38 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



magnificent heads of the sun-flower, the cud-weeds 

 with the hawkweeds, the single stem dandelions and 

 marigolds with the many-branched hawkweeds, each 

 scape breaking into a corymb, so as to present the 

 greatest floral effect. When we remember the 



we give the illustration with these few rambling 

 comments upon it for what they are worth ; and we 

 shall be pleased at any time to receive from our 

 readers any good sketches of floral freaks or 

 monstrosities for publication. 



Fig. 23. — Illustrations in Vegetable Teratology : Double Sunflower. 



marvellous varieties of inflorescence in this dominant 

 order, we are prepared to accept any so-called freak 

 or monstrosity as useful in throwing a side light to 

 illustrate the processes by which these multitudinous 

 variations have been brought about. A correspondent 

 has sent us the accompanying illustration of a double 

 sunflower. The extra flower-head has no stalk, but is 

 practically sessile. Is this particular plant trying to 

 become a huwkweed, and ambitious that its scape 

 should bear two flowers instead of one ? The hawk- 

 weeds may have, perhaps must have, passed through 

 some such stage as is represented by this monstrosity 

 before they became what they are now. At any rate 



ASTRONOMY. 

 By John Browning, F.R.A.S. 



THE death of the Rev. S. J. Perry, better known, 

 perhaps, as Father Perry, of Stonyhurst, is 

 greatly to be lamented. This excellent and valued 

 observer died of dysentery in the Salut Islands, five 

 days after observing the solar eclipse of December 

 22nd, 1889. For several years Father Perry had 

 made regular observations of the solar prominences 

 by the aid of a powerful spectroscope. Fortunately 

 for us, Mr. Frank McClean, of Tunbridge Wells, is 

 doing admirable work in this direction. 



