BOOK-NOTKS, NKWS, ETC. 31 



by way of the Molopo. A form of S. Sfffsfff — S. Jiuillensis 

 Seemen — is found on tril)ntari(.\s of tlie Cnnene lliver. 



Mr. Miller Christy, at the same meutinj:^, read a paper on " The 

 Problem of the Pollination of om' British Primulas " — Primula vul- 

 garis, P. vcris, and .P. elatior. He presented his own numerous 

 observations, extending over forty years, in the form of three tables, 

 and further cited all known observations recorded by otliers ; and 

 discussed the relation necessarily existing between the depths of the 

 corolla-tubes of the flowers and the length of the tongues of insects 

 known to visit the flowers. The observations showed that some 

 thirty species of insect had been seen to visit or frequent the flowers 

 of the three Primulas. A small proportion of these (namely Hy- 

 menoptera, Diptera, and Lepidoptera) had long tongues and were 

 certainly able to effect pollination in the regular manner ; their 

 visits to the flowers were, however, so comparatively rare that it was 

 impossible to suppose they effected pollination to an extent adequate 

 for the perpetuation of any of the three species of Primula. Most 

 other insect visitors were short- tongued bees, totally unable to effect 

 pollination at all; and, as these visited the flowers only to steal their 

 pollen, their visits w^ere actually detrimental, rather than beneficial, 

 to the plants. Yet other insects, chiefly Coleoptera, frequented, 

 rather than visited, the flowers in considerable abundance ; and 

 these seem quite capable of pollinating them, though in an irregular 

 manner which one cannot suppose to have been intended. Thus far, 

 therefore, the problem remained unsolved, and it was necessaiy to 

 search for some other agency for the normal and regular pollination 

 of the flowers. This agenc}^, the speaker concluded, was to be found 

 in night-flying moths — a surmise advanced by Darwin at the very 

 outset of the controversy, but not carried further by him. 



The Botanical Gazette for November contains papers on " the 

 Decay of Brazil Nuts " (with 5 plates), by E. K. Spencer; " Growth 

 Rings in a Monocotyl," by C. J. Chamberlain ; " Invasion of Virgin 

 Soil in the Tropics," by D. S. Johnson ; " Pectic Material in Poot 

 Hairs," by C. G. Howt ; "Destruction of Mosses by Lichens" 

 (1 plate), by F. P. M^Whorter; "Annual Eings of Growth in Car- 

 boniferous Wood" (1 plate), by Winifred Goldring. 



We have received Part vii. of the Journal of tlie Botanical 

 Society of South Africa, edited by Mr. R. H. Com])ton, Director 

 of the National Botanic Gardens at Kirstenbosch. The part con- 

 tains a paper by Mrs. L. Bolus, with j^late showing generic characters, 

 on South African Proteacece and an account of the Roedean Eeserve 

 for native South African plants, by Gwendolen Edwards, B.Sc. 

 In Journ. Bot. 1920 (p. 100) we called attention to the eccentric 

 method of pagination adopted : we note that each number is paged 

 separatel}^, which will render reference diflicult in volume form. 

 We learn from the pages of the Journal that the first number 

 has appeared of Bothalia, " a record of contributions from the 

 National Herbarium, Union of South Africa, Pretoria," edited by 

 Dr. Pole-Evans. 



