On the Nomenclature of the Foraminifera. 15 



confess that no insects were observed to alight on the plant ; 

 but this may be owing in some measure to the early season of 

 the year at which the plant blooms in this country, or to its 

 having been taken from the green-house into a drawing-room, 

 where the windows were generally closed ; or, what is still more 

 probable, that British insects are not the same as Australian, and 

 have not the same habits ; for it seems almost evident that it would 

 require an insect of some considerable size and of some peculiar 

 structure and habits to remove and apply the pollen, the secre- 

 tion not being in the blossom itself, but at a short distance from 

 it, on the phyllodium. 



However, none of the flowers were fertilized ; but it was re- 

 marked that the styles became elongated to nearly double the 

 length of the stamens, particularly towards thd time of the fading 

 and falling of the blossoms. The thought readily arises. Is this 

 another instance of dimorphism ? and is there another plant, 

 with short-styled stigmas, or with some other peculiar structure, 

 adapted and necessary for the perfect fertilization ? This, future 

 and further observation may verify ; but it appears highly sug- 

 gestive of a fine field of research to those who possess or have 

 access to large collections of Acacia. The fact of some Acacia 

 fruiting abundantly in greenhouses, and others rarely or never, 

 has often attracted attention; and artificial fertilization would 

 do much towards ascertaining whether it is to the absence of 

 insect agency that the sterility of the plants is due. 



An intelligent nurseryman here informs me that he has never 

 observed the plant to form legumes, or, at all events, other than 

 abortive ones. He says the plant was originally raised at Ghent, 

 from seed from Australia, and that that place is the great mart 

 where it is propagated by cuttings, and imported into this 

 country. 



The microscopist will find the stamens, and indeed every por- 

 tion of the floral whorls, beautiful and interesting objects, as, 

 from their extreme transparency, the cellular tissue and the 

 spiral vessels are distinctly displayed, without any dissection or 

 other preparation than being placed in a drop of water. 



IV. — On the Nomenclature of the Foraminifera. By W. K. 

 Parker, F.R.S., T. Rupert Jones, F.G.8., and H. B. Brady, 

 F.L.S-., F.G.S. ^pj^^^^ J jj^ jjj^ 



Part X. (continued). — The Species enumerated by D'Orbigny in 



the ' Annales des Sciences Naturelles/ vol. vii. 1826. 



III. The Species illustrated by Models. 



Previously to the publication of his " Tableau M^thodique des 



