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, I 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 Dlawarra 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. 
Hewricr has made some ingenious aud 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 establishing 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 was 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 
21st 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 
