Nov. 1, 1S68.J 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



253 



prefers the steppes by the side of the rivers and 

 sea-coasts." The Rev. H. B. Tristram says* that 

 in Palestine "the Red Kite is universally distributed 

 in winter, but retires in early spring from the 

 southern deserts to the ravines of Lebanon and 

 Gilead to breed." 



Erom Mr. Osbert Salvin's interesting paper in the 

 Ibis, on " Pive Months' Bird-nesting in the Eastern 

 Atlas," I make the following extract concerning the 

 present species: — "For the most part we found the 

 nests of the Kite were much dispersed ; I have no 

 instance noted of more than a pair occupying one 

 cliff. When in a rock, they were usually placed 

 where a small tree or shrub grew out of a crack. 

 Such was the case at Djebel Dekma, Khifan M'sakta, 

 and Kef Laks, with a single exception. In this 

 case the nest was in a hole in the precipice that 

 forms the western termination of Djebel Dekma. 

 The young in this nest were hatched in the first 

 week in April. About the Ouled Zeid country, 

 north of Souk Harras, the nests were usually in 

 trees. Nearly all the eggs we obtained were re- 

 markably devoid of colouring." 



"With the exception of the few extraneous locali- 

 ties already mentioned, the geographical range of 

 Mile us regalis would appear to be confined to the 

 European continent. It seems to be a purely Palac- 

 arctic species. R. B. Sharpe. 



MICROSCOPIC SEEDS. 



"Y7ERY little attention has been bestowed upon 

 * the minute seeds of plants as microscopic 

 objects; indeed, many microscopists are fain to treat 

 them with contempt, and mounted slides of micro- 

 scopic seeds are usually amongst the unsaleable 

 articles of an optician's cabinet. Why this should 

 be the case we are at a loss to determine. It can- 

 not be on account of the rarity of the objects, 

 because they are in reality some of the most com- 

 mon. It cannot be occasioned by the difficulty of 

 mounting them, because the tyro is able to accom- 

 plish this with the smallest amount of experience. 

 It cannot be urged that they all follow one monoto- 

 nous type, because they exhibit considerable variety. 

 And yet the fact is patent that, of all microscopical 

 objects, minute seeds excite the smallest amount of 

 interest. On this account we have resolved upon 

 this effort to become champion of a neglected cause, 

 to plead for the despised; and we do so under the 

 conviction that ignorance must, after all, be the 

 basis of so much lack of interest in a class of objects 

 so variable and so beautiful. 



Instead of grouping seeds according to their 

 microscopical characters and general appearance, we 

 have determined upon following the less popular, 

 but more instructive method, of classing them under 



* P. Z. S., 1864, p. 428. 



their natural orders — that is, adopting a botanical 

 classification ; and yet, whilst following such a 

 course, the coincidence of type will often be mani- 

 fest, sometimes in the species of a genus, sometimes 

 in the genera composing a family. 



Our observations must on this occasion be con- 

 fined to a single order, which contains many note- 

 worthy examples. The seeds employed are either 

 British, or in common cultivation: the latter may be 

 obtained from a seedsman. 



The large Foxglove family, called by botanists 

 Scrophulariacece , contains at least two thousand 

 species of plants, which are distributed all over the 

 world. Many of them have small, and some of 

 them exceedingly beautiful seeds. We will com- 

 mence with the — 



Purple Foxglove {Digitalis purpurea) . — The 

 form of the seed is cylindrical, with blunt ends, and 

 is traversed on one side by a shallow longitudinal 

 groove. The surface of the seed is minutely honey- 

 combed with rather irregular hexagonal pits. The 

 elevations are of an ochraceous tint, and the body 

 of the seed, as seen in the depressions, of a nut- 

 brown (fig. 229, x 40). 



Fig. 229. 



Fig. 230. 



Yellow Foxglove {Digitalis luted). — Form 

 much more irregular, the pits shallower, and the 

 elevated hexagonal markings less decided than in the 

 Purple Foxglove. The colour uniformly nut-brown. 



Common Snapdragon {Antirrhinum majus). — 

 Form somewhat irregularly oblong. Surface with 

 deep, irregular, often elongated, large, hexagonal 

 pits, the ridges forming the pits being as high as 

 the diameter of the pits themselves, irregular at 

 the margin, and striated. The bottom of the pits 

 minutely reticuLted. The colour a dull snuffy 

 brown (fig. 230, x 40). 



Small Snapdragon {Antirrhinum orontium). — 

 Most distinct in its difference from the foregoing. 

 The seeds are nearly of the same size, in one view 

 elliptical, resembling a saltcellar, with a flat spread- 

 ing border all around the base, nearly upright sides, 

 with the upper margin lobed, and a long elevated 

 ridge at the bottom of ,the deeply depressed centre, 

 covered with minute granulations, some seeds nearly 

 white, or cream-coloured, others dark-brown. Most 

 peculiar seeds (fig. 231, x 40). 



Small Toad-flax {Linaria minor). — Egg-shaped, 

 with a few prominent longitudinal ridges, occasion- 



