289 
FIELD NOTES. 
BOTANY. 
‘ Three = eared ’ Barley. — A specimen of ‘three-earecl’ 
barley having been presented to the Louth Museum, by Mr. J. 
Bainbridge, it was submitted to the Kew authorities, who 
report : ‘ It is a specimen of branched or “ fingered ” barley 
very similar to the form known as Horcleum distichum var. 
ramosium Hochst. The peculiarity is in the replacement of 
some (in this case two) of the central spikelets at the base 
of the ear by short ears.’ Dr. F. Arnold Lees, at whose sug- 
gestion the specimen was sent to Kew, says ‘ that such terato- 
logic aberrations, which of necessity are all uncommon, throw 
light on the impulsions of growth, as compelled by external 
stresses. Evidently the branching energy has not been quite 
suppressed, but (after a delay) has proceeded to produce a 
sessile branch, just an ear, without stalk.’ — J. Larder, The 
Museum, Lou'h. 
Hydrilla verticillata in England. — H. verticillata of 
Caspary in the Botanical Zeit. XIV. 899 (1856) was found by 
Mr. W. H. Pearsall in the Estwaite Water in Lake Lancashire, 
where it was associated with Naias flexilis Rost et Schmidt, 
and other aquatics. It is a close relation of Elodea canadensis 
Michx, in fact it is a debatable question whether Hydrilla, 
Elodea, and Anacharis should not be merged in one genus. In 
Europe it is found in Pomerania, S.E. Prussia, Russia in Wilna, 
Finland and Witebsk Governments, Asia, Australia, Mauritius, 
Madagascar, Central Africa. It has many synonyms, and is 
very rarely found in flower in Europe. — Arthur Bennett. 
BIRDS. 
Late Nesting of the Greenfinch. — Recently Mr. Brook 
of Thongsbridge, near Huddersfield, was surprised to find 
three new nests of a small species of bird, in his garden. On 
July 31st one of the nests contained the usual complement of 
eggs, and on August 10th one of the others contained young 
birds ; the third nest, also containing eggs, was unfortunately 
blown out of the raspberry bush in which it was built. An 
unbroken egg from this nest (which Mr. Brook said represented 
those in all the three nests) was sent to me, and I found it to 
be that of the greenfinch. Surely it is an unusual experience 
to find three pairs of this bird breeding in one garden so late 
in the season. — Geo. T. Porritt, Huddersfield. 
It is not unusual to find late (second) nests of Greenfinches. 
Many are reported this year. There also appears to be many 
late nests of other species. A brood of Hedge-Sparrows left 
1914 Sept. 1. 
