133 



SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



[JuxME 1, 1865. 



Stkay Notes on Stkay Plants. — In the summer 

 of 1864, I had two instauces, one, at least, a re- 

 markable one, of the " distribution of species," and 

 of the way in which the flora of a country or district 

 maybe enriched. 1. I found two plants of candytuft 

 (Iberis) growing wild on the banks of the river 

 Wyre, a fev/ miles below Garstang. Both were in 

 full bloom, and the flowers were quite equal, if not 

 even superior, in richness of colour and in size, to 

 those ordinarily seen in cottage gardens, where the 

 plant is, I believe, a favourite one. One plant was 

 far away up the stream from the other, which was a 

 quarter of a mile below a garden, the refuse from 

 which was generally thrown into the river. Un- 

 fortunately, I left the neighbourhood before I could 

 ascertain v/hether the plants brought their seeds to 

 perfection. 2. IntheparishofBredwardine, in which 

 I am now living, I found a solitary colony of Lung- 

 wort {Pulmonaria officinalis), on the wooded bank 

 of a little hill stream. I cannot see any apparent 

 reason for its being found there, seeing that it is, as 

 far as I can discover, after a careful examination, 

 the only colony of Lungwort {Tiilmonarici) for some 

 distance round. There is a cottage at some little 

 distance, but there is no pulmonaria in the garden 

 at present. Possibly there may have been, for the 

 plant is sometimes a favourite, on account of its 

 variegated leaves ,^R. Bl. 



"Stannee PiOCKS." — I am surprised to find that 

 your correspondent " W. S. S." should not have 

 met with the Welsh Speedwell {Veronica spicata /3 

 Jiyhrida) in the Stanncr Hocks. It is quite as scarce 

 a plant as those he has mentioned. It grew there 

 between thirty and forty years ago, on a steep grassy 

 bank, near the foot of the rocks, at the point where 

 the rocks come nearest to the Kington Road. The 

 SclerantJms grew on the same bank. I gathered 

 one plant there of the white-flowered Speedwell 

 {Veronica jlore-alhcB), but all the rest were of tlie 

 usual colour. There was a good sprinkling of the 

 plant, and I can hardly believe it to be distinct. I 

 examined only a very small portion of the rocks, 

 from my time being limited. I would mention that 

 the botany of the Stanner Hocks is almost identical 

 with that of the Breiddin in Montgomeryshire, the 

 Geranium sanguineiiM, the Lychnis viscaria, and 

 Veronica hjirida being' common in each group, and 

 the geological formation is very similar. — T. S. 



Hese Paris. — This plant {Paris quadrifoUa) 

 grows in abundance in the copse at Chilcombe, a 

 mile and a half from Winchester. I have found 

 plants with three, four, five, and six leaves.— i?.!?.^ 



Quinqtjeeeacteal Anemone. — At the last meet- 

 ing of the Society of Amateur Botanists the presi- 

 dent exhibited a specimen of wood-aneraone with 

 five bracteal leaves instead of three. 



Ciiestnut-teee of the TuiLEEiES.— The cele- 

 brated chestnut-tree of the Tuileries that bursts 

 into leaf before its neighbours, and generally enters 

 an appearance by the 1st of March, is a laggard this 

 year. Crowds stare up at its bald crown in disap- 

 pointment. The tradition which has given the people 

 faith in the precocity of this tree dates— neither 

 from the birth of the King of Pome, nor from 

 Napoleon's return from Elba. The date is the 20th 

 of March, 1746. A celebrated painter was accused 

 of having assassinated his rival at the Poyal Academy 

 on that day. The painter's name was Joseph Yien. 

 He proved before the tribunal of the Chatelet that 

 at the moment of the murder he was standing, 

 gossiping with the Duchess de Roncevaux, under a 

 chestnut-tree. He said he could identify the tree, 

 for it was the only one in leaf. This " alibi," we 

 are told, saved Vien's head ; and from that time the 

 people have watched the precocious tree. It has ■ 

 seldom failed ; but the cold of the present year has 

 been too much for it. 



The Culttjee-of Vallisneeta Spiralis.— This 

 most beautiful of our water-plants is much more 

 easily cultivated than most people imagine. Eriends 

 on seeing the luxuriance of my plants, have fre- 

 quently a^ked me how it was that they had not at- 

 tained the like success. I nov/ proceed to give to 

 your readers the course pursued by myself during 

 the last five years. The best shaped vessels are those 

 used by confectioners, that is to say, if you wish to 

 grow the plant by itself ; these maybe purchased for 

 a few shillings at any of the shops where fern-glasses, 

 &c., are sold. On the bottom of the glass lay some stiff 

 mould, to the depth of about an inch ; on this place 

 tlie roots of the Yallisneria, and cover them with 

 shingle, to keep them in their place. Water-beetles 

 are as good as anything to give it an air of life, or a 

 few minnows; but fish, I think, nip the tops of the 

 plants, and unless they are well established, tliis does 

 harm. I can fix no regular period for changing the 

 water, but whenever the confervas are getting ahead 

 this must be done. The sides of the glass may be 

 cleaned with a little rag and sand when necessary. 



— r. G. 



A WoNDEEEUL Teee. — In the birch wood of 

 Culloden there is a remarkable tree, well worthy of 

 note. Somewhere about thirty years ago a little 

 giant of the forest was blown down in a storm, and 

 fell right across a deep gully or ravine, which it 

 completely spanned; and the top branches took 

 root on the other side. Erom the parent stem 

 no less than fifteen trees grew up perpendicularly, 

 all in a row ; and there they still flourish in all 

 their splendour, while the parent stem evinces no 

 token of decay. Several of the trees are not less 

 than thirty feet high. Is not this a forest curiosity 

 worthy of a visit by naturalists ? The tree is a 

 larch fir. — Livergordon Times. 



