Ill 



17. — Miscellaneous Notes axd Obseeyations. 



[Read 13th June, 1878.] 



Botany. 



Fertilisation of Atccuha Japonica. — At oiir June meeting last year 

 a note by the Rev. R. H. Webb, M.A., relating to the fertilisation 

 of this shrub, was communicated, in which he states that, although 

 the female plant was introduced into this country about 95 years 

 since, yet it was only within the last few years that the male plant 

 was brought here.* I have been familiar with the female plant, 

 which we used to call Cuba laurel, all my life ; but I never saw 

 the male till to-day. Two or three weeks since, I noticed five 

 pretty, red, shining berries, oval, and about the size of peas, on a 

 plant opposite my house. I have brought them on the branch for 

 you to see, and also a small piece of the male plant. You will ob- 

 serve that the female plant is (as it should be) much prettier than the 

 male, ha-sing larger leaves which are handsomely spotted, and that 

 the male is small and inconspicuous. At first I could not under- 

 stand how the laurel could bear fruit, as I did not know of any 

 male plant in Watford. At last I found out that Mr. Humbert had 

 a small male plant, situated 550 paces by the road from my house. 

 Mr. Humbert has planted bis male j^lant just under and contiguous 

 to two fine female plants, and it is somewhat singular that my 

 plant should be fertilised at this distance, whilst I could not dis- 

 tinguish a single berry on his trees. I should be glad if some of 

 our entomologists would observe for me to what insect we are 

 indebted for the fertilisation of the Aucuba Japonica. — Alfred T. 

 Brett, M.D., Watford House. 



Zoology. 



Singular Disease amongst the Beer in Cassiolury Park. — In July, 

 1877, some of the fallow deer in Cassiobury Park were taken with 

 a singular and fatal disease. They began by refusing food and 

 drink. They seemed restless and agitated, running against trees, 

 and they partially lost their power of walking, the hind legs being 

 more especially affected. They died in from two to five days. 

 The disease did not seem confined to any age, or sex, or condition, 

 some of the finest bucks being taken. About this time rabies 

 was supposed to be very prevalent, and two cases of hydrophobia 

 had occuiTed near Watford. Some people, therefore, supposed 

 from the symptoms that the deer were macl. There is no evidence 

 of this. A post-mortem examination was made of one, and the 

 disease was supposed to be inflammation of the membrane of the 

 spinal cord. The disease has continued up to the present time, 

 June i;')th, and out of a herd of 300, about 80 have died. A 

 similar disease occurred in the time of the late Earl of Essex, when 



* ' Transactions,' Vol. I, p. 239. 



