,3,,. NOTES AND COMMENTS. 331 



Seedling peas could be dried without death resulting in a more 

 advanced stage than haricots. Thus, after germinating for ten days^ 

 at 13° C, when the root and hypocotyl together measured 6 or 7 cm., 

 four seedlings were dried for twenty-four hours at 35° C. They were 

 then soaked in water and put in the ground, when all four revived, 

 producing plants which flowered abundantly. 



Some maize was germinated for twelve days at 15° C, when the 

 root and hypocotyl on an average measured 2 cm. After drying for 

 twenty-four hours at 35° C, two-fifths of the specimens recovered, 

 but when dried at 85° C. there was no recovery. 



M. Bonnier also studied the relations between the gases taken 

 up and given off, and also the evolution of heat. He gives no account 

 of the experiments, simply stating that the phenomena in the revived 

 seedlings are analogous to those obtaining in the germination of 

 seeds, except that the first period (during which the proportion 

 between the gases is nearly equal to unity, and the heat disengaged 

 is less than subsequently), is relatively abridged, especially in the 

 more advanced stage of development at which the seedling was dried. 



Finally, M. Bonnier made a cultural experiment. Peas were 

 sown in a plot of land, and then allowed to dry in the sun. On burying 

 them a little in the ground and watering them they all revived. 



The Protection of Birds. 



The following circular letter has been issued by Mr. W. A. 

 Nicholson : — 



" Sir, — The committee of the Norfolk and Norwich Naturalists' 

 Society are very desirous of bringing under the notice of landowners 

 and agriculturists the great desirability of affording more efficient 

 protection to useful birds, particularly those which, as destroyers of 

 vermin and injurious insects, render immense service to the farmer 

 and the community at large. Frequent comments and letters have 

 recently appeared in the public journals as to the disastrous effects 

 resulting from the indiscriminate slaughter of many useful species, 

 not only in this country, but also on the Continent, and it is 

 hoped that the publicity given, and the attention drawn to the 

 subject will lead to a more judicious course of action. The 

 importance of this matter, in view of the great devastation 

 caused by the plague of field voles (mice) in some parts of Scotland, 

 and past experiences in Lincolnshire, cannot be overlooked, and 

 the opinions of the Scotch farmers in the districts affected, quoted 

 from the reports to the Board of Agriculture, point to the folly of 

 destroying owls, hawks, and weasels. The barn owl, a true farmers' 

 friend, is much persecuted, but a more useful bird, as a destroyer 

 of vermin, does not exist. It has been computed, by competent 

 observers, that when it has young it will bring a mouse to its nest 

 every 12 or 15 minutes, and as many as 20 good-sized rats, perfectly 

 fresh, have been counted in a single nest. A recent communication 

 to the daily papers states that a nest containing five young ones, 

 being taken and placed under a hen coop about a mile distant, no 

 less than 24 rats, large and small, brought there by the parent birds, 



