366 



SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



drica) ; Konje hemp (S. guineensis) ; and Neyanda 

 (S. zeylanica). Other plants yielding fibres of 

 varying quality are : Agave americana, A. sobilifera, 

 A. lurida, Karatas plumieri, and Bromelia sylvestris. 

 Other plants of special commercial interest are : 

 Aloe vulgaris, A. ferox, and A. plicatilis, the 

 inspissated juice of which forms the " aloes " of 

 commerce, and E. resinifera, which yields thewell- 

 nown gum-euphorbium. 

 A circumspective glance at the whole subject 

 forces us to the conclusion that, whether we view 

 it from a popular, scientific, or commercial stand- 

 point, this house is certainly one of the most 

 interesting and important in the Royal Gardens, 

 Kew. Its parallel is not to be found in Europe or 

 America any more than that of the Gardens 

 themselves. My object has been mainly to em- 

 phasize the richness of this marvellous collection 

 of xerophytes in botanical facts, especially those 

 relating to " plant metamorphosis," or adaptation 

 to environment. The subject is too vast to treat 

 in any but a very general way, and innumerable 

 interesting points have been crowded out. I trust 

 enough has been said to illustrate the two follow- 

 ing cardinal points : ( 1 ) The relative stability of 

 the floral over the vegetative organs ; thus point- 

 ing to their pre-eminence as a basis for classifica- 

 tion ; (2) To quote Goebel in " Science Progress," 

 Vol. III. : " That physiological requirement is the 

 main factor, teleologically speaking, in effecting 

 structural differentiation, and the particular 

 organ which will undergo the modification will be 

 that which is most susceptible to a change in the 

 desirable direction." 



55, Waldemar Avenue, Fulham, S.W. 

 11 March, 1899. 



London Geological Field Class, conducted 

 by Professor H. G. Seeley, F.R.S., commenced 

 their annual series of Saturday afternoon excur- 

 sions on April 22nd. Full particulars can be 

 obtained from the hon. sec, R. Herbert Bentley, 

 43, Gloucester Road, Brownswood Park, N. 



The Natural History Sub-committee of the 

 British Association meeting in Glasgow 1901 is in 

 working order, and has issued its circular invit- 

 ing contributions to lists of the Fauna, Flora and 

 Geological features of the Clyde district. We 

 note the names of many well-known naturalists 

 who have undertaken to supervise the depart- 

 ments in which they are celebrated workers. The 

 honorary Secretary is the Rev. G. A. Frank 

 Knight, Almanarre, Garelochhead. 



The Managers of the Cambridge University 

 Press send their March list of books recently 

 issued. There are several important works in the 

 scientific section of this list, including "Fauna 

 Hawaiiensis," being results of explorations 

 instituted by a joint committee of the Royal 

 Society and British Association. The work is 

 edited by Mr. David Sharp, M.A., F.R.S. The 

 first part contains 122 pp., and 2 plates relating 

 to the bees, wasps, and ants, with many new 

 species. 



NOTES ON MOLLUSC A. 

 Bv Rev. R. Ashington Bullen, F.G.S. 



At Reigate, Surrey. 



MR. LIONEL E. ADAMS (Brit. L. and F. W- 

 Shells, 2nd edition, p. 75) says of Helix 

 cantiana, " I have never observed that birds 

 feed upon it." Last summer freshly broken 

 shells of Helicella cantiana occurred abundantly 

 during the driest part of the season in the foot- 

 path near a large flint stone, evidently a " thrush- 

 stone," close to the old butts under Colley Hill. 



Helix pomatia was plentiful on dock on June 2nd, 

 1898. The weather being then rather wet, pomatia 

 was also burrowing into the moist ground. On 

 June 29 we found H. pomatia depositing eggs in 

 its burrow, at the Horseshoe, Colley Hill, the 

 weather being fine and dry. One egg dropped 

 from it as my daughter, Evelyn, lifted it from its 

 burrow. I took sixteen eggs in all, but they 

 shrivelled up. I could not find the burrow on 

 the next visit, and cannot say whether any 

 more were deposited. I had found Helix hortensis 

 ovipositing at Gomshall on the 11th of June. In 

 this case also the number was sixteen. I was 

 imable to hatch these ; though I kept them 

 moistened on damp dead leaves, they cracked. 

 Helix cantiana at Reigate preferred nettle and 

 dock, whilst at Dover in April and May it haunted 

 the bramble leaves. 



At Little Stukeley, Hunts. 

 Principally in the fine weather of November last, 

 but occasionally since, I have found the following 

 land shells at Little Stukeley : — Helix aspersa and 

 H. hontensii were both abundant, H. nemoralis fairly 

 common. My daughter Eirene found three speci- 

 mens of Helicella cantiana in Cow Lane, an old grass 

 cattle road running into the Ermine Street. To 

 her specimens I have been able to add a dozen 

 from the same spot. Helicella itala and H. virgata 

 are the commonest molluscs, occurring in myriads 

 on the broad grass borders of the Ermine Street, 

 towards Alcarbury Hill and elsewhere. The high 

 road is metalled with Mount Sorrel granite .Last 

 November I counted, in a distance of about two 

 miles, seventy-one H. virgata and about half that 

 number of H. iiala resting on the roadway. As 

 they were mostly making new shell at the time 

 they perhaps got the necessary lime in this way. 

 H. caperata is less common than the above two 

 Helicella. Helicigona lapicida also occurs in Cow 

 Lane. Vitrea nitidula, Bulimus obscurus, Cochli- 

 copa lubrica, Vallonia pulchella, Pupa muscorum, 

 Clausiliabidentata, Acanthinula aculeata, Hygromia 

 rufescens, Hy. hispida, Carychium minimum, and 

 Arion ater all occur in this district. I hope to extend 

 the list during this summer. Of the above, V. niti- 

 dula, A. aculeata, H. lapicida, H. nemoralis, H. can- 

 tiana, Hy.ru/tsce7is, H. caperata, B. obscurus, P. mus- 

 corum, C. lubrica, C. minimum, A. bidentata, are 

 new records for the county of Huntingdon. The 

 freshwater fauna seems to have been better 

 examined than that of the land. 

 Little Stukeley Rectory, April, 1899. 



