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HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



Dallinger ; "Remarks on Sewerage Systems," by 

 A. P. J. Cotterell; "The Perceptions of Animals," 

 by Prof, C. L. Morgan ; " Suggestions as to the 

 Causes of the Difference in Colour between the 

 Flowers and Foliage of • Tropical and Temperate 

 Regions," by Charles Jeeks, &c. 



BOTANY. 



Chlorophyll in Plants. — I have just seen in 

 Science-Gossip an article by J. Ballantyne on the 

 formation of chlorophyll in plants. As I had a 

 similar instance some time ago, I may mention it as 

 appearing to contradict the accepted theory on the 

 subject. I was cutting away some superfluous 

 branches in my melon pit, and found I had cut off 

 one on which was a partly grown fruit. I left it as 

 it was in the frame. It grew (no root) to about twice 

 its then size and ripened. No crack or hole in it to 

 admit the light. Flesh of usual flavour. All the 

 seeds in this fruit had germinated and showed full 

 green cotyledons of such colour as they would have 

 shown if growing in the ordinary way, and of about 

 the size that usually show from the seed case. Is not 

 the law laid down a little too absolutely by some of 

 our (more or less) scientific men in some of these 

 matters? Evidently here are instances in which 

 light has not been instrumental in producing the green 

 colour of vegetation, — Geo. C. Nerval!. 



The Flora of Kent. — Can any reader of 

 Science-Gossip give me information respecting a 

 Flora for Kent, as all my inquiries hitherto have 

 failed in discovering the existence of any such work ? 

 It seems very singular that a county so botanically 

 rich as Kent should be so neglected. Does the London 

 Flora take in this district ? Also what is the price 

 and when was the last edition published? — JV. B., 

 Pluvistead. 



The Evolution of Poisons. — With reference 

 to the note in Science-Gossip for December on the 

 Evolution of Poisons, is it possible that they act in 

 the economy of the plant by being reserves of food 

 matter ? Since substances in the seed are absorbed 

 into the young plant, and as numbers of the poisons, 

 etc., are found in the seeds, then why should not 

 similar substance in the plant be reserves for it to use 

 during its growth? Again, the plant might absorb 

 from the soil more than it can use in its economy, 

 and these substances might be a means of getting rid 

 of the surplus. Either of these views would also 

 account for substances 'which are not poisons, and 

 therefore in that way cannot act as a defence to the 

 plant. The number of these compounds in the 

 vegetable kingdom must be enormous, and this fact 

 might be accounted for by different plants requiring 

 different amounts of elementary constituents, and 

 that each substance is suited to the economy of the 

 plant where it is found, Tlie fact that some of these 



act as poisons to the higher animals would thus seem 

 to be incidental. — M. Farrant. 



Euphorbia Cyparissias in Kent. — It was with 

 great pleasure I saw recorded the finding of this 

 plant by a visitor (?) to the neighbourhood. I fear, 

 however, that from the description of the locality, 

 one might search the " hillsides close to Dover" for 

 a long time, and then not find it. However, the 

 description is quite correct. The locality is known 

 to most, if not all, of those interested in botanical 

 matters hving in Dover. There are five or six good- 

 sized patches of it, if I remember right. They are 

 so conspicuous when in flower, that they may be seen 

 from the hills on the opposite side of the valley. I 

 had noticed that the botanical books give "woods" 

 as the habitat of this plant. I had also noticed that 

 in Switzerland I have found it anywhere but in 

 woods! Gremli, in his "Flora of Switzerland," 

 gives as habitats, "gravelly places, road-sides, river 

 banks " — and in such places I have found it. I 

 wonder whether K. E. Styan knew, when he was 

 gathering the beautiful little Cyprus spurge, that he 

 was within a few yards of a host of rarities and much- 

 sought-after plants ? Sixteen or seventeen of our 

 orchids may be found in their season close by — O. 

 purpurea, O. ustulata, O. apifera, O. muscifera, H. 

 bifoUa and chlorantha, wei-e all in bloom when K, E. 

 Styan gathered the spurge ! It is gratifying to know 

 that a visitor may go into a strange place and find 

 something that the inhabitants know nothing of ; and 

 this should encourage all to keep their eyes open. I 

 know of three instances of strangers finding plants 

 unknown to the botanists of the neighbourhood. In 

 1883 a visitor found near Dover Habeiiaria viridis. 

 In 1888 another visitor found near Folkestone Orni- 

 thopus ebracteatus ; and in 1890 a friend staying for 

 his holidays in the neighbourhood of Dover found 

 two patches of Phyteuma m-biculare, and those X.\\o 

 patches half a mile apart 1 One thing to be learnt 

 from this I think is— the desirability of placing upon 

 record all "finds" that strike the finder as good or 

 exceptional, as K. E. Styan has done. One Saturday 

 in June of 1S90 I was walking from Sugar-loaf Hill 

 across the fields towards Park Farm, Folkestone, 

 when I was suddenly " brought to " by seeing on the 

 footpath two specimens of \\\^ Cyprus spurge l How 

 came they there has ever been a mystery to me ; they 

 were quite fresh. Does this note of K. E. Sty.in 

 explain it ?— ;K T. Hay don, Wouldham. 



GEOLOGY, &C. 



The Geologists' Association.— The last issue 

 of this ever welcome "Proceedings" contains the 

 following papers : — " On the Pleistocene (non-marine) 

 MoUusca of the London District," by B. B. Wood- 

 ward ; " An Account of the Excursion to the South 

 Italian Volcanoes," by Dr. Johnston Lavis; "Con- 



