542 
proached the insect by degrees, until I was within three inches 
of it, when the whole process became apparent. The bee, 
however, was so intent upon its labours, as not to take any notice 
of me. The flower is composed of an erect tube, with a natural 
cleft running along its lateral walls from above, through one- 
third its entire length, presenting outwardly apparently a mere 
crease, from the manner in which the compressed margins of 
the upper lip fit into the rolled-in edges of the lateral lobes of 
the under lip. The upper lip is compressed, arched, and 
beaked, presenting an aperture at the apex, through which 
passes a curved pistil, the lower lip is reflexed, consisting of 
three lobes, one median and two lateral, assuming a platform 
arrangement. Enclosed within the upper lip are four stamens, 
didynamous, with their anthers turning backwards, facing each 
other vertically. When ripe these anthers split upon the inner 
side, thus giving a fancied resemblance to an oval snuff-box 
thrown backwards upon its hinges. Each cell is filled with 
white pollen grains. Now when the bee alights upon the tube, 
by means of its trunk, it opens the natural cleft above alluded 
to, and having tus gained partial entrance, it would defeat its 
intention did not the length of the flower’s tube when contrasted 
with that of the bee’s trunk, necessitate the admission of the 
entire head also. In this operation the lips of the flower are 
pressed apart, the margins of the upper lip are separated to 
receive the head, and the pollen grains, already ripe, by the 
considerable motion to which they are subjected, become dis- 
lodged from their cells, and fall down ina dense shower upon 
the bee’s back and head. Having obtained the coveted sweet, 
it flies to another flower upon a different stalk, as I observed in a 
score of cases during two days; but before renewing the pre- 
ceding operations, stations itself awhile upon the lower lip, its 
head coming in contact with the stigma of the pistil. Then, by 
means of the hairs that line the inner side of the tarsus of each 
interior leg, and the constant rubbing together of the parts 
comprising its trophi or its instrumenta cibaria the attached 
pollen grains are sent flying in every direction, sure to 
adhere to the stigma. Whilst observing the above pro- 
cess, I also noticed that after the lips had been pressed 
apart, and were permitted to regain their position, the 
upper lip, being somewhat elastic, sprang back to its place 
with considerable force, sending through the aperture, through 
which passes the pistil, a complete cloud of pollen, enve- 
loping the stigma upon every side. This operation can be 
performed artificially, by taking hold of the under lip with the 
jeft thumb and fore-finger, and pulling the upper lip backward, 
by the right, and then releasing the hold of the latter: the 
upper lip springs to its place, spirting the pollen through the 
aperture upon the left hand. From the above it is to be seen, 
that the plant has two chances of being fertilised—one by its 
own pollen, and the other by that of another. Although the 
flower seeds abundantly, yet I am disposed to think that it is 
mainly through the pollen of another that the seeds become per- 
fect. I incline to this opinion because, in an examination of 
many pods, I noticed that a few seeds were found in a rudimen- 
tary condition, apparently manifesting a tendency to abort, while 
the majority were in a vigorous condition; the former, doubt- 
less, being the effects of self-fertilisation in part, which, as is 
well-known, is a degenerating process. I desire also to call 
attention to an interesting discovery which I was enabled to make 
recently, whilst engaged in an examination of.a double flower of 
Ranunculus fascicularis. In the genus Ranunculus, the corolla 
of anormal flower is made up of five petals, each of which on 
the inner side of its basal part is usually provided with a scale. 
This scale from its position is denominated the necturiferous scale. 
In the specimen under consideration three of these scales had 
assumed the character of petals, agreeing with the flower’s true 
petals in every particular except size, being but three-fourths the 
dimension of the latter. It very frequently happens that we 
find, in examining flowers, parts which we can refer to no organ 
with which we have become acquainted. They appear to be 
distinct from any of the whorls which make up a perfect flower, 
although located among them and attached perhaps to them. 
All such parts are designated as appendages. Under this cate- 
gory are placed the scales that are characteristic of some species 
of Crowfoot. Prof. Lindley thinks that these small appendages 
are barren stamens united to the bases of the petals. This 
opinion I think is a just one. From the facts here indicated it 
is reasonable to conclude, that the double flowers of the Ranun- 
culus do not always originate by true staminal metamorphosis, 
but sometimes by scale transformation ; also that nectariferous 
NATURE 
[ Oct. 23, 1873 
scales when they exist are barren stamens, which favourable con- 
ditions may develop into true petals. Whilst examining several 
specimens of otentilla canadensis lately, I was struck with the 
variableness displayed in the number of segments which con- 
stituted their outer or calycine whorls. This series in Pofentilla, 
as is well known, consists of five sepals, with as many inter- 
mediate bractlets. In the specimens to which I refer, I counted 
from seven to ten bractlets. This numerical variation I am 
confident results from the splitting, so to speak, of some or all 
of the primary bractlets, as specimens were observed which 
exhibited all the transitional forms, from a slight indentation at 
the apex to partial and complete division. 
PARIS 
‘Academy of Sciences, Oct. 13.—M. de Quatrefages, pre- 
sident, in the chair.—The president announced the death of M. 
Antoine Passy.—The following papers were read :—On crys- 
talline dissociation, by MM. Favre and Valson. This portion of 
the author’s researches deals with the estimation of the work 
done in saline solutions. Tables of the value of this work were 
given.—Researches on the ancient fauna of the Island of Ro- 
driguez, by M. Alph. Milne-Edwards.—Verification of Huy- 
ghens’s law by means of the prismatic method, by M. Abria.— 
Monograph on the fishes of the family of the Symbranchide, 
by M. C. Dareste.—On a mechanical purifier for illuminating 
gas which will also serve to mix vapour with the gas, by M. D. 
Colladon.—Researches on the action of the so-called antiseptics 
on carbuncular virus, by M. C. Davaine. The author found the 
bodies in question were, as a rule, effective in destroying the 
virus.—Studies on the Phyl/oxera, continuation by M. Max 
Cornu.—On the oak P4ylloxera, by M. Balbani.—Note on a 
new method of tempering steel, by M. H. Caron. The method 
consists in quenching the heated steel in heated water, the tem- 
perature varying with the size of the article. The author stated 
that this method augmented the elasticity considerably without 
altering the softness of the metal.—On the use of potassic 
disulphate as a means of detecting galena, by M. Jannettaz.— 
Meteorological observations made in a balloon, by M. G. 
Tissandier.—New remarks on the epidemic goitre of the St. 
Etienne barracks, by M. Bergeret. 
CONTENTS PacE 
List oF SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES AND FIELD CLUBS 5 oye a 
Loca ScrenTIiFIc Societies, I. . ° os . 523 
FARADAY ON SCIENTIFIC LECTURING. . « + ee * Sehac Gam 
Ecker’s CONVOLUTIONS OF THE BRAIN . . + + a eee 
Our Book SHELF. «. . oe 0 0 © © © © 6 © © » «© 6 =eeeeg 
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR :— 
On the Equilibrium of Temperature of a Gaseous Column sub- 
jected to Gravity.—Pror. J. CLerK-Maxwett, F.R.S. . . . 527 
Mallet-Palmieri’s Vesuvius—Davip Forses, F.R.S.. . +. . . 528 
Oxford Science Fellowships.—Prof. H. B. Ciirron, F.R.S. . . 528 
Harmonic Echoes.—Lord RayLeiGH, F.R.S. . . . + « » + 528 
Deep-sea Soundings and Deep-sea Thermometers.—Hy. NEGRETTI 
and ZAMBRA. we ahaa? fe eee eae Pry de Sh I 
Settle Caves Report.—R. H. TIppDEMANN. «. « « + « « 529 
Carbon Battery Plates —CHARLEs V. WALKER, F.R.S.. - 529 
ASTRONOMICAL ALMANACS, III. . » 1s je > ©) fe ei netnie mn mem 
THE BRIGHTON Aquarium. By W. Savitte Kent, F.Z.S. | (With 
Illustrations) . aide: ore A are te. oe Mel fen hiat Matte maga 
Tue Rapipity OF DETONATION. . « s+ - = + + o 6 + » 534 
Norgs . o 3 ee ee 8 se st 8 8 Uw meee 
On THE Fina STATE OF A SYSTEM OF MOLECULES IN MOTION SUB- 
jJecT TO Forces oF ANY KIND. By Prof, J. CLerk-MAxweELt, 
FURS. os ee 0 8, eh sue & le et vl en 
OriGINAL RESEARCH As A MEANS OF EpucaTion. By Prof. Roscog, 
B.Ris. ry Carpe eee rae Serer 
ConpucTinG Power For HEAT OF CERTAIN Rocks. By A. S. 
HerscuEL, F,.R.A.S. . See Oe ee 54° 
Tue DIVERTICULUM OF THE SMALL INTESTINE CONSIDERED AS A 
RuDIMENTARY STRUCTURE. By Prof. STRUTHERS, F.R.S.E. . . 540 
ScienTIFIC SERIALS . , . we le! 0 6 ve lel sly eain mea 
SoclETIES AND ACADEMIES - + 54¥ 
s ErrATuM.—Vol. viii. p. 519, 2nd col. last line, for “‘tonic” read 
toxic.” 
