MISCELLANEOUS NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS. 855 
to be regretted, as it would then be seen how good a work 
the Society is doing, the Hon. Secretary is Mr. Henry P. 
Frederick, South Quay, Great Yarmouth.— T. S. 
Estuarine Shells from Ludham. — On 28th April, 1908, 
I sent foi exhibition at the Meeting specimens of shells found 
in mud dredged out of the River Ant near Ludham Bridge 
in the summer of 1906. 1 his mud was found to contain 
immense Quantities of Molluscan shells of all sizes belonging 
to the species Scrobicularia ; piper ata , ( indium cdule and 
Tcllina balthica. Mixed with these were a few shells of the 
Oyster and of freshwater species such as Utiio pictorum and 
Paludina vivipara. The first three species mentioned are 
Molluscs commonly found between tide marks and in estuaries, 
and their occurrence at this spot is an interesting reminder of 
the estuarine conditions which must have prevailed in the 
Bure and its tributaries as late as Roman times. The excellent 
preservation of the specimens, the two valves being often not 
separated, and the minute size of some of the individuals show 
that they were not the refuse from St. Benet’s Abbey, but 
must have lived where they were found. — Robert Gurney. 
Hydra. — This year (1908) Hydrcr have been numerous in 
all the ditches I have tried ; especially Hydra viridis, which 
was very prevalent in the vicinity of Stalham and Horsey 
Broads on Ranunculus and other plants. During July 
I made a special visit to South Walsham dyke, and found 
Hydra fusca in abundance, but a few weeks later in mid 
August came across a large variety of a very dark olive colour 
(almost black). This creature had the power of extending its 
tentacles to a much larger extent than any I had hitherto 
seen, viz., about ten times the length of its own body. I have 
carried out Tremblev’s experiment on one of these and met 
with complete success. For instance, I cut three tentacles 
off a fine specimen close to the stoma, and cut the body clean 
in half. In a few days the lopped tentacles grew to their 
original length, and the separated portion of the body com- 
menced in a few days to put forth fresh tentacles and 
in fourteen days a perfectly new animal was produced. 
