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upon which it is based that the Loranthus can only germinate 

 after passing through the digestive organs of birds. Experience 

 has shown that they will germinate freely when fixed by the pulp 

 to a suitable spot on a branch of one of its natural hosts. An 

 important consideration is that by the passage of the seeds 

 through the body of the bird they become deprived of their 

 adhesiveness, which would imply that the latter quality was 

 unnecessary for the dissemination of the species. 



Mr. Samuel Dixon corroborated the statement of the author 

 as to the occurrence of Loranthus on fruit trees, he having seen 

 several of these parasitic plants flourishing on a Turkey fig, 

 without any apparent detriment to the tree . With respect to the 

 propagation of the plant by bird droppings, he would like the 

 author to obtain corroborative evidences of such. 



The Author, in reply, stated that he had made his determina- 

 tion of the Loranthus growths, or the trees mentioned, with the 

 greatest care, closely examining both the flowers and the foliage, 

 and was confident of the certainty of his results. He made no 

 attempt in his papers to define exactly the part played by the 

 birds mentioned, or others, in the distribution of the seeds, but 

 he wished to emphasise the fact of their distribution by such 

 agents. 



