Seasonal Notes 



455 



sketches. First take the whole plant or sporophore, and then 

 its several characteristic parts, making a special drawing of 

 each. If you are not much of a draughtsman you will find the 

 practice improving and by no means wholly disappointing. 

 If, however, neither ability nor leisure permit, then be content 

 to find, gather, describe and identify, making a list as you go 

 on. Each month will add to your collection, and not so fast as 

 to be embarrassing. We shall month by month do our best to 

 give assistance. 



Though many molluscs hibernate in winter, several species 

 may be found at this time of year awake under logs and 

 stones in sheltered woods. It is, however, no use looking 

 for them on the greensand soils, which are always inimical 

 to molluscan life. In the latter part of January the writer, 

 accompanied by a young friend interested in conchology, 

 visited one of the known haunts of Helix obvoluta, an ex- 

 tremely local species, hoping to observe its manner of hyber- 

 nation. Many bleached shells (64) were found on the surface 

 soil in various parts of the wood, but much digging and 

 scooping at the base of the beeches and hazels failed to 

 reveal a single living specimen. The same with Ena montana. 

 Two or three Clausilia laminata and C. bidentata (dead shells 

 only) were observed. The scarcity of these usually common 

 species is noteworthy. Bleached shells only, of Helix aspersa, 

 H. nemoralis, H. hovtensis (one with B. F. 00300), H. arbustorum 

 and H. lapicida occurred in plenty. Several living Clausilia 

 volphii were obtained. Other living molluscs taken during 

 the day were Helix rotundata, H. mfescens, Vitrina pellucida, 

 Vitrea alliavia, V. pura and V. cvystallina ; also the slugs 

 Agriolimax agrestis and Avion fasciatus. 



The present time is favourable for the study of lichens. A 

 lichen well exemplifies a condition variously termed sym- 

 biosis and mutualism, in which two plants originally quite 

 distinct have, with the loss of some individuality in each, 

 arrived at that happy state in which both are able to flourish 



