SHELLS. A List of Species of Land and Freshwater Shells collected, during the Summer of 1833, at Witham, Essex.-They are named according to Turton's excellent Manual. In the river: Cyclas córnea, ámnica; A'nodon cýgneus; Physa fontinàlis, hypnòrum; Paludìna impùra, víridis; Neritina fluviatilis ; A ́ncylus fluviatilis. In ponds and ditches: Cyclas lacústris, calyculata; Mýsca pictòrum; Succínea amphibia, oblónga; Planórbis marginàtus, vórtex, córneus, contórtus, spirórbis; Limnèus auriculàrius, péreger, frágilis, palustris. Brought up by floods: Hèlix pulchella, Bulimus lubricus, Cyclóstoma élegans, Vertigo sexdentàta, Valvàta obtùsa. In hedges and gardens: Limacéllus Párma; Hèlix nemoralis, hortensis, arbustòrum, carthusiàna, rufescens, caperàta, aspérsa, ericetòrum, nìtens, hispida, pùra, radiata; Carocólla lapícida; Clausília rugosa; Bùlimus obscùrus. Upon the bark of old trees: Bàlea frágilis. I also found one specimen, a dead one, of a shell very much resembling Paludìna símilis; but it had several more whorls, and, consequently, was longer.-J. C. Witham, Essex, March 20. 1834.

BOTANY AND GEOLOGY. Affinities between Plants and subjacent Rocks. (VI. 335. 424.; VII. 274.)- Mr. Cautrell (VII. 274.) says that he believes the foxglove (Digitális purpurea) never grows upon limestone; and from this I presume that he infers the affinity between geological stratum and botanical productions. Before I refer to the second part of this subject, however, it is necessary that I should say, that here the foxglove grows abundantly upon the limestone. I am situated just on the verge of the great South Wales coalfield in the hills to the west that coalfield terminates, bounded by a very narrow band of mountain limestone, to this succeeds the old red sandstone, which I call the strata of the district; and a mile or two to the east, the transition limestone shows itself, running nearly north and south, from within a few miles of Caerleon to Clyther House, a distance of about fifteen miles. When I read Mr. Cautrell's remark, I determined to put the fact to the test, and consequently took a day's walk over a part of this limestone district; and I can now assert, that, in this limestone district (transition limestone), the foxglove grows luxuriantly and abundantly, as it does likewise in every other part of my neighbourhood.

With regard to the peculiarity of certain botanical productions to certain geological districts, I think that this must be a matter of some doubt; at least, the evidence which I at present possess is not sufficient to confirm me in the belief of the fact. For instance, I call my locality the old red sandstone district; and, undoubtedly, that rock is the substratum

of the whole neighbourhood; but it is traversed by innumerable little rivulets, whose valleys are formed of the alluvium which they bring down. Again, some of the eminences which divide these valleys are evidently formed of diluvial gravel, bearing indubitable traces of having been transported to their present positions from the rock that overlies the coal. Then we have abundance of cold, wet, spongy bog, which lies upon a yellow, sandy, stiff, and, as the farmers argue, poisonous clay and, finally, we have considerable quantities of peat. Now, in arranging a flora of my neighbourhood according to its geological strata, I should find some difficulty; for, surely, I am not to reckon all those flowers which grow in the bogs, on the peat, upon the gravel, and in the rich alluvial meadows, as belonging to the old red sandstone formation. Bog plants, peat plants, and meadow plants are, I presume, nearly the same, whatever may be the substratum upon which those bogs, meadows, or peat districts may rest; and if this be the case, then it is the superincumbent soil, more than the substratum of rock upon which that soil rests (modified, of course, and considerably affected, by elevation and climate), that gives the character to the botanical productions of any district. The old red sandstone also forms considerable hills, in fact, mountains. Am I, therefore, because these mountains are formed of the old red sandstone, to call the alpine plants, which grow upon them, the productions of the old red sandstone?

As I am upon the subject of plants, I would say a few words upon

Plants with White Flowers, lists of which have been given in many parts of this Magazine [I. 392, 393.; II. 268.; III. 161. 190.], and which lists I could augment, by the account of the like productions in this locality. Mr. Edwin Lees (III. 190.) endeavours to account for the deviation in colour, from a variety of soil or shade, or from accidental manuring of the root of the plant. That these circumstances may affect the colour of flowers, I will not deny; but I think they are not sufficient to account for the white blossoms which sometimes appear. Last year, for instance, I found but one hyacinth (Scilla nùtans) with white blossoms; this year I found twenty-four specimens, in less than half an hour, without scarcely giving myself the trouble of looking for them. Indeed, the present season, as far as it has already advanced, has been unusually rich in flowers with white blossoms. The hyacinths of which I have spoken were, in every instance, surrounded with a profusion of others of the usual colour. But what has decided me in rejecting the explanation offered, as

an insufficient cause for the effect produced, is, that I last year gathered specimens of ling (Callùna vulgàris), some of which I have still by me, in which the flowers on one part were white, while, on other parts, they were of the usual colour; and these various-coloured flowers grew upon different branches of the same plant, the produce of one root. This specimen was exposed to the same light and shade, and to the same degree of drought and moisture, as all the other ling, which grew so abundantly about it; and, certainly, I think it is impossible that any accidental manuring, which would affect its root, could cause the flowers of one part of the stem to take a different hue from those of another: any such cause must have affected the whole plant alike. C. Conway. Pontnewydd Works, near Newport, Monmouthshire, May 16. 1834.

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A Search for a reported curious Plant which grows in the Level that conveys the Water from Auchenbowie Coal Works, and from the old Coal Workings of Bannockburn. At the time we set off on our journey, the sun was glancing from behind the Ochils, and with his fiery rays making darkness retreat to its gloomy caverns. We bade a temporary farewell to the glorious luminary, lighted our lamps, and descended to the regions below; not where Orpheus went in search of his Eurydice, but only to the secondary formation of the earth. To give, however, an account of all the strata we passed through, the angles of the rocks, and the point of the compass they dip to, and of the dikes, troubles, and faults that are met with in the coal formation, would be to write an article on geology. We descended a pit fifty-five fathoms deep; and when we had arrived at the bottom, we

The passage for our feet was sometimes rough, sometimes smooth; that for our back and head, sometimes high, sometimes low. In some places, as we went along, we saw

"Where, gloomily retir'd,

The villain spider lives, cunning and fierce."

with his net spread out to entrap his unsuspecting victims. We think the spider was of the species Arànea labyrinthica. We thought that it had "come to the goat's house to thig woo';" but, as we proceeded, several species of Tipùlidæ were seen these would, no doubt, occasionally come into the net; and the fine feeling of the Arànea would, in the dark, be as good as eyes. We met with beautiful specimens of the Racòdium cellàre, as white as snow: whether this was owing to

the want of light, or whether it was, rather, a different species, we will not venture to determine. Several of the Polypori were seen on wooden posts which supported part of the roof. Having proceeded about half a mile, we came to the banks of a beautiful stream, clear as crystal, cool, and refreshing; and, although its banks were not adorned with velvet moss and fragrant flowers, they were far from being unadorned; for there the lichens were spread in pleasing forms, intermixed with the oxide of iron oozing from the metallic stratum. We were much in need of ablution, after passing through such a blackened region. We were now to travel up the stream; but, before entering it, it was thought necessary to rest a little, that our bodies might acquire a cooler temperature; for the sweat was pouring copiously off us. We supplied our lamps with oil, and trimmed their wicks. The light had a pleasing effect upon the numerous water-drops suspended from the roof: these, mingling with the iron pyrites, had the appearance of diamonds set in gold. When we went into the water, it felt very cold; but, after wading for a quarter of an hour, we began to be more reconciled to it, and to resume our observations. In some places the water was contracted, and ran with great force; in other places it was more shallow: it appeared as if it had its floods, like other streams; for there were large sandbanks in several places, on which could be seen the recent footsteps of the otter (Lutra vulgàris Flem.). How otters manage to procure their food in the dark, we know not; but one thing is certain, there are fish in the stream, particularly the eel (Anguilla vulgàris Flem.). The otter had fled at our approach; for the noise that we made was tremendous; our plunging in the water echoed through the gloomy wastes, like the roar of the ocean in a storm. In some parts, the roof rose to the height of 20 ft., and from it hung beautiful stalactites; in other parts its height was only from 3 ft. to 4 ft.; and, in one place, which was about 60 ft. or 70 ft. long, we had to proceed on all fours, with scarcely room for our head between the water and the roof. Our lights, during our passage through this part, were placed upon our heads, to preserve them from being extinguished. After clearing this narrow passage, we soon arrived at the place where the plant which we were in search of grows. We got it in tufts attached to old wood in the water. After procuring some fine specimens of it, we began to retrace our steps, well pleased with our journey, and hoping, at some future period, to make more extensive researches in these interesting excavations. By the help of the Encyclopædia of Plants, we

have, we think, identified the plant as the Vaucheria dichótoma. Some of the specimens measured between 20 ft. and 30 ft. M. Vaucher, I dare say, would not have shunned such an immersion as we got, to have seen such fine plants. -Peter Mackenzie, Gardener to Robert Lowis, Esq., of Wester Plean, Stirlingshire. Nov. 7. 1833.

The Soils which form the Bed of the Shannon, a little above Killaloe Bridge; aNotice of them, and the Fact of Bones being found in them: connexible with the notice that "several skeletons of elks have been found in the neighbourhood of Killaloe," published in VI. 462. — In sinking for a dock on the Shannon, a little above Killaloe bridge, the workmen have, from time to time, dug up bones; I cannot now say, for certain, of what animal. They lie in a stratum of white marl, containing shells, which is from 2 ft. to 3 ft. thick, and above it is a layer of bog of the same thickness, and over that several feet of alluvial soil. Under the white marl is a stratum of grey marl, of the texture of pipe clay, of a violet grey colour, not containing any shells, but mixed with small pebbles, of what depth is not yet known. The bones are probably those of the fossil elk (Cérvus megáceros): among them there is a small jawbone containing grinder teeth, besides several detached teeth, of a much larger size. - T. K. Toomavara, Ireland, Oct. 4. 1833.

METEOROLOGY.-The Temperature of the Atmosphere and Earth, in Britain, relatively to Elevation above the Sea Level. (p. 443–448.) — In ascending Skiddaw, on August 27. 1832, I observed the range of the thermometer. At the bridge over the Greta, which flows at the foot of Skiddaw, at 8 o'clock in the morning, the mercury stood at 58°. At the well on the side of the mountain, where refreshment is usually taken by lakers in their ascent, I found that it had fallen to 47°, while the temperature of the water in the well was 50°. When the thermometer was hung upon the flag-pole upon the summit of the mountain, it stood at 40°. This was at noon. day was most beautifully clear and fine. Otley says, in his Guide to the Lakes, that Skiddaw is 3022 ft. above the level of the sea: he also observes that the average temperature at its summit is 12° lower than that in the valley.-Edward Wilson, Jun. Chapel Allerton, May 5. 1834. [See p. 445.]

The

Adages on the 2d of February. (IV. 264. 469., and VI. 570.) -The popular opinion, in this part of the country, is expressed in the following couplet, which is almost a translation of the Latin couplet quoted (in IV. 469.) by Mr. Bree: — "If Candlemas day be clear and fair,

Half the winter's to come and mair."

-A Subscriber. Vale of Alford, Aberdeenshire, Nov. 20. 1833.