a em a a a 
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i878] 3: Zoology. 53 
The Nuovo Giornale Botanico Italiano, for October, contains a 
paper by O. Beccari, describing a new genus of the family 
Olacinez ; and the editor, T. Caruel, proposes a new classification 
of plants, the reasons for which are to be given in an unpublished 
work on vegetable morphology. The transactions of the Royal 
Swedish Academy for 1874 and 1875 ( just received in this coun- 
try), contains papers by Heer, on the miocene flora of Greenland ; 
by Berggren, on the mosses and Hepaticz = a an 
also on the mosses of Disco Island, Greenlan 
ZOOLOGY. 
NOTE ON THE GARTER SNAKE.—While making some geological 
examinations on the bank of Lone Tree Creek in Colorado last 
summer, I started a common snake (Zutenia, sp.) upon the bank. 
It immediately took to the water, which was then about eighteen 
inches deep and had but little current, rested upon the surface and 
looked at me. I threw a stone which struck near it, when it im- 
mediately stretched itself upon the surface, gulped. down into its 
lung a quantity of air, and immediately dived to the bottom and 
remained there. The mass of air it swallowed caused a distinct 
globular swelling of the body, which I saw pass along to the region 
occupied by the posterior end of the lung, where it remained, as | 
could distinctly see through the clear water, after it had reached 
the bottom. I then threw a broad, flat stone so that it fell upon 
the snake and held it fast, whereupon two or three large bubbles 
of air rose to the surface. I then lifted the stone from it with a 
stick, allowing it to ce and as it did so I saw that the air- 
swelling had disappea 
I infer that this is probali? a habit with the snakes under such 
i circumstances, but I was not aware of it before.. In this case the 
air seems to have been intentionally passed back to the posterior, 
_ simple sac-like portion of the lung, where respiratory capillaries 
are few, to be passed forward to the more cellular anterior portion 
- when the respiratory needs might require it 
The cellular character of the anterior portion of the lung would 
seem to have offered some impediment to the rapid swallowing of 
so much air, but I am sure it was so done in this case.—C. A. 
WuiTtr, | D. 
NESTING OF THE ROBIN On THE GROUND.—An instance of this 
deviation from the usual conditions of nest-building came to my 
knowledge in May, 1875, near Vineland, New Jersey, where I 
found a nest of Turdus migratorius on the ground. It contained 
four eggs, and was not peculiar in structure. The nest was identi- 
fied, as one of the old birds flew from it on my approach. I also 
l _ saw a stump about a foot and a half high, on which I was informed — 
= that a pair of robins had nested.—H. W. Turner, Ithaca, New 
Yor 
