ON A PBOLIFEBOUS CONDITION OP VEBBASCUM NIGBUM. 455 



know that before it is replaced and the driving-silk readjusted 

 the clock should always be stopped, which may be done by in- 

 serting a heavy bit of wire into the balance-wheel, the other end 

 of the wire resting on the board b b. If this is not done, two 

 accidents may occur, either the silk may get entangled in the 

 teeth of the wheels, or the clock may be forcibly stopped by touch- 

 ing one of the wheels in such a way that escapement becomes 

 fixed ; and this never happens when the balance-wheel is stopped 

 as above described. 



With this form of klinostat I have easily been able to keep a 

 box of earth and a plant weighing 1000 grams in constant rota- 

 tion with the certainty that it will not stop. By gearing a stronger 

 clock to the driving-wheels W or to, a very much heavier weight 

 could be easily driven. 



On a Proliferous Condition/of Verbascum nigrum, L. 

 By the Eev. G-eobge Henslow, M.A., P.L.S., F.G.S. 



[Read November 18, 1880.] 

 (Plates XVI., XVII.) 

 The specimen to be described * was received from Mr. Marshall 

 of Ely, and agrees very closely in its malformations with a mon- 

 strous condition of Lysimaclua Ephemerum,~L., described by Baillon 

 (Adansonia, t. iii. p. 310, pi. iv.). As in the latter, there are dif- 

 ferences between the malformed leaves on the lower and upper 

 parts, respectively, of the inflorescence. Thus the terminal por- 

 tion is much more diffuse than the lower part, while the central 

 stem bears numerous tufts of undeveloped and malformed flowers, 

 amongst which appear the elongated proliferous shoots proceed- 

 ing from the centres of flowers and occupying the position of 

 the axile placentas. 



On the lower part of the stem there were very similar tufts of 

 buds ; but the flowers were often larger and mostly of a different 

 character, as will be seen by comparing Plates XVI. and XVII., 

 and as will be explained below. 



* Leaving town just as the specimen arrived, and consequently being unable 

 to examine it myself, I am indtb'ed to Mrs. E. C. Barnard for the very careful 

 examination as well as for the illustrations of the uppermost portion of the in- 

 florescence and of the flowers borne by it. The lower part I placed in spirits, 

 and examined on my return. 



