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Fig. 22 "Fossil Sponge

Figs. 15-22.-Fossil Sponge Spicules, all drawn on the scale of th to th of an inch. (H. J. Carter on
Spicules... from Blackdown and Haldon," "Annals and Magazine of Natural History," for Feb. 1871, p. 139.)

Fig. 23.-Gervillea anceps.

duum. But sub-aerial denudation is not the only physical change indicated by the flint gravel, for upon the surface and for about a foot beneath it rounded pebbles occur, not only of flint, but also of rocks foreign to the bed itself, such as quartz and grit derived from the Paleozoic rocks adjoining.

Here then again come traces of aqueous action. And the natural inference seems to be that the bed had sunk again beneath the surface of the sea, and

Fig. 24.-Ammonites varicosus. "

in an inland sea. 2. Subsidence, and more truly marine conditions, when the Lias was deposited. 3. Elevation, tilting, and denudation, prior to the deposition of the greensand. 4. Subsidence, and the commencement of the deposition of the greensand beds. 5. Elevation, or silting up, or both, until shallower water and littoral conditions favoured the growth of encrusting corals and polyzoa. 6. Subsidence again till oceanic conditions prevailed, and chalk beds of

considerable thickness were formed. 7. Re-elevation, at least above sea level, to account for the sub-aerial denudation of the chalk. 8. A slight re-subsidence, to form the marine plateau and introduce the rounded and foreign pebbles. 9. Re-elevation to the present altitude, combined with extensive recent denudation and excavation of the present valleys. Denudation has swept away enormous masses of both Trias and Greensand, but happily it is a broom which seldom sweeps quite clean, and hence Haldon is left to tell its tale.

BRITISH PLANTS IN NYMAN'S "CONSPECTUS FLORE EUROPÆÆ."

THE

By A. R. WAller.

HE following notes are intended to give the readers of SCIENCE-GOSSIP some idea of the differences in the nomenclature and classification of British plants in Dr. Nyman's "Conspectus Floræ Europææ." Dr. Nyman's work is most invaluable to all systematic and geographical botanists; as it gives the full distribution of all known European species and sub-species, and in many cases that of varieties. English botanists will have to adopt the earlier names he uses, as the only safe rule for botanical nomenclature is that of absolute priority.

The classification of the Thalictrums (meadow rues) is rather different to what we have generally been accustomed to use. T. Jacquinianum, K. (= T. minus, Jacq. non L.), is the plant we have so long called T. majus, Smith, "Jacq.": T. majus, Murr. "Jacq.” is not a British plant. England might be added to the list of countries for T. alpinum, L. (Alpine meadow rue); it grows in Yorkshire, Westmoreland, &c. It is mentioned as growing in Scotland and Wales. The Jersey buttercup is not thought to be Ranunculus chærophyllus, L., but R. flabellatus, Dsf. var. Europaa. R. sardous, Cr., 1763, rightly replaces R. Philonotis, Ehrh. 1788, as the name of the hairy buttercup, and Glaucium flavum, Cr., 1769, instead of G. luteum, Sep. 1772, for the yellow-horned poppy, is another change in the right direction. Fumaria Borai, Jord., is elevated to specific rank with F. Bastardi, Bor., 1847 (=F. confusa, Jord. 1848), as a sub-species. Scotland might be added to the list of countries for F. parviflora, Lam. We are not credited with Iberis amara, L. (candy-tuft); it is certainly native in the centre of England.

Lepidium Smithü, Hook., is considered a variety of L. heterophyllum, Bth. Coronopus Ruellii, All. 1785, gives way to C. procumbens, Gil., 1782. Helianthemum vineale, P., appears as a full species with H. canum, Dun., as a variety, thus reversing the places of the two plants. Viola permixta, Jord., is thought to be a hybrid between V. hirta, L., and V. odorata, L., and Drosera obovata, Mk., a hybrid between D. longi

folia, L., and D. rotundifolia, L. Polygala serpyllacea, Whe., 1826, takes the place of P. depressa, Wend., 1831, and Silene Cucubalus, Wib., 1799, that of S. inflata, Sm., 1800 (bladder campion). S. quinquevulnera, L., is thought to be a sub-species of S. lusitanica, L. Scotland might be added to the list of countries for Dianthus Armeria, L. (Deptford Pink).

Sisymbrium Sophia, Sinapis arvensis, Capsella Bursa-pastoris, Batrachium heterophyllum, and Violas tricolor and arvensis are found in every country in Europe. Erucastrum Pollichii, Schp., is given as a native. At most, it is only a colonist. Arabis ciliata, Br., and Brassica monensis, Huds., are among the very few plants which are confined in Europe to Britain.

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2. Hy. glabra, var.

Shell greenish-white, glossy, and semi-transparent. Bromley, with the type. 3. Valvata piscinalis, var. Shell shewing tracings of spiral banding. I am not sure of the exact locality, but it is from some part of Kent.

4. Planorbis vortex, var. Shell large, concave above, keel prominent, and placed almost in centre of periphery. From Fulham.

5. Limnæa glutinosa, monst. Spire very short, sunken, slightly raised at apex, body whorl swollen above, top of shell nearly flat. St. Nicholas Marsh, with type.

6. L. peregra, var. Shell showing spiral banding. From a ditch near Walmer Castle, Kent. (v. picta?) 7. L. stagnalis, var. Shell having short spire, body whorl large and expanded, mouth wide. Pond at Bromley with Lemna minor. Type form not present..

8. L. stagnalis, var. Shell smaller than type and shaped like L. palustris. Suture shallow. Shell often eroded. Pond at Chislehurst, with Anacharis alsinastrum and Callitriche verna.

9. L. stagnalis, var. Shell much smaller than type, usually about inch to 1 inch in length, suture rather deep. Shell eroded. Pond on Chislehurst Common, with Potamogeton crispus and Ranunculus aquatilis.

10. L. stagnaliş, var. Shell shewing traces of spiral banding. Pond at Chislehurst, with Ranunculus aquatilis.

11. L. palustris, monst. Shell turrited, about inch in length, whorls 5, last whorl more than half length of shell. Pond at Bromley, with type.

12. L. truncatula, var. Shell having 3 whitish bands on body whorl, corresponding to 3, 4, and 5, in H. nemoralis. Ditch at Bickley, with type.

13. Sphærium lacustre, monst. Shell distorted so as to resemble Pisidium amnicum in shape. Pond at Bromley, with type.

14. Cyclostoma elegans, var. Shell light yellowish, traces of spiral banding on upper whorls. Warlingham, Surrey, with type.

15. Helix aspersa, var. Shell having four welldefined bands. Chislehurst Common, amongst Pteris aquilina.

16. Helix aspersa, var. Shell having upper portion of whorl chocolate colour, described in a former note (p. 91). I find that when the light is allowed to pass through the chocolate coloured portion very faint mottlings become visible, indicating those present in a normal shell.

17. H. Cantiana, var. Shell smaller than type, glossy, and semi-transparent, slightly tinged with rufous, especially near the mouth. Lip pinkish. Farnborough, Kent, two specimens.

18. H. virgata, var. Shell large, and having one or more interrupted bands. Margate.

19. H. nemoralis, monst. Shell much distorted from repair of fracture, umbilicus wide and deep. Chislehurst Common, on Pteris aquilina.

20. Clausilia biplicata, monst. Mouth of shell oval, and contorted, probably from repair of fracture, channeling of lower part not perceptible. Three well-marked denticles present. Near Hammersmith, with type.

21. C. laminata, var. Shell rather tumid, inside of mouth, including denticles, of a purplish-brown colour.

Other varieties are described in former notes.
T. D. A. COCKERELL.
Bedford Park, Chiswick, 1884.

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at that time rearing; as these foundresses of colonies, of both tribes, had been plentiful enough during the latter part of May and commencement of June, and I had already observed the wasps gathering wood fibres for the manufacture of the paper of which they build their nests and combs.* Moreover, during the spell of wintry weather that prevailed from June 6th to 10th inclusive, I had discovered a nest of the moss or carder bee (Bombus muscorum), containing a large amorphous cell, or wax-enclosed mass of beebread, enclosing six or seven larvæ of varying size from very small to what I took for nearly full-grown, as well as a single elegantly urn-shaped thin wax cell containing a very little clear honey.

The summer of 1883, however, was remarkable for a superabundance of the social wasps, and an abundance of the humble bees. To give an idea of the great plenty of the wasps I may state that I have known of twenty-five nests, or "bikes" (as they are here called), within an area of not more than forty acres of meadow and pasture land, this area being represented by the figure of a square; as well. as two more nests a very little outside that square. Within this same area were found three nests of the orange-tailed humble bee (Bombus lapidaria), and one of the common humble bee (B. terrestris); whilst outside of it, but at no great distance, another nest of each species was found.

Of the above-mentioned twenty-seven nests of the wasps, fifteen belonged to the Vespa vulgaris, six to the V. sylvestris, five to the V. rufa, and one to the V. Germanica. In addition to these were two others, small secondary nests of the V. rufa, built on the sites of the first nests which had been destroyed.

Premising that I was in the district indicated from the beginning of the fourth week in July until near the close of September ;-that the earthen dykes, with their hedgerows and numerous trees, bounding the several fields, were mostly stone-faced to strengthen them against the rutting and butting of the cattle, though with occasional interspaces free from stones; that flies (Diptera) were exceedingly numerous, especially in the lee of the dykes and hedgerows, and fruit abundant; and that the weather during the most of that period was warm, though variable and moist ;—I shall give some of my observations, on the wasps chiefly, mostly as they were jotted down and commented on at the moment.

July 25th, 1883.-Wasps are exceedingly numerous; have already seen nearly a dozen nests, or "bikes."

July 30th.-Observe more wasps' nests in the dykes. I have also observed three nests in the level ground in a small meadow, two being those of the Vespa vulgaris and one that of the V. rufa.

August 2nd.—In the evening, after a very heavy and continuous rainfall, the temperature being then much lowered, three large nests of the Vespa sylvestris

*SCIENCE-GOSSIP, May, 1882, pp. 102, 103.

were taken out of an earthen dyke in great part faced with stones. Through the lowering of the temperature, few, if any, of the wasps were on the wing. The three nests were all within a distance of eighty paces, two of them being within only twenty paces of each other. All were built well up in the face of the dyke, and were near the surface; indeed, one of the nests had a goodly segment of it exposed to view; another was not more than an inch within the small hole of entrance; whilst the third was farther back, but was well revealed on removing two of the stones at its entrance, behind which it was situated. These nests were rounded in form, and of the size and nearly of the shape of a large turnip ; and were composed of grey and grey-green paper, the layers of the shell being large, thin and numerous. The cells of the comb are made of similar paper to that constituting the shell, or case; and they appear to be built up as the larvæ grow-as needs required. On the larva becoming full-fed it apparently fully lines its cell with white silk, as well as continuing the edges upwards and completely covering the top of the cell with a rounded cap of the same substance, which is tough and strong and greatly increases the strength of the cells, these used cells being again utilised after the emergence of the imagoes. There are both large and small cells filled with pupæ, or nymphs. New and imperfect cells containing larvæ are on the margin of the circular platform of paper cells constituting the comb; and there are ova in many of the formerly used cells, fastened by one end to the side of the cell towards its bottom. The ovum is oblong, curving, white in colour, and of fair size. There are larvæ of all sizes, and pupæ or nymphs in all stages of development to close on hatching : indeed, there were many newly-hatched wasps in the nests when taken. All the three sexes were represented, there being the workers, the large females or queens, and the males or drones with their longer antennæ and slimmer bodies, all three kinds being of large size and bright colours.

August 3rd.-This afternoon I took a small nest of the Vespa rufa out of the same dyke as that out of which were last night taken the three nests of the V. sylvestris, but on its opposite side, where are also two nests of the V. vulgaris. In form it resembles a small turnip on a depressed sphere; and it has the oundish hole of entrance and exit in the centre beneath, and a single circular platform of comb, about two inches in diameter, which is suspended by a broad paper pillar from the top of the shell of the nest. A second pillar, to support a second and lower platform has been formed, being attached to the side of one of the central, used, silk-lined and consequently strong cells; and it has a very rudimentary cell at its extremity, which already contains one of the oblong, milk-white and somewhat curving ova. The outer cells of the platform of comb are very rudimentary, but each contains an ovum; the inner ones

contain larvæ of various sizes; whilst, further in, towards the centre, are pupa or nymphs, and vacated cells which again contain ova, mostly two and three in number, but in some instances even four: some of the cells nearer the circumference, which have not before been used, also contain two ova. The larvæ of this species of wasp are not white, but are yellowish, or buff-coloured. This nest was not far back into the dyke; and the mould was easily dug into, so easily indeed that the nest was got out with a walking-stick. Nearly all the wasps found at it were taken; fifteen in all, seven of which were males, and eight workers. In the evening, however, a few more wasps were taken from the cavity out of which the nest had been dug. These wasps were not at all vicious; the larger ones (V. sylvestris) disturbed last night were very vicious. On the following day I took a few more wasps from the nest-cavity, and left yet a few lingering about the place. No queen, however, was observed, only males and workers; had there been one, she would have, in all probability, been in the nest when it was taken. In all there have been not more than thirty wasps belonging to this small nest. Is it not somewhat singular that there should be males at so early a stage of the nest?

In the evening a very large and strong nest of the Vespa Germanica was taken out of a stone-faced earthen dyke. On removing two of the stones the nest was fully revealed lying in a cavity behind, its entire depth being distinguishable. The case of this nest is of a shelled character, the several layers of grey and grey-green paper constituting it being laid on in large shell-like pieces varying in dimensions; and, though consisting of fine vegetable fibres, it is thicker in texture than is the paper of the V. sylvestris and V. rufa. There are six tiers, or platforms, of comb; and the nest is the largest I have yet seen. The ova in the comb are at the bottom of the shallow rudimentary cells at and near the margin of the tier, and down towards the bottom, or only midway in the deeper cells towards and at the centre; and are oblong, a little curving, and milk-white in colour. They are fastened by one end to the side of the cell in an angle and project outwards into an acute angle. There is here mostly only one ovum in each cell, though, in some instances, two and even three ova have been deposited in the deeper cells. There are, as well as ova, larvæ of all sizes, and pupæ or nymphs in all stages of development up to perfection, young wasps emerging from the cells. The very young larvæ are attached to the side of the cell in the same manner and position as are the ova, appearing indeed almost to be simply an outgrowth from the ovum in the anterior or cephalic region,just as though a head had formed there. As the cells are vertical and mouth downwards, some secure attachment will be absolutely necessary for the suspension and safety of the head-down larvæ. No males were found at this nest, nor the queen (which, probably,

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