THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



888 



high lands in the North of England, under 

 stones, &c. 



Striata. — A very small shell, short and 

 oval, yellowish, striated, aperture with six 

 teeth. It dwells in damp places, under stones, 

 &c. (This is more generally known as Sub- 

 striata.) 



Pusilla. — This is a very minute shell, 

 oval, smooth raid glossy, aperture with six to 

 eight teeth, whorls reversed. It is a local 

 species, found in woods among moss or under 

 stones. 



Vertigo.- -A minute shell similar to the 

 last, oval, aperture small with four or five 

 teeth, whorls reversed. It is found among wet 

 grass, but is a rare species. 



Bdentllla. -This shell, though small, is 

 one of the largest of the genus ; it is Pupa-like 

 in form, yellowish, and glossy, the aperture is 

 without teeth. It is found about wet grass. 

 &c., and though not confined to any particular 

 district, it is n >t common. 



Minuta- — This is an exceedingly minute 

 species, being the smallest of the genus and 

 the smallest of our land shells ; the aperture 

 is without teeth. It is a rare species, found 

 on hills, under stones in damp places. 

 (To be continued.) 



THE GRASS OF PARNASSUS. 



( Parnassia palustris.) 



By J. P. Soutter. 



During the present month there comes into 

 flower one of the most beautiful of our bog- 

 plants, which is not only interesting from the 

 chaste beaut}' of its flowers, which are very 

 conspicuous and attractive, but also from 

 their peculia. structure, and the mode of 

 development c f the stamens, which makes it 

 quite unique amongst British plants. It is an 

 universal favorite with all who have once 

 seen it, and it is justly regarded as the pride 

 of our northern bogs. In autumn after the 

 curiously beautiful and elegant flowers of the 

 bog-bean have disappeared. It is very 



abundant in almost every marshy moor in 

 Scotland, and is not unfrequent in suitable 

 localities, wet bogs and dam)- sandy river 

 banks, in the north of England ; going south- 

 ward it rapidly becomes scarcer, and in the 

 southern counties it is unknown. Although 

 called the Grass of Parnassus it has nothing 

 in common, either in structure or appearance, 

 with the true grasses, the name was given to 

 it by the old Greek writers, because it grew 

 upon Mount Parnassus, and certainly it is a 

 I fitting plant to grace the haunt of the muses, 

 although as we have seen it is by no means 

 confined to that locality. It is very easily 

 recognised, and cannot be mistaken for any 

 other plant. The root is perennial, and 

 before the flowers appear, it may be identified 

 by its compact cluster of light-green heart- 

 shaped leaves ; or rather longish stalks, all 

 radical, that is springing directly from the 

 root. The flowering stems are very numer- 

 ous, I have counted as many as 36 from a 

 single root, the}- rise to the height of about a 

 foot, slender, square, or angular, often 

 twisted, with one leaf at or below the middle, 

 and bearing a large, solitary buttercup- 

 shaped flower, consisting of five petals of 

 purest white, with numerous dark veins all 

 converging towards the centre of the flower, 

 where is situated the delicately pink, or 

 flesh-tinted ovary, which ultimately contains 

 the seeds, and surrounding it are Ave stamens 

 of a light-cream color. So far there is 

 I nothing unusual in the structure or appear- 

 ance of the flower, but alternating with the 

 J stamens are five greenish, fleshy, fan-shaped 

 scales, fringed with a row of slender yellowish 

 j hairs, each tipped with a round knob like a 

 j small pin. These are the nectaries, and they 

 secrete a large quantity of nectar, which is 

 very attractive to insects, so that the flowers 

 are frequented by great numbers, especially 

 flies. A fully expanded flower will rarely be 

 I seen without several flies traversing it in all 

 ; directions, and industriously sucking the 

 j nectariferous, scales. When the flower ex- 

 ! pands the five stamens are seen clearly sur- 

 i 



