108 
MISCELLANEOUS NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS. 
Proposal for a Fresh-water Biological Station in 
Norfolk. — The idea of the establishment of such a station in 
Norfolk waters, first suggested by Mr. Bidgood, revived itself 
in my mind, after reading a description in ‘ Natural Science,’ 
a few months ago, of the biological station on the shores of the 
lakes in Bohemia. This consisted of a portable house, or hut, 
which could be erected in a short time at any particular spot, 
and removed when required. The great size of these lakes, and 
possibility of storms, would render work (microscopical, e.r/.) almost 
impossible on a floating craft of any kind. Thus, no doubt, the 
portable house would be the most convenient for such a district. 
In the sheltered Broads and waterways of Norfolk, however, 
such difficulties do not exist. A wherry, fitted up for the purpose 
of investigation, would answer admirably. That there is important 
work to be done, of great benefit to science, in the zoology and 
botany of the Broad district, will be generally acknowledged. The 
discovery of Cordyloplwra in Heigh am Sounds, a few years ago 
(by Mr. Bidgood), was, I believe, an event hitherto unrecorded for 
that district. This organism is interesting, as Gordylophora is the 
only member of the order Corynida which inhabits fresh water. 
Mr. Geldart gave us an account of its life-history at the time. 
I mention this as an instance that the district is not by any 
means thoroughly explored. In botany, Hickling Broad is the 
only known habitat, in England, of Nains marina, according to 
Bentham and Hooker. I have searched for it myself, but have 
not been successfn.l in finding it. Again, Tolypellopsis stelliyera, 
found in the Hickling district, is specially interesting, as, according 
to Mr. Bennett (‘Transactions,’ vol. iii. p. 382), up to 1882, it 
had been found nowhere else in Britain. There are several points 
in its life-history yet to be explained. For the study of the 
group of Characece, Norfolk waters offer great inducements, as 
they contain many species, several of which have not yet been 
recorded for the county. For the whole of the aquatic flora, Norfolk 
seems to offer special facilities for. clearing up obscure points. To 
mention only one of these obscure points, the economy of Stratiotes 
aluides (Water Soldier) requires investigation, as, in spring, the 
plants rise to the surface for flowering, and in autumn sink down 
into the mud again, for the winter, it is supposed for the purpose 
of ripening its seeds. The cause of the rising and sinking of this 
plant has yet to be discovered, though a theory to account for it has 
