Linnaan Society. 425 



about two acres of the barley were completely destroyed, and the 

 remaining part of the crop very much injured, both in quantity and 

 quality. The farm consisted of 1 70 acres, principally clay soil, 

 such as is usually called heavy land ; thirty acres of it were of barley, 

 about ten of which were destroyed by this plant. 



In regard to the mode by which the Rhinanthus effects the 

 injury, Air. Clarke states that the fibres of the roots attach 

 themselves to the fibres of the barley, on which they form small 

 round tubers, or what perhaps maybe more properly called spongioles, 

 which embrace the fibres so effectually, that they suck the juices 

 of the plant so as to starve it, and in most instances ultimately 

 destroy it ; these spongioles are formed of cellular tissue. 

 A correct knowledge of the habits and natural history of a plant 

 may lead to its eradication, but in this instance it is a matter of 

 considerable diflSculty, the ordinary method of destroying weeds by 

 a summer fallow being of no avail, as the Rhinanthus does not 

 grow in clean earth. Mr. Clarke has for some years been trying to raise 

 it from seed in clean earth, but has never succeeded. The other 

 rnefhod of destroying weeds by green crops in rows is equally un- 

 successful, as it does not grow among green crops. As it is annual, 

 it certainly should be pulled up before it seeds ; and as it grows on 

 a clay soil, and to no great extent except in a wet season, the land 

 should be effectually drained. 



Read also a Note " On the Reproduction of Lost Parts in Earth- 

 worms." By George Newport, Esq., F.R.S., F.L.S. &c. 



The author exhibited three specimens of Earthworms, which have 

 had parts of their bodies reproduced, — an occurrence which was 

 formerly proved, by the experiments of Bonnet and Spallanzani, to 

 take place in these animals. One of the specimens exhibited was 

 still living, the others Avere preserved in spirit. In each of them 

 more than one-third of the posterior division of the body had been 

 restored. The new parts in all were much smaller in diameter, and 

 the segments much shorter than in the original anterior portion of 

 the body. Although the reputation of Bonnet and Spallanzani re- 

 quires no defence, the author thought it might be interesting to the 

 Fellows to examine these specimens, since the fact of reproduction 

 in Earthworms and other Annelids has recently been denied. In a 

 " Report on the British Annelida," by Dr. F. Williams, published in 

 the Report of the British Association for the Advancement of Science 

 for the year 1851, that gentleman, after mentioning the experiments 

 of Bonnet and Spallanzani, as quoted by Prof. Owen, makes the 

 following statement : — " On the authority of hundreds of observa- 

 tions, laboriously repeated at every season of the year, the author 

 of this report can declare, with deliberate firmness, that there is not 

 one word of truth in the above statement" (Rep. Brit. Assoc, 1851, 

 p. 247). Dr. Williams, Mr. Newport added, must have been sin- 

 gularly unfortunate in his observations, since it is no uncommon 

 thing, at this season of the year, to find Earthworms which have 

 had a large portion of the body restored ; as is easily seen by the 

 much lighter colour, more delicate texture and smaller dimensions 

 of the new parts, as compared with the original parts of the animal. 



