192 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE. GOSSIP. 



NOTICES TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



G. C. Pkarce. — The plant sent is a species of Chara, or 

 " Brittle-worts," one of the Alga?. 



Jas. Ropee.— The flower-head is that of the Flowering 

 Rush (Butomus umbellatus). It is abundant in the dykes in 

 Suffolk and Norfolk. 



R. C. N.— See the chapter on "Flowering Plants" in 

 " Notes on Collecting and Preserving Natural History 

 Objects," just published at 192, Piccadilly. 



T. McGas n. — We had received neither parcel nor " ex- 

 change," until the latter came in the note stating a parcel 

 had been sent. 



Mns. G.— The " clubbing " of cabbage plants is due to the 

 cohesion of the rootlets in growing. We should think that 

 mixing the soil with a little gravel or coarse earth, which 

 would admit air freely, might arrest the evil. Perhaps your 

 soil is too fine, and impervious to water and air. 



W.S.— The following books will be useful to you in easily 

 identifying our common plants : — Mrs. Lankester's " Wild 

 Flowers worth Notice " ; Spencer Thompson's " Walks and 

 Wild Flowers " ; and better still, only more advanced, and 

 therefore requiring a little more trouble, Dr. Hooker's 

 " Students* Flora of the British Island8." 



T. Ropkr.— The "brassy-looking" object is iron sulphite, 

 or pyrites. It is abundant on the surface of the joints in 

 some kinds of coal, as a thin film, similar to that in your 

 specimen. 



Miss B.— Your plants are:— No. 1. Orchis morio (Meadow 

 Orchis); 2. Geranium sanguineum (Bloody Crane's-bill); 

 3. Hipjiuris vulgaris (Mare's-tail) ; 4. Stellaria graminea; 

 5. Corydalis lutea; 6. Evidently a portion of a species of 

 Galeobdolon, perhaps album; but the plant is intoobada 

 state to correctly identify. 



H. P. Dubrant. — Your geological specimens are far from 

 uncommon, being portions of the stems of encrinites, em- 

 bedded in " chert," and having the outside calcareous matter 

 naturally dissolved away, so as to leave the spaces between 

 the joints filled in with cherty matter. In this condition they 

 resemble the screwed end of an iron bolt: and, in Derby- 

 shire (where they are very common in the carboniferous 

 limestone), the people call them " Screw-stones." 



H. T.— Your mosses, Sec, have unfortunately been mislaid. 

 Please send us others. 



H. G. Dunn.— Your minute specimens in the clay iron- 

 stone are either the internal casts of a fossil species of Rissoa, 

 or Foraminifera. We incline to think they are the former, 

 but will see to them further. 



C. W. HotcATE. — Your specimen is Vicia tetrasperma. 



E. Lamb. — Your specimens are: — 1. Orchis pyramidalis ; 

 2. Lychnis githago; 3. Trifolium prvetwnbens ; 4. Latfft/rus 

 pratensis. 



R. Goffe.— See Mr. James Britten's articles in " Notes on 

 Collecting and Preserving Natural History Objects," just 

 published. 



T. B. B. (Glasgow). — Our correspondent does not say the 

 character of the soundings. Assuming them to be calcareous, 

 the best plan is to give them a boil in a weak solution of 

 caustic potash, wash well with distilled water, and mount in 

 Canada balsam. Supposing them to contain silicious or- 

 ganism, the calcareous matter must be got rid of by means 

 of hydrochloric acid, and then boiled in nitric acid. Mount 

 in Canada balsam or dammar.— F. K. 



R. Kinsr.iv (Stirling) .— L abarraque's solution is the Liquor 

 Sodae Chlorinata of the British Pharmacopoeia. It may be 

 purchased of any respectable chemist under the latter name. 

 Its price is trifling. ^___^ 



EXCHANGES. 



Shells. — Pair of Pelican's-foot Shells (Aporrhiiis pes- 

 pelicani), for neatly-mounted Slides of Marine Objects. — 

 C. P. Ogilvie, Sizewell House, Leiston, Suffolk. 



Four Lizards, about 2 in. long, in exchange for Lepi- 

 doptera or offers.— G. Pearson. 



Two Slides will be given for one Geological Section 

 (mounted), or for one Geological Slide {named). — S., 63, High- 

 street, Warrington. 



Alopecurus bulbosus and Carex dinisa offered. Wanted, 

 1,421, 1,422, 1,437, 1,445, 1,499, 1,505,1,519, 1,521, 1,545, 1,554, 

 l>5/7.— Rev. F. H. Arnold, Fishbourne, Chichester. 



A collection of Birds' Eggs, 75 species ; 132 in collection 

 and 72 duplicates, for Books. — H. G. Webb, Mentmore, 

 Leighton Buzzard. 



For exchange, a great variety of local 'Diatoms, for well- 

 mounted Slides of interest. — W. J. Dickson, M.D., Falkland, 

 Fifeshire. 



Silene ennica, Hippophae rhamnoides, offered for other rare 

 Plants. Scotch Plants preterred.— H. W. J., Cains College, 

 Cambridge. 



Specimens wanted in exchange : Fusus antiquus, F. Nor. 

 vegicum, F. Islandicus, F. gracilis, F. propinquus, F. bacci- 

 nutus, F. berniciensis, F. feriestratus, and all the other 

 varieties. Two good British Shells will be given, if in stock, 

 for each one of the above.— A. J. R. Sclater, 9, Bank-street, 

 Teignmouth. 



Wanted, Specimens of Morpho Menelaus, Plusia chrysitis, 

 and Zygoma, for well-mounted Slides.— M. Fowler, 20, Burn- 

 row, Slamannan, near Falkirk. 



Zannichellia brachystemon, Gay, in exchange for other 

 Plants.— John Wm. Burton, 35, Hemans-street, Liverpool. 



Will give 47 Parts of Morris's "Book of Birds" (Is. 

 each), coloured plates, for a second-hand copy of Williamson 

 or Carpenter on the Foraminifera— Recent, and Study of — 

 G. R. V., Hill Top, Attercliffe, near Sheffield. 



British Mosses for Foreign Alga;.— M., 2, Dorset-gardens, 

 Brighton. 



Microscopic Slides, of highest class and diatomaceous, 

 and other material, offered for a quarter-plate bellows Camera! 

 with two double Plate-holders, with or without lens.— 

 Capt. Perry, 42, Spellow-lane, Liverpool. 



Microscopic Slides and Material also offered for Magic- 

 Lantern Slides of good quality.— Capt. Perry, 42, Spellow- 

 lane, Liverpool. 



Carex elongnta in exchange for C. Davalliana, C. Bux- 

 baumii, C. hordeiformis, C. incurva, C. ph&ostachys, C. punc- 

 tata, C. tomentosa, C. ustulata, or C. leporina, or send 

 stamped and directed covering for specimen of same addressed 

 to James Percival, 67, Fermoy- street, Higher Broughton, 

 Manchester. 



Some good foraminiferous Sand for well-mounted Slides. — 



C. P. Ogilvie, Sizewell House, Leiston, Suffolk. 



To correspond with some Palaeontologist, in each of the 

 Vertebrate-beating formations in Great Britain, who desires 

 to exchange these fossils for those from the Cincinnati 

 Group, Lower Silurian, U.S.A.— David W. De Beck, 65, West 

 Fourth-street, Cincinnati, O., U.S. 



Desiderata :— specimens of Lepidoptera from the North, 

 as for example, F. carbonaria, F. pinetaria, L. purpuraria, 



D. filigrummaria, L. cmsiata, L. ruficinclata, &c. ; Dupli- 

 cate Lepidoptera, Birds' Eggs, and other objects of Natural 

 History. — W. K. Mann, Granby House, Clifton, Bristol. 



An interesting gathering of Marine Material for distri- 

 bution, including Foraminifera from twenty-five places, 

 Sertularians, Algae in fruit, and with Diatoms in situ, Mol- 

 lusca Palates, Sponge Spicula, Holothuria, &c, &c. Full 

 particulars on receipt of stamped address.— T. McGann, 

 Bunin, Oranmore, Ireland. 



Lepidoptera. — Fine-bred specimens of F. conspicuata, for 

 other local species.— H. Miller, jun., Ipswich. 



BOOKS, &c, RECEIVED. 



" Geological Stories." By J. E. Taylor. 3rd edition. Lon- 

 don: Hardwicke & Bogoe. 



" Half Hours in the Green Lanes." By J. E. Taylor. 3rd 

 edition. London : Hardwicke & Bogue. 



" Half Hours at the Sea-side." By J. E. Taylor. 3rd edition. 

 London : Hardwicke & Bogue. 



" Annual Record of Scientific Industry for 1875." London : 

 Triibner & Co. 



"Blue and Sun-lights." By Gen. A. J. Pleasanton. 

 London : Triibner & Co. 



" Popular Science Review." July. 



"Monthly Microscopical Journal.'' July. 



" Land and Water." July. 



" Les Mondes." July. 



" Botanische Zeitung." July. 



*' American Naturalist." June. 



"Canadian Entomologist.'' June. 



" Boston Journal of Chemistry." June. 



" Potter's American Monthly." June. 



"Transactions Norfolk and Norwich Natural History 

 Society." 



" Transactions Bristol Natural History Society." 

 &c. &c. &c. 



Communications up to 10th ult. Received from: — 



F. K.-G. H. K.— T. G. B-G. H.-J. F.-G. G.-E. E.— 

 J. R. S C.-Dr. C. C. A.— Dr. G. B.— F. H A.-Dr. C. S. V.— 

 — D. W. D. B.-M. P. M.— J. C— T. H.-M. A. T.— E. S.— 

 J. L. M.-J. S. W.-H. P. M.-J. T. R— W. S— T. F.— 



G. W. L.— T. B. B.— G. C. P.— J. P. — H. P.— J. A. P.— 

 G. H. K.-F. A. A.-H. M. J. U.-F. K.-S. U.-A. P.— 

 J. W. B.-J. P.— H. E. W.-E. L.-J. E. E.-R. F.— E. E.— 

 -F. H. A.— Dr. E. F. N.— C. H. S— C. W. H.— H. G. D.-~ 

 — G R. V.— H B L.— W. L.— W. Z.— E. T. S.-T B. W.— 

 H. K.— M. F.— W. 8.-C. P. O.— Dr. W. J. D.— H. G. W.— 

 A. J. R. 8— Dr. G. S.W.— H. L. J.-W. B.— H. C.-J. S., jun. 

 — G. P.— H. T.— R. R. T.— R. K.— E. M. P.— J. G.-R. L. J. 

 — T. McG.-ic, &c. 



