HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



139 



excursion round the shores of the island, and has 

 made arrangements and voted a sum of money for 

 the purpose. We hope the Southport Local Com- 

 mittee will join in the matter, for there is no better 

 dredging ground (and we speak from delightful 

 experience) in the British Islands. 



Mimicry of Humming Birds by Moths. — Dr. 

 Krause thinks that the striking resemblance in size, 

 form and movements of the South American moth 

 {Macroglossa tilan) to humming-birds is a case of pro- 

 tective mimicry, and that the moths benefit by the 

 resemblance to the birds, which have few winged 

 enemies. He thinks that the closeness of the resem- 

 blance also protects the moths from the humming 

 birds, which always give chase when they recognise 

 them. 



The Acadian Naturalist. — We have received 

 the first copy of the above scientific serial, published 

 in the interest of the Acadian Science Club. It opens 

 with a capital article by Dr. Dawson, F.R.S., on 

 " The Present Rights and Duties of Science." 



BOTANY. 



"Old-fashioned Flowers." — A very handy, 

 compact, and interesting little handbook has been 

 issued by Mr. L. Gill, price 6rf., on the above subject. 

 All of the plants described are hardy perennials, and 

 of the kind now known as old-fashioned garden 

 flowers. We are glad to see the outburst of feeling 

 which has rehabilitated the flowers our grandmothers 

 loved and cultivated, and has once more given them 

 a place in English gardens. 



Second Flowering of Cornel. — I have observed 

 for many years the Cornus sanguinea almost invari- 

 ably has, or makes an attempt at having, an autumnal 

 flowering. This takes place in September or October, 

 and, more rarely, as early as August, which was the 

 case in 1868. Of course no berries are produced from 

 these autumnal flowers. Now, although C. sanguinea 

 ranges as far north as Denmark and Norway, it is also 

 a native of southern climates, as Spain, Italy, and 

 Turkey, and it would be interesting to learn whether 

 in any of its southern haunts it really perfects two 

 crops of berries in the year ; and if so, does it not still 

 continue the attempt with us, although it has migrated 

 farther north? The same facts hold good with the 

 strawberry-tree, Arbutus Unedo. A specimen near 

 my window invariably commences a second flowering 

 about October, and continues in blossom up to about 

 Christmas, so that flowers and ripe berries are prettily 

 mingled together, the former forming a winter repast 

 for the honey-bee and sundry Diptera. Nevertheless 

 I think we dare not conclude that the sole reason for 

 the second blowing is to furnish food for insects. — 

 H. W. Kidd. 



Leontodon Taraxacum. — On the 5th of May, 

 the air being still a little searching but the sun 

 warm, I bethought me to take a stroll over the downs. 

 It was not long before I came upon the home of the 

 greater and lesser dandelions. The lesser sort were 

 gaily starring the short turf, the big ones were arranged 

 along the hedge-row ; so that there could be no mis- 

 take as to habitat. The diagnosis was briefly this : 

 Var. major, leaflets runcinate, glabrous, toothed, 

 veined. Var. minor, leaflets sagittate, glabrous, 

 smooth, distinctly brown. at the edge, and exhibiting 

 a tendency to change into prickles ; outer ray of 

 flower-head deep purple beneath ; averages one- 

 third the dimensions of var. major. Perhaps to 

 complete the illustrious task of redescribing the genus 

 Leontodon I should add : var. palustris, outer scales 

 of the involucre erect, appressed ; leaves sinuato- 

 dentate, nearly glabrous. Thus does our common 

 dandelion produce its races, under the shady hedge, 

 on the dry down, and wet bog. — A. H. Szainton. 



The Flowering of the Duckweeds. — The 

 flowers of duckweeds appear to be seldom observed 

 and are repeatedly said to be rare. Some time ago 

 I was surprised to hear a field botanist of some re- 

 pute say that the flower of Lemna trisulca was un- 

 known in Britain ; and the author of " Ponds and 

 Ditches," writing of the four species, says, "the 

 flowers are small and rare." On referring to my 

 notes, I find that since 1878 the flowers of Lemna 

 trisulca and L. minor have been seen in this locality 

 each following year. Lemna trisulca in flower was 

 first found by Dr. H. Franklin Parsons and myself 

 in a pond at "Sandholes," Swinefleet Common, on 

 the 2nd of June, 1878, and has since been regularly 

 observed in that and in other habitats. Lemna minor 

 has been noted in flower as follows : Goole, 1878-82 ; 

 Telby, 1880 (W. N. Cheesman) ; Snaith, 18S2; and 

 Lemna gibba, in a ditch at Goole Fields in 1882. 

 Their extreme smallness may be a reason why the 

 flowers of the duckweeds are not more often seen, 

 but perhaps some of your readers will say if they 

 have been commonly observed by them ? — Thomas 

 Birks, jun., Goole. 



Paris quadrifolia. — It would perhaps prove 

 interesting to botanists to learn that Paris quadrifolia 

 may be found in a wood about half a mile beyond 

 Pinner station, and about a hundred yards from the 

 line. I found yesterday about a dozen specimens in 

 flower, and there will be at least a dozen more out 

 by next Sunday. — M. Gunning. 



Signs of Spring. — The first migrants have 

 arrived here. I saw the first chiffchaff on the 2nd 

 of April, and since then I have heard three each day 

 in the same glen. I remarked butterflies on the 4th 

 of March, and a missel-thrush building on the 7th. — 

 G. A. K., West Cornwall. 



