4° 



RARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



fifty-eight per cent, of the precipitated water to reach 

 the surface of the ground. He suggests, therefore, 

 that in planting with a view to oppose inundations, it 

 would be advisable to choose by preference resinous 

 trees, as offering a better covert. 



Gentiana acaulis in Wales. — As one of the 



correspondents who felt doubtful as to the occurrence 

 of Gentiana acaulis on the Cader, may I be allowed 

 to say the doubt has not been removed ? My personal 

 authority about the Cader is of little use, since when, 

 as a boy, I ascended it I was more fond of Lepidoptera 

 than flowers, but I have a distinct impression of 

 seeing a Gentiana there, but neither acaulis nor 

 amarella, but campestris. I see this latter is included 

 for Merioneth in "Topographical Botany," though 

 Mr. Ley does not mention it in his list ; but as this list 

 is principally of such plants as are not mentioned in 

 " Topographical Botany," it does not follow that he 

 failed to observe it. The habitat of campestris, as 

 given in Hooker's "Student's Flora," is moist, 

 especially hilly pastures, ascending to 2,400 feet in 

 the Highlands. I have gathered it on Ben Lawers 

 at i,Soo feet, where it is not at all uncommon on 

 sub-Alpine slopes, and though campestris is very 

 unlike acaulis, yet I would respectfully suggest if this 

 might not be the gentian that was noticed ;* anyhow 

 the discussion will probably lead to a more thorough 

 search of the Cader shortly by some of your readers. 

 — G. C. Druce. 



Worms in Flower-pots. — These can always be 

 got rid of by watering the plants with a solution to 

 which a tenth part of grated horse-chestnut has been 

 added. 



Wild Cherry-tree {Primus avium). — As some 

 notice has lately been taken of the size of this tree, 

 I beg to report one as at present existing within a 

 field of my farm, which presents the following 

 proportions : — 



2 feet from the ground, 21 feet circumference. 



3 IJ 5) 15 )) 



6 >, ,, 21 „ 



10 „ „ I9' 6 



12 feet up to the bifurcation of the branches. 

 This grand tree was first shown me by my friend 

 Mr. E. Lees, when it was in fruit. Since then the 

 hurricane of the 14th October has swept away its 

 principal arm. I figured it or. the 5th of November 

 of the present year. — J.B., Bradford Abbas. 



British Marine Ai.o.l. — A correspondent of 

 mine, resident in St. Helier's, Channel Islands, 

 writes me that a short time since, a considerable 

 number of the singular sea-weed Gigartina Teeaii, 

 had there been washed ashore, some of the specimens 

 very fine, and a few of them fertile ; this plant has 

 not been discovered on any of the British shores for 



* I see the authority upon which acautis figured in Smith's 

 Botany is that of Moris, de St. Amans, who found it near 

 Haverford-w est, where, without doubt, it was a garden escape. 



upwards of fifty years. I have received a few of 

 these specimens also from the French coast, and 

 believe it to be tolerably abundant on the coast of 

 Normandy, and southwards along the west shores. 

 I last year visited Weymouth, and there on the sands 

 picked up a few very interesting specimens of Gigar- 

 tina pistillata in fruit, and also found two or three 

 fronds in very bold form of Graceolaria compressa. 

 From that town I proceeded to Bournemouth, and 

 was there fortunate in discovering two specimens of 

 Dasya pumicea, which appears to have been absent 

 from our waters for some years. The shore of 

 Torpoint, Plymouth, is very celebrated for receiving 

 from its adjacent waters many very beautiful sea- 

 weeds ; amongst its number I last year found in some 

 abundance the very pretty weed Niliphyllum Tliy- 

 sanorhizans, some of the specimens in fruit. I also 

 found it in the same locality in the year 1S73, and in 

 fruit, and the somewhat scarce plant Dudrisina dudri- 

 snagra also came before me on the same shore. — 

 //. G. 



AsrLENiUM Sei'TENTrioxale. — I can confirm 

 what your correspondent, Mr. Belt, says as to Aspic- 

 niton Septenttionale being found near Uolgelly ; my 

 friend Mr. Rose, of Gorton, and I saw it growing 

 there in the summer of 1874 (but sparingly), and 

 we did not even bring a frond away. — T. Brittain. 



Solanum Dulcamara. — My impression, after 

 reading a great many articles about this plant, is 

 that the bulk of evidence points to the berries as 

 being innocuous, or nearly so. In Pereira "Materia 

 Medica " (edited by Bentley and Redwood), the 

 following account of the properties of this plant is 

 given: — -"Physiological Effects, not very obvious. 

 It is reputed to operate as a diaphoretic, diuretic, 

 and demulcent, and in overdoses as an acro-nar- 

 cotic ; but many have given the fruit and prepara- 

 tions of the young branches in very large doses, 

 without any obvious effects." The dried young 

 branches are used in medicine, and used very 

 seldom in comparison with other medicines. I can 

 practically say that it is very rarely prescribed in 

 this neighbourhood, and why ? Because of its un- 

 observed effects. The following is an extract from 

 Bentley's "Botany": — "A fatal case of poisoning 

 by the berries has occurred at Toulouse." Why do 

 we not hear more of their toxicological effects, when 

 so many of our damp hedges are so profusely 

 adorned with their tempting berries? — William West, 

 Bradford. 



GEOLOGY, 



Geology of Colorado and the Adjacent 



Territories. — We have received a copy of the 



I ninth annual report of the United States Geological 



I and Geographical Survey of the above country, in 



