266 CORRESPONDENCE. 
‘Journal of Botany,’ — very closely with those advanced by Link, 
Schleiden, and at one time by Gay. Not to occupy your space with well-worn 
controversial matter, I dH again merely refer for the history of the subject 
ay's papers, in the 6th and 7th volumes of the * Bulletin of the Bo- 
my former communication on this subject, Journ. of Botany, vol. iii. p. 105. 
Considered abstractedly, there e is of course no reason why petals should not 
his translator renders the term ; and no reason why they may not become con- 
However true this may be in some cases, it is not cor- 
tion or triplication of me | pepe: aegmieniy, or an imperfect condition of an 
additional series of sta r two series.” Mr. Smith's words, which I now 
quote, are very eee as sah so, that they will no doubt carry ire 
to those who read them without having perused what has been written by 
is petal-like, as it is to suppose it an abnormal condition of another series of 
stamens, or two series when it bears anthers.” Now, on the surface this is so 
mee, that no one could withhold assent; when the relative position, 
especially when the anatomical conformation of any supplementary orga 
coincides with those proper to the petals or to the stamens, as the case D^ 
be, it is surely “defensible” to consider such supplementary organ to be 
modification of a petal or a stamen, etc. ; and so if, in certain flowers, the co- 
rona puts on more or less of the appearance of the anther-lobe, one is s justified 
in considering the corona to be a modification of the anther-lo e latter is 
d 
con nstant and as it.were perfect; the former is exceptional, boisson an 
ru tary. 
In Mr. Smith’s own figures (t. 47. f. 9), I find evidence of a similar structure 
to that which I myself drew attention. ‘There is in the figure to which I have 
just referred a stamen whose connective is relatively very large and petal-like 
and which bears on either margin, near the base, two corona-like processes 
which I should look on as rudimentary anther-lobes. I do not know whether 
these have escaped Mr. Smith's notice; if they have done so, he might fairly 
Sarracenia in a fresh state, I am hardly in a — to definitely assent to or 
dissent from the analogy drawn by Mr. Smith between that organ and the leafy 
stipules of Trifolium, the petal-scales of Siue, « or the dilated filaments of 
Ornithogalum ; but I cannot help expressing a surmise that more extended ob- 
