BOTANICAL GAZETTE. 



153 



ing this scale in alternating order will be found two more of 

 the shape indicated in Fig. 3. All 

 three scales are visible on any 

 bud without dissection (Fig. 1). 

 Within these are two leaves (Fig. 

 4) and in the center the flower 

 bud (Fig. 5). The general ar- 

 rangement of the parts can be 

 seen in Fig. 6 a. The style (Fig. 

 8) is already quite well developed, 

 the lobes and furrows being dis- 

 tinctly shown and the stamens (Fig. 9) contain the rudimentary 



pollen of the next year 



Fig 



^\ s s 



The arrangement of the 

 parts of the flower may 

 be seen in Fig. 7. The 

 buds are easily attainable 



in spring and it seeirn to me could be 

 profitably used in the class room in 

 comparison with the hibernacula of ligneous 

 Foerste, Dayton, Ohio. 



The Lio-nified Snake from Brazil. 



It will be remembered that in the December Gazette a brief 

 notice was given of what was described as being a lignified reptile. 

 A tolerably full account of this phenomenon was given in the 

 Popular Science Monthly and Torre y Bulletin for November, the 

 account being the reproduction of one published in the French La 

 Nature of last April. This account comes with all the authority 

 of M. Olivier and the Botanical Society of France. It seems that 

 the piece of wood containing the specimen is the property of Senor 

 Lopez Netto, Brazilian Minister to the United States, who first 

 took it to France but has it now in this country. After running 

 the gauntlet of the scientists of Rio de Janeiro and the Botanical 

 Society of France it has remained for our keen-sighted and quick- 

 witted veteran botanist, Dr. Gray, to call in question its genuine- 

 ness. Alas for the phenonenon that is not sure of its foundations 

 when Dr. Gray lays his heavy hand upon it ! Hear what he has to 

 -say about this latest "snake story": 



'"Through the kindness of the Brazilian Minister, we have seen 



1 Am. Jour. Sci. Jan. 1883, p. 81. 



