358 proceedings of the academy of [1880. 



November 23. 

 The President, Dr. Rusciienberger, in the chair. 

 Thirty members present. 



November 30. 

 The President, Dr. Ruschenberger, in the chair. 

 Thirty-six persons present. 



Note on the Seed-vessels of Wistaria — Mr. Thomas Meehan 

 remarked tliat most persons knew that special temperatures were 

 required to insure the germination of various seeds. The com- 

 mon chickweed germinated at a little above freezing point, while 

 one of TO'-' was required by most palms. Heat and moisture had 

 also a varying influence on the openijig of seed-vessels, some 

 requiring more or less than othei-s. He exhibited some seed- 

 vessels of Wistaria si7ie7isis and Wistaria fri(tescens, to illustrate 

 the point. A box, four inches deep, with some seed-vessels of 

 Chinese Wistaria was placed on a shelf in a cool room. A fire hap- 

 pened to be made in the room and kept up all night, and the next 

 morning the capsules had burst, and scattered the seeds and open 

 vessels about the room. So great was the force of the expansion 

 that some seeds were projected ten feet from the box. One large 

 seed-vessel had been lifted before opening by one or more beneath, 

 over the four-inch side of the box, and had fallen on the ground 

 at least two feet away from the box in a horizontal line. The few 

 that had been thrown on to the floor by the explosion of their 

 companions did not open, owing to the difference in the tempera- 

 ture of the floor from that of the shelf. Five seed-vessels of each of 

 the two species were then placed together on the shelf, where the 

 temperature of the atmosphere was about 45°. After four days 

 they were examined. The American species had all opened, but 

 without expelling the seeds, which were still attached to the car- 

 pel ; but those of the Chinese Wistaria were still unopened. The 

 Chinese Wistaria required a much higher temperature to open the 

 capsules than the American, though it might be that hygrometri- 

 cal conditions would vary the exact degree required. 



Mr. Martindale observed that the seed-vessels of the Chinese 

 Wistaria were much more indurated and rigid than the American 

 species, and required more force to open them. He had noted 

 that such hard seed-vessels always exerted a greater projectile 

 power when opening. 



C. S. Turnbull, M. D., and J. M. Anders, M. D., were elected 

 members. 



