BOTANICAL NOTES AND NEWS 253 



limited areas, and to remain free from the attack in other places a 

 little way off from infested spots. Only the flowers showed signs of 

 injury. They remained closed, but much swollen, and the purplish 

 colour of the corolla was often very evident, though in other 

 examples the green alone was visible. The parts of the flower 

 become much swollen, and so distorted as to be useless for their 

 proper functions, the stamens often bearing no pollen ; while the 

 ovary becomes inflated, and, bursting down one side, displays a 

 smaller flower of like structure, the ovary of which may show even 

 a third flower from its interior. Among the distorted organs of the 

 flowers were numbers of the cause of injury, the mite Eriophyes 

 Kerneri, Nalepa. JAMES W. H. TRAIL. 



A New Variety of the Lesser Broomrape (Orobanche minor, 

 Sm.) in Scotland. When in Scotland in August I had the pleasure 

 of finding near Cupar, Fife, some specimens of a very dark-coloured 

 Orobanche, which I could not name. I sent it to Mr. Claridge 

 Druce, who said he believed it to be an unusual variety of O. minor, 

 a plant very rarely found in Scotland, 1 and advised me to send it to 

 Professor Von Beck of Prague, who is writing a monograph on the 

 Orobanchacecz. I did so, and I now forward a translation of the 

 Professor's very interesting reply : "Botanic Garden and Institute 

 of the Imperial German University, Prague, 4th September 1907. 

 Honoured Madam I thank you sincerely for your kindness in 

 sending the Orobanche, which is indeed an unusual form of O. minor. 

 I had not seen it before, and I recognise it as forma condliata, 

 Corolla excepta basi alba amethystino-violacea, squamae calycis cum 

 cauli purpurascentes. It is very interesting that other Orobanches 

 found in Scotland are also of a darker colour, as is the case with 

 O. rubra, Hook." M. C. MURRAY. 



CURRENT LITERATURE. 



The Titles and Purport of Papers and Notes relating to Scottish Natural 

 History which have appeared during the Quarter July- September 1907. 



[The Editors desire assistance to enable them to make this Section as complete as 

 possible. Contributions on the lines indicated will be most acceptable, and 

 will bear the initials of the Contributor. The Editors will have access to the 

 sources of information undermentioned.] 



ZOOLOGY. 



THE CRESTED TIT IN SCOTLAND. " Lichen Grey." The Field, 

 loth August 1907, p. 249. A short article, describing the nesting 

 and other habits of the species, with a note on its distribution. 



1 Only in Fifeshire (85), where it has been suggested that it was introduced 

 probably with agricultural seeds (Ed. "A.S.N.H."). 



