140 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



Florideae is not maintained by open pits as he 

 (Mr. Hick) has stated. By appropriate treatment it 

 is easy to see that, except in the very youngest cells, 

 a distinct pit-closing membrane is present." Will 

 the readers of Science-Gossip believe that I have 

 myself described in several species the existence of 

 an extremely delicate membrane, crossing the con- 

 necting threads, which I presume is what is here 

 termed the " pit-closing membrane " ? But, at the 

 same time, I have advanced reasons for believing 

 that this is developed by and within the cord, that it 

 is not an ordinary cellulose partition, and that it 

 offers no interruption to the continuity of the proto- 

 plasm, so long as the cells are alive. Where no such 

 membrane was detected, as occurred in Chofidrits 

 crispiis, Gigartina 7nainillosa, and Pet}vcelis crucnta, 

 and other forms, none was described as a matter of 

 course. If Mr. Gardiner has been more successful, 

 both he and botanical science are to be congratulated. 

 In that case, I am sure he will not object to inform 

 the readers of Science-Gossip by what "appropriate 

 methods" "it is easy to see a distinct pit-closing 

 membrane " in these species. — Thomas Hick. 



The Botanical Exchange Club. — The report 

 of this club, drawn up for the observations and col- 

 lections of 1882, has just been published. The total 

 number of plants received for distribution was 3440, 

 from thirty-five contributors. The "Notes on the 

 Plants gathered in 1S82" are most interesting to all 

 botanists, every new variety of a species and every 

 new habitat being authoritatively set down. 



Peculiar Narcissus.— I enclose a specimen of 

 Narciss2(s pseudo-narcissus, found in a field near 

 Ashopton, Derbyshire. Instead of six stamens it has 

 only four normal, and another, the filament of 

 which is united to the corona through all its length, 

 and the anther lobe has a winged appendage on 

 either side ; besides which there arises from its base 

 a leafy appendage. The parts of the perianth are 

 only four. It is evidently approaching the double 

 form, and was found growing among a great many 

 others, a large bunch of which was gathered, but no 

 abnormality could be detected in any of them. — 

 G. A. Gricrson. 



Early Puccinia.— During an excursion to Black- 

 well, Worcestershire, on the 22nd of March last, 

 I found the leaves of a large patch of Adoxa moscha- 

 tellina plentifully besprinkled with the pustules of 

 Pucciiiia adoxa. Is this unusually early appearance 

 to be put down to the mildness of the season? — 

 W. B. Gro-oe, B.A. 



The Sundews. — There need not, as Mr. Eirks 

 points out, be any difficulty in the cultivation of 

 these curious and interesting insectivorous plants. 

 They should, however, be taken up with plenty of 

 soil attached. To my mind, the common Droscra. 



rotundifolia, and particularly D. longifolia, with its 

 long-petioled, radical, spatulate, and very obtuse 

 leaves, are very well worth growing, if only for 

 curiosity's sake. I have rarely seen the flowers of 

 the common species fully expanded, even amongst 

 thousands of specimens ; it would be interesting to 

 know if this circumstance is frequent. — W. Roberts, 

 157, Camden Grove North, Peckham. 



The Origin of [Double Flowers. — In Mr. 

 Mott's paper last month, at page 99, col. 2, line 24 

 from bottom, for organics read organs. Page 99, 

 col. 2, line 19 from bottom, for absorbed read aborted. 

 Page 100, col. I, line 22, for male read wave. 



Vegetable Teratology, — You will perhaps 

 consider the following lusus naturae worthy^ of a 

 corner in yourjpages. It consisted of three leaves of 

 the ordinary domestic cabbage, each of which bore 

 upon their midrib from two to six secondary stalks. 

 The smaller of these secondary stalks supported a 

 miniature leaf resembling the parent leaf, but with 

 more undulated 7. and divided margins ; the larger 

 again subdivided into similar tertiary growths ; and 

 these again, in one or two instances, into further 

 quaternary (if that is the correct word) ones. — 

 Augustin Ley. 



Convallaria rubra. — I shall be glad to leain, 

 from any reader of Science-Gossip, or through your 

 Notes to Correspondents, what has become of 

 Convallaria rubra ? It is mentioned in Paxton's 

 " Botanical Dictionary " as a native of Britain ; and 

 a gentleman told me a few days ago that it grew at 

 Skipton in 1845. But there is no mention of such 

 a plant in Hooker's "Student's Flora," nor in the 

 London Catalogue. Has it become extinct ? — F. y. 

 George. 



CF^CIDIUM Ari. — I am pleased to say that I have 

 just found this fungus in some quantity at Limpley 

 Stoke, near here. This is the first season I have 

 been fortunate enough to obtain specimens, for 

 though yearly on the look-out for this Qicidium, I 

 have, till the present time, failed to find it. As 

 CEcidium Ari is by no means common, I shall be 

 pleased to send specimens to anyone sending me a 

 stamped and addressed envelope. — Charles F. IV. T, 

 Williains, B.A., Bath. 



Peculiar Appearance of the Moon. — My son 

 and I saw the following remarkable appearance of 

 the moon in the west, at Burnham, on Saturday 

 February 2nd, 1884. The best description I can 

 give of rough figure sent is that it was the shape of a 

 boomerang, the north and largest end with a rather 

 narrowed but deep notch, cut as if with a fret-saw. 

 My wife saw it at the same time with my son and 

 myself. It retained this shape as long as we looked 

 at it. Two hours later intense frost set in. — A. II. B. 



