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 had a similar origin to our Derbyshire rain-wash; the red cave-earth of limestone caverns (Kent's Cave for example) is a similar residue. All the soil of our fields, of course, is in large measure due to the disintegrating and chemical action of rain, but I should prefer to retain the term rain-wash, geologically, for any residuum which is wholly due to its action. I should be glad to hear from any correspondents whether they have observed any instances of deposits similar to that noted above, and under what conditions. I believe there are sore thick clay beds at the foot of the Weaver Hills, which have been mistaken for boulder clay, but are really nothing but rain-wash, but these I have not yet examined; will anyone describe them for us?

W. J. H.



No one I feel sure can look at Melicerta ringens under the microscope without being moved by feelings of the greatest admiration, and at the same time of regret that such beautiful creatures are to be found only in few places. I confess such ware my own feelings after having examined some fine specimens kindly sent to me by Mr. Thomas Bolton, of Birmingham, in February last; and I thought if Melicerta ringens could he successfully maintained in an aquarium that it would afford an excellent opportunity for the study of the life history of those beautiful creatures. I therefore determined to make the attempt, and am pleased to say my success has been greater than I anticipated. I did not succeed with my first trial, but in the following month Mr. Bolton sent me some remarkably fine specimens. With these I set to work again, and in proof of my success, there is now in a beaker before me two pieces of Myriophyllum, one four inches long, to which are attached 200 specimens, and on another piece, three inches long, there are 150 specimens of Melicerta ringens, indeed, I am sure there are altogether over 1,000 specimens in my aquarium,

Perhaps a description of my arrangements would be acceptable to many who may desire to have this interesting object always at hand. I feel certain these arrangements will prove as successful in the hands of others as they have in mine, and a knowledge of them will, perhaps, induce many to enter into the study of Melicerta ringens, as suggested by Mr. F. A. Bedwell in his admirable notes on this subject in the last number of the "Midland Naturalist." I now proceed to describe the plan I have followed, and to point out the conditions which my experiences indicates are especially favourable to the propagation of this interesting Rotifer.

The room in which my aquaria are kept is lighted by one window which looks due east; against the south side of the room there is a side-board, the nearest end of which is three feet from the window. On the sideboard are two aquaria, one holding 1½ gallons and the other four