304 BOTANICAL GAZETTE [ OCTOBER 
and 79 parts nitrogen, 53.28 was evolved by intramolecular respira- 
tion, and no. 2, 71.58%, of which 57.91 came from the same source. 
If 0.21 of the atmospheric air in the eudiometer at the beginning 
of the experiment was oxygen, and 0.79 nitrogen, then no. 1 must 
have contained 51.67° and no. 2 51.44% of nitrogen. Now at the 
close of the experiment, assuming that no other gas was present, no. 
1 contained 32.49% and no. 2, 26.92% nitrogen; therefore 19.18% of 
nitrogen must have escaped from no. 1, and 24.52% from no. 2. On 
the assumption that the gases were completely diffused, the nitrogen 
that escaped from the first eudiometer must have carried with it 
26.65°, and that from the second 38.62° of carbonic acid gas. This 
shows that from the seeds in the first eudiometer 79.93%, and in the 
second 96.53% of carbonic acid gas must have been evolved by intra- 
molecular respiration. 
To explain this apparent discrepancy between the two results, it 
should be stated that germination had not proceeded so far in no. 1 as 
in no. 2; in the former the sprouts on the seeds were from 2 to 4™", 
and in the latter from 4 to 6™ in length. Slight decomposition had 
taken place in both eudiometers, but no fungus was visible in either.— 
T. C. Jounson, West Virginia University. 
NOTES ON AQUILEGIA CANADENSIS Linx. AND 
A. VULGARIS Linn. 
For several years I have had growing in my dooryard a patch each 
of our common eastern columbine and of the European or garden 
Species, and have found them a fruitful source of pleasure and study. 
I wish to record a few of the more interesting observations. When 
the buds develop in the axils of the leaves, they at first stand erect, 
but soon begin to droop, and by the time the flowers begin to expand 
they hang completely inverted. As soon as the pollen has been shed 
and the ovaries have been fertilized, the flowers begin gradually to 
resume the erect position, and by the time the outer whorls have fallen 
the five-parted ovaries are standing erect, ready to mature, dehisce, and 
scatter the seeds. This rapid change in the position of the flowers is 
made possible by the great and rapid changes in the length and thickness 
of the peduncles. At first they are about one-fourth inch long and very 
slender ; by the time the flowers have fallen and the ovaries are standing 
erect the peduncles have grown to be three to five inches long, and are 
thick rigid stems. This entire change takes place in about five days. 
a 
