HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



The flower purplish-pink, edged with white ; occa- 

 sionally the whole plant is white. The clubbed stems 

 exhibit the true nature of the plant, throwing out 

 from their base squamosa offsets, into which also the 

 imperfect flowers above are seen to pass. The 

 herbage is buried about four inches in the loose earth, 

 and bears opposite branches. 



"I have seen no figure or dried specimen which 

 satisfactorily explains the difficulty. The figure in 

 ' English Botany ' represents the upper lip deeply 

 and acutely cloven, the style bent downwards near 

 the stigma, and hidden. It is sufficient to point out 

 differences, without at once attempting the constitution 



Fig. 3. — Specimen ol Lathrcva sqiiamaria gathered 

 April 1883. [From a photograph.] 



of a second species. The plant of Lyminge may 

 stand as L. squamaria, $ — Lathrsea radice squamata, 

 bracteis lanceolatis, stylo recto, e labio superiore sub- 

 integro, exserto." 



From this description and drawing it is evident that 

 fifty-four years ago L. squamaria, as found by Smith, 

 was different to its progeny of the present day, which 

 answers the description given in " English Botany," 

 3rd edition, with these exceptions : the style is de- 

 scribed as simple, and curved at the apex ; this, 

 however, is not so, what s/i^/U curve there is in the 

 style is along its entire length. It also describes the 

 style as generally exserted ; this is, however, only 

 partially correct, for dividing the life of the flower 



into four stages, viz. first, the bursting of the bud ; 

 second, a stage midway between the bursting of the 

 bud and the fully-expanded flower ; third, the fully- 

 expanded flower ; and fourth, the flower withering, it 

 will be seen that in the two first stages the style is 

 seen projecting beyond the corolla, while in the fully- 

 expanded flower neither of the organs of generation 

 can be seen ; and it is not until the corolla begins to 

 shrivel with decay, that the four stamens with their 

 anthers can be seen. These various stages are shown 

 in the accompanying sketches. 



How the difference in the squamaria of fifty-four 

 years ago and those of the present day have been 

 brought about, I will not pretend to say ; that such 

 marked difference from the normal type existed as to 

 call Smith's attention to it cannot be doubted, he 

 being almost tempted to make a second species of it, 

 but concluded to call it only a variety j3. 



The accompanying photo proves that the plant has 

 now its normal characters, with broadly ovate braeteas 

 and proliferous stem. Whether these changes mark a 

 period of evolution, or whether the abnormal con- 

 dition of the plant in Smith's time was only a freak of 

 nature, I must leave for others better able to decide. 



Very important . lessons may, however, be learnt 

 from the preceding facts, viz. the importance of 

 placing on record careful descriptions, together with 

 drawings of all plants that vary from the normal type, 

 and the exercise of great care and judgment in giving 

 to any plant, even with great differences of character, 

 a new specific name, or even constituting it a new 

 variety. 



I do not know if the photo is distinct enough to 

 engrave from ; if not, I shall be glad to lend a 

 specimen to any one interested. 



W. T. IIaydon. 

 Dover. 



MICROSCOPICAL TECHNOLOGY. 



By John Ernest Ady. 



ON THE EXHIBITION OF CANADA BALSAM. 



'"THHE following remarks are merely offered to the 

 J- readers of Science-Gossip as part of the out- 

 come of extended practical research on the subject, 

 and I have essayed to contribute them to these 

 columns, with the hope that they may prove useful to 

 those to whom certain phases in the exhibition of 

 Canada balsam are always looked upon as " bug- 

 bears." 



I shall confine myself to a consideration of the 

 manner in which sections of tissues, however 

 unmanageable by ordinary methods, on account of 

 their inherent physical properties, may be coerced, 

 as it were, to yield to the desires of the manipulator. 

 But before I proceed further, I would like to satisfy 

 my readers as to the raison d'etre of this communi- 

 cation. 



