Miscellaneous, 261 



myself at present, but will let you know how they are progressing 

 every mail. I hope these valuable birds will reach you alive ; but 

 should they die, 1 shall arrange to have them preserved in spirits, 

 as the bodies, from their rarity, are also, I am aware, very valu- 

 able. 



"We purchased last month a fine specimen of the 'Lyre-bird' 

 (Menura superba), intending to send it to the Zoological Society. 

 It was captured in the Illawarra district, and was a male ; and the 

 beautiful 'lyre'-shaped tail was fully developed, and the whole of 

 the plumage in excellent condition. It only survived a few days, 

 showing how difficult it is to keep these birds in captivity." 



MISCELLANEOUS. 



On a Function of Roots. 



Henrici has made some ingenious and interesting observations on 

 the function of roots in supplying water to the plant, and on the 

 development, under certain conditions, of special roots destined for 

 this purpose. It is a matter of not infrequent occurrence that plants 

 send roots into wells, cisterns, drain-pipes, &c., where they exist in 

 continual contact with a body of water. In drain-pipes the roots of 

 plants usually considered to be free from aquatic tendencies, such 

 as rape (Brassica), sometimes accumulate to a surprising extent. 

 Henrici surmised that the roots which most cultivated plants send 

 down deep into the soil, even when the latter is by no means porous 

 or inviting, are designed especially to bring up water from the sub- 

 soil for the use of the plant. The following experiment was devised 

 for the purpose of estabhshing the truth of this view. 



On the 13th of May, 1862, a young raspberry plant, having but 

 two leaves, was transplanted into a large glass funnel filled with 

 garden-soil, the throat of the funnel being closed with a paper filter. 

 The funnel wa& supported in the mouth of a large glass jar, and its 

 neck reached nearly to the bottom of the latter, where it just dipped 

 into a quantity of water. The soil in the funnel was at first kept 

 moderately moist by occasional waterings. The plant remained 

 fresh, and slowly grew, putting forth new leaves. After the lapse 

 of several weeks, four strong roots penetrated the filter and extended 

 down the empty funnel-neck, through which they emerged on the 

 2 1st of June, and thenceforward spread rapidly in the water of the 

 jar. From this time forward, the soil was not watered any more, 

 but care was taken to maintain the supply in the jar. The plant 

 continued to develope slowly ; its leaves, however, did not acquire 

 a vivid green colour, but remained pale and yellowish ; they did not 

 wither until the usual time late in autumn. The roots continued 

 to grow, and filled the water more and more. Near the end of 

 December the plant had from seven to eight leaves, and a height of 

 8 inches. The water-roots were vigorous, very long, and beset with 



