ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 365 



beginning to straighten themselves and the stamens were _ dehiscing. 

 Some specimens of both groups were left exposed to the visits of bees, 

 while others were protected by means of coverings of muslin. The 

 same results were obtained in each group both with covered and 

 exposed flowers, for the bees ceased their visits as soon as they discovered 

 the absence of stamens. In the first group the fruit developed 

 parthenogenetically, and the ovules inclosed were dry and never formed 

 seeds. In the second group both fruit and seeds were well developed, 

 proving that fertilisation takes place within the bud at the moment 

 when the peduncle begins to straighten itself. 



Floral Anomaly in Doronicum.* — J. W. Pahbine has examined some 

 anomalous flowers of Doronicum, in which a second inflorescence was 

 formed at the summit of the normal capitulum. This second inflores- 

 cence consisted of tubular florets surrounded by strap-like florets of 

 smaller size. The strap-like florets have lobed corollas. The involucral 

 leaves of this abnormal inflorescence are arranged in an opposite manner 

 to those of the normal capitulum, and are shorter and thinner, besides 

 being slightly different in general structure. The author considers that 

 these abnormalities are the expression of certain latent characters which 

 only develop under particular conditions. 



Physiology. 

 Nutrition and Growth. 



Grafting of Perennial upon Annual Plants.f — L. Daniel contributes 

 a short note dealing with the results of grafting the potato upon the 

 tomato and perennial sunflowers upon the annual sunflower. The graft 

 and the host react in a curious way upon one another, for the former not 

 being able to form the usual underground tubers, often forms aerial 

 ones ; the host being unable to make use of these reserve materials in 

 the ordinary way, utilises them in the formation of abnormal ligneous 

 tissues. These results were uniformly obtained in all the experiments 

 on sunflowers, and frequently, but less uniformly, in those performed 

 with the potato and tomato. 



Amylase in Old Seeds.J— Brocq-Rousseu and E. Gain contribute a 

 note relating to a few experiments made upon old wheat seeds. The 

 latter were about fifty years old, and were no longer capable of germinating. 

 In spite of this they still contained dextrinase and amylase capable of 

 converting starch into sugar. The experiments do not prove whether 

 the diastatic action preserves its initial intensity, but they confirm the 

 fact that the power of germination is not exclusively connected with the 

 preservation of diastatic properties. 



Ptespiration of the Stamens and Pistil.§ — G. Maige has experi- 

 mented upon Verbascwn, Lavatera, Acanthus, Antirrhinum, etc. with 

 special reference to the respiration of the stamens and pistil. Her 



* Arch. Sci. Phys. Nat. Geneve, xxvii. (1909) pp. 69-76(1 pi. and 1 fig.). 



+ Comptes Rendus, cxlviii. (1909) pp. 431-3. 



% Tom. cit., pp. 359-61. § Rev. Gen. Bot. xjd. (1909) pp. 32-8. 



