OBSERVATIONS. 



S31 



Norway and Sweden, was already 

 uttering its deep finch like notes, 

 and told us of its early arrival. On 

 the wooded escarpment overhanging 

 the Derwent the withered leaves of 

 Maianthemum bi folium gave evidence 

 of its place of growth. This is un- 

 doubtedly the rarest plant of the 

 valley : I looked for the red berries, 

 but was disappointed in my search. 

 Intermixed with it grew Trientalis 

 europaa ; but no capsules were to be 

 seen. On the moorlands above 

 Hackness the French Willow-herb 

 {Epilobium angustifoUum) was shed- 

 ding its feathery seeds in wild pro- 

 fusion. And now we came upon a 

 somewhat local fern — Lastrcsa recur- 

 va — but as it is shy in its tendency 

 to sport, abnormal forms were few, 

 though the fern was very abundant. 

 The miners again occupied our at- 

 tention, and the slender tortuous 

 mines of Nepticula Myrtillella were 

 discovered in the leaves of the Bil- 

 berry, and of Nepticula argentipedella 

 in birch leaves. Ornix scoticella had 

 wrought its labyrinth on the moun- 

 tain ash leaves, while Lithocolletis Xi- 

 cellii was mining the under sides of 

 the leaves of the hazel, and Lithocolle- 

 ttj » ifasciella was busy in the honey- 

 suckle leaves. Lithocolletis caledoni- 

 ella was still at work in the leaves 

 of the hawthorn, and though it was 

 nearly dusk, a plentiful supply of 

 mined leaves was gathered by our 

 indefatigable companion. Thus 



ended our first field-day. — Peter 

 Inciidalo, Storthes Hall, Nov, 2. 



Achcrontia atrojjos. — Six years ago 

 my friend Mr. Matthewman and I 

 obtained upwards of 300 larvae and 

 pupae of A. atropos, and I make no 

 doubt this would have been another 

 successful year but in June and 

 August the frost (excepting in a few 

 sheltered situations) completely de- 

 stroyed the potatoe tubers, conse- 

 quently the larvae would die of 

 hunger. This autumn the friend 

 named above and I have had six 

 larvae brought from two or three 

 places where the frost had not been 

 so destructive. — R. Hebson, Barlby 

 Bank, Selby, Nov. 1, 1864. 



Notes on British Mosses. 



No. II. 



By C. p. Hobkirk. 



Schtstostega osmundacea. — Mohr. 

 I first made the acquaintance, in 

 the living state, of this truly beauti- 

 ful moss, at Greensclough, Todmor- 

 den, where it grows plentifully. On 

 a bright day last spring, in company 

 with several other botanists, with 

 Mr. John Nowell as guide, after a 

 long and pleasant day's ramble, we 

 turned our steps towards Greens- 

 clough. On reaching the spot we 

 found a small low cave or day-hole, 

 into which we passed from the bright 

 sunlight outside, to what appeared 

 before entering a dingy, dirty, clay- 



