Sept. 5, 1878] 



NATURE 



509 



the axis, thus becoming more conspicuous. In the indefinite 

 mode of inflorescence the older flowers are placed at the lower 

 part of the flowering axis ; hence in the commonest form of 

 inflorescence with proterandrous flowers, the lower flowers are in 

 the second or female stage at the time when those in the upper part 

 are in the first or male stage. In proterogynous dichogamy with 

 indefinite inflorescence, the older flowers are in the second or 

 male stage when the upper and younger flowers are in the 

 female stage. In Scrophularia nodom we have a plant in which 

 proterogynous dichogamy is associated with an inconspicuous 

 corolla. The stigma after fertilisation is removed out of the 

 pathway to the nectar by the bending back of the style on the 

 outside of the corolla, while the stamens straighten out to occupy 

 the place formerly held by the stigma. The corolla is small and 

 obscurely coloured, being greenish, tipped with brown. The 

 inflorescence is lax, and the flowers scattered all round the axis. 

 The odour of the flowers and the presence of a nectariferous 

 gland shows that the plant is fertilised by insects, and not by 

 the wind. Among such inconspicuously-coloured flowers, pro- 

 terogynous dichogamy seems to prevail, just as proterandry is 

 characteristic of brightly-coloured flowers. Hitherto it has 

 not been shown how an entomophilous plant could advanta- 

 geously possess a small uncoloured corolla, and be 'proterogy- 

 nous. Watching the mode in which wasps visited the Scrophu- 

 laria nodosa afforded the solution of the problem. The first 

 flower visited by the wasp was the top one, and it passed irre- 

 gularly downwards from flower to flower, and left the inflor- 

 escence by the lowest flower. Bees, when collecting honey, do 

 the reverse, visiting the lowest flower first, and proceeding from 

 flower to flower in regular succession from below upwards, 

 leaving by the top flower. The order in which the flowers are 

 visited is therefore of the greatest importance. In Gladiolus, 

 for example, the bee begins at the lowest flower, and wiU' de- 

 posit any pollen brought by it from a neighbouring spike, and as 

 it passes upwards, it will get from the upper flowers, a fresh 

 supply of pollen to apply to the lower flowers of another spike. 

 In Scrophularia nodosa the wasps, which are less highly spe- 

 cialised as honey collectors, chiefly visit the flowers and proceed 

 from above downwards, leaving the inflorescence vdth pollen 

 from the lower flowers to apply it to the stigmas of the protero- 

 gynous upper flowers. 



Wasps differ from bees in one important point, viz., that 

 while bees are purely vegetable f eederg, wasps add to a vegetable 

 diet by preying largely on 'insects smaller than themselves. 

 Throughout the animal kingdom carnivora are endowed with 

 keener powers of vision and scent than vegetable-feeding crea- 

 tures. That keenness of vision which enables a wasp to descry 

 its prey at a distance, aided by its acute sense of smell, in all 

 probability also enaljles it to discover these obscure flowers, 

 without the guidance afforded by a coloxired corolla, the [ma- 

 terials that would be required for its productisn being employed 

 more economically by the plant, just as in cleistogamic flowers. 

 The wasp also gains an advantage, as it has a better chance of 

 finding honey in these obscure flowers on account of their being 

 easily overlooked by insects less highly , endowed as regards 

 powers of scent and vision. 



Notes on Dimorphic Plants, by A. S. Wilson, M.A., B.Sc. 

 — The author pointed out that Erythrcea centaunum was pro- 

 bably dimorphic, as it exhibited heterostyly, and had two kinds 

 of poUen-grains. Silene acaulis was shown to have three kinds 

 of flowers, male, female, and hermaphrodite, thus resembling 

 S. inflata, which Axel has shown to be trioeciously polygamous. 



Some Mechanical Arrangements Subserving Cross-fertilisation 

 of Plants by Insects, by A. S. Wilson, M.A., B.Sc— The 

 plants considered were Vinea minor, Pinguicula vulgaris, and 

 the foxglove, and the author described the various structural 

 peculiarities in the different flowers. 



THE FRENCH ASSOCIATION 

 AS might have been expected, M. Krantz has been appointed 

 •^~*- president for the Congress of 1880 ; but, contrary to all 

 expectation, the decision of the Council who had proposed 

 Algiers as the place of the meeting for 1880 has been altered, 

 and Rheims has been chosen by a large majority. This unex- 

 pected vote will create some dissatisfaction in the colony, where 

 great expectations had been raised by the coincidence of the 

 anticipated arrival of the Association and the celebration of the 

 fiftieth anniversary of the conquest. 

 Dr. Janssen delivered, in the large room of the Sorbonne, a 



lecture on the present state of physical astronomy, which was 

 completely successful ; but it was deeply regretted that no direct 

 news had come of the eclipse and the discovery of Vulcan. 



A great soirie was given in the Conservatoire des Arts et 

 Metiers, and M. Cornu delivered, in the large hall, an able lec- 

 ture on Polarisation. The most important part of the display 

 was a series of twenty Jablockhoff lights, exhibited in the gar- 

 dens. The effect, although splendid, cannot be said to have 

 been better than in the Avenue de I'Opera and round the Arc de 

 Triomphe. 



A banquet of 200 covers was given on Thursday, at the Con- 

 tinental Hotel, to M. Bardoux, the future president of the Mont- 

 pellier meeting, and present Minister of Public Instruction. On 

 the following evening a great reception was held at the Ministry 

 of Public Instruction, M. Bardoux having opened his salons, 

 not only to the members of the Association, but also to the 

 delegates of public schools now visiting the Exhibition at the 

 public expense. 



The Paris meeting, however, has been comparatively lost 

 amongst the many special congresses which are taking place 

 without interruption in the Trocadero, and of which none 

 attracts much public notice. Meteorology had its special con- 

 gress, holding its sitting at the very same hour when the 

 meteorological section of the French Association was de- 

 liberating. Although a large number of influential meteorolo- 

 gists had congregated,'none of them could find the means of 

 attending regularly both meetings. 



No paper of real importance has been read in any of the 

 sections. 



In provincial cities the coming of the Association is always 

 coupled with the inauguration of some public monument, 

 library, museum, schools, &c. No similar ceremony took place 

 in Paris, so that in that respect, as in many others, this thriving 

 Association may be said to have'Jost a year. 



M. Fremy, in his presidential address on soda and steel, 

 traced the history of the improvements in the manufacture of 

 these productions during the past centiuy, showing that at every 

 important stage science stepped in and pointed out the direction 

 which practice ought to take in order to secure progress and 

 success. Science was always at her post, ready to solve, to the 

 advantage of industry, all the problems proposed to her. In 

 showing the important services that science has thus rendered to 

 industry and to the country, he wished to prove that in support- 

 ing men of science, by encouraging scientific production, we 

 give to the country natural forces and accomplish a patriotic 

 act. Blind and egoistic spirits have dared to say that 

 science has no need of encouragement, that the true man of 

 science forms himself all alone, that he knows how to triumph over 

 obstacles, that the difficulties which he meets with are necessary 

 trials which only arrest mediocrity, and that he who stops by 

 the way, wanting the scientific inspiration, deserves his fate. 

 Such affirmations are only maintained by those who have not 

 known the difficulties of the scientific career, and who often owe 

 their advancement to favour. We could, alas ! cite many ex- 

 amples which prove that the most ardent and courageous man 

 of science may be arrested in his labours by invincible obstacles. 

 M. Fremy then referred in warm terms to the many generous 

 individuals who in France have come to the aid of scientific 

 research, and at the same time said it would be unjust not to 

 recognise all the efforts which have been made in recent years 

 by the state to maintain in France the higher scientific studies. 

 Magnificent and well-endowed laboratories, new scientific chairs, 

 the school of higher studies — these are some of the services ren- 

 dered by the French government to science. But it is necessary 

 to attract to these laboratories men who are capable of making 

 good use of them, men who really possess the vocation for 

 scientific research, and to prepare a scientific generation to suc- 

 ceed the present. M, Fremy then showed that the French 

 Association might help greatly in promoting this service to 

 science. 



PROF. HAECKEL ON THE DOCTRINE OF 

 EVOLUTION 



C\^ Thursday, August 28, a banquet was given to Prof, 

 ^-^ Haeckel, at the Grand Hotel, Paris, by a number of his 

 admirers, on the occasion of his presence at the Paris meeting 

 of the French Association. A congratulatory address was 

 delivered in the name of the Reception Committee by M. Jules 

 Soury, one of the Staff of the National Library, who said 



