HARD WICKE'S SCIENCE- G OSSIF. 



15 



Persicaria lapathifolium, Erodium cicutarium, and 

 Geranium disseclum. 



A walk in the direction of Allonby, past the " Con- 

 valescent," added these to the list: Calamintha 

 officinalis, Lamium album, Polygonium rayii, Stachys 

 palustris, Plantago coronopus, P. maritima, Senecio 

 aquaticus, Ononis procurrens, 0. spinosa, Crithmum 

 mantimum, Salsola kali, Tanacetum vulgare, and 

 Anthyllis vulneraria. 



Taking a journey from Silloth to Bowness-on- 

 Solway proved most delightful and added some grand 

 finds, amongst which was Typha latifolia, growing in 

 water near a brickfield by the railway side at Xirk- 

 bride. On reaching Solway Moss, Hirsutum vagi- 

 natum, Hieraceum paludosum, Nasturtium terrestre, 

 and Eleocharis palustris were observed. Both sides 

 of the railway were lined with Epilobium angustifolium, 

 which grows to the height of six feet and upwards, 

 looking very lovely when passing it in the train. I 

 was told by a "native " that it rejoiced in the local 

 name of " Blooming Sally," and at Silloth is known 

 as " French Willy " (an evident corruption of 

 " Willow"). The thyme-leaved speedwell, Veronica 

 serpyllifolia is perhaps the greatest gem to be found 

 at Bowness. I also found by the railway-side Vicia 

 hirsutum, Dianthus plumarius, and Sedum telephium ; 

 the last two have probably been planted and allowed 

 to become wild, or perhaps seeds may have been 

 blown by the wind from some garden not far away. 



To return to the Silloth flora, the plants met with 

 in greatest number are Bartsia odontitis (very large 

 specimens), Matricaria inodora, Euphrasia officinalis, 

 Lamium furpureun, Senecio vulgaris, S. Jacobtea, 

 Plantago major, P. media, Thymus serpyllum, Trifolium 

 pratense, T. repens, Campanula rotundifolia, Capsella 

 bursa-pastoris, Hypericum perforatum, Mysotis palus- 

 tris, Bellis perennis, Veronica beccabunga, Vicia 

 saliva, Papaver dubium, Ranunculus acris, Galium 

 verum, Potentilla anserina, P. reptans, Arctium 

 lappa, Cytisus scoparius, Ulex europaus, Calluna 

 ■vulgaris, Erica cinerea, E. tetralix, Taraxacum 

 dans-leonis, Lotus corniculatus, Cerastium vulgatum, 

 Tussilago farfara, Achillea millefolium, and the in- 

 evitable Sisymbrium officinale (hedge-mustard). 



The two most observable peculiarities of the Silloth 

 flora are, first, the very large preponderance of blue 

 flowers, such as hare-bells, viper's bugloss, sheep's 

 scabious, vetches, speedwells, and violets, growing in 

 such large numbers as to make quite a blue carpet ; 

 second, the way in which each variety of flower seems 

 to appropriate a little piece of ground to itself, to the 

 exclusion of all others, so that a plant may be in great 

 profusion at one place and yet not be met with again 

 within a distance of two miles. 



The seaweeds are of the very commonest descrip- 

 tion. All I found were Fucus canaliculars, P. 

 vesiculosus, F. nodosus, and its usual parasitic Poly- 

 siphonia fastigiata, Melobesia po/ymorpha, Griffithsia 

 corallina, Ulva latissima, and Enteromorpha com- 



pressa. I also found the zoophyte Flustra chartacea, 

 but not in abundance. 



The best finds among the Diatoms were Pleuro- 

 sigma astuarii, Navicula crassinervis, Surirella 

 gemma, Nitzschia sigma, and N. valuta, all on or near 

 the pier. 



A word in conclusion about the grasses ; the three 

 principal ones are Carex arenaria, Triticum juitceum, 

 and Aminophila arundinacea, protected by Act of 

 Parliament, first in Scotland, and then in England 

 also. Heavy fines and penalties were imposed on 

 anyone gathering the spikes or leaves of the plant, or 

 having any part of it in their possession. These laws 

 have not been repealed, but they have long fallen into 

 disuse, for now various articles for domestic purposes 

 are made from the stems of this plant, every stem 

 thus used is a direct infringement of the law. 



NOTES ON THE GENUS DISTYLA, 

 CLASS ROTIFERA. 



SOME time ago (September 1890), I contributed 

 an article to Science-Gossip with the above 

 title. In that paper I described two new species of 

 Cathypnse, which, when fully extended, had so many 

 of the characters of the genus Distyla, as drawn by 

 Mr. Gosse, that it gave rise to a suspicion which I stated 

 in the following words : " It is of course possible 

 that Distyla may be a good genus, but I think it is at 

 least probable, that some, if not all, the species of that 

 genus have been described from extended Rotifera 

 of the genus Cathypna." At that time, although I 

 was familiar with several species of the latter genus, 

 I had never seen any of the recorded species of 

 Distyla, and my notes were written in the hope 

 " that those microscopists who have the opportunity 

 will take up the investigation of the subject ; and, 

 whether the result be to confirm the genus, or my 

 suspicions as to its non-existence, my purpose in 

 writing these notes will have been accomplished." 

 In your September number, 1S91, Mr. D. Bryce has 

 a courteous criticism of my article, to which I should 

 have replied earlier but for a press of other work. 

 There are so many points upon which Mr. Bryce and 

 myself are agreed that I only propose touching lightly 

 upon one or two, in which there is a difference of 

 opinion. I am glad that Mr. Bryce "is inclined to 

 deny credence to the remarkable position" of the 

 supposed "inability of the species of Distyla to 

 withdraw its head between the plates of the lorica," 

 because I expressed equal incredulity. At the same 

 time, I think I was justified in concluding that Mr. 

 Gosse by the phrase " habitual profusion of the 

 head," intended to convey the idea that in Distyla 

 the corona was never retracted. I was confirmed in 

 this interpretation, unaccountable as it appeared, by 

 Mr. Gosse's known precision in the use of language ; 

 by referring to his figures, where all the six species 



