i6 



SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



female on the right-hand side. Mr. A. II. Perks, 

 an example of Zyganca filipenduLe, taken by himself 

 in Worcestershire, with pale patches of colour in 

 the red under-wings, also a remarkable Smerinthus 

 tilia from the same county. Mr. George Elisha, 

 twenty drawers of micro-lepidoptera, so well known 

 for their beautiful preservation. Other lepidoptera 

 were shown by Mr. C. A. Briggs (four large drawers 

 of his celebrated British Lycsenidae), Mr. F. J. 

 Hanbury, Dr. J. E. Sequeira (Exotic), Mr. W. A. 

 Pearce (North American), Mr. J. W. Tutt and 

 others. Coleoptera, by Oliver E. Janson, G. A. 

 Lewcock and E. A. Newbery. A large hornet's 

 nest taken at Ware, with preserved insects from it, 

 by Mr. H. A. Auld. Birds were represented by 

 the President, Mr. F. J. Hanbury, a fine series of 

 cases, and a pair of polecats from Norfolk ; also by 

 A. F. Bayne, Dr. Sequeira and Mr. Ashmed. Other 

 orders were sparsely in evidence. Microscopy made 

 a brave show, several tables being occupied by 

 instruments. Entomological apparatus from Mr. J. 

 T. Crockett, and a beautifully-made forty inter- 

 changeable-drawer insect cabinet by T. Gurney, 

 of Broadway, London Fields. Portable electric 

 lamps suitable for entomologists in night work. 

 made by the National Electric Company, at- 

 tracted much attention. There were not many 

 actual novelties in the exhibition, but there was 

 one important addition to the British flora in a 

 specimen of the new Pyrus, found by the Rev. A. 

 Ley, in Brecknockshire, which will be shortly 

 described and named, as it appears to be new to 

 science. This was among Mr. F. J. Hanbury's 

 numerous exhibits. 



REPORTS OF TWO SOCIETIES. 



The Natural History Society of Glasgow 

 issues its "Transactions" from 1892 to 1894, with one 

 plate, illustrating a paper on "The Land and Fresh- 

 water Shells of Palestine," by G. A. Frank Knight. 

 The report of this Society occupies 166 large 8vo 

 pages. The various papers read at the meetings 

 of the Society are varied in their subjects, some 

 being of more than local interest. Attention may 

 be drawn especially to those on fungi, and an 

 interesting report, edited by Prof. Thomas King 

 and Mr. D. A. Boyd, upon the " Disappearance of 

 Native Plants in the Flora of West Scotland." 



The English Arboricutural Society's 

 "Transactions" for 1893-4 are issued by Messrs. 

 Coward, of Carlisle, containing some very interest- 

 ing articles and prize essays upon the growth of 

 trees. The membership of the Society extends to 

 about three hundred, the Secretary being Mr. John 

 Davidson, Haydon Bridge-on-Tyne. Considering 

 the tendency latterly showing itself for forestry in 

 England, this Society should receive good support. 



" Flora of Berkshire." — Mr. Druce announces 

 that his ' ' Flora of Berkshire " is in the press, and will 

 be on the same plan as the " Flora of Oxfordshire." 



London Catalogue. — The ninth edition of this 

 list of British plants is in the hands of the printers. 

 We hear that the annoying subject of nomenclature 

 is to be well to the fore. We hope the synonyms 

 will be fully explained where the changes of names 

 are thought necessary. 



New British Roses. — The Rev. E. S. Mar- 

 shall, F.L.S., announces two new British members 

 of the intricate family of Rosacea?. They are from 

 Boxley Warren, East Kent, being allied to Rosa 

 rubiginosa (Sweetbriar). There seems little doubt 

 they are the result of hybridisation. 



Fruiting of Euonymous Japonica. — I enclose 

 for your inspection cutting from Euonymous bush 

 in fruit, as it is, I believe, most unusual for it to 

 flower and bear ripe seed-pods in this country. 

 I have noticed it this winter in several and by no 

 means sheltered situations, in the open air, in 

 this town. — J. C. Eccles, 3, Dudley Terrace, Ventnor, 

 Isle of Wight; February 6th, 1895. 



A British Pyros new to Science. — The Rev. 

 Augustine Ley has discovered what is considered 

 to be a new Pyrus in Wales. This will be shortly 

 described by him in a contemporary devoted to 

 botany. We trust we may at a later date be able 

 to place a description, by the discoverer, of this 

 important addition to our flora, before our readers, 

 accompanied by a drawing taken from a freshly- 

 gathered specimen. Mr. Ley has kindly promised 

 to do this when the shrub is next in flower. 



Flora of Ireland. — In reference to the article 

 last month by Dr. Scharff, I may mention that a 

 paper of mine on "The Minute Aquatic Flora of 

 Ireland," was read before the Linnean Society in 

 December, 1891. It was printed in the Journal of 

 the Society in the following year ; it dealt with a 

 very large number of species, many of which were 

 not previously known to occur either in England 

 or Scotland, and many were new to Science. — 

 Wm. West, 15, Horton Lane, Bradford; Feb., 1895. 



Coltsfoot as a Weather Prophet. — Many 

 people consider that when the flowers of Tussilago 

 far far a have appeared, as they do in the last winter 

 months, the severe weather has disappeared for 

 the season, and nothing more serious may be 

 expected than an ordinary course of easterly winds. 

 Experience, however, shows that this popular 

 opinion, like so many others when investigated, is 

 not borne out by facts. The flowers appear in the 

 south of England frequently as early as the begin- 

 ning of February, and we have seen them in mild 

 seasons even in January. During a course of 

 observation extending over several recent years it 

 has been noticed that the earlier these flowers 

 appear, the more likely are we to suffer from a 

 severe peiiod towards the end of March, or 

 beginning of April, with considerable fall of snow. 

 The frequency of these spring snows has passed 

 into a proverb among country people, who speak 

 of the " Blackthorn Winter." 



