66 



HARD WICKE ' ^ S CIENCE- G OSSIF. 



Flea-banes. — In addition to the flea-banes men- 

 tioned by Mr. Hooper in the current number of 

 Science-Gossip is to be added, Pyrcfhj-ttm caniciini ; 

 regarding which the following appears in my "Do- 

 mestic Botany" (p. 34S, published 1871), "Flea 

 Powder. Pyi-ctkrjim carncicm, P. roseitm and P. piir- 

 piireiim. Natives of Caucasus. They are perennial 

 plants with much divided leaves, and probably forming 

 only one species, varying in the colour of their flowers, 

 as indicated by their names. A preparation was at one 

 time made from the leaves, and extensively used 

 throughout Russia for the destruction or rather 

 driving away of fleas and other vermin of like nature. 

 About forty years ago it became very popular, and 

 still continues to be used in Germany." Another 

 flea-bane noticed ia the same work is Sarchouanthiis 

 camphoratiis. It is a large shrub, often assuming the 

 appearance of a small tree, 10-15 '^'^^^ liigh- Native 

 of South Africa. Its leaves smell like camphor, and 

 it is considered highly ef&cacious in driving away 

 fleas, hence its name "African flea-bane." — J. Smith, 

 A CIO. 



Jersey Fern. — The fern from Jersey mentioned 

 by W. G. Woolcombe in your November number, is, 

 no doubt, Blcchnuni spicant v. aiiomaluni. It grows 

 in several parts of the United Kingdom. I have found 

 it in the following places : I^ake District, Great 

 ■ Lingdale, Scotland, the South of Arran, Glen Lochy, 

 and near Ben Lawers ; but it is in North Wales that 

 I have found it the most common, round about 

 Snowdon, especially near Beddgelert, also near 

 Festiiiiog, and Dolgelly. I have purposely omitted 

 giving exact localities, for reasons which will be 

 obvious to most botanists. — J. Morley. 



Preservation of Flowers. — I find it stated that 

 flowers soaked for a quarter of an hour in a solution 

 of equal parts of water and spirits of v/ine retain their 

 colour and appearance of freshness for a considerable 

 time. Is this really a fact, and would it be possible 

 to furnish an herbarium with flowers so treated ? — 

 /■". H. Hahhcn, B.A. 



Primula Scotica. — In several numbers of Science- 

 Gossip I have observed a discussion in reference 

 to this plant. Although closely related botanically, 

 Priinitla Scotica is very distinct in external appear- 

 ance, when growing, from Primula fari)iosa. Having 

 a friend who resides near Dunett Head, I frequently 

 have received considerable numbers of plants of 

 J'. Scotica, in turfs cut and sent per ship to Berwick, 

 each turf containing a dozen of plants. Drifted sea- 

 s:ind seems to be the staple of the soil these turfs are 

 composed of. I expect I am the individual referred 

 to as having endeavoured to introduce it on the 

 Berwickshire coast. I have never tried to do so, 

 but grow the plant, which is a great favourite, as 

 an alpine, and have always a considerable stock. I 

 have also raised it from seed— which is very minute 



— and tried, as yet ineffectually, to get a cross be- 

 tween Scotica and P. cortitsoidcs. The Siberian species, 

 which in some degree resembles P. Scotica, in the 

 colour of the flower, &c. {Priimila farinosd), grows 

 in Scotland in only one locality, as far as I know. 

 Boggy ground, above Woodhouselee, West Lanton, 

 Edinburgh. Teesdale in Yorkshire is its great 

 habitat, where it covers acres. High Force via Castle 

 Barnard. When grown as an alpine in peat, it 

 attains a size four times as large as P. Scotica, and 

 is a great gem. I have it with white flowers, from 

 near Darlington ; also with deep magenta flowers, 

 from Mr. Backhouse, of York [Priimila farinosa 

 supcrha). It is common in Switzerland, with white 

 flowers. Perhaps some of your readers may have 

 observed that in Smiles' interesting biography of 

 Dick, the Thurso naturalist. Primula Scotica, the 

 representative plant of Caithness-shire, is never once 

 mentioned — surely a grave omission. — Charles Stuart, 

 M.D., JSIcmbcr of the Scottish Alpine Botanical Club. 



Heliotropism. — After reading J. P. K.'s obser- 

 vations on the mistake in Professor Ramsay McNab's 

 Class Book, I referred to my copy, and found that I 

 had, two years ago, underlined the passage quoted, 

 v^hich is certainly a mistake. — IV//1. IVcst, Bradford. 



GEOLOGY. 



"The Arch^an Geology of Anglesey."— 

 A paper on this subject has just been read before 

 the Geological Society by Dr. C. Callaway, F.G.S. 

 The author discussed the stratigraphy and litho- 

 logical characters of the rocks in the following areas : 

 —The border of the Menai Strait, the Llangefni 

 region, and the central zone, alout Boxlafon, Llan- 

 gwyllog, Llanerchymedd and Paris Mountain, which, 

 he considers, establish the following conclusions : — 

 (i) that in Anglesey there are two Archsean groups, 

 the slaty and the gneissic ; (2) the slaty is composed 

 of slates, shales, limestones, grits, conglomerates and 

 chloritic schists in which at present a definite order 

 has not been ascertained. The gneissic group is 

 composed of the following, in descending order — 

 granitoidite, chloritic and hornblcndic schists, grey 

 gneibS, quartz-schist, and halleflinta; {3) the slaty 

 series is occasionally foliated, but is usually in a 

 partially altered state ; the gneissic group is tho- 

 roughly metamorphosed ; (4) the slaty series has 

 closer lithological affinities with the St. David's 

 volcanic grovip, the Charnwood rocks and the Lilies- 

 hall series than with the Bangor group ; (5) the 

 slaty series is undoubtedly Pebidian, the gneissic 

 series may, with some probability, be referred to the 

 Dimelian. The microscopic structure of the principal 

 varieties of the rocks mentioned in the above paper 

 was described by Professor Bonne)-. In the discus- 

 sion which followed, Dr. Hicks agreed with Dr. 



