i86 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



Life in Past and Present Times," by Prof. J. Rupert 

 Jones ; " rhenological Phenomena observed in 

 Hertfordshire during the year 1882," by Jno. Hop- 

 kinson ; and " Notes on Insects observed in Hert- 

 fordshire during 1SS2," by Eleanor A. Ormerod. 

 Besides these there is the Anniversary Address of the 

 President, George Rooper, in which he gives a short 

 sketch of the older works on Natural History. "The 

 ' Westbury House ' School Ephemeris," is still flour- 

 ishing, and the great variety of subjects treated in 

 its pages shows the scientific interest with which our 

 school-boys are now regarding all branches of Natural 

 History. We have also received the " Report of the 

 Boys' Association for the Improvement of the Mind" 

 (Ackworth School), giving a summary of the work 

 done by another active section of our practical boy 

 naturalists. The first number of "The Rochester 

 Naturalist " has just been published. This is founded 

 as a quarterly record of the Rochester Naturalists' 

 Club, and contains some useful local papers, such 

 as the " Geology of the Rochester District," by C. 

 Bird F.G.S. ; "Rochester UmbelliferEe," by J. 

 Hepworth j Reports, Excursions, Notes, &c. 



BOTANY. 



" Our Charas." — Your correspondent, Mr. 

 Birch, jun., is thanked most heartily for his kind 

 communication, emphasising the article on this sub- 

 ject in Science-Gossip for May. Most of what is 

 there written is cordially endorsed, especially the 

 hint that collectors should "begin early in the 

 season." To this one might add, "don't leave off." 

 The writer's practice is to keep on, year in and year 

 out. If the weather is fine, then enjoy it, if not, 

 endure it. Many a time last winter was the ice 

 broken on the surface of ponds, so as to grope about 

 underneath with a long stick. Anything good found 

 out of season can be noted, and revisited at the 

 proper time. This was the case with Tolypella intri- 

 cate which Mr. H. Groves has run down to Bedford- 

 shire to gather when in good fruit. It may interest 

 some to know that that gentleman uses a small drag, 

 which can be carried in the pocket. The advantage 

 of this for large ponds and streams is sufficiently 

 evident, and it involves but little outlay. — J. S., 

 Luton* 



" Leontodon Taraxacum." — In my correction, 

 on p. 161 (July), of Mr. Swinton's note with the 

 above heading (appearing in June) I am represented 

 as saying "the commonly accepted name of this 

 genus is Taraxacum leontodon. This is an error in 

 printing. I said simply Taraxacum, that being the 

 generic name, and I immediately went on to say 

 "The full name is Taraxacum officinale.''' Curiously 

 enough, on p. 152 of July number, there occurs not 

 only this genus rightly named, and its v ariety pa /ust re, 



but also the genus Leontodon, two of its species 

 being named, namely, hispidus and autumnalis. To 

 this genus alone is the term Leontodon rightly given. 

 — H. IV. S. Worsky-Benison. 



Leontodon Taraxacum. — My remarks on the 

 dandelion were certainly not intended to mislead 

 young botanists, who, if in the first instant unobser- 

 vant, would soon, I fear, be fairly floored when it 

 came to synonymy. My intent was simply to draw 

 attention to the influence of the soil and surroundings 

 in fostering races of dandelions, nettles, and other 

 succulent plants. Certainly the dandelion has here 

 its races under the hedgerow, on the bare downs, 

 and, as my friend Mr. Kidd notices, on the old walls 

 too. The nettle too varies, and has races in all sorts 

 of places, the most pleasing I have seen being a slim, 

 long, knotted sort, I noticed in a covert close to 

 Waverley Abbey a little back. I quite despair of 

 getting any trivial names for all I see in my rambles, 

 but I think the local habitation should be more 

 important than the name. My friend, perhaps I am 

 at liberty to mention, would term the cutting of the 

 dandelion leaves as found on old walls " laciniated," 

 which I conceive to be apt. — A. H. Swinton. 



Fasciated Stems. — Perhaps it may be of interest 

 to note that this monstrosity in plants, and other 

 similar malformations, did not escape the old savans 

 of Charles the Second's time. John Evelyn says in 

 his " Silva ": " At Hall, near Foy, there is a faggot 

 which consists but of one piece of wood, naturally 

 grown in that form, with a band wrapped about it, 

 and parted at the ends into four sticks, one of which 

 is subdivided into two others. It was carefully 

 preserved many years by an Earl of Devonshire, and 

 looked on as portending the fate of his estate, which 

 is since indeed come into the hands of four Cornish 

 gentlemen, one of whose estates is likewise divided 

 betwixt two heirs. To this class may be referred 

 what is affirmed concerning the fatal prediction of 

 oaks bearing strange leaves, which may be in- 

 quired of ; and of accidents fasciating the boughs 

 and branches of trees, as noticed by Dr. Plott in 

 willows and other soft woods, especially in an ash 

 at Bisseter, uniformly wreathed two or three times 

 round. Such a curiosity also hangs up in the portico 

 of the physic-garden at Oxford, in a top branch o 

 holly. Wonderful contortions and perplexity of the 

 parts may be seen and admired in tea-roots." Con- 

 cerning strange leaves, I may observe that some ash 

 stumps cut and grubbed round by navvies at Guild- 

 ford, have put forth leaves, many of which are shaped 

 like those of the horse-chestnut with four or five 

 fingers. Let us hope that these portents are not 

 sinister for our new line of railway. — A. H. Swinton. 



The Preservation of Plants.— In reply to Mr. 

 T. S. Wickes' question in the May number of this 

 magazine, p. 1 18, I can recommend him to apply to 



