106 REPORT—1868. 
supposed to have been introduced, and another locality in the county of Louth, 
where the plant occupies a stone wail, the author pointed out the limited geo- 
graphical range of the species, considered hitherto to be confined to a small area 
of the mountain-limestone district bordering on the counties of York, Lancashire, 
and Westmoreland. Beyond this it had not been observed in the British Isles till 
its discovery last year near Llangollen by Mr. George R. Jebb, of Ffrith Hall, 
Wrexham. It occurs abundantly in a recess of the escarpment three and a half 
miles north of Llangollen, immediately to the south of Craig Arthur, which forms 
the western extremity of this part of the mountain-limestone range. 
Its limited distribution as regards altitude was noticed here as in the Yorkshire 
habitats. In both districts it appears to be confined to a range of altitude between 
1000 to 1100 feet above the sea-level, and also occupies the same position on the 
mountain limestone, occurring within 200 or 250 feet of its base both in Yorkshire 
and Denbighshire. The fern is also said to have been found on the Eglwyseg 
rocks, a little to the east of Llangollen, about four miles from the Craig Arthur 
habitat. zi 
On the “ Muffa”’ of the Sulphur Springs of Valdiert in Piedmont. 
By M. Moceriven, F.G.N. 
Muffa is found in those springs which have a temperature of about 50° Centi- 
evade. It first appears as tender minute filaments, soft and floating, of a greenish- 
white colour. It soon becomes more substantial, changing to violet, then light- 
yellow, and finally to pale-green. 
It was considered by Allioni to be Ulva labyrinthiformis, Linn. In 1837 Fontan 
describes it as composed of filaments ;}, to 34; of a millimetre in diameter, 
tubular, cylindrical, simple, devoid of septa, containing semiopake globules, collo- 
cated when young, separated towards the ends when mature. He named it Sul- 
huraria. 
= Delponte places it in the genus ZLeptothrix, Kiitz, giving it the trivial name 
Valderia. 
The microscope reveals spontaneous movements, caused by minute animals, con- 
sidered by Defilippi to be of the genera Cryptophagus and Comurus. 
The residuum after burning was 28 per cent. 
One hundred parts of pure cinder contained— 
Oxide of Potassium ........ 15:271 | Oxide of Iron and Manganese 24:162 
a OCU say areas TGS 7 | MEHIOMRG-<, , ss. os see 2445 
, @alewmpn et ete 7938 | Sulphuric/acids..0.....0008 9°252 
INTE PNESIA EG, edits eh ote sta ies 1b a ehosphoriciacid’. .., . am a ... 4481 
PAU, ts haa s reels aecie ore eae WSGeOUsaCld....n 12s soleus 13/115 
Discovery of Scirpus parvulus in Ireland. By A. G. Morn, F.L.S. 
The author found Scirpus parvulus a few weeks ago growing abundantly in some 
salt-marsh creeks bordering on the north side of the river Ovoca, where it falls into 
the sea at Arklow. The station of the plant is peculiar, as it grows quite by itself 
on the surface of the soft mud which is overflowed at high water, and where no 
other sea-side plants seem able to secure a footing. The creeks are bordered by a 
luxuriant vegetation of Jwncus maritimus, J. Gerardi, Poa maritima, &e., but the 
author did not find Scirpus parvulus mixed with them ; it occurs only towards the 
deeper water upon the soft mud, which we usually find quite bare of vegetation ; 
and it was from observing the little green tufts in such an unusual situation that 
he was led to examine them more closely, when the spikes of a Scirpus left no 
doubt as to what it was. 
Scirpus parvulus is truly subaqueous for a large portion of its existence, and shows 
some resemblance to Jsoetes in the structure of its stems, which grow with their 
lower third buried in the mud, and are cellular and transparent, being composed of 
four (or rarely five) longitudinal tubes divided at intervals by numerous trans- 
verse partitions. Finding among authors considerable differences of opinion as to 
the presence or absence of sheaths, the existence of leaves, and the duration of the 
“Cp Sa 
