PROCEEDINGS OF SECTION D. 489 



evolved, but which would be a different shape to the final leaves owing 

 to the different light relation, a common occurrence amongst lianes, 

 and seen in New Zealand in Rhipogonum scandens (Liliaceee), Lomaria 

 heterophijUa (Filices), Metrosideros scandens (Myrtacese), Rubus schmi- 

 delioides (Rosaceae), &c. So far as plasticity goes, Parsonsia does not 

 seem particularly sensitive to stimuli. Injury, to be sure, will at once 

 cause the formation of juvenile shoots, and these frequently appear, 

 too, without any apparent cause from the bare, rope-like stem, or even 

 from amongst the upper adult foliage. But ^^^th a seedling plant of 

 Parsonsia capsularis, var. rosea, which I placed for some time in a 

 moist chamber, no changes of any kind took place, and development 

 proceeded normally. More experiments, however, are needed before 

 any definite conclusions can be arrived at as to the determining causes 

 of leaf form in these remarkable plants. One matter of considerable 

 interest, and the solution of which should be possible, is the curious 

 natural variegation which so many early stages of the seedlings show, 

 while in others it is altogether absent. Indeed, there is still nearly 

 everything left for investigation regarding this striking heterophylly ; 

 and, in the first place, I would urge Australian botanists to study the 

 seedling forms (.3) of the Australian species — a matter of great moment 

 with regard to this inquiry — for it certainly seems an astonishing fact, 

 if it be a fact, that species so outwardly alike as the Australian and 

 New Zealand should have absolutely different life histories. 



EXPLANATION OF FIGURES ON PLATE. 



Outlines of leaves of Parsonsia heferophi/lla, at various stages of 

 development, traced from nature-prints ; 8, 9, 13, 19, 20, leaves of 

 the short round type ; 3, 4, 12, 24, leaves of the long narrow type, 24 

 being almost identical with the adult of one form of P. capsularis ; 

 6, 5, early leaves, becoming narrowed at the base ; 1, 2, 15, 7, 10, 16, 

 17, 21, various transitional leaves between the first and second tvpes ; 

 25, adult leaf of P. lieterophyUa ; 22, 23, narrow leaves of P. hetero- 

 phylla given off from adult shoots, but reverting to an earlier stage, 

 and resembling the adult of some forms of P. capsularis, var. rosea. 



5.— REMARKS ON THE ANATOMY OF SOME AUSTRALIAN 



FROGS. 

 By GEORGINA SWEET, D.Sc. [Melbourne). 



6.— NEW STIMULUS AND INHIBITIONS IN PHAGOCYTOSIS, 

 WITH THEIR ACTUAL VALUE. 



By Dr. D. MACDONALD. 



(3) Mr. R. T. Baker very kindly sent me seeds of Parsonsia, but unfortunately 

 they did not germinate. 



