MISCELLANEOUS NOTES AND OBSEEVATIONS. 173 



" calcareous soils." As it is the only British species there can be 

 no doubt, I suppose, on the question of identity. 



The points which seem to me likely to be of interest, if they 

 have not already been settled, are : — 1. What is the area in Eng- 

 land at present inhabited by C. elegam ? 2. What is the area in 

 which its remains are found in a fossil or sub-fossil state ? 3. 

 When did it become extinct in the localities in which its shell only 

 is found? 4. What is the cause of its extinction, and what 

 natural changes can be infen-ed from its extinction ? It is obvious, 

 I think, that the fact of its disappearance cannot be ascribed to 

 cultivation of the land, for although it would doubtless become 

 extinct over the greater part of the country, there are yet large 

 areas of Chalk downs on which it would still thrive. CHmate may 

 perhaps have slightly changed, and have brought with its change 

 necessary changes in life, both animal and vegetable. 



I enclose a few specimens of the shell of C)jclostoma elegans from 

 Highly Hill Tumulus, near Ashwell, Herts. — H. George Fordham, 

 Odsey, Royston. 



Botany. 



Is the Anacharis Akmasfrum dying out in the River Colne at 

 Watford? — I do not know the exact date in which this plant, 

 which used to be called the "new American water- weed," first 

 made its appearance at Watford. I remember it being regarded as 

 a troublesome intruder about twenty-five years ago. It increased 

 so rapidly as to threaten to fill up the smaller streams. Mr. King, 

 of Wiggen Hall, tells me that it used to be so plentiful as to 

 appear on the surface of the water in the river, and in two of his 

 fish ponds, and that it had to be removed thi'ee or four times a 

 year. The last few years he says that it has become much less 

 common, and seems to be dying out. It is stUl plentiful at the 

 Fountain Pond in the High Street, Watford. 



If it is really dying out, it is an interesting fact, and it might be 

 owing to the female plant only being found in this country. It 

 is not propagated by seed, and therefore it might only survive the 

 life of the original plant from which it has been derived. Many 

 kinds of fruit trees are dying out in this way, and I believe the 

 explanation is that they only live as long as the original tree. Per- 

 haps some enthusiastic botanist will introduce the male Anacharis 

 Alsinastrum. We have only lately had the male spotted laurel in 

 England, although we have had the female for many years. 



One singular fact with regard to the Anacharis is that it has not 

 appeared in Mr. King's largest pond. He has three ponds for the 

 breeding of fish. They all communicate with the Colne and with 

 each other, but the water plant has never appeared in the first and 

 largest pond.— ^. T. Brett, M.D., Watford House. 



Plants New to the Neighbourhood of Watford. — During the past 

 month I have had one or two opportunities of paying a flying visit 

 to the south and south-west of the county, and have been rewarded 

 by the discovery of new stations for several of our rarer plants. 



