HA RD WI CKE ' S S CIENCE- G O SSI P. 



237 



able one on the same subject by Mr. Fred. Enock, 

 published in the "Midland Naturalist" for June, 

 1SS5. The description he gives of the appearance 

 and habits of the different Fairy-flies is very interest- 

 ing. — Thomas E. Amyot. 



The Cinnabar Moth (Enchtfia Jacobetz) and 

 its Varieties. — May I be allowed to correct an 

 error in the September number, and ask Mr. Anderson 

 if the larvae are not to be found in July and August 

 instead (as stated) in the spring ? — C. Morley, Ipswich. 



Penzance Natural History and Anti- 

 quarian Society. — In the " Report and Transac- 

 tions of this Society" for 1S91-92, are very many 

 exceedingly interesting and instructive papers. Among 

 the monthly excursions may be mentioned those to 

 Marazion, Truro, and Castle-an-Duias, as very enter- 

 taining ; while the account of the annual excursion is 

 very graphic and lucid. "Old Chywoon" by J. B. 

 Cornish is, although not universally coincided with, 

 a valuable contribution; as is also the "Rejoinder," 

 by Mr. G. F. Tregelles ; the Rev. S. Rundle's 

 paper " Cornish Tavern Signs," is short, but well put 

 together. Mr. George Bown Millet's, " On Two old 

 Manuscripts," is illustrative of the ancient form of 

 correspondence. " Church Architecture in Corn- 

 wall," by Mr. Preston, B.A., is what archaeologists 

 have been wanting for some time. "The Ancient 

 Patron of Ludgoan," by Rev. Courtenay, and " Pen- 

 zance Market Cross," by George Bown Millet, will 

 both be appreciated ; together with " Notes on the 

 Dialect," and " The Tomb of Margaret Godolphin." 

 The " Description of an old Mine Pump," by Fred. 

 Holman, is good reading. " Sea Anemones and 

 Corals of Cornwall," together with the "Fauna and 

 Flora " of the same district, will be valuable to many 

 naturalists. 



The Siberian Sandpiper. — The East Anglian 

 Daily Times of September 7th, states that in the 

 latter part of August a visitor to Great Yarmouth, 

 from near Birmingham, was collecting birds on 

 Breydon Water, and took his " bag " to Mr. W. 

 Lowne, the well-known naturalist of Fuller's Hill. 

 Mr. Lowne was struck by the appearance of a bird 

 of the Sandpiper genus, and took it up to Mr. 

 Thomas Southwell, F.Z.S., of Norwich. The bird 

 has been identified as the Siberian Sandpiper, a 

 variety of the Pectoral Sandpiper, and quite new to 

 Britain, if not to Europe. As Norfolk and Suffolk 

 both claim birds killed upon Breydon Water, this 

 will be an interesting addition to the county fauna. 

 Professor Newton has compared the bird with the 

 specimens in the British Museum at South Kensing- 

 ton, which places the fact beyond any doubt. 



The Essex Naturalist. — The August number 

 of this journal contains the finishing chapter of a long 

 article on a subject, about which information and 



instruction is much needed : " The Preservation of 

 Marine Animals for Zoological Purposes," by J. T. 

 Cunningham M.A. An account of a visit to the 

 Museum of the Royal College of Surgeons, and a 

 Field Meeting in the Writtle and Blackmore High 

 Woods, and in Writtle Park, June 29, 1S92, and 

 original and selected notes on Colias edusa, Dama- 

 sonium stellatum, and " On some Plateau Deposits 

 at Felstead and Slebbing. 



BOTANY. 



Double-flowered Dahlia. — Mr. W. H. Grat- 

 tan writes as follows : — " By to-day or to-morrow you 

 will, I hope, receive a box, containing the bloom of 

 a dahlia, from which is produced a stalk terminating 

 in another flower, equally strong and brilliant as the 

 primary. Is not this very unusual? However, it 

 appears to me so remarkable, that I have directed 

 my landlord, a very intelligent young man, to put 

 up the flower and send it to you, trusting it will 

 arrive in good condition, and if so, I hope you will 

 be able to give some kind of notice of the vegetable 

 curiosity in the September number of Science- 

 Gossip. I am here on a brief visit, but I still reside 

 in Torquay, which address, with my name, will 

 always find me." 



Coronilla varia. — In the March number of this 

 year, I read of the occurrence of Ornithosis roseus 

 growing on the banks of the Severn, near Dowles 

 Church. As I had gathered four years ago an um- 

 bellate leguminiferous plant there that I was unable 

 to identify by reference to Hooker, the thought 

 immediately occurred to me, is my old find the same 

 " plant. I accordingly went in search of it on the 

 27th July last, and found it growing in great pro- 

 fusion at the same spot, I then sent a specimen to 

 the Kew Herbarium, and, by the kind courtesy of 

 the director was informed that the plant was Coronilla 

 varia. Believing that this is the same plant as that 

 recorded by Mr. J. E. Nowers in your March number, 

 I send you this brief note, and should be happy to 

 send Mr. Nowers a pressed specimen of the same. — 

 Carleton Rew. 



GEOLOGY. 



Sand Markings. — In crossing the beautiful es- 

 tuary of the Dovey a few days ago, I noticed a small 

 tuft of Carex growing in the slimy sand, with its leaves 

 reclining, as they generally do, so as to touch the 

 surface of the soil in which they grew. When these 

 wiry leaves, of various lengths, were wafted to and fro 

 by the wind they described certain figures on the 

 moist surface, which it would be difficult, if not nigh 

 impossible to account for, had not the cause and 



