i88 



NATURE 



[Dec. 20, 1888 



" (7) Each photograph officially received to be numbered and 

 recorded in a reference-book, and a list published and circu- 

 lated showing price at which members and others may purchase 

 them. 



"(8) A circular to be issued to all geological Societies, 

 inviting their co-operation." 



Mr. Jeffs said that a large number of Societies in different parts 

 of the Kingdom had taken, from time to time, photographs of 

 various geological sections and features as they came under their 

 notice, but there had been no systematic way adopted either of 

 collecting the photographs or of recording them, so that geo- 

 logists interested might really know what had been taken. He 

 thought that, if some arrangement could be made, a great deal 

 of good might be done not only for the benefit of geological 

 science, but also for educational purposes. Regarding regula- 

 tions, he was not desirous of laying down any strict rules, but 

 he thought that if the scheme were to be carried out at all satis- 

 factorily, and at a minimum, expenditure, some few regulations 

 would be necessary. 



Mr. Whitaker thought it a very fit subject for the Conference, 

 and trusted that delegates would get their Societies to think it 

 over. The object was to interest all the Societies, and to have a 

 harmonious result. 



Some further discussion took place with reference to the 

 requirements of the proposed Committee and the mode of pro- 

 cedure in the field, in the course of which it was pointed out 

 that the chief object was to secure photographs of typical and 

 especially of temporary sections. The details of manipulation, 

 the size of the photographs, method of mounting, registration 

 of scale, &c., could only be settled when the Corresponding 

 Societies had taken action in the matter, and the Committee 

 had been formally appointed. 



Section D. 



The Committee of this Section was represented by Prof. 

 Hillhouse. 



Life-histories of Native Plants. — Prof. Meldola said that since 

 their last meeting at Manchester, Prof Bayley Balfour had 

 received several applications for further particulars with reference 

 to the suggestion which he communicated to last year's Con- 

 ference. Prof. Balfour was unable to be present at Bath, but 

 had forwarded the following : — 



" Suggestions for those studying the Life-histories of British 

 Flowering Plants : — 



"(i) Seeds should be collected, and opportunity may be 

 taken at the time of collection to note how they are disseminated 

 m Nature — whether the fruit opens or not, whether they have 

 appendages for promoting transport by animals or otherwise, 

 whether they have colour or other features of attraction, &c. 



" (2) The seeds being sown, their germination should be 

 watched ; its rapidity and manner noted. The variations and 

 differences between albuminous and exalbuminous seeds are 

 worthy of special note. The movements of the parts of the 

 embryo in germination until it acquires its fixed position are also 

 deserving of study. Further, the form of the parts of the 

 embryo is various and instructive. 



"(^) The development of the seedling into the adult can be 

 readily watched in annuals and biennials, and smaller perennials. 

 The succession of leaves after the cotyledons should be noted, 

 and the forms which the leaves assume, and their positions and 

 spread. The relative succession of buds in or adjacent to the 

 axils of the later leaves and of the cotyledons should be observed, 

 as also the ultimate fate of the buds developed. This will give 

 a clue to the branching of the main axis of the plant, upon which 

 its whole form and habit depend. 



" (4) An important point to look at in the development is the 

 amount, character, and position of any clothing of hairs the 

 seedling may possess. 



" (5) The development of the underground part of the seedling 

 must not be neglected. The continuance of the primary root 

 and its branching or its replacement by adventitious roots are 

 points for particular attention, and also the formation upon it of 

 any excrescence or buds. A sufficient number of seedlings must 

 be grown to allow of proper study of these features. 



" (6) The form of branching of the stem and leaves may be 

 studied in the mature plant, which may be gathered wild. The 

 formation of false axes should be specially looked for, and the 

 complex relations often resulting from branching may be worked 

 out upon the young top of a mature plant. It is not necessary 

 to wait for the maturing of the seedling, but reference back to 



the seedling will show whether any observed relations are of late 

 or early development in the life-history. 



" (7) In the case of perennials, the mode of perennation is an 

 interesting feature for observation, as well as the methods of 

 vegetative propagation. In some cases the two processes are 

 merged in one. Properly to understand perennation the peren- 

 nating portions must be examined at all periods of the resting 

 .season as well as when they are starting anew into vegetative 

 activity. Seedlings of perennating plants watched during two 

 or three seasons will give a clue towards elucidation of the 

 development. 



"(8) When the seedlings begin to form flowers, the relation of 

 the flower-shoots to the vegetative organs should be noted, and 

 especially their sequence with reference to vegetative shoots. 

 The succession of the flowers should be noted, as of course 

 should be their structure and their adaptations to proper pollina- 

 tion. Many seedlings will not, of course, flower for years, and 

 the sequence of flowers in such plants, and, indeed, in all cases, 

 may be well traced in the mature plant growing wild. 



" (9) After flowering and pollination the development of fruit 

 must be studied. The parts concerned in forming fruit, the 

 adaptations to scattering of the fruit or seed are points to be 

 precisely noted. 



"(10) The presence and position of any nectar-secreting 

 structures outside as well as inside the flower are of much 

 significance, and they should be carefully studied. 



"(iljin connection with every point observed of structure 

 and development the observer should ask himself, Why is this? 

 What is this for? and endeavour to obtain some answer to the 

 query. 



" (12) A series of observations upon a specific plant made by a 

 careful observer will enable him or her to draw up a complete 

 history of its life, such as is hardly to be found recorded at the 

 present day. 



" 1 may add as a corollary that an interesting field for observa- 

 tion which local Societies might do good work in is that of the 

 relation of plants to animals as food-plants. Some are discarded 

 by browsing animals, others are prelerred, and there are degrees 

 of favouritism. Is there any principle of selection?" 



Prof. F. O. Bower, the delegate from the Natural History 

 Society of Glasgow, who was unable to be present at the 

 meeting, forwarded a communication with reference to this 

 subject, in which he pointed out that the chief precaution which 

 would have to be observed in the carrying out of observations 

 in accordance with Prof. Balfour's scheme, would he the correct 

 identification of the species being worked upon. 



Disappearances cf Native Plants. — Prof. Hillhouse said that 

 he was in charge of a Committee appointed two years ago for 

 the purpose of collecting information as to the disappearance of 

 native plants from their local habitats. Their report for 1887 

 said the Committee intended presenting a report in 1888 con- 

 cerning its inquiries in Scotland. He came to that meeting 

 prepared with a report, and learnt to his surprise that the Com- 

 mittee had lapsed, but an application had been made to the Com- 

 mittee of Section D to have it reappomted. He would give 

 some brief account of their work in the past year. The report 

 for Scotland covered eighty-five flowers which were extinct, or 

 were "practically extinct," and they were of the most varied 

 kinds. It had been discovered that Nyinphcra alba (the white 

 water-lily) had been almost exterminated in the lochs about 

 Dumfries ; the name of the person who had committed the 

 ravages upon it was brought before the local Natural History 

 Society, an appenl was made to the proprietors of the lochs, and 

 the individual was warned off estates in the neighbourhood on 

 pain of prosecution for trespass. There was one plant that had 

 only a single station in Scotland, Scheiichzcria palustris, which 

 was found in the Bog of Methven, and it had been destroyed in 

 all probability by 300 or 400 black gulls settling in the bog and 

 devouring everything in the shape of vegetation. Another 

 plant which had been completely exterminated was one known 

 as Mertensia viaritima, wliich grew in shingle on the Bay of 

 Nigg, and which had been destroyed by the shingle having been 

 used to make concrete blocks to be used in the construction of a 

 pier near at hand. Then a grass which grew in a patch near 

 the Moray Frith had been destroyed by the overturning of a 

 tree, which caused a large hole into which all the moisture of 

 the patch drained ; this grass was Melica uniflora. The Com- 

 mittee found that the disappearance of plants was caused in a 

 great measure by the injudiciousness of individual botanists, and 

 also by botanical exchanging clubs, who held out inducements 



