HARD WICKE ' S S CIENCE- G SSI P. 



187 



MICROSCOPY. 



Sectionising Hydra viridis. — It seems rather 

 singular that Mr. H. J. Frederick has been unsuc- 

 cessful in his experiment. Perhaps if he had taken 

 the precaution to put the sections in a small bottle 

 or test-tube, being careful to exclude any of the 

 Hydra's enemies, he might have reared his colony. 

 About five years ago I tried the experiment of grow- 

 ing the Hydra from sections. I cut a large and 

 vigorous specimen into about ten pieces, and placed 

 them in a small test-tube with water drawn from the 

 household tap ; in two or three weeks, eight out of 

 the ten pieces had developed in full-grown vigorous 

 Hydne. Of course I was careful to exclude all such 

 things as Cypris and Cyclops, and everything that 

 seemed likely to prey upon the undevoloped sections, 

 and also allowed plenty of water, so that there was 

 no risk of the oxygen becoming exhausted, a rather 

 important feature where animal life is concerned, 

 either in development or prolongation. Did Mr. 

 Frederick omit to take note of that consideration ? — 

 F. J. George, Chorley, Lane. 



Journal of the Royal Microscopical 

 Society. — The June number of the above journal, in 

 addition to its valuable summary of current researches 

 relating to zoology and botany, contains the following 

 original papers (illustrated) : " On a series of Lantern 

 slides, Photomicrographs and Photographs of Photo- 

 micrographic Apparatus," by A. Clifford Mercer, 

 F.R.M.S., "The Foraminifera of the Gault of 

 Folkestone," by Frederick Chapman, F.R.M.S., and 

 "The Penetrating Power of the Microscope," by 

 Edward M. Nelson. 



ZOOLOGY. 



The Natural History of Bedford Park. — 

 The Bedford Park Natural History Society has had 

 in hand a list of the fauna and flora of that locality, 

 and as a considerable number of forms have now 

 been catalogued, it may be of interest to some to see 

 what may be found in a locality so near to London 

 as Chiswick, considerably less than a square mile in 

 area. Of plants we have at present recorded 168 

 species and one variety, of which the following are 

 the more interesting : — Ranunculus fiearia, Papaver 

 argemone, Erysimum cheiranthoides, JVasturtium offi- 

 cinale, Diplotaxis muralis, Reseda luteola, Viola tri- 

 color, Galium palustre, Sagina nodosa, Silene injlata, 

 Lychnis Jlos-cuculi, L. vespertina, Agrostemma githago, 

 Linum usitatissimum, Hypericum quadrangulattim, 

 Malva rolundifolia. Geranium disseclum, Trifolium 

 hybridiun, T. procumbens, Lotus major, Melilotus 

 officinalis, Vicia cracca, V. hirsuta, Lathyrus pratensis, 

 Rubus discolor, R. corylifolius, Potentilla recta, P. 

 anserina, Geum urbamim, Spir&a ulmaria, Circtea 



lutetiana, Epilobium palustre, E. montanum, E. 

 parvijlorum, E. hirsutum, Bryonia dioica, Apium 

 graveolens, Helosciadum nodiflorum, Dipsacus syl- 

 vestris, Chrysanthemum leucanthemum (var. minor), 

 Erigeron canadensis, Achillea plarmica, Artemisia 

 vulgaris, Gnaphalium uliginosum, Sonchus oleraceus, 

 S. asper, S. arvensis, Arctium lappa, Pulicaria dyseti- 

 terica, Calystegia septum, Solatium dulcamara, S. 

 nigrum, Scrophularia aquatica (var. Erharti), Pru- 

 nella vulgaris, Stachys sylvaiica, Ballota nigra, 

 Myosotis arvensis, Anagallis arvensis, Polygonum 

 ampkibium (var. terrestris), P. aviculare, and var. 

 erecta, P. persicaria, P. convolvulus, Euphorbia peplits, 

 Urtica urens, Cannabis sativa, yuncus bufonius, Poa 

 annua, Phalaris canariensis, Phleum pratense, Bromus 

 mollis, B. sterilis, Lolium peremie, L. italicum, 

 Agrostis vulgaris, Dactylis glomerata, Aira ccespitosa, 

 Hordeum pratense, Alopecurus pratensis, Antho- 

 xanlkum odoratum, Equisetum arvense, Fumaria 

 hygrametrica. Most of these are common enough in 

 the open country, but it is interesting to find them in 

 the metropolitan district. A few were represented 

 by only single specimens, and a few others are 

 probably not truly wild. For the names of many of 

 them I have been indebted to Mr. G. Nicholson, of 

 Kevv. Among the Invertebrata we have thirty-four 

 species of mollusca, and numerous species of insects, 

 some of which have been already recorded (" Ento- 

 mologist," 1S85, p. 247), as well as a few Crustacea, 

 Oniscus murarius, Armadillo vulgaris, Gammarus 

 pulex, Candona reptans ; five myriapoda, which 

 appear to be Polydesmus complanatus, Julus terrestris, 

 y. londiniensis, Geophilus longicornis, and Lithobius 

 forfxatus ; several spiders, a leech, and the common 

 worm, Lumbricus terrestris. The mammalia are 

 confined to Homo sapiens, a species of bat not yet 

 captured, Mus musculus, and M. decumanus. The 

 birds are thirty-eight, and include Muscicapa grisola, 

 Regulus cristatus, Parus major, P. ca:ruleus, Tardus 

 viscivorus, Ruticilla phcenicura, Phylloscopus sibilatrix, 

 P. trochilus (the last three were seen by Mr. R. B. 

 Sharpe), Curruca cinerea, Sylvia luscinia, Cuculus 

 canorus, Cypselus apus, Hirundo rustica (apparently 

 rare, though the martin (C/ielidon urbica) is common 

 enough), Parus ater, Emberiza cilrinella, Yunx tor- 

 quilla, and stray specimens of Perdix rufa (one 

 caught during the recent frost, and now in the pos- 

 session of Mr. J. Gray), Ardea cinerea (flying over- 

 head), Scolopax gallinago (Rev. J. W. Horsley), and 

 S. rusticola (seen by Mr. Hargitt). The amphibia 

 consist of the frog (Rana temporaria), the toad (Bufo 

 vulgaris), and Triton tristatus, which last is generally 

 thought by the natives to be a sort of lizard. — 

 T. D. A. Cocker ell. 



New Variety of Helix arbustorum.— I have 

 the pleasure of forwarding and recording the descrip- 

 tion of a most unusual variety of Helix arbustorum, 

 taken with many other interesting forms of this 



