May 1, 1S70.J HARD WICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



101 



size, and colour of the pollen-grains, a very minute 

 dodecahedron, depressed at the base, each facet 

 having raised margins and a raised central dot (it 

 will require a very high power and careful manage- 

 ment to see all this). Another minute point of 

 resemblance is striking. Hooker, in the " British 

 Plora," quotes an observation of Mr. Wilson's, which 

 is quite correct, that B. maritimd has always three 

 styles ; the normal number being two. This is 

 curious ; but equally so that the cultivated Beet has 

 the same peculiarity. Of many flowers from several 

 plants carefully examined with the microscope, I 

 could find none with less than three styles, and one 

 only with four. The third style iu the flower, of both 

 kinds, is a little smaller than the other two. But 

 we may, so to speak, consult the plants themselves 

 on the question of their affinities. Darwin re- 

 marks, in his last great work on the Variation of 

 Plants and Animals, vol. ii. p. 178 :— "Firstly. The 

 laws governing the productionof hybrids are identical 

 in the animal and vegetable kingdoms. Secondly. 

 The sterility of distinct species when first united, and 

 that of their hybrid offspring, graduates by an almost 

 infinite number of steps from zero up to complete 

 fertility. We can only escape the conclusion that 

 some species are fully fertile when crossed, by deter- 

 mining to designate as varieties all the forms which 

 are quite fertile. This high degree of fertility is, 

 however, rare." 



How then does B. maritima hybridize with the 

 cultivated Beet ? I answer, most perfectly. The 

 Sea Beet transplanted into my garden and fertilized 

 with the pollen of the Globe Mangel-wurzel, bore 

 perfect seeds, and these, when sown, produced a row 

 of plants much resembling the common long Mangel- 

 wurzel in form and size, but of various colours, from 

 a brick-red to pale yellow ; and these roots proved 

 abundantly fertile. The humble wilding 



" Claimed kindred here, and had its claims allowed ;" 



indeed it took so nearly the form and character of 

 its highly-cultivated relatives that it was not 

 thought worth while to continue the experiment. 



These facts will, it is hoped, warrant the contention 

 that we have in the Sea Beet the original of the com- 

 mon Beet of our gardens, and that this might be 

 raised by cultivation and selection from the wild 

 plant, just as the garden Carrot has lately been in 

 Prance from the wild carrot {Daucus Carola). It 

 might, however, require the aid of hybridization to 

 obtain the larger varieties known by the name of 

 Mangel-wurzel ; and this has been effected probably 

 by accident. I notice with satisfaction that Professor 

 Bhind heads his chapter on the cultivated Beet 

 with the names " Beta maritima" " Beta cicla "; im- 

 plying, as I understand him, that in his opinion the 

 cultivated kinds have originated from one or both 

 of these. Beta cicla is the wild Beet of Spain and 

 Portugal, which has long been cultivated in gardens 



under the name of Chara. It will readily mix, 

 Miller says, with the common Beet, from which it 

 differs in the great size of its leaves and leaf-stalks. 

 It may therefore be considered probable, according 

 to Rhind's suggestion, that the Beet has been 

 largely increased in size and foliage by the union of 

 these two varieties. 



The common Globe Mangel-wurzel has been taken 

 as a standard of comparison throughout these ob- 

 servations, because it could be readily procured, and 

 is, besides, a variety of the Beet to the cultivation 

 and selection of which modern agriculturists have 

 chiefly given their attention. S. S. 



NEW BOOKS. 



A LTHOUGH we do not profess, within our 

 -^*- limited space, to give elaborate reviews of 

 " new books," yet from time to time works are 

 issued from the press which newspapers and literary 

 journals pass by, with a short observation or two, 

 or a confession that the subject is hardly within 

 their province. Some of these books our readers 

 would be glad to be made acquainted with, and of 

 such is the first upon our table. 



A Manual of Zoology, for the Use of Students, with 

 a General Introduction on the Principles of Zooloijy. 

 By Henry Alleyne Nicholson, M.D., D.Sc, M.A., 

 &c. Vol. I. Invertebrate Animals. 8vo., pp. 322. 

 London: Robert Hardwicke. — This is just the 

 book that has been inquired for over and over again, 

 and here is the first, and most useful volume, nicely 

 got up, at a reasonable price, and well illustrated. 

 In its preface, the author declares that " he feels 

 bound to acknowledge with gratitude the very 

 great assistance which he has derived from the 

 various works of Professor Huxley." The classifi- 

 cation and characters of orders, sub-orders, divi- 

 sions, families, &c, of invertebrate animals, based on 

 the works of Professor Huxley, is quite enough 

 recommendation for the majority of our readers, who 

 are constantly seeking from us just the information 

 which this little volume affords. It is marvellous 

 what a fund of valuable matter this book contains, 

 and with its glossary of twenty-four closely-printed 

 pages, and its full and comprehensive index, is 

 quite a pocket cyclopaedia of the Invertebrates. 

 Henceforth, let no correspondent inquire of us on 

 points so readily answered by this book; and whilst 

 our labours are considerably lightened, we shall be 

 as grateful to the author as the purchasers of the 

 work are certain to be. 



The Fuel of the Sun. By W. Mathien Williams, 

 P.C.S. Svo., pp. 224. London : Simpkiu, Mar- 

 shall, & Co. — " This little work is an attempt to 

 explain some of the greatest mysteries of the uni- 

 verse." So commences the author in his preface. 



