names or terminations found in 

 Scottish topographical nomenclature, and some very 

 interesting facts are shown, such as the position of 

 ancient river-courses, or old sea levels, etc. Thus, the 

 word " Inch " means an island, and where we find the 

 term used probably an island once existed there, 

 and Dr. Milroy proves that this is frequently the case, 

 and that since the names were given the sea has 

 greatly receded. 



"The Geological Antiquity of Insects." — 

 We are pleased to see that Mr. H. Goss has pub- 

 lished (price is. 6d.) the twelve papers on Fossil 

 Entomology which, under the above title, have from 

 time to time appeared in the Entomologists' Monthly 

 Magazine. We have at various times expressed a 

 high opinion of the merits of these extraordinary 

 papers, and can now only repeat our gratification at 

 their re-issue in their present handy and useful form. 



The Modern Doctrine of Evolution. — Pro- 

 fessor E. D. Cope has kindly forwarded us a copy of 

 his lecture on the above subject delivered before the 

 California Academy of Sciences last October. It is 

 one of the best popular philosophical summaries 

 which has yet appeared on this doctrine, and reviews 

 the Evidence for Evolution, the Laws of Evolution, 

 the Metaphysics of Evolution, and the Morals of 

 Evolution. 



The Geology of Nottingham. — Under the 

 title of " Notes on the Alluvial and Drift Deposits of 

 the Trent Valley, Nottingham," Mr. James Shipman 

 has republished the lecture he delivered before the 

 Nottingham Naturalists' Society in November last. 

 The paper is illustrated with three woodcuts, and it 

 is a very carefully worked out and valuable guide to 

 the surface geology of the town where the lecture was 

 delivered. 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



Hew Flowers can be prevented from 

 losing their Colour. — If R. B. L. will leave the 

 flowers for about a quarter of an hour in a mixture 

 composed of equal parts of water and spirits of wine, 

 he will find that the colour is preserved in drying.— 

 C.B. 



Hybridism and Evolution. — I am aware that 

 hybridism is not considered the most important 

 feature of evolution, but I think that two successive 

 " casual variations " might result in the production 

 of an animal so unlike the ancestors that it is called 

 a new species. I will not attempt to define such all 

 important terms as genus, species, &c, leaving such 

 definitions to be enunciated by abler men. I 

 cannot, however, see that a discussion on the origin 

 of species is identical with that of reason in man and 

 animals. — E. A. Brunetti. 



Poisonous properties of Yew Trees.— Some 

 years ago, the proprietor of the house I live in lost 

 two valuable horses in the following circumstances. 

 The animals had been left standing under yew-trees 

 while the carters were filling the cart. In the mean- 

 time, the horses had browsed on the dangerous foliage, 

 but they repented for having done that ; they died 

 on the way, in the course of two hours. The animals 

 had not drunk after eating the leaves. Another case : 

 I am told that three valuable cows have died in a 

 neighbouring parish, in consequence of eating 

 cuttings of yew-trees ; that branches had been 

 carelessly thrown out in a yard through which the 

 animals passed. Many persons have affirmed to me 

 that the foliage of yew is only hurtful in a withered 



