Notes and Comments. By Be 
to the Irish mollusca, viz., Vitrina elongata Drap (since altered 
to V. hibernica Taylor)!’ Mr; Adam adds ‘ It is just possible 
that conchologists will be interested in the confusion that there 
has been with regard to the British Vitrina, and its alleged 
varieties, one of which bears such a remarkable likeness to V. 
hibernica that one might almost imagine that Jeffreys had a 
specimen of the Irish form before him when he wrote the 
description of V. elongata. . . When first I saw a shell of 
hibernica it immediately suggested the elusive form of V. pellu- 
cida, named by Jeffreys var. depressiuscula, a satisfactory 
example of which I have never seen’; and again, ‘ turning 
to Sowerby’s Illustrated Index . . . we find in fig. 15, a 
rather exaggerated V. pellucida ; but fig. 16 of V. drapernaldi 
Jeffreys is an excellent representation of V. hibernica!’ This 
may be ‘ interesting to conchologists’ but it is very dishearten- 
ing to those interested in the advancement of science. 
THE CASE OF ADOXA. 
In the Quarterly Journal of the Naturalist Society of 
Zurich (Vierteljahrsschrift der Naturforschenden Gesellschaft im 
Ziirich), is a monograph on the Tuberous Moschatel, under the 
title ‘ Monographische Studien iiber Adoxa Moschatellina L.’ 
by Karl Sturm. This is an excellent example of the careful 
and methodical work done by our naturalist friends in Switzer- 
land. A full account is given of the seedling structure and 
general anatomy of the plant, the aberration (teratologie) to 
which it may be subject, its distribution, etc. One of the most 
important chapters is that dealing with the systematic position 
of Adoxa (Die systematische Stellung von Adoxa). In this 
respect the plant seems to have had a very varied career. 
A BOTANICAL PUZZLE. 
In 1561 it was named Moschatellina by Val. Cordus ; in 1587, 
Denticulata by Dalechamp ; in 1590 Fumaria bulbosa s. tuberosa 
minima; in 1623 Ranunculus nemorosus, Moscatellina dictus ; 
and so on, until in 1735 Linné established the genus Adoxa. 
Even then no settled resting-place could be found for the plant. 
Chronologically from 1763 it has been placed between the 
Cactacee and Saxifragacee, in the Saxifragacee, Araliacee, 
Caprifoliacee, Ranunculacee, etc. Karl Sturm gives a care- 
fully digested summary of the results of all previous researches 
on the position of Adoxa, and is of the opinion that it should 
be put in a separate family, Adoxacee ; placed, if among the 
Sympetalous families, before the Caprifoliacee ; if, however, 
among Choripetalous families, near the Saxifragacea. The state 
of the question may, perhaps, best be summed up in the last 
words of the monograph, ‘ Lieber zweifeln, als irren’ (better 
doubt than err). 
1gtr Nov. I. 
