The Scottish Naturalist, \ 1 5 



river beds the zigzag marks left by them on their mysterious 

 errands. 



The above notes are only jottings taken over the counter of Mr. 

 Farquharson's shop, in the course of conversation with the worthy 

 old man, who has fished for pearls for half a century. 



I have now only a word to say in conclusion about the experi- 

 ment that brought him and myself into personal contact. The 

 place selected on my property is a convenient bend in the River 

 Isla. The bend, forming a right angle, has gathered an alluvial 

 deposit, in which I hope the mussels will thrive long after I am 

 gone. I am glad to say that careful scrutiny has revealed only 

 one dead shell in the place of deposit, or below the " Reekie 

 Linn," showing, I hope, that the mussels have continued to thrive. 

 The absence of dead bodies is a very encouraging sign at least, 

 and by-and-bye I trust that I may be able to make further obser- 

 vations upon their habits in this locality. 



British Phytophagous Hymenoptera. By Peter Cameron, Vol. 



II.— In this Magazine (Vol. I.,n. ser.,p. 204. ), we have already called attention 

 to the first volume of this valuable work, which is appearing among the publica- 

 tions of the Ray Society. The second volume has recently been published, 

 and fully sustains the high position taken by its predecessor. It deals with the 

 very large genus Nematus, and with its allies, thus including the sawflies 

 most difficult to distinguish from one another. The gall-makers among the 

 sawflies fall under this group. There are numerous plates, some devoted 

 to coloured figures of the insects ; others to the larvae and their modes of 

 life, and others to the saws of the females. The species have the localities 

 carefully added; most are found in Scotland. Much information regarding 

 he life -history of the various insects will be found in the volume. 



The AlgSB of the Pirth Of Forth. By George W. Traill (Joppa). 

 Mr. Traill, in this small work, has furnished a valuable list of the seaweeds of one 

 of the richest portions of the Scotch coasts — a list, the completeness of which 

 is very largely due to his own unwearied assiduity in working out the flora at 

 all seasons, for several years past. He has been peculiarly successful in his 

 search for many of the more minute forms, as well as in finding the algae 

 bearing reproductive organs ; and he has added not a few species to the British 

 lists. For these reasons its value is much enhanced, as well as by the 

 fact that in it he has indicated, under each of the epiphytic species, 

 all the species of larger seaweeds on which he has found them growing. 

 Seven or eight of the scarcer kinds are represented by neat and well- 

 selected specimens, on sheets at the end of the pamphlet. When a re- 

 issue is required, as we hope it will be soon, we trust that the author will 

 add, from his own experience, notes on the more interesting species ; and also 

 that he will depart from the alph.ibelical 'in favour of a natural arrangement of 

 the species, 



