NOTICES OF BOOKS AND MEMOIKS. 157 



can be called one of cell- division, as in Ephedra. The i3aper is 

 evidently inspired by Kienitz-Gerloff's in ' Botanische Zeitung,' 

 November, 1876. S. M. 



Deuxienie Xote sur les Moiivements spontanes et ref/idiers dii Cerato- 

 phyllum demersum. Par E. Eodiee. 



The author has continued his examination of the movements of 

 Ceratophyllum (see Journ. Bot., 1877, p. 248), by the observation 

 of the torsion which accompanies the flexion of the distal mternodes. 

 In general, when examined at about six in the morning, a move- 

 ment of torsion from left to right is proceeding; this then stops, 

 and gives place to a movement from right to left, which continues 

 up to about 11 a.m., that is, for about five hours ; the experiments 

 showed a mean of about 36° per hour, i.e., of 180° or half the cir- 

 cumference during the whole time. The reverse torsion from left 

 to right commences immediately the former ceases, and goes on at 

 the rate of about 12° an hour, — one-third that of the morning ; 

 estimating its duration at 1^ hours, its amount is 90°, or one-half 

 that of the morning. Tables are given of these results, and show 

 that there is by no means complete regularity in the movements. 



M. Eodier's observations were stopped in November by the 

 plant passing into its winter state, in which its movements are 

 almost entirely suspended. The elongation of the terminal buds 

 ceases, the last verticils of leaves remain closely imbricated, and 

 the latter become stiffly curved, thicker, and larger, with the air- 

 cavities swollen and full of gas. At the same time the axis 

 becomes thickened and pmk, and its cells are found to be crowded 

 with starch and rounded. In short, we have here produced wdnter 

 buds by w^hich the plant is propagated. They are very easily 

 detached from the old stems, and then readily float, and are 

 carried by the stream. H. T. 



We have Part 87 of F. von Mueller's ' Fragmenta,' which 

 completes the tenth volume of this miscellany of Australian 

 Botany. There is an useful index to vols. vi. to x. issued with the 

 part. 



The botanists of the west of France have been actively working 

 at their interesting flora during the past two years, and M. Lloyd 

 gives a summary of the principal results as a sort of appendix to 

 his ' Flore de I'Ouest de la France,' the last edition of which is 

 dated 1876. The tendency to make and name new species out of 

 slight local forms seems very prevalent with some French botanists. 

 Such are Thcdictrum Saratieri, Matthiola otjensis, and Viohi Foiicaudi, 

 which are properly referred to T. minm, M. siniiata, and V. nana 

 by Lloyd. An interesting FAatlne, from the tidal mud of the Loire 

 at Trentemoult (Nantes), is named E. Inajterta, Lloyd. It differs 

 from all the other European species in its completely-closed flowers 

 which never open, the three petals forming a rounded button over 

 tlie ovary; the flowers are sessile, with two sepals and three 



