#^ AND '% 



JOURNAL OF VARIATION. 



Vol. XI. No. 5. May 15th, 1899. 



Variation of Hydrilla palustris, witli description of two new 

 aberrations. 



By WILLIAM FARREN. 

 It may be well to follow the notes of Messrs. Moberly and Studd 

 (ante, pp. 23-24) on the variation of Hi/drilla palustris, with a descrip- 

 tion of the specimens I have captured, together with some account of 

 the occurrence of the species in the Cambridge Fens in June, 1898. 



I believe the first specimens were taken by Messrs. Abbott and 

 Hodges, on June 11th. I took my first on the 14th and last on the 

 lOth^ twelve specimens in all, one of which was only a fragment, and 

 one fell to the share of my friend, Mr. Alfred Jones, who was Avorkmg 

 with me on the 18th and"l9th. My best night was the 15th, when I 

 took seven. The weather was not at all good for "light," for 

 although the nights were dark there was a prevaihng north wnid, and 

 it was'' very cold. A heavy fog spoiled the 16th and 17th. The 

 majority of the specimens taken came to " light " between 12 p.m. 

 and 1 a.m.; I took one as early as 11.15 p.m., and one as late as 

 2 a.m. Altogether there appear to have been about 50 specnnens 

 taken, Messrs. Abbott and Hodges, working together, headmg the list 

 with about 18 ; Mr. Studd, 5 ; Mr. Bailey, 5 ; Mr. Houghton, 4 ; Mr. 

 Martin, 2 ; and my own, 12, . i • , r 



H. ]>aliistyis is undoubtedly one of those species which, for some 

 reason, have their good years, and these apparently few and far between. 

 So far as its history in this country goes, there would appear to have 

 been only tAvo of the good seasons noticed, viz., 1877 (I am not quite 

 sure that it was not 187G) and last year, 1898. I believe iip to 1877 

 ("> 187G) that there had been no further records than appear in Mewman s 

 Jlritish Mnths. Then came the " good year," when about 20 specimens 

 were taken. Some of these were captured by Mr. ^\. H. L. Hetcher 

 and Dr. Wheeler, others by Eawlinson, Bailey, and Houghton, i 

 tliink I am right in saying that it was in the same year that one was 

 taken by Mr. Scholfield on Quy Fen, and another by Mr. James 

 En^hsh on Bottisham Fen, the latter is the specimen in the " Double- 

 daf " collection. The capture of the two last mentioned specimens 

 prompted me to try the outlying fens, where I took the majority of my 

 specimens last June, although, for obvious reasons, I do not disclose the 



exact spot. , i , ■, or-rr i 



Very few specimens appear to have been taken between lb|7 and 



1898. 'Mr. Bailey took one in 1888, and Messrs. Hodges and liougn- 



