318 Miscellaneous. 



wrought -iron box, measuring 0"30 ni. square by 0'03 ni. in depth, 

 di\'icled into 100 equal compartments, received 98 species of seeds ; 

 each compartment contained 20 seeds of the same species. Of some 

 large seeds there were only 6, 12, or 18, and of the small ones a 

 large pinch was put in. The lid was then soldered on, and the walls 

 of the box pierced with small holes, through which the water could 

 {)ass easily. 



The apparatus was fixed upon a buoy at the entrance to the har- 

 bour of Cette. By the rising and falling of the buoy, the box was 

 alternately raised out of and immersed in the watei:, so that the seeds 

 were exposed to the action of air and water, as if they were floating 

 on the surface of the sea. The box remained attached to the buoy 

 from the 14th February to the 1st April, 1856, or for six weeks; 

 41 of the 98 species of seeds were completely rotten. The other .5/ 

 were immediately sowed in pots of turf-mould, and placed under 

 frames. Only 35 germinated, and from these 1 7 must be deducted, 

 which, being heavier than salt water, could not have floated at the 

 surface ; this reduces to 18 the number of seeds which, after six 

 weeks of floating, would be capable of germinating when placed in 

 the most favourable circumstances. These are, — Cakile maritima, 

 Nelmnbium speciosiun, Linum marithmim, Paliunis aculeatus, Cu- 

 curbita j)epo, Eryngium marithnum, Scahiosa maritbna, Xanthium 

 macrocarpum, Asclepias Cornuti, Riimex aquaficus, Salsola Kali, 

 Beta vulgaris, Euphorbia paralias, Ricinus communis, R. africanus, 

 Gingko biloba, Ephedra distaehya. Pancratium maritimum, and 

 Asphodelus cerasi/erus. These are the species which, after a navi- 

 gation of six weeks, would have had some chance of estabhshing 

 themselves upon the shore. 



Six weeks being a very short time compared with that which some 

 seeds must occupy m their voyage from one continent to another, 

 the author resolved to replace in the sea the 35 seeds which had 

 germinated after six weeks' exposure; of each of these 20 were 

 placed in the same box, which was fastened to the buoy on the 1 7th 

 June, 1856, and remained attached to it until the 18th September, 

 that is to say, 93 days, or three months. At the end of this period, 

 1 1 seeds were rotten. The remainhig 23 were sowed under frames, 

 when 9 germuiated ; but from these 2 must be deducted, viz. Acacia 

 jidibrissin and Canna gigantea, which do not float upon sea-water. 

 There remain therefore 7 species which might float upon the 

 surface of the sea for three months without losing their germinative 

 power, and these are only ^^th of the total number operated upon. 

 They are, Cucurhita pepo, Xanthium macrocarpum, Rumex a<piatieiis. 

 Beta vidgaris, Ricinus communis, R. africanus, and Ephedra di- 

 staehya. 



Considering the extraorduiary concurrence of circumstances neces- 

 sary to enable a seed thrown upon a shore to fructify and become the 

 centre of a vegetable colony, we may conclude with Alph. DeCandoUe 

 that this mode of transport, which is so frequently referred to, can 

 have taken only a very small part in tlie diffusion of the plants of the 

 present and geological epochs ; and yet the number of identical spe- 



