HA RD W1CKE\S SCIENCE- G OSSIP. 



165 



Therefore, by analogy, it seems only reasonable to 

 suppose that the unknown power, which directs 

 seals through miles of ocean, also directs birds on 

 their journeys in mid-air. T. W. Ogilvie's remarks 

 somewhat amused me, as showing that he had only 

 taken a cursory glance at my article, without con- 

 sidering for a moment what it really meant. How- 

 ever, as he was right in the main, I have nothing 

 further to say against his observations, except that 

 they exhibit a decidedly unpleasant and sarcastic 

 temperament. I do not notice that T. W. Ogilvie, 

 notwithstanding his assumed superiority, endeavours 

 in any way to enlighten us. — F. C. D. B. 



BOTANY. 



Seedlings of Heracleum. — On April 29th, 

 under a hedge at Northenden, a few miles from 

 Manchester, I came across a little colony of seedlings 

 of Heracleum Sphondyliutn in which the fruit (cremo- 



Fig. 84, — Seedling of Heracleum Sphondylium. 



carp) still adhered to one of the undivided cotyledo- 

 nous leaves between which the toothed and hairy first 

 foliage leaf appeared. I send this rough sketch of 

 natural size. The cotyledonous leaves had sheathing 

 petioles, the foliage leaf and its petiole were hairy. — 

 Bernard Hobson. 



Cephalanthera ensifolia, 

 and your correspondents, C. P. 

 are no doubt right in regard to 

 of this plant. My observations 

 foreign examples. It may, at 

 singular that there should be this 

 native and foreign specimens of 



ETC. — Bentham, 

 and Mr. Arnold, 



English specimens 

 referred solely to 



first sight, appear 

 difference between 



the same species, 



but I know of two parallel instances. The yellow 

 foxglove {D. luted), so common in parts of Switzer- 

 land, usually has a spike about as long as that of 

 purpurea in England ; but at Heidelberg, where it 

 only occasionally occurs, the spike is quite short, 

 and the flowers do not exceed 15 to 20 in number. 

 Then in Italy, the flower spike of Polygala vulgaris, 

 is generally longer than it is in England. I have 

 to-day picked six of the longest spikes I could find, 

 from as many different plants of this species, and 

 having counted the flowers on them, I find the 

 average for each spike is a fraction under nineteen. 

 I have also counted the flowers on a dry spike of the 

 same species, which I got in Italy, three or four 

 years ago, and there are thirty flowers on it. It is, I 

 admit, a fine spike, but I distinctly recollect noticing 

 at the time that the spikes were generally larger 

 than any I had seen in England. With regard to 

 the orchid in England, and the foxglove in Germany, 

 I think the smallness of the spikes, probably 

 consequent on the plants being weak in constitution, 

 may be accounted for by the fact that the plants- 

 are so rare, and therefore there must inevitably be 

 less of that cross-breeding which, as Darwin has 

 shown, and specially as regards orchids, is so 

 necessary in some species of plants to ensure a 

 healthy and vigorous progeny. But I do not know 

 that this reasoning can be applied to the Polygala. 

 Possibly soil and climate are the chief factors in this 

 case. — R. B. P., St. Lconards-on-Sca. 



Lepidium latifolium and L. draba. — As 

 Z. latifolium is not noticed as a Sussex plant in 

 Watson's "Topical Botany," the following may be 

 of interest. In the N. B. G. it is mentioned as 

 growing " by the Lavant, below the garden of St- 

 James's Hospital, Chichester, from which very 

 probably it originally escaped." It was persistent 

 for some time, and I have an example thence 1847, but 

 it has not been observed there recently. Last year, 

 nearly three miles further down the Lavant, when 

 a new cut was made, it appeared in abundance on 

 the newly turned up mud on Appledram Common, 

 where it had not been previously seen, and being 

 such a large, conspicuous plants soon attracted 

 attention. Three years ago, I met with Z. draba 

 growing outside the Slipper Mill, Westbourne, where 

 it soon disappeared. I removed a few plants which 

 are growing, but which, for two successive years 

 have shown no sign of flowering. — F. FT. Arnold, 

 Hermitage, Emsworth. 



A New British Alga. — The curious blotched 

 pebbles found in the Poulter, a small tributary to the 

 Idle, have for a long time been familiar to myself 

 and friends, but beyond the fact that they were due 

 to an alga, no information was to be obtained from the 

 many botanists to whom we sent examples. The 

 Rev. H. W. Lett has recognised in these blood-red 

 patches the rare European Hildenbrantia rivularu, 



