734 Transactions of the American Institute. 



tion runs tlirougli the wliole of an}-^ other order tlian that of the 

 Umbelliferre, and that it runs throujjjh that order appeared to be a 

 fact. Atler liaving carefully examined all the plants he (Mr. Hogg) 

 could get together, they, one and all, confirmed the statement made 

 by Mr. Gorham with regard to this group. It was quite true that some 

 few attempts had been made to classify, or rather tabulate the vena- 

 tion of plants, but only a slight advance had been seen in this respect 

 since the time of Dr. Grew, who, in his treatise on the " Anatomy of 

 Plants,'' presented to the Royal Society in 1862, noticed the peculi- 

 arities of the structure of the fibers of the leaf, and published draw- 

 ings showing something like an attempt at classification. Xow, how- 

 ever, Mr. Gorham proposes to reduce the question of leaf venation to 

 practical utility ; and in a large and important order of plants like 

 that of the umbellifeite, which includes those yielding articles of diet, 

 medicinal substaiices, and acro-narcotic poisoiis, it must become a sub- 

 ject of considerable value. A morphological analogy had been shown 

 to exist between the stem and the ribs or veins of the leaf ; doubtless 

 an analogy can be traced between the skeleton of the leaf and the 

 skeleton of the branch in a number of points, as well as in the gene- 

 ral resemblance between the ramifications of the plant and that of 

 the venation of the leaf. On making a close examination, under a 

 power of fifty diameters, of the leaves of the umbelliferre, jDrepared 

 by Mr. (rorham, Mr. Hogg observed that the analogy is borne out in 

 a remarkal)le degree in the whole, and, further, that the analogy can 

 be carried to the venation of the petals and stamens. The umbels of 

 the hemlock show this exceedingly well, and, no doubt, when others 

 have been more closely examined, it will be found that the plant, the 

 branches, the leaves and flowers, will present a morphology as uni- 

 form as it is remarkable. 



Marseilles Hair. 

 This article of commerce, used in the manufacture of chignons, 

 was the subject of a singular revelation made at the Dublin Micro- 

 scopical Club some months since. Dr. Frazer, on the part of Mr. 

 Woodworth, exhibited specimens of it which had the hair-bulbs 

 unremoved, and the enlargements had been imagined to indicate the 

 presence of " Gregarinne," but the microscope showed their true 

 nature. An interesting inquiry results as to the origin of this kind 

 of hair in commerce. It cannot be derived from living: beings, for 

 its removal in quantity by epilating would be extremely painful ; and 



