226 NATURAL SCIENCE. April, 



surrounding air. Records were made three times a day, namely, 

 between 6 and 7 a.m., 12 and i p.m., and 6 and 7 p.m., from January 15 

 to June 3, a period including the season of continued cold, the spring 

 season, and the early summer when the thermometer had nearly reached 

 its maximum. A careful examination of the published tables, in the 

 light of the varying phases of vital activity through which the tree 

 passed during the period, should yield more important results than 

 are presented in the few remarks which accompany them. Through 

 the entire period the tree temperature was lower than that of the air 

 in the morning and at noon, but higher in the evening. On four days 

 in January the temperature of both tree and surrounding air fell below 

 25 deg. C. The mean temperature of the tree for January was 

 i'3i deg. C. higher than that of the air ; in February the two were 

 identical ; in March that of the tree was nearly i deg. C. lower, in 

 April -85 deg. C. higher, and in May again 1-13 deg. C. lower than 

 that of the air. The relatively high temperature of the tree during 

 April is accounted for, at any rate in part, by the increased metabolic 

 activity during the development of the reproductive organs. 



Relations of another kind between plants and temperature are 

 referred to in the January number of the Kew Bulletin, where some 

 account is given of the havoc played among the plants of the Royal 

 Gardens by the great frost of 1895. Several of the examples cited 

 give evidence of the importance of individual constitution as a factor 

 in the problem of plant-life. In more than one case plants under 

 shelter were killed, while those in the open survived uninjured. Bulbs 

 seem to have come off the worst, in many instances — e.g., species of 

 Narcissus — the whole planting being destroyed. Alpine plants also 

 suffered much, evidently missing their wonted covering of snow. 

 Some of our native plants — e.g., the thyme, which suffered severely — 

 did not withstand the cold so well as many from countries with a 

 warmer climate than Britain. On one count the " Gardens " must 

 be congratulated. They possess their own waterworks, and being 

 able to keep up a supply during the whole period of frost, were thus 

 not affected by the disastrous failure of the water companies. 



Technical Education in New South Wales. 



The Calendar for 1895 issued by the technical education branch 

 of the Department of Pubhc Instruction for New South Wales shows 

 an admirable amount of energy expended both in direct education and 

 in the installation of a Central Technological Museum. The museum 

 has been removed from the temporary premises in the Outer Domain 

 at Sydney, and is now situated in Harris Street, near Redferne railway 

 station. It contains considerably over 30,000 specimens, and its 

 officers impart to visitors all desired information with regard to the 

 raw products and manufactures of New South Wales. The new 

 building rises to a height of 75 feet, and is 183 feet long and 50 feet 



