318 TRANSACTIONS AND PROCEEDINGS OF THE [Sess. lxiv. 



also had a similar broom-bearing branch, which was weaker, 

 and originated nearer the ground. 



In each case, the apical part of the branch beyond 

 the point of origin of the broom was stunted and dead. 

 These brooms resemble very closely the familiar pendulous 

 brooms of the birch. By their weight the branches were 

 depressed to within 5 feet of the ground. 



The similarity to those on the birch was further seen 

 in the close branching, death of the terminal twigs, great 

 development of buds, as well as in the brittleness of the 

 branches. The better developed of the two brooms, that 

 on the west branch, -was 2 feet in length and 4 feet in 

 girth. In consequence of the pendulous character, growth 

 was unilateral, the twigs on the exposed side being in 

 active growth, while those on the other, the under or 

 shaded side, were either dead or dying. 



Notes on the Germination of the Winter Buds of 

 Hydrocharis MoRSUS-PtAN^E. By James A. Terras, B.Sc, 

 Lecturer on Botany, Edinburgh. 



(Read 14th June 1900.) 



Light has for a considerable time been recognised as an 

 active factor in promoting the germination of certain seeds, 

 the most familiar case being, perhaps, that of the mistletoe, 

 which is said to be incapable of germination in darkness. 



Stebler (1) pointed out in 1881 that the same peculiarity 

 characterises, to a certain extent, the seeds of two grasses, 

 viz. Poa nemoralis and P. jycieiisis; while in 1898 Dr. 

 Adolph Cieslar (2) added to these the seeds of Agrostis 

 stolonifcr and Nicotiana macrophylla. 



More recently, E. Heinricher (3) has called attention to the 

 occurrence of a similar phenomenon in t'lie seeds of Veronica 

 perifjrina, the germination percentage of which he gives as 

 75 in light, as compared with 1*6 in darkness. He also 

 shows that the rays which are most active in bringing 

 about these changes belong to the yellow part of the 

 spectrum, while in blue light the germination percentage is 

 nearly as low as in darkness, and, moreover, that germina- 



