156 Miscellaneous. 



Botanic Garden, Mr. M'Nab stated, that the Helleborus niffer was 

 in full flower on 2nd December, 



Dr. Balfour exhibited from Dr. Jameson of Saharunpore, specimens 

 of Daphne Cannabina, and samples of the paper prepared from it ; 

 and gave an account of the mode in which the paper is manufactured. 



MISCELLANEOUS. 



THALASSEMA NEPTUNI *. 



Searching for Venei-upis irus in limestone thrown on the beach 

 (at Clonea, near Dungarvan) I split a lump into two, which presented 

 the appearance of a honey-comb, being perforated by holes, and in 

 each what appeared to be a large maggot. However, on examining 

 them I foimd them to be the veritable spoon-worm. On carefully 

 removing them I found that the perforations in the stone were per- 

 fectly circular, and which the animal accurately filled, so that its 

 power of locomotion, if any, in this position must be very circum- 

 scribed. However, when placed in the finger-glass it exhibited some 

 indication of locomotion ; but the tube was the organ over which the 

 animal appeared to have the greatest power, in some instances ex- 

 tending it to four times its own length — in fact, making it appear like 

 a filament, but even here flattening it out in some portion of its 

 length, and then changing it suddenly to another ; but in all cases the 

 tube presented a patulous opening. I obtained specimens of Gastro- 

 chcBua pholadia in the same stone. 



VICTORIA REGIA. 



To the Editors of the Annals of Natural History, 



Botanic Gardens, Regent's Park, Jan. 24, 1851. 

 Gentlemen, — In your Number for October last, p. 310, you 

 have done me the honour to insert my observations on the names of 

 the Victoria, in which I stated that " the specific name Amazonica 

 ought to be retained, or rather it ought never to have been altered," 

 There has since appeared in Mr. Paxton's ' Flower Garden ' for Ja- 

 nuary a copy of Mr. Gray's paper on the same subject with notes by 

 the editor, and concluding with the following paragraph : — " So much 

 for Mr. John Edward Gray. Another proposal made by Mr. Sowerby 

 to change the name of Victoria regia to that of V. amazonica, be- 

 cause it now appears that the plant was originally called Eurijale ama- 

 zonica, we do not think worth serious consideration." This passage 

 will of course be taken for no more than it is worth by those natu- 

 ralists who value the estabhshed rules of nomenclature ; nevertheless 

 I feel called upon to trouble your readers with a notice of it, because, 

 as the pre\ious observations are in defence of the name Regia, it must 

 be intended to reject Amazonica, although it offers no argument 

 against the latter name, but, on the contrary, it admits the right of 

 priority. The only remaining plea for rejecting Poppig's original 



* Extract of a letter from Dr. Farran to Prof. E. Forbes. 



