54 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF [1894. 



very small seeds in the upper section. The illustrations explain the 

 process l)y which this coreless condition is brought about. Fig. 1 

 gives an external view of the apex of the apple. In the ordinary 

 apple we havs the dry remains of five small sepals; in this we have 

 three series of five, alternating with each other in a perfectly normal 

 manner. The interior series of five are quite fleshy and, as they 

 are evidently the a[)ical portions of the five sectional protuberances 

 in the apple, we may safely conclude that it is this series which has 

 chiefly aided in the development of the fleshy portion of the fruit. 

 It should have been the matrix of the petals in the normal apple, 

 and we may infer that in this fruit, as we generally have it, with the 

 calycine and petaliferous verticils combined, it is the inner or petal 

 bearing series that gives the apple its chief succulency. In the nor- 

 mal apple, the cari)ellary structure commences at a, Fig. 2, but in 

 this case, by the imperfectly arrested growth of the axis, it has 

 been carried up to b, — and even then not wholly brought to rest, as it 

 has made another step, c resulting finally in a small system capable at 

 least of seed-l)earing, though having lost most of its power to give 

 succulence to its calycine series. We may say that a coreless apple 

 is, morphologically speaking, but a restless attempt on the part of the 

 tree, to develop several carpellary systems, instead of confining itself 

 to the perfection of one, as in ordinary cases. 



This phenomen is not unusual in plants. The rose, a near rela- 

 tive of the apple, is not infrequently seen with another small rose 

 growing from its centre, the explanation being of the same charac- 

 ter as here given for the apple. 



It may be tersely stated that navel oranges and coreless apples are 

 feeble attempts at proliferation. 



The Relations Between Insects and the Flowers of 



ImPATIENS Ft'LVA. 



Along a small stream on my grounds, masses of Lnpatlens fit ha 

 abound, growing in great luxuriance. The humming bird visits the 

 flowers as freely as various insects. I frctjuently amuse myself by 

 standing perfectly still in the midst of a )uass of flowers, and have 

 these little creatures i*est on my shoulder or even on my hand when 

 I kept it still above the flowers. While thus enjoying myself, I 

 have been led to note many items of interest worth recording. 



Variations in species are often referred to the visits of insects. 



