Miscellaneous. 



MISCELLANEOUS. 



ON A WHITE VARIETY OF THE HYACINTH AND COLUMBINE. 



PontypooJ, July 16, 1840. 

 Sir, — I have to apologize for having so long delayed the remainder 

 of my communication upon spontaneous generation, but having been 

 rather fully engaged since the first part of it was inserted, I have 

 not been able to transcribe it : I hope to be able to send it in about a 

 week or ten days, so that I am afraid it will be too late for the next 

 Number. 



In addition to the white varieties of plants mentioned by Mr. 

 Adams in the last Number, I have observed in this neighbourhood 

 white varieties of the common Hyacinth and Columbine {Aquilegia) : 

 the whole plant of the latter varies very much in colour from the 

 proper plant, being wholly of a light green, and possessing none of 

 the purplish-brown shade on the stems, so conspicuous in its normal 

 state, so that they may easily be known when not in flower. I have 

 seen large bushes of it growing within a few yards of the other va- 

 riety. 



I remain, yours most respectfully, 



James Bladon. 



P.S. The species of Crane Fly alluded to is a species of Tricho- 

 cera, according to Mr. Westwood, from whom I have received a let- 

 ter to that effect; he has also mentioned it in his " Introduction." 



ON A SPECIES OF BAL/ENOPTER A STRANDED ON CHARM OUTH BEACH. 



Charmouth, Dorset, 9th July, 1840. 



Sir, — My communication to Mr. Charlesworth respecting a spe- 

 cies of Balaenoptera stranded on Charmouth beach, which appears in 

 your Magazine of Natural History of the 1st of July, should have 

 been corrected by my second letter to him on the same subject pre- 

 viously to its being published. In my second communication I re- 

 quested that the paragraph stating " that two small bones repre- 

 senting the pelvis in quadrupeds were attached (one on each side) 

 to the first caudal vertebra," should be omitted, as no suck bones exist ; 

 my second letter also contained several particulars respecting the 

 sternum, os hyoides, bones of the spine, &c, which should have 

 been incorporated with the first account, as it would have rendered 

 it more complete and correct. 



I gave as my chief reason for believing " that our species differed 

 from those previously described," the circumstance of its possessing 

 only sixty vertebra, the others having sixty-two ; a more particular 

 and careful investigation has convinced me that two of the small 

 caudal bones have been lost, making the whole number sixty-two, 

 and I am now convinced that it is nothing more or less than a small 

 specimen of the species stranded at Ostend some years ago, and ex- 

 hibited in London, viz. the Rorqual " Balsenoptera boops." 



Yours, &c, 

 R. H. Sweeting, Surgeon. 



