40 
THE NATURALISTS ? JOURNAL. 
“ That is of minor importance to me,” said the Swan-mussel, 
majestically; “ money goes for little in my family. As I was 
saying—or about to say—we are the largest fluviatile bivalves 
which Europe possesses, and naturally we are very proud of 
the honour. I, myself, am over six inches in breadth; but 
many others of my race far surpass me in size and shape; for 
you must know I am the type form of the swan-mussel. 
Among the many varieties, I must not omit to mention the 
one called Anatina . Some of my biographers have made this 
into a separate species; but I cannot submit to this indignity 
on our race without a word of protest. It is enough to m ike 
all our seven-inch specimens turn black with rage when mention 
is made of such a thing. It has no more right to be made into 
a fresh species than has tellensis, rostrata , pondemsa, and the 
rest of them. Concerning this latter, its thick, clumsy shell is 
formed by reason of the large amount of calcareous salts, with 
which our shells are mostly constructed, held in solution by the 
water it occupies. Any swan-mussel almost could, therefore, 
become one, given the necessary conditions of environment. 
But I am wandering from that which relates more nearly to 
myself. Just before I was so rudely taken out of the water I 
was lying flat on my left valve on the soft mud and enjoying 
the bright sunlight. I was thinking how different I was to 
others. How beautiful my shell appeared ! So different from 
the dirty brown of a Unio. By and by a couple of Sphrcziu?jis 
came crawling up to me. They were prospecting for a new 
house, and knowing how fond they are of the empty valves of 
one of my dead species, I lay very still with my valves just 
parted, and listened. ‘ I think we’ll take this one, dear,’ said 
Mr. S.; ‘ and then if-’ ”. But the remainder of the sentence 
was lost in space, for just then the heap of weed amongst which 
they reposed was rudely turned over by the fork of the carter 
as he loaded up, and so the little party was broken up and 
separated, and the story left untold. 
H. Durrant. 
-- 
NEWTS, FROGS, AND TOADS. 
At a meeting of the Lambeth Field Club, on Monday, 
October 3rd, Mr. C. S. Cooper delivered a very carefully pre¬ 
pared lecture on the above subject, commencing his discourse 
with the Newt. He said there is hardly a clear pond in 
England where one of the two common species of this lively 
little creature may not be found ; their quick movements when 
in the water are caused by the tail, the legs are small but help 
