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The Naturalist. 



good exemplification of animal disguise, and its striped arrangement of 

 black and white enables it easily to elude observation. I have watched it 

 catch flies, which it does by stalking, making a gradual and insidious 

 approach till within leaping distance. The localities in which I have 

 observed it are Pannal, Kirkstall, and at Hyde Park and Sunny Bank, in 

 Leeds, the times of year being in May, June, and July. I noticed this 

 species also this year at the railway station at Crowle, in Lincolnshire. 

 The diving, or water spider {Argyroneta aquatica) I have taken abun- 

 dantly in Askham Bog, near York. I have seen specimens of the garden 

 spider {Epeira diadema), from Barwick-in-Elmete, brought to the Leeds 

 Naturalists' Club in 1874 by Mr. S. Schofield, but I have not taken it 

 myself. In 1868 I found a specimen of a villanous-looking species of the 

 same genus, Epeira nmhratica, at Pannal : it was secreted beneath the 

 loose bark of a felled tree ; this I kept alive for some length of time. — 

 Wm. Denison Roebuck, Sunny Bank, Leeds, Oct. 29th. 



The Water Spider (Argyroneta aquatica). — About the year 1854 or 

 1855 I had the pleasure of discovering a colony of these interesting little 

 creatures in a small pond cut off the north bank of the river Calder, near 

 Methley, at a place called Frost Dam. This little pool abounded with 

 life, and the water of it was very clear. Here the water spiders were in 

 abundance, and from here 1 obtained from time to time specimens for my 

 aquarium. About ten or twelve years ago the Midland Railway Co. 

 erected a pump at this place, and since that time I have failed to find the 

 spiders in their accustomed haunt. Their habits, as seen in my aquarium, 

 were very interesting, From the first lot of spiders I collected I had a 

 brood of young ones, which were devoured by their parents. Probably, 

 however, this cannibalism was due to the abnormal circumstances of 

 captivity, such as limited space, and, possibly, insufiicient supply of food. 

 In what other localities in the county are they to be found ? — John 

 Grassham, 11, Meanwood-street, Leeds, Nov. 10th. 



REVIEWS, &c.—" A Pocket Guide to British Ferns. By Marian S. 

 Ridley. — London : D. Bogue, 1881." — This little work has been written 

 to meet a want, and we think the authoress has succeeded in her 

 endeavours. In her own words — " In my own personal studies I have 

 met with this difficulty, viz., to gather from the published volumes on 

 Ferns what the decided special features, or characters, are of each genus 

 and species * * * and I have found mine to be no solitary 

 instance," &c. The plan of the work is, that it first gives a general 

 description of ferns as distinguished from other cryptogamia, along with 

 notes on their different parts, and a diagnosis of the genera. The greater 

 part is taken up by tables (one on each page) of the various species. In 

 these tables the different parts of a fern are arranged in always the same 

 order in a left-hand column, and to the right are given the manner in 

 which they are developed or are absent in every species. Space will not 



