HARD WICKE'S SCIENCE- G OSS I P. 



99 



to the other. The soil is burrowed ; no, undermined 

 with penguins, and the air overhead is one whirl of 

 sea gulls. 



But the most striking feature of the islands is the 

 extensive sweep of sea-thrift, rising in pure rose- 

 coloured hillocks against the sky, and here and there 

 perpendicular peaks of grey stone rising out of them, 

 all hung with lichen and crested with sea birds. 



If they had only been beetles instead, what 

 a harvest for the collector ! But it was no good 

 regretting this, so I strolled along the beach and 

 began to hunt. 



Before long my attention was attracted to the 

 remains ofwrecks scattered along the shore : here and 

 there broken boards, bleaching in the sun, and then 

 larger portions of vessels hurled far inland by the fury 

 of the gales. Well ! it was under the smaller debris 

 of these wrecks that I made my principal captures. 



As regards the plants I have not much to say. In 

 one place and another I took the following : Chara 

 Jragifera, hitherto, I believe, only recoixled in Corn- 

 wall. EupJiorhia paralias and Forilandica, Ranjin- 

 ciilus hcdcraceiis, Lcnorniaiidi, and tyipartitus, 

 Fumaria pallida, Lepidittm caDipcstre, Erodiiim 

 mariiiiniDn, and the moss Ulota phyllantha. Though 

 this record of my captures is somewhat meagre, I 

 must add that I think that later in the season, and 

 with more propitious weather, there is much to be 

 done in these beautiful, and, in my opinion, demi- 

 semi-tropical islands. 



By the way, I would just remark, in conclusion, that 

 on approaching the islands, the traveller will observe 

 a buoy with H. A. T. S. painted conspicuously with 

 large white letters. The caution is far from unneces- 

 sary. Owing to the wind I know of no place where 

 they require such constant attention ; future travellers 

 will do well to take the hint. 



B. P. 



THE ORIGIN OF DOUBLE FLOWERS. 



IN Science-Gossip for March, there is an interest- 

 ing article on this subject by Mr. John Gibbs. 

 I wish to suggest another view of the question which 

 is commonly overlooked. 



Every one recognizes the fact, in a general way, 

 that organic forms do not last for ever, but have a 

 period of infancy, a period of maturity, and a period 

 of decay. In the case of individuals this organic law 

 is self-evident : but investigation shows it is also the 

 law for species,, for genera, for families, for orders, 

 probably for the organic world as a whole, and 

 perhaps for the inorganic also. It is undoubtedly one 

 of the fundamental laws of the universe ; one of the 

 primary modes in which force operates. Its action is 

 illustrated under the simplest conditions in the 

 transmission of sound or motion by a succession of 

 waves, in which the material molecules are alternately 



drawn together and dispersed. It may be called the 

 law of the wave-form. 



Bearing in mind that every organic individual, 

 species, genus, &c., is subject to this law, and 

 represents a force-wave which has a definite initial 

 intensity, and will, under any given conditions, run a 

 definite course of gradual concentration, followed by 

 dispersion, we see that it is the natural destiny of each 

 species to have a starting-point from which it rises to 

 its maximum of development, and then decays and 

 disappears. 



It is well known that in the inorganic world there 

 is another great law — the law of interference, by 

 which simple waves are compounded and modified to 

 a large extent. Musical notes and water-waves are 

 produced by a number of simple waves which interfere 

 in a cumulative manner, while noises and " chopping " 

 seas are the results of interferences which are less 

 regularly coincident. 



This law of interference applies equally to the 

 organic world. 



A species is a compound organic wave resulting 

 from a succession of individuals, the original specific 

 impulse being carried forward through the repro- 

 ductive system to its natural climax, which is deter- 

 mined by the conditions of the initial impulse. 



Supposing that some species of plant from its very 

 origin, were entirely isolated, it would go on 

 increasing in numbers, and developing in character up 

 to a certain point, and would then decay. Each 

 individual of the series would in like manner attain 

 to its own maximum, and at its extreme limit would 

 leave its energy in its seed and then decay. But as 

 the climacteric of the species approached, the 

 individuals attaining more complete development, 

 those organics at the terminal growing-points which 

 formed the reproductive elements, would now unfold 

 into perfect petals and reproduction would gradually 

 cease. Thus the double flower should mdicate the 

 climax of a species when reproduction is no longer 

 necessary, and when the hitherto absorbed petals 

 become normally developed. 



But if a species is not isolated, which of course is 

 the usual condition, the law of interference must very 

 frequently come into operation. 



The flowers become cross-fertilised. The original 

 specific impulse is compounded more and more at 

 each generation of individuals. 



Some of the interfering waves coincide with the 

 original and increase its intensity, others are an- 

 tagonistic and neutralise it, while those which partly 

 coincide and partly neutralise produce all sorts of 

 intermediate results. 



The final issue would support Mr. Gibbs's argument 

 that a long course of self-fertilisation tends to produce 

 double flowers, because such a course means non- 

 interference, and therefore more rapid attainment of 

 the climacteric of the original wave, while cross- 

 fertilisation tends to produce increased vitality, more 



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