NOTES MOLLUSCA AND PLANTS. 



59 



The 1 Arion flavus'' appears to be identical with the form described 

 under this name. Whether it is distinct from A. hortensis is quite 

 another matter. It was, however, found within a foot of a very 

 characteristic example of A. hortensis v.fasciata. 



Neuroptera. — By way of postscript I may add that I took two 

 species when in Lancashire, for the names of which I am indebted to 

 Mr. McLachlan. They are Hemerobius nervosus from Rainhill, and 

 Limnophilus lunatus from the side of a pond between Rainhill and 

 Warrington. They are, he says, 'both very common; ' but as so little 

 has been done in recording the geographical distribution of these 

 insects, it will be well to record them. 



NOTE— MOLL USCA . 

 Achatina acicuia (the Needle Agate Shell).— I read with much 



pleasure the notes on Achatina acicuia by Mr. J. Emmet, in the Naturalist, and 

 noted his quotation from Gray : ' Found in stone coffins of the Saxon period.' 

 Concerning this quotation, the following remarks may be of interest. During 

 August I visited Bath, and spent a couple of hours in the very excellent museum 

 of the Literary and Scientific Society, in which there is much to interest con- 

 chologists. Amongst other things I saw some ' Powdered quartz from two stone 

 coffins (Saxon ?) found in Bathwick Hill, 12 feet below the surface.'' Accompanying 

 this powdered quartz were the following objects taken from it, arranged and named. 

 It will be noticed what an extraordinary assemblage of remains was present. The 

 list includes Fossil Shells and Echinoderms, a Sea Lily, Marine and Land Shells, 

 &c.:— Serpula (Fossil), oolite ; Terebratula (Fossil), oolite ; Echinus spines (Fossil); 

 Haematite Iron-ore; Pentacrinites (Fossil); Achatina acicuia, 50 specimens ; Zua 

 (Cochlicopa) lubrica, 25 ; Anomia ephippium ; Limax ( ? species) ; Helix 

 rufescens, 1 ; Helix pulchella, 12 ; Helix concinna, 1 ; Helix virgata, 1 ; Zonites 

 cellarius, I. Can any reader of the Naturalist say whether this was the instance 

 upon which Gray's remark was based? (It maybe worth while noting that in 

 another case there were man) 7 recent Land and Freshwater Shells, of several species, 

 extracted from the head of a Goat, taken from 14 feet below the surface in the Bath 

 Valley* Also there is a Dinornis bone from New Zealand, from the hollow of 

 which were taken many shells, Hydrobia ?, Flelix ?, &c.) — C. T. Musson, 

 Nottingham, October 5th, 1885. 



NOTES— BOTANY. 

 Araucaria producing Seed in East Yorkshire.— There are two 



very fine Araucarias in Burton Constable Park, near Hull, and last autumn I 

 observed on many of the branches clusters of long narrow cones, which I sub- 

 sequently discovered to be the male cones. On the nth October last I observed 

 two very large fuzzy masses on one of the trees at the end of the branches, high up. 

 I thought these must be female cones, but could not then get at them. On the 

 25th October, being very anxious to examine them, I borrowed an old coat from a 

 gamekeeper who lived near, and, at the expense of a few scratches, climbed the 

 tree. On touching one of the cones in question it fell to pieces, and I discovered 

 that it consisted of a great number of long seeds, narrowing to a point at one end, 

 and attached to a tough white cone-shaped substance by their pointed ends. 

 There must have been over fifty of them. The other cone had produced no seeds. 

 I gathered up as many of the seeds as I could find, and intend to have them 

 planted. I presume the cone must have been produced last year, and attained 

 maturity this summer, though I did not observe it last year.— E. W. Wade, Hull, 

 November 3rd, 1885. 



Feb. 1886. 



