396 Mr. T. C. Eyton on the Fauna of Shropshire. 



which is acid and a thing which moves. In relation to this 

 M. Virey says that he knows no blue (alkaline) flowers in 

 which there is any movement. We will name to him a blue 

 flower^ Goldfussia anisophylla, in which the style is one of the 

 most mobile*. On the subject of these excitable plants, M. 

 Virey has quoted our observations on Stylidium graminifo- 

 liumf, but he makes us say things quite contrary to what we 

 have written. Thus, we have nowhere said that the gynandric 

 column of the Stylidieae was articulated at its base by two op- 

 posite or antagonist fibres or muscles. Never should we have 

 allowed ourselves to look upon vegetable fibres as muscles ; 

 we said (at pp. 15, 16, 17, and 18 of the memoir quoted) that 

 these fibres exist all along the column, right and left. We 

 never said that the column was irritable at its base, for it 

 is not so ; it is irritable at its elbow, and we have figured it five 

 times : never did we say that we had found fecule in these 

 muscles, as M. Virey asserts ; quite otherwise; we wrote (p. 18) 

 that the fibres had no influence on the movement, since when 

 they were cut, the movement still took place. What is in our 

 memoir is this : our idea is very clear ; it is the feculiferous 

 portion of the column which moves, and the same thing takes 

 place in all the species of the genus Stylidium. This is an ir- 

 refragable fact ; whether it agree or not with received theories, 

 signifies little ; in the natural sciences facts go before all 

 things, and it is by them alone that we can attain to truth. 



XLVIII. — An attempt to ascertain the Fauna of Shropshire 

 and North Wales. By T. C. Eyton, Esq., F.L.S. 



[Continued from vol. iii. p. 29.] 



Additions to Vertebrata. 



Vesper tilio Natter eri, Kahl. (Reddish Grey Bat.) One specimen 

 is in my possession, taken at Eyton. 



Sorex araneus, Linn. Since the publication of the former portion 

 of this series of papers, the discovery of the Rev. L. Jenyns, that this 



* Morren, Reclierches sur le Mouvement et I'Anatomie du Style du Gold- 

 fmsia anisophylla, 4to. Brux. 1839, avec 2 pi. — Mem. del'Acad. t. xii. 



f Morren, Recherches sur le Mouvement et I'Anatomie du Stylidium gra~ 

 minifoUunif Brux. in 4to, 1838, Mem. de I'Acad, t. xi. 



