l6o BOTANICAL GAZETTE. 



specimen received almost daily attention. One morning a stream of 

 black seeds was found to have been ejected from the apex of an erect fruit, 

 and had coursed down the sides and over the brown spiny surface like a 

 stream of lava from the top of a burning mountain. The placentous 

 mass ejected with the seeds, hardens soon after ejection, and holds the 

 seeds in place. The other two seed-vessels behaved in the same way, 

 but in order to note what else might occur to favor the distribution, the 

 seeds have been left in the channels of the dry streams until to-day—two 

 months. The process of expulsion and the precise objects to be gained 

 by this method, must be left to further investigation. Thomas Meehan. 



Alaska Ferns.— The following species are to be added to the list 

 previously published in the Gazette (Vol. VII. p. 9(i.) and belong to the 

 same collection made by Mr. Turner on the Island of Unalaska, in 

 1879-80 and 81. The sheets containing them having been placed in an- 

 other part of the package were overlooked when preparing the first list 

 for publication. 



15. Adidntum pedatum, L. Specimens characteristic. 



hi. Phegopteris polypodioides, Fee Specimens very pubescent and 

 scaly along the rachises. Some of them more rigid than eastern specimens 

 and with different aspect, lint a close examination fails to reveal any 

 real difference in character. 



Still another sheet contained quite a number of specimens of Poly- 

 podium vulgare showing considerable variation. — Geo. E. Davenport, 

 Med ford. Mass. 



Souud of Discharging Ascospores.— In collecting Pi-zizo pubida 

 this summer, I happened to place a box-full in the sunshine, when they 

 began discharging the spores with a distinct and very peculiar fizzing 

 noise, somewhat like the noise of soda-water. I tried many specimens 

 with the same result. I have found no other species that exhibit this 

 phenomenon. In Science Gossip for December 1871, however, there is an 

 article on P. aurantia from which I quote the following: " * * * I 

 blew upon another, and found that about a second after I had blown 

 upon it, it showered out, if I may so say, in all directions, chiefly around 

 the edge. I did this repeatedly, and found that after they had been left 

 five minutes or so, the same effect followed about a second after they 

 had been blown upon;and what surprised me still more was, that several 

 times, the "shower" in issuing forth made a distinct sound, which I 

 cannnot better describe than as a slight fizz." My specimens, collected 

 here, supposed to lie P. aurantia, do not exhibit this peculiarity. E. W. 

 Holway, Decorah, Iowa. 



Marked Protandry.— In passing through the greenhouse last spring 

 my attention was caught by the very marked protandry of the flowers 

 of the Lemon-scented Pelargonium, P. graveolens, of the gardeners. On 

 the large potted plant observed the flowers were in all stages of anthesis 



