520 



fishes ; and Jacobi, who was the first to discover (in the course of 

 the last century) the mechanism of fecundation among these fishes, 

 had noted the proportion of twin monsters in fishes' eggs. His 

 observations and those of Lereboullet coincide with the result 

 obtained by M. Dareste, that while external conditions may often 

 determine the formation of simple monsters, they are absolutely 

 without effect in regard to the evolutions of double monstrosities. 



Importation of useful Insects. — At a recent meeting of the 

 London Entomological Society, Mr. Dunning stated that he had 

 received a communication from Mr. Nottidge. of New Zealand, 

 asking if it were possible to send over humble-bees, in order, by 

 means of cross fertilization, to procure seeds from clover, which 

 plant remained infertile in the colony, failing suitable insect agency 

 to aid its fertilization. It was suggested that by procuring a suffi- 

 cient number of humble-bees when in a dormant condition, and 

 keeping them in that state (by means of ice) dining the voyage, 

 the result might be obtained. Mr. McLachlan mentioned that he 

 had received a letter from Capt. Hutton, from the same colony, 

 stating that indigenous A/>hi'!i;s did not, apparently, exist there, 

 but imported species were becoming very destructive, and lie asked 

 if it would be possible to import Chrysopa.— Entomologist's 

 Monthly Magazine, Jan., 1871. 



Nesting of the Prairie Warbler in New Hampshire. — I ob- 

 tained in northern New Hampshire, at the latitude of Mt. Wash- 

 ington (44£°), a nest of the prairie warbler, containing four eggs, 

 which differ from all other specimens that I have ever seen. It 

 is also a summer resident there, though Lynn, Mass., in 42±° lati- 

 tude, has hitherto been generally accepted as the northern limit 

 at which this bird breeds. — II. D. Minot. 



GEOLOGY. 



Elden Hole, Derkyshire. — We copy the following abstract 

 from "Nature" of a paper read by Mr. R. Pennington before the 

 l.iierarv and I'hiloM.phical Society of Manchester, dan. 2G, as^of 



bottomless pits in this country. 



"Near the road from Luxton to (.'a-tleton. and about four miles 

 from the latter place, stands Elden Hill, in the side of which is 



