NATURAL HISTORY NOTES. 
85 
Mr. Joseph Prestwick, Professor of Geology in the University of 
Oxford, has, by thirty-two votes out of fifty, been elected a corre¬ 
sponding member in mineralogy of the Academie des Sciences in the 
place of the late Quintino Sella. 
M. A. Bechamp brought before the Academie des Sciences, on 
January 19tli, a paper “ On the Origin of the Microzymas and 
Vibrionians Everywhere.” He argues against M. Pasteur that these 
germs are to be sought for originally in the ground and water, where 
they are deposited by the disintegration of the neozoic and palaeozoic 
rocks and by decomposing animal and vegetable matter of all kinds. 
Mr. Ferguson, of Kinmundy, read a paper before the Edinburgh 
Geological Society at the last meeting “ On Certain Deposits of 
Graphite and Ii*on in Aberdeenshire.” Details were given of veins of 
haematite iron and manganese which are very extensive, and many of 
the veins were found to be as rich as the Spanish ore. Plumbago is 
plentiful, the only question being its production and transport so as to 
be used economically. 
Notes from Woking.— On April 13th, 1883, as recorded in the 
“Midland Naturalist,” I found a large colony of the British Trap¬ 
door Spider, Atypus piceas (Sulzer), in this neighbourhood. Since that 
time I have found three other colonies, to all of which I have made 
very frequent tours of inspection, carefully noting down on the spot 
something relating to the habits and economy of this most interesting 
spider, whose life-history I shall be able to give in a few months hence. 
On December 30th, 1884, whilst examining one of the “ tubes ” or 
nests, I displaced some of the loose sand, causing it to fall down, when 
out crawled an Andrena, which, after shaking itself clean, tried to fly, 
but was quickly boxed, and before I had time to transfer it to my 
pocket, I saw a Nomada extricate itself from the loose sand, and it 
succeeded in flying a few inches before I captured it. The day had 
been beautifully fine and spring-like, though the night following was 
frosty. I transferred both bees to a large pot nearly full of sand, and, 
on examining next day, found both had buried themselves, the 
Nomada coming up again in a few days, remaining on the moss, 
except when the weather was warmer, when it became very active. I 
took it out on January 21st, and next day dug the Andrena out, which 
had burrowed down four inches deep. I sent both specimens to Mr. 
Ed. Saunders, who always is so kind in giving me the names of bees, 
&c. He identified them as male Andrena nigroeenea and female Nomada 
alternata. No doubt the exceedingly mild November had brought 
them forward more than three months before the usual time of their 
appearance.— Fred. Enock. 
Lycopodium clavatum.— Mr. Enock has also sent me specimens of 
the Wolfs Claw, Lycopodium clavatum , from heath lands, near London, 
and the sight of this interesting plant recalled to my recollection the 
fact that it was first recorded as a British plant from Hampstead 
Heath by Gerarde in his “History of Plants,” 1597. Some of the 
readers of this magazine may feel an interest in knowing what our old 
and quaint friend Gerarde had to say about this plant, for it is some¬ 
times pleasant to hear what our predecessors of 300 years ago thought 
and said about objects which interest some of us who live in more 
enlightened times. Speaking of this plant, which he calls Muscus 
clavatum, site Lycopodium , Club Mosse, or Wolfe Claw Mosse, he says, 
“ There is likewise another sort of mosse, which I have not elsewhere 
found than upon Hampstead Heath, near unto a little cottage, grow- 
