NOTES—ORIGINAL AND SELECTED. 73
the fish being captured in the "Keddles" on the sands of
Fowlness.
MOLLUSCA.
Note on Crepidula fornicata in Essex.—In the October
part of the Journal of Conchology (Vol. II., 227), our correspondent,
Mr. J. E. Cooper, makes the following remarks, which may be
taken as-supplementary to the observations on the shell in the
E.N., Vol. x. "Crepidula fornicata L., the 'Grow-Oyster,'
originally introduced with American oysters, has been found in
several of the rivers of Essex for eleven years or more. It
would appear that the conditions in the Crouch river are
particularly favourable to it, as it is fast becoming a nuisance
to the oyster-men at Burnham-on-Crouch. In some parts
of this river every pebble and old shell has one or more (generally
more) specimens in it. Clusters of five or six, one on the back
of the other, are common ; one group found this year had no
less than nine in this position.1 Some pebbles carry a cluster on
both sides ; even the neck of a broken one gave foothold to two
inside and three outside. The lowest shell of a group is obliged
to adapt its form to the pebble or shell to which it is attached ;
consequently some curious forms occur. Where the base is an
old oyster, the bottom Crepidula is remarkably flattened, but
whatever the shape of the lowest may be those above it are
usually normal in form,"
INSECTS.
Gnorimus nobilis in Hainhault Forest.—This very
beautiful "Rose-beetle" is decidedly rare in Essex. Mr.
Harwood (Victoria History) says that single specimens occurred
near Colchester in 1899 and 1900, and that a Mr. West took one
near Blackwall (!). Mr. Braithwaite noted the capture of a
specimen flying in a forest glade near Loughton in 1880
(E.N., xi., 54), and in the E.N., vol. x., p. 411, I recorded one
from Lords Bushes, Epping Forest. I then suggested that the
larva of the beetle had possibly been introduced with shrubs or
plants in a neighbouring garden or plantation, but my brother,
B.G.C., has recently happened on a record in Kidd's Own Journal
for August 14th, 1852, of a specimen or specimens occurring in
Hainhault Forest just at the time of the destruction of the
1 I have placed in our Museum a set of eleven specimens so attached, taken in situ in the
Colne estuary.—W. Cole.