252 



SCIEXCE-GOSSIP. 





LiMOSELLA AOUATiCA IN" Clare. — Mr. Green- 

 wood Pirn says in the "Irish Naturalist," that 

 he found this interesting plant growing at Lisdoon- 

 varna. It is oiily previously recorded as being 

 found in Inchiquin Lough, co. Clare, and near 

 Gort, CO. Clare. Can anj- of your readers tell me 

 whether there is any other record of its appearance 

 in Ireland ? — F. Winstone, Ockeridge, Epping. 



Dr. WiLLiAai Trelease, the Director of the 

 Missouri Botanical Gardens, took for the subject 

 of his presidential address this year, "Botanical 

 Opportunity." He considers that research is much 

 promoted when some or all of the results have to 

 be imparted in a class-room, and that better w-ork 

 is done by professors actively engaged in teaching 

 than would be the case if they w-ere attached to a 

 purely research institution. 



The abnormal fungus-growth described in the 

 January number of Science-Gossip, p. 207, is, 

 I imagine, not so very uncommon. One at least 

 (of which I made a sketch) has come under my 

 notice, and in my late father's note-books I find 

 drawings of two others. In all three cases the 

 parasitic growth was exacth^ similar to that copied 

 from " La Nature," except that the pUeus of the 

 parasite was not attached to that of the other. 

 I am sorrj- I am unable to state to what genus and 

 species they belonged. — Geo. S. Saunders, 20, Dent's 

 Road, WandsRorth Common, S.W.; January igth. 



Age of the Orchid.^. — The age of the fibrous- 

 rooted orchidse is well indicated by the leaves and 

 roots. In young plants of Listera ovata the leaves 

 are often narrow-elliptic, and the root-fibres but 

 few ; whereas in older plants the leaves are broadlv 

 ovate or sub-orbicular, and the rootstock denselj- 

 fibrous ; moreover, all orchidaceous plants are, 

 w^hen of several years' duration, more robust, have 

 larger leaves and more flowers in the iaflores- 

 cences, and in the tuberculate-rooted species 

 larger tubercules than the j-ounger plants. Listera 

 and Ophrys may be taken as tj^pes of the fibrous 

 and tuberculate-rooted species respectively. — H. E. 

 Guiset, 3, Cathcaii Hill, Junction Road, N. 



Alkaloids in Orchidace.i;. — In the " IMemoires " 

 of the Roj-al Academy of Belgium, just issued. Dr. 

 E. de Droog has generalised the researches that 

 have been made as to the formation of organic 

 bases by plants of the orchid family. The first to 

 investigate the subject appears to have been 'SI. de 

 Wildemaim, who, in 1892, observed the presence 

 of an alkaloidal product in Dendrohium nohile, D. 

 ainsiioriJtii, and other members of the orchid 

 family. Out of 104 species of orchids which 

 were examined, only nine were considered as 

 producing alkaloids — some in all parts, others 

 only locally. Dr. de Droog appears to favotu: the 

 \-iew that the alkaloids are for defensive purposes. 

 His paper is illustrated by a plate in which 

 alkaloids to be fovmd in the cells of Dendrohium 

 nobile, Catasetum hookeri, C. inacrocarpum and the 

 root of Phalanopsis luddemanniana are shown. 



ZOOLOGY 





Mr. Ch.almers Mitchell, at a recent meeting 

 of the Zoological Societ}-, e.xhibited a case of 

 alleged telegony. Sir Everett Millais, who has 

 had much experience in the breeding of dogs, 

 believed it to be a case of reversion. He explained 

 in like manner all cases of reputed telegony. ;Mr. 

 Tegetmeier, who has also had much experience, 

 agreed with this conclusion. 



Bitterns in Horsham. — On December i8th 

 last, a fine specimen of the bittern {Botaurus 

 stellaris) was, unfortunately, shot at Crawley, and 

 has since been preserved by our local taxidermist. 

 The last occurrence of this species in Horsham 

 w-as in 1895, when, on Januar}' 20th, a young 

 fellow named Laker captured one in a marshy spot 

 a little way out of the town. Laker, who was 

 quite unaware of its rarity or its identit}-, knocked 

 it down with a stick. The bird was purchased by 

 the Rev. A. Low, who had it preser\-ed. Two or 

 three weeks pre\-iously to this, another specimen 

 was shot at Slaugham, but unfortunately no 

 particiilars were kept. It was preserved by Mr. 

 A. Richardson, Horsham. — Chas. J. Marten, 30, 

 London Road, Horsham. 



Zoological Nomenclature. — Lord Walsing- 

 ham and ZSIr. J. Hartley Durrant have compiled a set 

 of " Rules for Regidating Nomenclature with a viev,- 

 to secure a strict application of Law of Priority in 

 Entomological Work." Messrs. Longmans, Green 

 and Co. have published them in pamphlet form, price 

 sixpence. These rules are called " Merton Rules," 

 as they are in use at Merton Hall for all work 

 done there. The authors would have all names 

 according to the rules of Latin orthography, and 

 would change those that are adopted from other 

 languages. Names with similar sounds are rejected, 

 also those which involve a false proposition. A 

 name published before 175S, the date of the tenth 

 edition of Linnaeus' " Systema Naturae," is not 

 accepted as valid, and may be used in another 

 sense by a subsequent author. Rule 12 defines 

 publication, which is taken to mean that the public 

 can have access to the matter in a form other 

 than MS. As the rule stands at present it would 

 apparentlj' invalidate all species published in 

 private papers distributed without charge. Of 

 permissible names for the same conception only 

 the one first published is valid, " provided that in 

 its application its author has conformed to the 

 requirements of publication and definition." In 

 Ride 16 it is stated that " Definition must convey, 

 either by description or b}- illustration in formation, 

 that which may enable the author's conception to 

 be recognized." Valid names are to be founded on 

 types, with the exception that a new name may be 

 substituted for one invalid as being homonymous 

 either in its inception or in its adoption, and this 

 may be done upon the evidence of published in- 

 formation or illustration, without the type ha\-ing 

 necessarily been seen by the author of the correc- 

 tion, but the type shall be the type to which the 

 name applies. 



