The Naturalist. 



Scajphidium quadrimaculatum at Wentbridge. — Upon my return from 

 a ramble in Wentvale and its neighbourhood this evening, I discovered 

 amongst my captures a single specimen of Scaphidium quadrimaculatum, 

 Oliv. The beetle is quite new to me, nor do I remember having heard 

 before of its being taken on Yorkshire ground. — E. B. Wrigglesworth, 

 Wakefield, April 22nd. 



Elodea canadensis. — May not broken fragments of the stem of this 

 plant be conveyed from place to place by water-fowl, and its presence in 

 isolated ponds be thus accounted for 1 I have myself seen water-birds 

 disporting themselves amongst it in such a manner as almost to ensure 

 the entanglement of small portions of the plant under their wings or 

 otherwise. A believer in spontaneous generation would never hold that 

 a plant so high in the scale as Elodea was spontaneously generated in the 

 ponds referred to, and therefore some mode of conveyance must be 

 imagined. The above explanation seems to me to have no particular 

 improbability in it, and I therefore offer it as a suggestion. — W. Fowler, 

 Liversedge Vicarage, Yorkshire, April 3rd. 



Yorkshire Mosses.— I shall be glad to be allowed to make a few brief 

 remarks about some mosses. First as to Hypnum giganteum, found by 

 me above Ilkley. I sent this to Mr. Hobkirk by the advice of Dr. Lees, 

 who informed me that it had not previously been recorded for Yorkshire, 

 and therefore ought to be. I accompanied the specimen with a letter, in 

 which I happened to remark that it had not been found by Mr. Baker, 

 when investigating the locality where I found it, or he would no doubt 

 have mentioned so rare and fine a moss. By this I only meant to say 

 that he had not happened to light on it. But, as was most earnestly 

 pointed out to me by Dr. Lees, I soon saw that Baker's description of 

 this locality was not meant to be exhaustive, but only to give a general 

 outline of the features and flora of an eu-geogenous formation, and he 

 chose the place as being so well known. It is not, too, in North York- 

 shire. Any locality in North Yorkshire will be found to be thoroughly 

 well described in his book. Now as to the two mosses — Didymodon 

 luridus and Hypnum im^ponens — recorded by Dr. Parsons in the April 

 number of the Naturalist, and said to be new to Yorkshire. I have 

 D. luridus, found by me in November last. This I sent, amongst others, 

 to Mr. Hobkirk. It is given in the March number. Then as to Hypnum 

 imponens : I have a specimen labelled Strensall Common, and sent me by 

 Dr. Braithwaite last year, and with this I send it, found by me also at 

 Strensall in March, 1877, and now, as will be seen, verified by Mr. H. 

 Boswell. Let it not be thought that I have any wish to be the first finder 

 of a moss ; I only wish for perfect accuracy. I do not see the exchange 

 system in force yet. I have plenty to give away. Letters of application, 

 giving list of wants, will be attended to. — J. S. Wesley, Wetherby. 



Hypnum imponens. — On April 6th I searched the part of Strensall 

 Common (near York) where last year I found Hypnum imponens. After 



