SCIENCE- GOSSIP. 



the river in the East Lyn Valley, two widely differ- 

 ing localities. Thuidiivm tama/rismnwm B. and S. 

 occurs over the whole district. 



The Hypxaceae, the concluding family of the 

 mosses, is very fairly represented by the following 

 species : — Pylaisia polyantlia B. and S. at Waters- 

 meet and Lee Bay, on tree-trunks ; Isothecium 

 myurum Brid. in the West Lyn Valley ; Pleuropm 

 sericeus Dixon is generally common on rocks and 

 walls ; Brachytliecium rutabulum B. and S. gene- 

 ally common, as its variety robustum is at 

 Countisbury. B. rivulare B. and S. in the East 

 Lyn Valley and at Lee Bay. B. velutmvm B. and 

 S. at Countisbury, Parracombe, Lee Bay, etc. 

 B. populevm B. and S. in the East Lyn Valley, 

 Parracombe, etc. B. plume-sum B. and S., West 

 Lyn Valley, and B. purum Dixon on the North 

 Walk. Eurhynchium crassinervium B. and S. on 

 the old Barnstaple Eoad ; E. praelongvm B. and S. 

 on the Esplanade, Lynmouth, Countisbury, Exmoor, 

 etc. ; and its variety stokesii L. Cat. ed. 2, in the 

 West Lyn Valley. E. abbreviatum Schp. is on 

 the Countisbury Eoad ; E. tenellum Milde in the 

 Watersmeet Eoad ; E. striatum B. and S. at 

 Brendon and Parracombe. E rusciforme Milde 

 is abundant in the East and West Lyns and Lee 

 Bay, and its variety atlantieum Brid. at Desola- 

 tion ; E. confertum Milde, in the East Lyn Valley, 

 The Tors, The Zig-Zag, and Lee Bay. E. myosur- 

 oides Schp. is found in the West Lyn Valley ; 

 Plagiotheeiii/m borrericmum Spr. in the West Lyn 

 Valley and at Pinkery Pond; P. denticulatum 

 B. and S. West Lyn Valley, Saddle Gate, etc. ; 

 P. sylvaticum B. and S. in the old Barnstaple Eoad 

 and at Lee Bay. P. undulatum B. and S. is in the 

 West Lyn Valley ; Amblystegiwm serpens B. and S. 

 West Lyn Valley and Parracombe ; A. irrigu/umi 

 B. and S. at Desolation, and A. filicinum de Not 

 at a spring at Parracornbe ; Hypnum eomrniutativm 

 Hedw. at a spring in the East Lyn Valley and on 

 the Watersmeet Eoad. H. cvpressi/orme Hedw. is 

 generally common ; of its varieties resti/pi/natwm 

 Schp. is found in the West Lyn Valley, filiforme Brid. 

 at Desolation, and a pretty intermediate form at 

 Lee Bay ericetorum B. and S. Countisbury and 

 Saddle Gate, also elatuiu B. and S. at Saddle Gate ; 

 H. molluscum Hedw. West Lyn -Valley; H.palus- 

 tre L. in the same place, semi-submerged ; E. 

 straw ineum Dicks at Pinkery Pond; H. cutpi- 

 datum L. at Desolation, East Lyn Valley, and 

 fruiting freely at Exmoor ; H. schreberi Willd. at 

 The Tors, Countisbury, and Exmoor ; H. cordi- 

 folilim Hedw. Exmoor, where a single specimen 

 was gathered unwittingly. Hylocomium splendens 

 B. and S. occurs very sparingly at Desolation and 

 Exmoor. We have found H. loreum, B. and S., 

 H. sgua rrowm B. and S., and //. triquelruin B. and 

 S. commonly ; the latter once in fruit in July. 



To the above list should be added six species 

 recorded in " Mosses of Devon and Cornwall,'' 

 viz. : — 



Weisia vertieillata . "On dripping limestone- 

 rocks, the fruit rare. Lynton. F. B." [There 

 appears to be some mistake in this, as I do not 

 think any limestone is here. C. A. B.] 



Grimmia maritima. Ilfracombe. Fl. Dev. 



Webera tozeri. Combe Martin. N. Devon 

 Guide. 



Pterogonium graeile. Lynmouth. N. Devon 

 Guide. 



Habrodon notarisii. " On elm-trees. Lynton. 

 Mr. J. No well." 



Hypnvm eugyrium. "Lynton. Eare. Mr. J. 

 Nowell." 



It will be seen that we have as yet only obtained 

 about 110 species out of the nearly 600 species 

 recognised as British. Poor as this list is, yet, 

 considering the circumstances, I think one may 

 fairly expect to very largely increase it by another 

 year. The whole neighbourhood is literally car- 

 peted with mosses, which greater experience will, 

 I trust, enable me to recognise and record in. 

 the future. 



Bock House, Lynmouth, 

 August 6, 1900. 



THE BKITISH ASSOCIATION. 



HI HE last meeting of this century will be held 

 -*- at Bradford this month, after an interval of 

 twenty-seven years since the Association visited 

 that town. Professor Sir William Turner, the 

 eminent anatomist of Edinburgh University, is to- 

 preside, and will, we understand, base his presi- 

 dential address upon the progress of the science of 

 Biology, especially with regard to our advanced 

 knowledge of the function and structure of cells 



The presidents of the sections are — A, Mathe- 

 matics and Physics, Dr. Joseph Larmor, of Cam- 

 bridge ; B, Chemistry, Professor Perkin, of Owens 

 College, Manchester ; c, Geology, Professor W. J. 

 Sollas, of Oxford ; D, Zoology, Dr. E. H. Traquair, 

 Keeper of the National Museum, Science and Art 

 Department, Edinburgh ; E, Geography, Sir George 

 Eobertson ; F, Economic Science and Statistics,. 

 Major P. G. Craige ; G, Mechanical Science, Sir 

 Alexander Binnie ; H, Anthropology, Professor- 

 Bhrys ; and J, Botany, Professor S. H. Vines. 



The position of Bradford and its surrounding 

 country is such that an important and successful 

 meeting is anticipated. 



Abundance op •'■ Clouded Yellows." — We 

 hear from various parts of the country that there 

 has been in August of this year a sporadic eruption 

 of Colias edusa and C. by ale. Both these species 

 have appeared in some localities in greater 

 abundance than has previously been seen in this 

 country. The variety lieliee of G. edusa has 

 occurred in some numbers in clover fields in East 

 Essex. This season has also been remarkable for 

 the numbers of " holly-blues " (Lycaeua argiolusy 

 in both spring and summer broods, 



