our members, free from the charge of desultoriness, I feel sure this suggestion deserves thoughtful consideration, and I hope the Editors will invite communications. offering suggestions, from their many readers.—F. T. L. [We do invite such communications, and think F. T. L.'s remarks most valuable—Eds. M. N. J.]
Freshwater Life.—Allow me as a subscriber to your journal to ask S. S. R. of Redditch, end other naturalists privileged to live near Midland ponds with such inhabitants as he describes, to help me to specimens. I will send battles and pay all expenses with pleasure. But I live here in a district covered with glacial clay, which seems inimical to rotifer life. A paper of mine on Melicerta ringens, published in the "Monthly Microscopical Journal" for December last, brought me one of Mr. Bolton’s (of Stourbridge) delightful little beetles. He still assists me, but I should he glad of extended help. To any gentleman who takes an interest in the subject, I shall be happy to send a copy of my paper on M. ringens. It may serve as lines to work on.—F. A. Bedwell, Fort Hall, Bridlington Quay, Yorks.
The Meaning of Knowledge—I think Mr. Mott has unduly limited the meaning of the word knowledge. The verb “to know” is used to express two classes of cognition for which in many other languages two distinct words are used. Thus, we Lave in French connoitre and savoir, in German kennen and wissen, in Latin nori and scio. The first words of each of these pairs are used for knowledge accrued by means of the senses, and thus correspond nearly to the English “to be acquainted with" or "aware of;" whilst the others are used for knowledge obtained by the reasoning faculties, and signifies to comprehend or to know thoroughly —C. J. Watson.
Accuracy in the Use of Scientific Terms.—It is necessary lo say a few words in reply to your correspondent, although it is hardly possible to imagine that any student in Botany would, for one moment, suppose there could be anything animal-like (except in the one respect) in the two distinct existences of the same plant being likened to the two existences of an insect, (the caterpillar or butterfly.) Care was also taken to explain the exact meaning of the terms used. Animals and plants copy each other—some in one particular and some in another. The sea-anemone is an animal, and only takes its panic from its resemblance {in one respect) to a plant. No one would think of confusing the Bee Orchid or the Butterfly Orchid with a Bee or a Butterfly; the Sunflower, Moonwort, or Windflower, with the Sun, Moon, or Wind; the Hare's-foot fern or Stag’s-horn fern, with a Hare or a Stag; the Cats-tail, Dog-rose, Bull-rush, or Horseradish, with a Cat, Dog, Bull, or Horse. The Oak-fern does not bear acorns, nor the Holly-fern berries, nor the Beech-fern nuts. We might, also, enumerate Lady’s-slipper, Harebell, Buttercup, Cowslip, Snowdrop, Iceplant, and many others, Perhaps it would have been better to have described those two distinct generations of fern life as—1st, the prothallium-state, and 2nd, the perfect-fern—the first as sexual and the second as asexual, With regard to the remaining passages, "the spiral filaments swarmed about the pistillidium in numbers," "these filaments being tossed into the air, and by landing in certain cups are said to fertilise the plant," and "these, from their activity, are culled Animalcules;” they are the expressions used by Count Suminski and Mereklin, and have been copied and used by such authorities as Henfrey, Moore, &c., and therefore may again be used with impunity.—K. J. Lowe.
Preservation of Fungi for the Herbarium.—Would some of your readers kindly describe the best methods of preserving fungi?—C. T. M.
