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Geology.—A interesting deposit of shell-marl, overlaid by peat and a considerable thickness of fine clay, has been exposed in excavations near Leicester. I hope to give particulars in the "Midland Naturalist" at an early date. A minute examination of the interesting series of freshwater shells in the marl and lower part of the peat is now being made. The peat also contains numerous insect remains, whilst the marl is so full of the seeds and stem incrustations of Chara as to suggest the probability of its having been formed in great part by this plant—H.
The Meaning of Knowledge.—Mr. Watson thinks I have unduly limited the meaning of this word; but I have nowhere asserted that it bore no other meaning than the one I assigned to it. Like a large number of English words, it has several shades of meaning, most of which are included in my definition. I wished only to point out the incorrectness of its use as a synonym of belief, the difference between knowledge and belief being very wide, and the common confusion between them a source of grave and constant error.—F. T. Mott.
Postal Microscopical. Society.—Allow me to draw the attention of your microscopical readers to this society, established about four years ago, for the purpose of encouraging the study of such subjects as are best elucidated by the microscope, by sending boxes containing from twelve to sixteen objects that are expected to be mounted by the sender, with an explanation of each, For that purpose a small book accompanies each box in which members write their remarks, explanatory or critical, on the different slides. The present president, Mr. Taffen West, and Messrs. Underhill, Hammond, Kyngdon, and others, frequently illustrate the objects by excellent coloured sketches; the notes and drawings are in themselves very interesting. The subscription of 2s. 6d. (exclusive of postage, &c.,} and 2s. 6d. admission fee, are the only expenses, except four slides a year from each member to help to fill up the boxes in his circuit. Mr. A. Allen, of 1, Cambridge Place, Bath, the secretary, will, I am sure, be pleased to give every information to enquirers. Cannot our Birmingham friends form a section from among so many excellent microscopists?—Thomas Partridge, M.P.M.S., Stroud.
Botanical Query.—Will you er some of the botanical readers of our Journal oblige by informing me of what use are the "thickened hollow spots" (of Bentham) at the base of the petals of the genus Ranunculus, and whether they occur in any other genera or species?—H. F. Devis, King's Heath.
[These “hollow spots” are what are known as nectaries. Their function is that of secreting the nectar or honey, and they often serve an important purpose in the economy of flowering plants, helping to bring about cross fertilisation; thus, the nectar they secrete is much sought after by many insects, and in obtaining the honey the insect frequently gets dusted with the pollen from the ripe anthers of the dower visited, This it carries away, and in visiting another flower in search of more honey, deposits the pollen carried from flower No. 1 on the stigma of flower No. 2, In this way it unconsciously aids in bringing about the fertilisation of the ovules. These nectaries vary in form, colony, &c.; in Crucifersæ they occur as little green warts at the base of the filaments, in Umbelliferæ they form the fleshy disk at the base of the styles; sometimes they occur as spurs at the base of anthers, us in the violets; again as spurs at the base of the petals, as in many orchids and in the larkspur. They occur as pores at the base of the petals in another of au British plants, Fritillaria Meleogris. For full information Balfour's "Manual" or Sach's "Text-book of Botany," under the lead Nectaries—J. E. B.]