292 Miscellaneous. 



terminal one. In this case too, where but one flower formed, the 

 growing point started at nearly a right angle to the original peduncle, 

 and then, curving to bring itself in the same straight line, grew into 

 a strong shoot, forming at its apex a good bud (flower) for the 

 winter. 



A similar growth of the calyx into actual leaves occurred in another 

 case. 



The last irregularity to which I shall refer is, where the axis of a 

 flower grew into a strong leafy shoot. In this case no cup-like recep- 

 tacle existed, but the carpels were placed on a disk-like expansion 

 surroiinding the stem, which appeared little more than a large node 

 from which the leaves had fallen. The carpels here extended up- 

 wards in a green, leafy form, and were deficient of ovules. Eight such, 

 with dilated, capsule-like bases, were found in a whorl on the same 

 ])lane ; and within these, two close together, longer and of a more 

 leaf-like character. Above these last, five more evident leaves, four of 

 which were actually trifoliate, were disposed in a spiral manner 

 around the axis for the space of an inch above the carpellary whorl. 

 Then a node occurred, surrounded by six pinnate leaves, not quite on 

 the same plane, and yet not in opposite pairs, nor clearly spiral in 

 position. Three-quarters of an inch from these leaves the shoot ended 

 by a terminal bud (winter) surrounded by three pinnate leaves of 

 unequal size. 



These instances of monstrosity well illustrate the morphology of 

 carpels — their origin from leaves, and their tendency to take on the 

 form, and along with this, the spiral arrangement of the latter. The 

 perfect pinnate leaves of a shoot proceeding from the centre of a rose 

 we must suppose to be morphologically the same wth the small 

 folded carpellary leaf ; the last instance cited shows the grades of de- 

 velopment between the two. 



The production of the shoot causes the abortion of the flower and 

 its ovules ; hence the size and vigour of the shoot afford a measure of 

 the vital vegetative force expended in the formation of a flower, and 

 mainly of its ovules. 



I am inclined to beUeve with Schleiden, that the ovide is a product 

 of the axis and not of the carpellary leaves ; that indeed it is a bud 

 growing from the axis in the axil of a leaf — i. e. the carpel. 



On the Change of Colour in a Chamceleon (Chamseleo vulgaiis) . 

 By H. N. Turner, Jun. 



Notwithstanding that the peculiarity of the Charaaeleon in changing 

 its colour is so universally known, and that an illustrated work 

 on the subject was prublished by Van de Hoven, I have thought that 

 a careful record of the varieties of tint, presented by the specimen 

 which has lived for some time in my possession, might prove ser- 

 viceable to the naturalist if compared with similar observations upon 

 other species and upon the same one under difi^erent circiimstances. 

 And might also assist in the determination of the means by which it 

 is effected, the influences by which it is regulated, and the objects 

 which it serves in the oeconomv of the animal. 



