HA RD WICKE 'S S CIENCE- G OS SIP. 



203 



For nearly six years "Our Bruce" never missed 

 going with the first machine, at the end of which 

 time he was, in consequence of his fine appearance, 

 and our desire to give him a less active duty in his 

 old age, transferred from the fire-engine to police- 

 patrol duty; We did not altogether lose our faith- 

 ful animal's services, for one of his duties was to 

 attend fires with the mounted police-sergeant (whose 

 name was also Bruce) to keep back the onlookers, 

 which he most effectually did for nearly two years, 

 during which time he was as great a favourite with 

 the policemen, rarely leaving a police-station without 

 an apple, a piece of bread, or some mark of affection. 

 On the 7th of June " Our Bruce " fell sick ; the 

 veterinary surgeon was sent for, who pronounced him 

 suffering from inflammation of the bowels. The usual 

 remedies were applied, and everything was done to 

 relieve his pain and make him comfortable, but to no 

 avail. For three days afterwards he was never left 

 for a moment, night nor day, and at the end of the 

 third day he drew his last breath, surrounded by 

 those who loved him well, and who had been taken 

 by him to the scene of many a hard fight. A post- 

 mortem examination was held the following morning 

 to ascertain the cause of death. A stone (calculus) 

 six inches in diameter, weighing five pounds eleven 

 ounces, was taken from his bowels. This was, no 

 doubt, the principal cause of the disease which led to 

 the death of the fire horse, " Our Bruce." 



Chief Fire Station, Manchester. A. Tozer. 



BRAMBLES ABOUT LONDON. 



By Dr. E. De Crespigny, Author of "A London 

 Flora." 



"In the days when we went blackberrying, 

 A long time ago," 



WE knew that blackberries were distinct from 

 dewberries, and no more : happier in our 

 ignorance then, than we now are in our knowledge, 

 that there are blackberries and blackberries ; and 

 that Rulnis pmticosus represents an aggregate of forty 

 species, regarded by collectors as distinct, besides 

 varieties. Of these, twenty-eight species are classed 

 as occurring in the home counties, province III. of 

 the " Cybele Brit. " (see Compendium) ; but to what 

 extent they severally prevail there are at present no 

 records to show. Something, therefore, might be 

 attempted towards ascertaining the range, compar- 

 ative frequency, and particular habitats of the more 

 uncommon kinds, assuming that the ordinary forms 

 are generally distributed. The difficulty is not so 

 much in being able to find them, as in the ability to 

 appreciate the small and inconstant shades of difference 

 by which many of them are to be distinguished, not 

 only from each other, but also from intermediate 

 forms or variations ; because, placed as all are now 

 on the common footing of separate species, we are no 



longer at liberty to assign any values to the difference 

 between what were formerly considered species and 

 what sub-species; added to which there is, com- 

 paring the London Catalogue with the books, no 

 little confusion with regard to nomenclature. The 

 difficulties in the way of correct diagnosis is only 

 lessened to a certain extent by arranging the species 

 into groups or sections ; for unfortunately the lines of 

 demarkation are by no means distinctly defined, and 

 in doubtful cases we are at a loss for fixed rules by 

 which we may be guided in determining to which of 

 the sections our specimen should be referred. 



Brambles are arranged in sections as follows : — 

 i. Suberecti ; ii. Ccesii ; iii. Glandulosi ; iv. Villi- 

 caules ; v. Nitidi. 



I. Suberecti : type, R. suberectus. This, found in 

 boggy woods, is a northern plant, and is nearest the 

 raspberry, R. IJaus, in habit ; it is not found near 

 London, but R. plicatus occurs in Tilgate Forest, 

 near Tunbridge Wells, and R. affinis has been re- 

 ported from Epping Forest. We have not met with 

 either species ; they may be known by their suberect, 

 slender, terete stems, furnished with a few weak 

 uniform prickles, and glabrous leaflets, which are 

 often arranged in a sub-pinnate manner ; that is to 

 say, the terminal leaflets are either ternate with two 

 pair of basal leaflets, or they arequinate with a single 

 pairs of basal leaflets, but there is no continuity 

 between the sets. Another characteristic of the 

 group is a distinct white border to the margins of the 

 sepals. 



II. C.esii. Subsection a : type, R. ccesius. We 

 venture to suggest that the proper position of this 

 group is next in order to the preceding one ; with 

 which subsection a has very much in common. R. 

 arsiits may be regarded as a trailing form of suberectus. 

 They are much alike in flowers and fruit, besides 

 other points. R. ccFsius is readily diagnosed, but 

 when met with in its more robust form it may some- 

 times be mistaken for corylifolius. There are several 

 varieties : tenuis, ulmifolius, &c. The stems are 

 usually very slender, terete, and glaucous, furnished 

 with many slender unequal prickles ; leaves ternate, 

 terminal one often lobed ; sepals setose, and clasping 

 the glaucous few-grained fruit. Plentiful by the 

 banks of the Thames about Kingston, and in one 

 form or another not unfrequent on damp, shady ditch - 

 banks, which are seldom cleared or trimmed, at a 

 little distance from the environs. It grows also by 

 the Bave stream in the hollow W. of Wimbledon 

 Common. Subsection^: type, R. corylifolius. This 

 is a very common and also a very variable plant. 

 Its characteristics, however, are so well marked that 

 it can seldom be mistaken for a bramble of any other 

 section. The stems are terete, although strong 

 young shoots are sometimes obscurely angled ; 

 smooth, of a greenish subglaucous hue, somewhat 

 rufous when old, furnished with uniform weak 

 prickles and a few subsessile glands ; generally 



