July, 1890 . 
WAYSIDE NOTES. 
165 
Triticum junceum. Also growing by the side of the Droitwich 
Canal. 71/?*. Lees refers the Droitwich Canal Triticum to T. laxum, 
Fries. See “Botany of Worcestershire,” p. 21. (Triticum 
acutum, DC.) See Scott , “ Mid. Nat.,” Vol. XI., p. 42. 
Professor Buckman refers the presence of the Droitwich 
Canal plants to two possible causes : “ Either that the seeds 
were brought up by vessels trafficking on the Severn and 
Canal, or that they were derived from the seeds of plants 
which actually grew there when the marine conditions 
formerly prevailed, and that the partial restoration of the 
same circumstances in the canal caused them again to 
germinate.” Professor Buckman adopts the latter alternative, 
the former appears to me at least equally probable. 
Villarsia Nymphaeoides. In the River Avon, between Pershore and 
Eckington, June, 1850. Mr. George Reece, Curator of the 
Worcester Museum. Yol. IV., p. 5. First county record. 
A paper on the Rubi, by Mr. Edwin Lees, dated March 9th, 
1858, Yol. IV., p. 917, must stand over for future notice. 
Another periodical belonging to this epoch is the 
“Botanical Gazette.” It was edited by Arthur Henfrey, and 
existed only three years, 1849 to 1851. Many of the best 
known botanists of the time were among the contributors, 
but it contains, so far as I know, no new Worcester records. 
( To be continued.) 
fKitpk fbfes. 
Cystic Condition of the Gonads in Helix aspersa. —Last year, 
(June 25th), when dissecting a Helix aspersa, I found the neck of the 
spermatheca dilated into a cyst (Jin. diam.), and the longer portion of 
the same duct also dilated, but not so much as the neck. The other 
diverticulum was dilated for §in. (longmeas.) two inches from its com¬ 
mencement, and again half an inch higher up still from this dilation 
another occurred, about Jin. in long meas. These little pathological 
conditions are interesting, and it is a wonder that conchologists have as 
yet paid hardly any attention to the subject.—J. W. Williams, 57, 
Corinne Road, Tufnell Park, London, N. 
Helix rofescens monst. Subscalare (monst. nov.)—Mr. A. Mayfield, 
of Norwich, has lately sent me an interesting subscalariform mon¬ 
strosity of Helix rufescens (Penn.), which presents several peculiarities, 
and which, so long as variety naming exists, I purpose calling monst. 
subscalare. The shell is large, brownish, with a white band at the 
periphery (so far corresponding to Cockerell’s var. albocincta, vide 
“ Naturalist’s World,” 1886, p. 179); spire elevated, with its whorls 
subcarinated and flattened; body-whorl smaller than in type, depressed, 
subcarinated; suture canaliculate; umbilicus wider, revealing the 
whorls of the spire ; inner lip distinct and reflected on to the body- 
whorl, forming a well-marked “ parietal wall;” the whole shell sub¬ 
scalariform; diam., 11*5 mill.; alt., 8 mill.; locality, Eaton, Norwich. 
—J. W. Williams, Mitton, Stourport. 
