226 



SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



should think that Cleat Hill, Bedford, may be 

 merely " hill of clods," unless there are many 

 burdocks thereabouts, in which case it may be the 

 "hill of burs" (German, " kleete," a bur), hence, 

 perhaps, "elate," "bur," " cleate," as applied to 

 the coltsfoot, is clearly horseshoe (see " Miller's 

 Dictionary of English Names of Plants"). — M. J. 

 Teesdale, St. Margaret's, Thurlow Park Road, Dulwich ; 

 October zjth, i8g6. 



Iron embedded in Ivory. — In Sheffield recently 

 while workmen were sawing an elephant's tusk of 

 unusually fine ivory, further progress was suddenly 

 arrested by a hard substance which, on examination, 

 proved to be a portion of an iron spear which was 

 completely embedded in the centre of the tusk. It 

 is supposed that, when quite young, the animal 

 was struck by a spear which was broken in two at 

 the root of the tusk, the growth of ivory, in course 

 of time, surrounding it. The bit of spear, about six 

 inches in length, is very rusty, and must have 

 remained in its curious resting-place for a great 

 number of years. The tusk is in the hands of 

 Messrs. T. Cooke, and Son, Museum Street, 

 London. 



NiTELLA GROWING IN AqUARIUM. It is oftCU 



remarked that while Chara flourishes sufficiently 

 well floating free in a small aquarium, Nitella 

 gradually dwindles and dies. This is more 

 unfortunate because the latter is far superior for 

 exhibiting circulation of the protoplasm, always so 

 much appreciated by the friends of a microscopist, 

 or at soiree. I have, however, had Nitella growing 

 successfully for eighteen months in an aquarium 

 holding about a pint of water, and in one slightly 

 larger it fruited during this summer. All that 

 seems neccessary to ensure this result is that some 

 of the lower portion, say two or three nodes, should 

 be inserted in, and covered by the sand and shingle 

 it is desirable to have at the bottom of the vessel, 

 where roots are soon produced giving the plant the 

 attachment which appears requisite for its well 

 being. Of course if an entire specimen with roots 

 complete, as described in Dr. Cooke's " Ponds and 

 Ditches," can be secured and accommodated it is 

 better, but that is not always possible, and takes 

 considerable space. — James Burton, g, Agamemnon 

 Road, West Hajnpstead. 



Microscopic Slides — We have received from 

 Ernest Hinton, of 12, Vorley Road, Upper Hollo- 

 way, London, preparations of Bryozoa. The first 

 is Btisula turhinata, which has been killed with the 

 polypes fully expanded as in life, a most lovely 

 example, either with direct light or paraboloid. 

 The other is B. flabellata ; in this every trace of 

 animal matter has been carefully removed, leaving 

 only the glassy polypidom with its " bird's head " 

 processes, the result is one of the most gorgeous 

 polariscope objects that it is possible to imagine, 

 the colours even without selenite are beautiful. 



Yorkshire Naturalists. — The Yorkshire 

 Naturalists' Union have just issued Part 20 of their 

 " Transactions." It contains some interesting notes 

 on the Lepidoptera and Coleoptera of Yorkshire, 

 and the Presidential Address for 1895 o" the •' Study 

 of Mosses," by Mr. Robert Braithwaite, Presi- 

 dent of the Union. Mr. John McSandesborough, 

 F.R.A.S.. F.R.Met.S., etc., and Mr. Alfred E. 

 Preston, M. Inst. C.E., F.R.Met.S. .havecontributed 

 an Appendix consisting of ten tabulated sheets, 

 giving the Meteorology of Bradford during the 

 years 1891 to 1895. 



^f=^)/^!2^£ 



TRflN5/ieTION5 



The South London Entomological and 

 Natural History Society. — November, 26th, 

 1896. Mr. C. G. Barrett, F.E.S., Vice-President, 

 in the chair. Mr. Barnett, of Royal Hill, Green- 

 wich, was elected a member. The meeting was 

 devoted to a special exhibition of varieties, and 

 was largely attended. Mr. Mansbridge showed 

 series of Abraxas grossulariata, including the Leeds 

 smoky forms ; of Polia chi, including var. suffiisa 

 and var. olivacea, with the beautiful West Riding 

 form ; and oiHibernia aurantiaria with many melanic 

 forms. Mr. Oldham, Brenthis (Argytmis) euphrosytie, 

 with few markings on upper wings in contrast to 

 well-marked hind- wings ; a xanthic Epinephele 

 janira, and pretty-coloured and yellow females of 

 Odouestis potatoria. Mr. Adkin, the various forms 

 of Boarmia repandata ; Camptogramma bilineata, in- 

 cluding black Irish specimens; B. cinctaria and 

 Thera juniperata, with beautiful specimens of Cidaria 

 corylata var. albocrenata ; Abraxas grosstilariata ; black 

 A cidalia marginepiinctata ; black-banded Eubolia 

 biptoictaria ; banded Anaitis plagiata ; and uni- 

 colorous Ematurga atomaria. Mr. Mitchell, speci- 

 mens of Saturnia pavonia fcarpini), (i) dark female, 

 (2) gynandromorphous form, bred from Wicken ; 

 and an exa.rapleoiChry sopkanus pklceas, v/ith large and 

 elongate spots nearly forming a band. Mr. Doll- 

 man, a series showing the variation of 0. potatoria ; 

 a. dv-'SLvi Anihrocharis cardamines ; and an example 

 of the same species with the dark tips of the 

 primaries suffused and extending inwards. Mr; 

 Ashdown, a series of Coccinella hieroglyphica, 

 varying from entirely testaceous, through spotted 

 forms to entirely black, all from Oxshot. Mr. 

 Barrett, series of the following species from very 

 many localities : Melatiippe hastata, M. tristata, M. 

 fluctuata ; Boarmia repandata (including some very 

 fine black forms) ; Eupithacia togata (including the 

 very dwarf race), E. extensaria, E. sobrinata and E. 

 stevensata. Mr. Auld, the first known bred British 

 Callimorpha hera var. lutesce?is ; series of Spilosoma 

 liibricipeda with its var. zatima and var. fasciata, 

 together with a number of intermediate forms ; a 

 broad-banded A. plagiata; and vars. of Dicycla 00, 

 Spilosoma urticcB (without dorsal spots), and Lomas- 

 pila marginata. Mr. Levett, vars. of Callimorpha 

 dominula, bred from Deal, three uf which were the 

 yellow forms. Mr. Mera, three vars. of Arctia caja 

 (i) with inner half of fore-wings almost completely 

 white ; (2) with white markings of fore-wings only 

 slightly indicated ; (3) white almost covering fore- 

 wings, and black on hind-wings much diminished ; 

 a Cidaria siterata, pale brown with paler lines, 

 reminding one of C. reticulata ; Hadena thalassina, 

 with absence of usual markings, and of an almost 

 uniform smoky grey ; an Arctia villica with smoky 

 hind-wings, and one with black suffused over all the 

 wings; and a Brenthis (Argvnnts) euphrosyne with 

 confluent spots across the centre of both wings. 

 Mr. Turner, the most distinctive forms of Hibernia 

 leucnphearia, Gnophos obscuraria and Oporabia diliitaria ; 

 a Ccenonympha typhon, with a series of well- 

 developed ocellations and a large white patch 

 on the upper side of the hind - wing, from 



