62 



THE NATURALIST. 



to Hed wig's H. aduncum, and there was the great anthority of Dr. Swartz for 

 so naming it. In Bryol. Europ., the leaves are unhappily described as 

 " hand plicata" ; for if not actually plicate, as inH. 2^?zcM2a^e^??i, with which it is 

 contrasted ; they are very remarkably striate, and by this obvious mark the 

 moss may always, in the field, be easily recognised. But it will be seen 

 that even if no mistake had occurred as to this species, the Bryol. Europ., would 

 uot have helped in any degree to the determination of Hedwig's H. adunoum^ 

 every one being equally in the dark on that subject. 



In the Hookerian Herharium one of the specimens from Dr. Swartz, 

 named H. aduncum, is only a form of U. Jiuitans, having monoicous inflor- 

 escence, a character not attended to in those days, and only brought into itsr 

 proper use by the authors of Bryol. Eur op., as the guiding star in the deter- 

 mination of closely allied species. This specimen seems to have been taken 

 by Dawson Turner as the typical form of aduncum \ for there is a drawing 

 of the leaf in the margin of his own copy of Muse. Hib., which has most 

 probably been taken from this very specimen. 



There is in the Turnerian Herharium, a beautiful red, narrow-leaved, 

 variety of H. exannulatum, from Ben IsTevis, (by Mr. Borrer, 1810,) called 

 " H. Hoolceri, n. sp. Turn. MSS." 



Dudley and Midland Geological Society. 

 —On Tuesday, April 25th, a Field meeting 

 was held on Cannock Chase, for the purpose 

 of examining the new sinking and colliery 

 workings, in connection with the Northern 

 portion of the South Staffordshire Coal- 

 field. About sixty members were present. 

 The second Field meeting was held on May 

 16th, in the Southern portion of the coal- 

 field, where also, a considerable number of 

 new mines are being opened. The party 

 was conveyed by special train, and was 

 more numerous than at the April meeting. 

 The botanists had the able guidance of the 

 Kev. J. H. Thompson, who gave an address 

 on one of the hills, on the Geology and 

 Botany of the neighbourhood. New species 

 of Trilohite, Carpolite, and Cystidea^ were 



exhibited at a recent meeting of the Soci- 

 ety. The next meeting is fixed for June 

 20th, at Oxford. 



High W y combe Natural History Society. 

 The members met at 1-30 on Saturday, 

 20th May, for their second field day to 

 Whittington Park and the adjoining dis- 

 trict. It forms the highest ground in the 

 south of the county, and from its diversi- 

 fied character, consisting of heath, bog and 

 woodland, is the habitat of many species of 

 animals and plants. It is not a little re- 

 markable that land so elevated should 

 nevertheless in some portions be so marshy 

 as to be unable to sustain ihe weight of the 

 body in walking over it : this moisture 

 collects and runs into a deep pit known as 

 the Swilly Hole, disappearing in an aper- 

 ture at the bottom and thus communicating 

 with some subterranean stream or spring. 



