110 Dr. J. E. Stocks on the Structure of Cucurbitaeese. 



of feathers in the hind part of the back, which are pointed like 

 spines. The quills of the feathers are remarkably thick and hard, 

 and taper suddenly to a fine point. They do not however termi- 

 nate there, but continue a little further with a uniform thickness. 

 This continuation however, is slender and so soft, that it gives not 

 the least resistance to a slight pressure ; whereas the hard part 

 has the appearance of a pointed spine. This structure is iden- 

 tical in the African, Asiatic and Australian species, so that no 

 geographical subdivision of the genus, such as some have at- 

 tempted, can be made. 



[To be continued.] 



XIV. — Remarks on some Points in the Structure of Cucurbitacese. 

 By J. E. Stocks, M.D., Assistant Surgeon on the Bombay 

 Establishment. 



Stem. — Examining the pentagonal stem of Cucurbitacece we find 

 the disposition of its leaves to be the quincunx (|), and the angles 

 to be chiefly formed by the main nerve of a leaf, which does 

 not proceed from the nodus at which that leaf is situate, but is 

 given off from the axil of the fifth leaf below, or in other words, 

 the leaf which, on reducing the part to the state of bud, would 

 be immediately below. 



Numbering the leaves : the nerve from the axil of leaf 1 be- 

 comes the main nerve in the petiole of leaf 6^ but previously two 

 offsets are detached, one to the tendril side of leaf 3, which forms 

 one of the side nerves of the petiole, previously supplying the 

 tendril, and one to form one of the lateral nerves of the petiole 

 of leaf 4 on that side which is destitute of tendril. Now 3 and 

 4 are the leaves immediately to the right and left of leaf 1, and 

 the main nerve proceeding from their axils gives off the lateral 

 nerves to the petiole of leaf 6, from one of which is detached a 

 branch to the tendril. It may be deduced that each leaf consists 

 of three parts, one adhering to the stem and forming a part of it, 

 having elongated with its elongation, and widened together with 

 it — the stem-clasping or stem-sheathing part ; one the free part, 

 including petiole and blade \ and at the junction of these on each 

 side a process or auricle called stipule, which, in Cucurbitacece, is 

 cirrhose and exists on one side only. 



The three-nerved sheath has its middle nerve readily traceable 

 to the fifth leaf below, but its side nerves on the elongation of 

 the stem unite for some distance with the main nerve of those 

 leaves which are situate to the right and left of it. From one of 

 these is given off the branch to the cirrhose stipule. 



Stamens. — The perianthium has its leaves five in a whorl, the 

 ovarial leaves are generally three. Hitherto the stamens have 



