76 Miscellaneous. 



page 53 they feel almost sure that Littorina palliata will fall under 

 L. littoralis. 



A curious fact has lately come under my observation, which is 

 evidence in favour of Messrs. Forbes and Hanley's opinion. On the 

 19th of December 1851, whilst searching the region of Fucus nodosus 

 and F. vesiculosus, I obtained several examples of the male Littorina 

 rudis in copulation with Littorina littoralis (formerly Nerita litto- 

 ralis) : in every instance rudis was the male. What will their pro- 

 geny be like ? I think we find it in Littorina palliata ; the characters 

 of the two former are so intimately blended in L. palliata. It may 

 be described as a littoralis with the convex whorls and rounded body, 

 and I may add, the spire of rudis, whilst the smaller size and the nar- 

 rower basal confluence of the lips may fairly enough be considered as 

 the effect of hybridism. From these circumstances I infer Littorina 

 palliata to be the hybrid progeny of L. rudis (male) and a female 

 L. littoralis. The only doubt in my mind as to this inference is, 

 that I have not as yet found any specimens of L. palliata on this 

 coast ; but neither have I found any other shell that might in any way 

 be considered as the produce of rudis and littoralis. I found in all 

 eight couples ; and I think, that the copulation being only chance, the 

 probability of the unfruitfulness of some (which probability is greater 

 than in cases where both are of the same species), and the further 

 probability of the hybrids not being prolific — taking all these together, 

 — will, I think, form just grounds for the rarity of the species. 



Should this prove to be the case, it will be a question whether 

 L. palliata is entitled to be considered a species or merely a variety. 

 If it be capable of reproducing like MoUusca, I think it should be 

 retained as a species ; it may be a question, however, whether a hy- 

 brid incapable of reproduction is entitled to be considered a species. 



Gentlemen, yours obediently, 



William Thompson. 



new locality for tulostoma mammosum. 



To the Editors of the Annals of Natural History. 



The Willows, Swansea, June 9, 1852. 

 Gentlemen, — Believing the plant mentioned below to be some- 

 what rare, I shall be obliged by your insertion of the following : — 



Tulostoma mammosum, near Pennard Castle, Glamorganshire. 

 Found only on one spot — not very plentiful there. 



Your obedient servant, 



Matthew Moggridge. 



On the Preservation of the Fecundated Eggs of Fishes. 

 By M. CosTE. 



I communicated to the Academy, at a previous meeting, the result 

 of an experiment tending to prove that it was possible to preserve the 

 eggs of salmon and trout out of the water a sufficient time to trans- 

 port them to great distances and to make them hatch in places where 

 it was desired to introduce these fish. The following fact shows that 



