108 
THE NATURALISTS’ JOURNAL. 
MUSHROOMS. 
The British Medical Journal has recently shown that the mushroom of 
commerce should be eaten before the gills have darkened, unhealthy symptoms 
having been known to result from its being used at the later stage, so that the 
original statement on page 69 of the Naturalists' 1 Journal, would seem to be, 
after all, a well warranted one.— F.P.P. 
PREPARATION OF SKINS. 
Your correspondent will never make the skin of the stoat and mole pliable 
and like leather, unless they are sent to the skin dressers, who alone know how 
to do it properly.— J. E. Whiting, Hampstead. 
BOOK NOTES. 
“ By Moorland and Sea ” t is the title of a new work, by the author of 
“Idylls of the Field,” which has reached our hands. Mr. F. A. Knight is 
already considerably known to fame and the volume now before us should certainly 
win for him an increased popularity. We have read it through with pleasure, especi¬ 
ally two or three chapters, and were everywhere impressed by the wealth ofthought 
and observation possessed by the author ; in fact, one finds here much of that 
rare spirit which sprang to life in the writings of the late Richard Jefferies. 
We are particularly pleased to claim Mr. Knight as a friend to the birds-nes- 
ter— that is the sensible and proper-spirited bird’s-nester. The illustrations 
(by the author) are excellent, and add much to the value of the nicely-printed 
volume. 
We regret to learn that, owing to the ill-health of Mr. Robson, the British 
Natu?'alist, will be discontinued for the present. 
The Field Club also has issued its last number as a separate magazine 
arrangements having been made for its incorporation in Nature Notes, which 
will in future be published by Mr. Elliot Stock. 
Mr. W. E. Collinge’s valuable quarterly, The Conchologist, will in future 
appear as the Journal of Malacology and will be devoted to the slugs and slug¬ 
like genera. 
We regret to say, that No. 2 of The Nature Lover, will not be issued. 
The botanical name of Rosemary, Rosmarinus officinalis, comes 
from ros, dew, and marinus, of the sea, on account of its maritime 
habitat, poetically implying “ the dew of the ocean.” There are 
three varieties, the green, golden striped, and silver-striped. 
The first is one in general cultivation. Rosemarv thrives best 
on a poor, gravelly soil, in which there is a mixture of old mor¬ 
tar, or other calcareous matters. In such, or when the plants are 
self-raised on an old wall, they will bear our severest winters ; 
but in a rich soil they become succulent, lose much of their aro¬ 
matic nature, and perish in frost. For the green variety, the sit¬ 
uation may be open, but the other two being tender, require to 
be planted beneath a south wall, or in pots, to be allowed the 
shelter of a greenhouse in winter. It may be propagated by 
cuttings and rooted slips during any of the spring months, or by 
layers during the summer. But the finest plants are raised from 
seed. 
f “ By Moorland and Sea,” by F. A. Knight. London: Elliot Stock, Pater¬ 
noster Row. 
15 m , 94 
