20 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



ecE, in such cases as Plumbaginese, BorragincK, and 

 Berberide^e, the root of each of the words being the 

 Plumbagin, Borragin and Berberid, of the genitive 

 case of Plumbago, Borrago, and Berberis respectively. 

 The termination -idea is usually one given to tribes 

 (not the larger orders), e.g., Rosidew, the descendants 

 of some common stock, the tail-piece implying a 

 closer family relationship than that of the generic 

 integers of an order. — F. A. L. 



Primula Scotica. — In the September part of 

 Science-Gossip which I have only just received, I 

 notice that Mr. West, under the head of "Developed 

 Primulas" says Watson mentions that "in Suther- 

 landshire there has been found a variety of Priniiila 

 Scotica, having the umbel sessile so that the elongated 

 pedicels appear to be one-flowered peduncles, as in 

 the common primrose." In Caithness I have often 

 noticed that peculiarity. Sometimes the stalk of the 

 umbel is so short that it is difficult to say whether 

 there is any or not. There are generally four or five 

 flowers on the umbel, and sometimes a solitary 

 flower, so that it resembles the scape of an ordinary 

 primrose, greatly elongated. The length of the scape 

 varies from o to six inches. I have tried growing 

 the P. Scotica under a glass shade, and find that the 

 flowers become very large and beautiful, somewhat 

 like a small Auricula. Roots have been sent from 

 here to be planted op the Berwickshire coast, but 

 the experiment did not succeed. The old boulder 

 clay pastures seem to be peculiar to it. As Syme 

 mentions, it has three flowering seasons ; this year I 

 find that I marked its first appearance on the 5th of 

 May ; second, the 4th of July, and the 31st of August. 

 I shall be happy to forward to any of the readers of 

 Science-Gossip a specimen of this beautiful and 

 rare little plant. — James Grant, IVick. 



" Ferns and Ferneries." — Under this title a 

 sixpenny pamphlet has been issued by Marshall 

 Japp & Co., London. It is by the author of 

 " Anatomy of an Earth-worm," &c., and we cordially 

 recommend it as the best little brochure on ferns we 

 have yet seen. Its merits far exceed those of much 

 larger and more pretentious works. 



Curious growth of " Carda.mine pra- 

 TENSis," var, flore pleno. Last summer I found 

 several of the above at a place called Bishport 

 Bottom, Bedminster, near Bristol, which I brought 

 home and planted. A few weeks ago I was agreeably 

 surprised to find the curious, and (to me) entirely 

 unique method two out of four had shown in pro- 

 pagating themselves, which was as follows : At each 

 leaflet of the pinnate leaves, was a miniature plant 

 throwing out rootlets similar in texture to those of 

 common watercress. These leaves I pegged down 

 (without separating them from the parent plant) with 

 verbena pins, and they seem to have struck well 

 into the soil, as they are much increased in size. 

 —7. F. Hopkins. 



"The Charace^ of America." By T. F. Allen, 

 M.D., &c. — We have received parts i & 2 of this 

 magnificent work from the publishers, Messrs. S. E. 

 Cassino, Boston, U.S.A. The plates, of which there 

 are three to each part, are nicely drawn by the 

 author himself. The letter-press description gives the 

 botanical diagnosis, American localities, varieties, &c. 

 The work is of a most important character, and one 

 that cannot fail to be almost of as much interest to 

 European as to American botanists. 



Turritis glabra. — This species does not seem 

 now to grow at the station near the bridge over 

 Kale at Hownam, where it was found in i860 by Mr. 

 Douglas ; at least I have not succeeded in finding it 

 there lately, the growth of the young wood in the 

 ravine having perhaps choked it out. But I have 

 seen it growing in two places in the neighbourhood, 

 one near the village of Morebattle, four miles off, and 

 the other two miles nearer Hownam. The stream may 

 have brought it down to Morebattle, but the other 

 station is high above the stream, and the presence of 

 the plant there cannot be accounted I'or in that way. 

 I see no reason for believing that it is not indigenous 

 to the district. The theory that it is an escape from 

 Hownam Manse garden rests on no foundation, and 

 is extremely improbable, as I could show at length. — 

 D. P., Roxburgh. 



Names of Plants. — I would suggest that con- 

 tributors to our botanical gossip should give the 

 English as well as the Latin botanical name of the 

 plants to which they refer. The Latin name is 

 undeniably useful as being that by which the plant is 

 universally known and recognized ; the English 

 name would be useful to enable those who have 

 not yet acquired the Latin names to at once identify 

 the plants referred to, and would have the ad- 

 ditional advantage of recording some of the curious 

 local names which obtain in many parts of the 

 country. Thus, for instance. Verbena officinalis is 

 known to some as holy vervain, to others as holy 

 herb, and to others as .Simpler's Joy ; Linaria vulgaris, 

 as yellow toad-flax or butter-and-eggs ; J'eronica 

 Chamcedrys, as Germander speedwell, eyebright, 

 Paul's Betony, or fluellin ; Viola tricolor as heart's-ease, 

 love-in-idleness, Pink-o'-my-John ; Caltha palustris, 

 as marsh marigold, water-blobs, or May-blobs ; 

 Digitalis purpurea as foxglove, fairy-thimbles, or 

 fairy-bells ; Verbascuin Thapsus, as great mullein, 

 Aaron's rod, flannel flower, and so on. — F. H. 

 Habben, B.A. 



Preservation of Fungl — Dr. Herpell, of St. 

 Goar, has just perfected a process for preserving fungi 

 for the herbarium. It is said to preserve them in 

 their natural colours, and to be altogether the most 

 satisfactory process that has yet been adopted. A brief 

 abstract of Dr. Herpell's book, which is in German, 

 will appear in the next number of tiie " Journal of 

 the Royal Microscopical Society." — Frank Crisp. 



