44 



IIARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



very interesting accounts of excursions, the follow- 

 ing :—" On the Boulder-Clay of the North-East of 

 Ireland," by S. A.Stewart ;" On a Collection of Birds 

 Shot in Belfast Lough," by Thomas Danagh ; " On 

 Carnivorous Plants," by W. PI. Phillips ; and "Glacial 

 Notes among the English Lakes," by Mr. F. W. 

 Lock wood. The "Proceedings of the Norwich 

 Science-Gossip Club" contains the President's 

 Address, in which we find able abstracts of the 

 papers read during the year. 



BOTANY. 



"The Botanical Exchange Club." — The 

 Report of this club for 1S81 has appeared, edited by 

 F. A. Lees, F.L.S., giving lists of new varieties, and 

 new habitats of British plants, with notes and com- 

 ments by various well-known botanists. 



Proliferous Sundew. — In a recent stroll across 

 Putney Heath I obtained a few specimens of Droscra 

 rotundifotia. On looking these over at home, I found 

 among the sphagnum in which they were growing 

 a single leaf which had become detached at some 

 time. It was somewhat attenuated and the filaments 

 shrivelled, but from the under surface two roots were 

 given off. Near the growing-point these became 

 clear and semi-transparent, whilst the growing-point 

 itself was of the same crimson as the tentacles. From 

 the upper surface three of the tentacles had become 

 developed into buds which had now given rise to as 

 many tiny sundews, each with four or five leaves with 

 minute greenish tentacles. Is it common for Drosera 

 to reproduce itself in this way ? I have had large 

 numbers of them during the last five or six years, but 

 have never noticed a similar case. — E. Step, Putney. 



"The Gardener's Chronicle " gives an interest- 

 ing account of the effects of the stinging tree (Laportea 

 gigas). The pain produced by the sting of a single 

 hair on the right hand gave rise to remarkable symp- 

 toms ; the pain being confined to the right side of the 

 body, succeeded by a numbness and slight paralysis. 

 Besides the pain, a sensation of losing the senses, or 

 rather of becoming insane, was experienced. The 

 severe symptoms lasted two hours ; the spot pricked 

 remaining constantly painful for nearly a month after 

 being stung. 



Early Flowers. — I picked to-day several 

 specimens of Alereurialis perennis with male ilowers 

 fully expanded. I have never known it so early. It 

 grew on a sheltered bank. We have in our garden 

 winter aconite, hepaticas (double and single), 

 anemones, Alpine auricula, primrose?, violets, 

 polyanthus and pansies in bloom. — M. E. Pope, 

 Paddock Wood, Kent. 



GEOLOGY. 



MR. WIIITAKER'S READINGS OF RED 

 CHALK.* 



My remarks I will limit to Hunstanton Chalk, 

 Knowing nothing of Lincoln and little of York, 

 Perfection I pine for — but still I must talk — 

 Unanimity in drawing a different conclusion, 

 From like premises adds to our native confusion, 

 Yet this is the way that geologists mull, 

 Giving birth to my Norfolk (not Irish) "bull." 

 If we tot up the notions from which one may 



choose, 

 We find there are fifteen quite possible views ; 

 But eight I dismiss without an apology, 

 By the aid of known fossils — or Palaeontology. 

 Thus seven remain, of which two, none have 



thought, 

 Though over the five they have squabbled and 



fought, 

 And to the discussion bad reasoning brought. 

 One takes up his views — oh, is it not droll ! 

 Because "correlation's" the greed of his soul. 

 While another whose thoughts are unsound and 



unripe, 

 Founds all his conclusions on what he calls 



"type." 

 But this let him smoke and put in his pipe — 

 "Ever-varying Nature, in monotonous way, 

 Never lays down a bed universal of clay," 

 So why should at Folkestone lie " typical " gault ? 

 Mr. Wiltshire, methinks that your reason's at fault. 

 Why should Nature be "squared" to a type in 



this way, 

 Explain it, O Wiltshire, explain it, I say. 

 Now let us from fossils discuss the rocks' age, 

 And try to decipher this obscure page 

 Of Nature, and list to the words of a sage ! 

 Your minds with the details I wish not to plague, 

 For really the state of my own is but vague. 

 But of seven conclusions we're left with but two, 

 Which from fifteen at first is reducing "a few," 

 But then one of them must be certainly true. 

 It is Lower Chalk, or it is that and Gault, 

 But between these opinions at present I halt, 

 And so would all others if worth but their salt ! 

 This is my belief to close all the talk, 

 And none can gainsay it — Red Chalk is — Red 

 Chalk. A. Conifer. 



The Geologists' Association.— No 6 of Vol. 

 VII. of the " Proceedings " of this society contains 

 papers on " The Progress and Prosperity of English 

 Submarine Tunnels," by C. E. De Ranee, F.G.S. ; 

 " Description of a Section across the River Severn," 



* " The Red Chalk of ISforfolk." Part of Presidential Address 

 to the Norwich Geological Society. Geo. Mag., Jan. 1833. 



