184 
POPULAE SCIENCE NEWS. 
[December, 1890. 
but two of the parts were again divided into two 
lobes each. The smaller plant near by was a dis- 
tinct plant, having no connection with the larger. 
May 19, 1SS9, I saw another plant consisting 
of only a single stem and a trifoliate leaf, as shown 
by Fig. 6. The leaves, I believe, were broader than 
those of the plants previously observed. 
Fig. 2. 
June 8, 1890, I observed another plant (Fig. 7) 
differently deformed. It was a perfect plant in the 
matter of having the full number of leaves, etc., but 
in addition had a stalk by the side of the true scape, 
bearing four leaves — or rather one leaf divided into 
four parts. Two of the parts grew in such a way 
that their under sides clasped against each other. 
These leaves were long and narrow compared with 
the normal leaves of the plant. The spathe was 
dead and withered, and the green fruit had already 
made its appearance. The plant was very thrifty. 
One of the large normal leaves measured seven by 
ten inches, and another was eleven inches long. 
August 16 I again observed this plant. The leaves 
were wilted down, and I saw that the scape was 
sheathed with the inner petiole ; the abnormal stem 
Fig- 3- 
grew alongside this, and both were sheathed with 
the outer petiole. The topmost berry of the fruit 
was just a little tinged with red, as though begin- 
ning to get ripe. 
ALLIUM TRICOCCUM. 
Qiiite a difference of appearance exists between 
the onion of our garden and its wild relative which 
I have observed. For some time I did not in the 
least suspect that it belonged to the onion family, 
until I accidentally crushed some of the leaves and 
recognized it by the smell. The leaves are ^at and 
lanceolate in shape, — entirely unlike those of the 
cultivated onion, — hence I was much surprised, and 
at once commenced digging to examine the root. 
Sure enough, I found it a real onion in shape and 
taste, although not quite so strong as the common 
onion, being more of a mawkish taste. The bulb 
was about four inches below the surface. The plant 
has three leaves, which remain only until some time 
in June. 
I observed the first plant April 14, 1889. It was 
then about four inches high. Three weeks later 
(May 5) the scape had appeared, but the leaves still 
remained. June 23, before blooming, it was about 
five inches high, and the leaves were gone. The 
plant was in bloom July 7. The flower consisted 
of a six-parted perianth with three pistils. July 28 
I noticed that the seed was not yet ripe. August 25 
I visited the plant and found nothing remaining but 
the dried umbel. The seed had ripened and was 
gone. The next year I had better luck, as I obtained 
ripe seed of the plant. This was August 16, 1890, 
and had I been a day or two later they would have 
been gone. I think the plant is rather rare here, as 
I have only seen it in about three localities. It 
grows in woods and thickets. 
ARISTOLOCHIA SERPENTARIA. 
June 25, 1890, I found one of these plants. I was 
pretty sure it was snakeroot, because of the shape 
of the leaves, although I had never studied the 
plant, had never seen the flowers, and did not even 
know to what order it belonged. I made a sketch 
of the plant on account of the peculiar shape of the 
leaves and stem. I took particular notice of the 
peculiar termination of the stem. Otherwise I did 
not closely observe the plant, for I failed to discover 
the flowers, which were concealed by the lower 
leaves and the dead forest leaves which lay about 
the stems of the plant. After returning home with 
Fig. 6. 
the sketch I consulted reading matter on the subject 
of this plant, and on learning that "the flowers are 
on stalks which rise from the roots," my curiosity 
was aroused, and the next day I examined the plant 
more closely. I was rewarded by finding three or 
four flowers. From what I had read I was led to 
believe that the peduncle grew from the root, but 
I found that they do not grow direct from the root, 
but from the main stems a short distance above the 
ground. The peduncles have many bracts. The 
fruit is a six-celled capsule or berry. It is oval in; 
shape, and on the outside has six prominent ridges 
or ribs. It is of a dull purple. The part of the 
flower next to the capsule was of a light color, while 
the other was a dark purple. The leaves of the 
plant were five inches long and two and one-half 
inches broad. 
The Experiments With a Pendulum to visibly 
demonstrate the motion of the earth, formerly made 
by Foucault under the cupola of the Pantheon, arc 
about to be renewed on an even larger scale. Tlie 
new gigantic pendulum has just been suspended 
from the center of the second platform of the Eiffel 
Tower. It consists of a bronze wire 350 feet long, 
with a steel globe weighing iSo pounds at the 
end. 
