554 
MISCELLANEOUS NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS. 
the air, in the presence of non-nitrogenous matter. S. H. Vines says, 
“It may be that the development of this organism is specially 
favoured by the presence of the tubercular roots of the Papilionaceie 
in the soil, and that the nitrogenous substances which it produces 
are absorbed by the roots after having undergone nitrification,” 
that “ the tubercle eventually becomes disorganised, the gemmules 
are then set free, and are doubtless the means by which the fungus 
attacks other plants” (Text Book of Bot. p. 713). The whole 
subject of nitrification in the soil is an extremely interesting one, 
especially to the agriculturist. It is a process of fermentation or 
putrefaction, and consists in the reduction or decomposition of the 
ammonia compounds into nitrites in the first stage, and these into 
nitrates in the second stage. Two forms of Bacteria are concerned 
in this operation, the first known as the nitrous bacterium, the 
second as the nitric bacterium. It may be that, in the future, 
the isolation and cultivation of these special Bacteria, may be 
looked on as an important preliminary to the preparation of 
inferior soils for agricultural purposes. I allude here to the bac- 
terium which can utilise the nitrogen of the atmosphere, because 
ordinary nitrification necessitates a supply of organic matter in the 
soil, to be acted upon. The importance of these tubercles to 
the life of certain plants must be of interest to every botanist. — 
W. A. Nicholson, lion. Sec. 
Aculeate Hymenoptera at Tosbock, near Bury St. Edmund’s. 
During the season of 1898 — the first half of which was very 
unfavourable, I added the following to my list of Aculeate- 
llymenoptera : — 
Miinesa Shuckardi, Wesm. August 14th, two females. 
,, bicolor, Jur. August 13th, four males. 
Hoplisus 4-fasciatus, Fab. I took several of both sexes of this 
marsh insect in August upon the blooms of Angelica sgloestris. 
Cerceris arenaria, Linn. A small colony in a sand-pit, Aug. 13th, 
both sexes flying in bright sunshine, 2.30 p.m. 
Sphecodes puncticeps, Thoms. September 2nd, one female. 
Halictus xanthopus, Kirb. A female, May 18th, on Dutch Clover. 
Andrena denticulata, Kirb. A female, August 15th, on Ling. 
,, fuscipes, Kirb. A female and four males flying over 
Ling, August 13th. 
