HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



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laid against the legs. A round card -table would do 

 very well, if not too light. I know no better table 

 than an ordinary eating-house table with a stone or 

 marble top.— Rev. W. A. Pi/pel, Rokcby, West 

 Coii'cs, Isle of Wight. 



ZOOLOGY. 



British Freshwater Bivalves. — I should be 

 greatly obliged to any readers of Science-Gossip 

 who will kindly furnish me with lists of localities 

 for, and any information respecting the habits, 

 habitat, and anatomy of the above. I am at present 

 engaged in collecting facts respecting the life-history 

 of our bivalves, and any information will be of service, 

 especially if accompanied by authenticated specimens 

 of varieties, for which I should endeavour to make 

 an adequate return. — /. Darher-Butterell, 2, St. 

 John's Street, Beverley. 



Natural History of Hastings and St. 

 . Leonards. (First Supplement.) — In 1878 a Catalogue 

 was published of the Fauna and Flora of the Hast- 

 ings district. During the last five years so much 

 additional information has been gathered that the 

 compilers of that list have found it necessary to issue 

 a supplement. This forms a most valuable appendix 

 to their previous work, containing complete lists of 

 all the Coleoptera, Hymenoptera, Diptera, Hemip- 

 tera, Neuroptera, Trichoptera, Polyzoa, birds, and 

 Hepaticre of the district observed up to the present 

 time, together with additions and corrections to the 

 rest of the catalogue. The Lists of the Fauna have 

 been compiled by Mr. E. A. Butler, of Hastings, 

 who is also editor of the work, and those of the Flora 

 by the Rev. E. N. Bloomfield, of Guestling. Some 

 of the lists are very full, nearly 1 300 species of 

 Coleoptera, and over 1000 Lepidoptera being con- 

 tributed, bringing up the total of the Fauna to 4410 

 species, with thirty-one varieties. The Flora contains 

 nearly 1500 species, with 86 varieties. The lists 

 have been most carefully revised, and the latent 

 nomenclature adopted. The supplement is illustrated 

 by a carefully prepared outline map, making the 

 work invaluable to naturalists visiting or living in 

 the Hastings district. 



New Application of the Doctrine of 

 Evolution. — Professor Cope has been writing some 

 very suggestive papers in the " American Naturalist." 

 The first was on " The Evolutionary Significance of 

 Human Physiognomy," in which he points out that 

 in a population like that in the United States or 

 Great Britain, we have every stage of physiognomical 

 facial character from the Simian upwards. The nose 

 appears to be the most suggestive. In the September 

 number of the above able magazine, Professor Cope 



gives us an article on the " Evolutionary Significance 

 of Human Character," in which he states that the 

 species of human minds are probably as numerous as 

 the species of animals, as defined by the latter's 

 physical structure. He divides mental activities into 

 emotional, intellectual, and volitional, and believes 

 that they have as a rule been developed in this order. 

 The primitive condition of the emotions is that of 

 appetites, of which hunger is the first, reproduction 

 the second, and anger the third. 



New Views on Protoplasm.— Mr. Charles 

 Morris, in the " American Naturalist," says there are 

 some reasons for doubting that protoplasm, as we 

 know it, is the only possible physical basis of life. We 

 are beginning to recognise the fact that the essential 

 quality in protoplasm is its high atomed chemical 

 composition and its molecular instability, not some 

 occult property which can exist only in this special 

 compound of C. O. H. N. 



Guide to Llandudno. — Some time ago we were 

 asked to name a good guide to this interesting district. 

 We have much pleasure in calling attention to the 

 above by John Price, M.A. It is very pleasantly 

 written, and contains a large reference to the geology, 

 mineralogy, fauna, and flora of the neighbourhood of 

 Llandudno. 



The Essex Field Club. — Few natural history 

 societies have so rapidly grown into scientific import- 

 ance as the above. Its Transactions so far have con- 

 tained most valuable papers, although chiefly relating 

 to the district. Part 7 is now in hand, containing the 

 following extensive communications, in addition to a 

 number of short papers. (The latter is a new feature, 

 which we commend to the notice of other societies.) 

 "The Ancient Fauna of Essex," by Dr. Henry 

 Woodward; "The Macro-Lepidoptera of the 

 District around Maldon," by G. H. Raynor, M.A.; 

 " On Dene-holes," by T. V. Holmes, F.G.S.; " The 

 Presidential Address " (Darwin and modern Evolu- 

 tion), delivered by R. Meldola, F.R.A.S., at the 

 annual meeting, January 17th, 1S83; "InMemoriam: 

 Sir Antonio Brady, F.G.S." (with an excellent 

 portrait) ; " Primaeval Man in the Valley of the Lea," 

 by Worthington G. Smith, F.L. S. ; " On the Species 

 of the genus Primula in Essex," by R. M. Christie ; 

 Appendices, &c. 



Birmingham Natural History and Microsco- 

 pical Society. — The Report and Transactions of 

 this society for 18S2 have just been published. The 

 volume contains a very able, and (to microscopists) 

 valuable address by the President, Mr. J. Levick. 

 There is also a lengthy " Report on the Pennatulida" 

 collected in the Oban dredging excursion of the 

 Society in July 1881, by Dr. Marshall, and W. P. 

 Marshall, illustrated by some very artistic lithographs. 

 In addition, we find papers as follows : " The 



