1 94 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



selected six of the finest blossoms. These faced by 

 a compass, respectively, north, south, east, west, 

 north-east, and south-east. Having driven a stake 

 into the ground close before each selected flower, I 

 nailed on each stake two pieces of wood each eight 

 inches in length and one in width ; one of these was 

 on the top of each stake and could be moved by me 

 in a horizontal direction, the other I placed a little 

 lower on the side of the stake at right angles to the 

 first. It is not easy, without a figure, to explain my 

 simple and yet complete contrivance for observing if 

 the sunflowers moved in any direction. 



I set my indices, by fixing each pair of pointers 

 perfectly parallel to the discs of the flowers, so that 

 no matter in what direction the flower might move, 

 it must be apparent when next inspected. I visited 

 them three times each day for a week, shortly after 

 sunrise, at noon, and a few minutes past sunset. The 

 time was the first week in September of the year 

 (1886); and the flowers were just beginning to open 

 the florets on the circumference of the discs. 



Well — I found no twisting of the peduncle in a 

 circle, no turning of the flower after the sun — none 

 whatever. My flowers faced, respectively, north, 

 south, east, west, north-east, and south-east, as they 

 did when I set my marks at them. So far as facing 

 towards the sun, there was no movement that I could 

 detect. One slight alteration I did notice, in some 

 but not all of the flowers with which I was ex- 

 perimenting, a tendency of the head to droop or 

 incline towards the earth, as the seeds began to form ; 

 what I call my vertical indication showed this, but 

 there was no return to the original position, the 

 inclination remained permanent. Moreover, this 

 insignificant movement was not towards, but actually 

 away from the sun, and appeared a provision for 

 keeping the crowded seeds dry as they rapidly formed 

 and began to ripen. 



If it were the case that the sunflower every twenty- 

 four hours twisted its peduncle and brought its flower 

 constantly towards the sun, every sunflower in every 

 garden would be found facing in precisely the same 

 direction, a fallacy needing no refutation. Why, I 

 have grown sunflowers against a south wall, and they 

 faced in all directions (just as those in my garden are 

 doing now while I write) some even towards the wall ! 



It was said to me, at the time I was recording these 

 observations, that the sunflowers only turned towards 

 the sun when the sun shone ; very good, and five out 

 of the seven days of my trial were genuine sunshiny 

 days, and still I could not detect any difference at 

 any time in the position of the flowers. 



Just one more fact, the sunflowers were of the 

 common tall and dwarf kinds ; the seed from which 

 they were raised was partly home-saved, and partly 

 bought at a seedsman's in Belfast, and the flowers 

 when expanded seemed just the same as those with 

 which I have been familiar for forty years. 



Aghaderg Glebe, Loughbricklatta, co. Do~u<n. 



NOTES ON NEW BOOKS. 



'^HE STORY OF THE NATIONS — 

 1 ASSYRIA, by Z. A. Ragosin (London : 

 Fisher Unwin). This is one of the most interesting 

 volumes of this interesting series. It reads more like 

 a lively novel than dry ancient history, and the 

 numerous illustrations help the reader marvellously. 



The Flora of the north-east of Ireland, by S. A- 

 Stewart, and the late J. II. Corry (Cambridge : 

 Macmillan). County and local floras are rapidly 

 multiplying, and it is a good thing that our British 

 plants should be thus accurately chronicled. The 

 present work gives a thoroughly trustworthy account 

 of the native flora of Down, Antrim, and Derry. 

 The idea was projected by Mr. Corry many years 

 ago, and has been ably carried to its completion by 

 Mr. Stewart. Indeed, Mr. Corry, at the youthful 

 age of twenty-four, may be said to have lost his life 

 in connection with this book — for he was drowned 

 in Lough Gill when on a botanical expedition. 



Nature's Fairy-land, by H. W. G. Worsley- 

 Benison (London : Eliot Stock). A series of de- 

 lightfully-written chapters, recalling rambles by wood- 

 land, meadow, stream, and shore. Mr. Worsley- 

 Benison is a well-known writer in our columns, and 

 therefore our readers are aware he is an enthusiastic 

 naturalist. The chapters in the book have been 

 mostly contributed to various magazines. We cor- 

 dially commend Mr. Benison's book to our readers. 



Birds-nesting and Bird-skinning, by Miller Christy 

 (London : T. Fisher Unwin). This handy little 

 volume is just- the book for a beginner. It was 

 originally written by the late Ed. Newman ; but the 

 present is the second edition, thoroughly revised and 

 rewritten by Mr. Christy, and the chapter on bird- 

 skinning is wholly his own. 



Geology for All, by J. Logan Lobley (London :. 

 Roper and Drowley). Mr. Lobley is widely known 

 as an earnest geologist. Few other men have been 

 so much mixed up with geological literature. As a 

 lecturer and teacher he has also been most successful. 

 Consequently our readers will be prepared to expect 

 that this little manual is one of the highest character. 

 A young man desirous of taking up geology as a study 

 cannot do better than buy this book. 



Flower- Gardening for Amateurs, by Lewis Castle 

 (London : Swan Sonnenschein). Books on gardening 

 are always welcome, but there is an especial charm 

 about Mr. Castle's. The author is as well up in 

 horticultural literature as he is practically acquainted 

 with the subject. Amateurs who are their own 

 gardeners will gratefully peruse this little volume, 

 and find hosts of hints they can carry out for them- 

 selves. 



The Smithsonian Report for 18S5 is a bulky volume, 

 full of illustrations. Nearly the entire work is taken 

 up with a description of the George Catlin Indian 



