1380. | Zoology. 51 
botanists as S. sempervirens and S. gigantea. Prof. Heer finds that 
the genus attained its greatest development during the Tertiary 
epoch, though it was before largely represented in the Cretaceous. 
Between the two types above named, palzontological collections 
have furnished as many as 24 fossil species; of which number 14 
belong to the Tertiary, and 10 to the Cretaceous. The lower 
chalk alone furnishes 5, two of which, strange to say, are closely 
similar to the surviving species (if not identical). Seguota has 
not, as yet, been found in Jurastic formations, though these are rich 
in Coniferz. 
Botanicat Notes.—The Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club 
for October, contains notes on the flora of the Lake Superior 
Copper region, by A. Hollick, and descriptions of the new fungi, 
by F. Baron Thueman. In the Botanical Gazette for Novem- 
ber, C. H. Peck describes new species of fungi; T. Meehan remarks 
on Viscidity as a seed-distributor; while Dr. Gray notices Kat 
zum macrocarpon, var. intermedium of the Columbia river. 
the California Horticulturist for November, Mr. B. B. Redding 
contributes a note on the valuable edible qualities of the camass, 
root, which is extensively used as an article of food by the In- 
-dians of the western Territories and the Pacific slope. -In 
Trimen’s Journal of Botany for November, Mr. S. H. Vines de- 
scribes the alternation of generations in the Thallophytes. The 
recent deaths of Mr. John Miers in the 72d year of his “Be and 
of Fenzel, the Austrian botanist, are announced. 
ZOOLOGY. ! 
CHANGES IN THE SHELL OF LIMNÆA MEGASOMA PRODUCED BY 
CONFINEMENT.—In a paper by R. P. Whitfild, read at a late meet- 
ing of the Boston Society of Natural History, and entitled, 
“ Description of the animal of Lymnaea megasoma Say, with some 
account of the changes produced by confinement in aquaria and — 
under unnatural conditions,” Mr. Whitfield states that he suc- — 
ceeded in keeping alive a specimen of this species in an isolated 
position in an aquarium in his house at Albany. These speci- 
mens were obtained at Burlington, Vt., in the summer of 1867. 
Two of them speedily died, but the third one survived the change 
to its new abode until the following spring. In February it laid 
eggs supposed to have been unimpregnated. After twenty days the 
animals escaped from the eggs. In the spring of 1868 many of 
these were removed to localities in the vicinity of Albany. 
During February, 1869, those of this lot still remaining in the 
aquarium deposited their eggs, and again during the aed part of 
the following summer. 
rom the winter brood, paa were reared which pened 
eggs in the early part of 1 a 
iThe departments of Ornithology and Mammalogy are conducted by D Dr. Exmore ot 
Coues, U.S. A. ee 
