Miscellaneous Notes. 135 



My Surrey correspondent informs me that in some seasons 

 they are not uncommon in oat ricks in that county, but some- 

 times they are scarce and difficult to procure. I have not 

 met with any recorded instance of their rearing their young 

 in confinement. There can be no doubt this is the smallest 

 British quadruped, as it takes six full grown mice to weigh 

 an ounce. It is said that dogs will eat them, but cats 

 will not. 



XXI. 3fiscellaneo2is Notes. 



1. On Spawning Season of Hyas araneus. — In December 

 last I collected three specimens of this crab in spawn, all 

 taken in the Firth of Forth, off JSTewhaven, two of which are 

 now exhibited. The spawn is attached to eight tubes, four 

 arranged on each side of the apron, which is well shown in 

 the larger specimen. In Bell's " British Crustacea," it is 

 said, on page 34, " Mr Hailstone states that this crab spawns 

 in February ; this, however, cannot be universally the case, as 

 I took several females at Sandgate early in May, in the year 

 1843, every one of which was carrying her load of spawns." 

 It would appear, however, that the season of spawning of this 

 species extends over a much longer period than was generally 

 believed. — Eohert Kidston, 19t7i February 1879. 



2. On Bamose Form of Plantago maritima. — The variety of 

 Plantago maritima, which I now show to the Society, was 

 collected by me near Banff last September. Its peculiarity 

 lies in its flowering heads being ramose. The leaves were of 

 the usual form. The root, which was growing beside a great 

 number of the ordinary type, had from twenty to twenty -five 

 flowering heads, measuring about 12 inches each, and did not 

 present any appearance of deformity, but was the only speci- 

 men of the kind I observed. 



I have not found any reference in botanical literature to 

 varieties of this sort in Plantago maritima. 



For comparison, I have made a diagram of this variety, 

 alongside of the typical form. — Eohert Kidston, 19th Fehruari/ 

 1879. 



