Vol.. XXIII. No. 3.] 



POPULAE SCIENCE NEWS. 



43 



Here tlieir protoplasms had been emptied, and some 

 were in the process of eniptj'ing their protoplasms 

 while the staminate glands were enlarged by their 

 contents almost to bursting, with the pollen fluids. 

 The yet adherent ectoderms of the pollens proved 

 conclusively that Nature is a great economist and 

 abhors waste, for she had so arranged these stami- 

 nate glands, as to enable them to simulate the ab- 

 sorptive functions of the pistillate stigmatic glands, 

 and permit a re-absorption of what would otherwise 

 have been inevitably lost, and to utilize these mis- 

 placed elements of reproductive nutrition, which 

 were undoubtedly returned to the male producers 

 through their own absorbents, helping thereby to 

 sustain their expending vitality. This I regard as 

 an original discovery, having seen the same thing 

 in somd of the cucurbits, and in many other glan- 

 dular plants. 



METHODS OF FERTILIZATION. 



(Enothera Biennis muricata. — The pollens of this 

 plant, Wild Primrose, are of a general triangular 

 form. Three terminal cells, through which proto- 

 plasmic cxtrudation occurs, form the equi-distant 

 points of an equilateral triangle, of course lio^ 

 apart. 



The basal cells appear 

 only hemispherical in 

 configuration, with a 

 band or zone encircling 

 the base ,and a small 

 conoidal projection at 

 the outer extremity. 

 In this projection is 

 the exostome, or mouth, 

 pollen-tube, or stromen. of proto- 

 The central cell is nucleated, but 

 loses figure during expulsion. The extrudation of 

 the pollen-tube draws on the resources of the central 

 cell which is finally lost in the common channel of 

 the protoplasm. 



The entire order of Onagrads is an exceedingly 

 interesting one to study, because of its remarkably 

 gamoloculous pollens. The size of those of CEno- 

 thera render the genus an acceptable one to the mi- 

 croscopist. They are large enough to be "easy on 

 the eye," and even the motions, circulating and ro- 

 lary, of the protoplasms, are at times plainly visi- 

 ble. 



These pollens are nearly all araneous, or fur- 

 nished with one or more long, slender, almost in- 

 visible filaments, points of attachment, that also 

 serve to bind the pollens in masses, and cause them 

 to adhere to the stigma. These filaments are some- 

 times directly traceable to the central cell for their 

 origin, as shown in this partially expelled but 

 shrtmken specimen. 



out of which tlu 

 plasm proceeds. 



or angles, is very sure to come in contact, sooner or 

 later, with the presenting open pore of a stigmatic 

 gland. The himiid gland imparts its moisture at 

 once to the now open exostome of the pollen grain, 

 chemosmosis at the same time begins its work of 

 expansion in the mesoblast of the pollen, while the 

 acid secretion causes a contraction of the Intimalu- 

 tricle. Silently but surel^', and often rapidly, the 

 protoplasm pours forth in a strong stromenal cur- 

 rent, into the now widely opened reticular spheros- 

 cule of the stigmatic gland. The chemism and 

 physical endosmosis precedes the pollenic exosmo- 

 sis of protoplasm, induced physically by the viscid 

 humidity, and chemically by the organic acidity of 

 the stigmatic glands. From tliis point of expulsion 

 and reception, downward into the pistillate tissues, 

 the passway is rendered easy by gravitation, capil- 

 larity and vital attraction. That there is a specific 

 vital action is proven by the fact that in lilies, and 

 many other flowers, the pollen tubes will find their 

 way often at right, and even acute, angles across 

 and upward to the attracting ovules ; often, too, 

 across the vacant cavity of the pistil. This vital- 

 ized attraction of the germ cell of the ovule, draws 

 to itself the living polarized sperm-cell of the pol- 

 len's protoplasmic intime. whereby ovulation is ef- 

 fected. The easy expulsion of the pollen fovilla 

 through one or more of the pollen's exostomes and 

 its ready imbibition through the stigmatic spher- 

 oscule, proves the value of these openings as media 

 of transmission, for they are seldom or never found 

 in this condition of openness except during their ac- 

 tive stage at maturity, when fully prepared for the 

 work of fertilization. The pollen must have reached 

 its stage of maturity; it must touch the stigmatic 

 spheroscule with its exostome — as the edges of the 

 Magdeburg hemispheres touch in that pneumatic 

 experiment — before absorption can be effected. 

 Bubbles of gas come pouring forth at certain inter- 

 vals proving a chemical union of elements and con- 

 sequent reaction — a status of affairs which ngver 

 occurs in an imperfect stigma, or when a pollen is 

 in an immature condition — unless artificially pro- 

 duced by chemical reagency. 



At this time, at this stage of action, can be easily 

 seen the perfected, as well as the forming, Schleiden 

 tubes. The shrunken and emptied ectoderms after 

 fertilization, and their similarity to those produced 

 by chemism, proves the analogous stromenality. and 

 that Hydrism, as well as acid chemism, are required 

 to effect the process of expulsion in both instances. 



[Specially Reported for Tke Popular Science News.] 

 METEOROLOGY FOR JANUARY, 1889. 



TEMPERATURK. 



I 



In texture they are as slender as the most atten- 

 uated spider-web, whitish — hyaline, or colorless, — 

 vet glossy and shining, in a proper light; hygro- 

 scopic and sensitive ; undoubtedly hollow and serv- 

 ing to convey moisture to or from their respective 

 pollens. Serving best, however, in assisting the 

 viscid stigmas in retaining a grasp on those pollens 

 that are showered upon them during the fertilizing 

 period, especially so when the day is dry and warm. 

 The viscid, saccharine, and at times acid, secretion 

 — for it turns blue litmus paper red — causes the 

 falling pollens on touching their surfaces to ad- 

 here at once. Like a military column there are 

 " points up and points down," and one of these points, 



A glance at the above table will show that the last 

 month was very remarkably warm for January, be- 

 ing not only the warmest in 19 years, but nearly ten 

 degrees above the average. It was more than 16° 

 warmer than our coldest Januarys of 1875 and 1888; 

 it was 8-32° above the average of February, and even 

 exceeded that of March by 1.75°, our first spring 

 month. During the first ten days the mercury fell 

 below the freezing point but once at the hour of ob- 

 servation. The lowest point during the month was 

 °S above zero, on the 20th, and the highest 58°, 

 twice on the 17th, and evening of the 9th. The 20th 

 was the coldest day with an average of 19°, and the 

 17th the warmest with 56 2-3°. The temperature of 



the month was remarkably uniform, as well as high. 

 The mercury stood above the freezing point at 2 P. 

 M., every day except five, and fell below 20° at 

 only seven observations. There were no very sud- 

 den changes. 



I SKY. 



The face of the sky in 93 observations gave 153 

 fair, II cloudy, 17 overcast, 11 rainy, and but one 

 snowy: — a percentage of 57 fair. The average 

 fair the last 19 Januarys has been 54, with eztremes 

 of 40.9 in 1S84, and 61.3 in 1878 and 1S88. An un- 

 usual number o( days were noted fine, with several 

 beautiful sunsets and one splendid sunrise, on the 

 26th. 



PRECIPITATION. 



The amount of precipitation, including about 5 

 inches of snow melted, was 8.85 inches, the largest 

 amount in January for 21 years, while the average 

 has been only 4.91, with extremes of 1.80 in 1871, 

 and 8.85 in 1S89. During this period January has 

 exceeded 7 inches four times, three of which were 

 consecutive in 1885, '6, and '7. On the 6th and 7th 

 was a heavy rainfall of 4.27 inches. On the 20th 

 about 4 inches of snow- fell, followed bv rain, allow- 

 ing three or four days of imperfect sleighing. At 

 the close of the month the snow was nearly gone. 



PRESSURE. 



The average pressure the past month was 29,950 

 inches, with extremes of 29 12 on the 2Sth, and 30.52 

 on the 2oth, — a range of 1.40 inch. The average 

 pressure the last i6Januarys has been 29 909 inches, 

 with extremes of 29.840 in 1879, and 30.080 in 1S80, 

 — a range of 2.40 inch. The sum of this daily va- 

 riation was 10.08 inches, giving an average daily 

 movement of .325, while this average in 16 Janua- 

 rys has been .298, with extremes of .496 and .391. 

 On six days the movement was half an inch or more, 

 and on the 2ist over an inch. In 48 hours the 

 movement up and down was 1.93 inch, a remarka- 

 ble atmospheric disturbance. 



WINDS. 



The direction of the wind in 93 observations gave 

 9N.,3 S.,4E., 39 W., 7 N. E., 17 N. W., i S.E., 

 and 13 S. W., an excess of 16 northerly and 57 west- 

 erly over the southerly and easterly, and indicating 

 the average direction of the last month to have been 

 W. 15° 41' N. The westerly winds in January have 

 uniforirly prevailed over the easterly for the last 

 20 years, by an average of 53 75 observations; and 

 the northerly over the southerlv, with two excep- 

 tions, by an average of 21.10, indicating the approx- 

 imate general direction of January to have been W. 

 21° 26' N., showing that the winds have been less 

 northerly than usual. The relative progressive dis- 

 tance travelled by the wind the last month was 59.20 

 units, and during the last 20 Januarys 1 155.1 such 

 units,— an average of 57.75, showing less resisting 

 winds than usual. 



Thus ends the record of a month, in mid-winter, 

 quite memorable for its high and uniform tempera- 

 ture, the large amount of rainfall, scarcity of snow, 

 with only three or four days of imperfect sleighing, 

 (including the entire December preceding) and for 

 its wide and frequent change of barometer pressure. 

 Ths sky was also unusually clear and fine, notwith- 

 standing the large amount of precipitation which 

 fell in a few large quantities, and the winds less 

 northerly than usual, giving us an exceedingly 

 pleasant and comfortable winter month. D. \V. 



Natick, Feb. 4, 1889. 



Erratum.— On page 27, in the table, against the 

 "year of 1888 " under " lowest," for 8°, read —8". 



[Specially computed for The Popular Science Neios.] 



ASTRONOMICAL PHENOMENA FOR MARCH 

 1889. 

 The sun crosses the equator and spring begins on 



