WYCH = ELM SEEDLINGS. 



W. p. WINTER, 

 Shipley. 



This season has been remarkable for the prevalence of the 

 seedlings of the Wych-Elm {Ulmus montana With.). It may, 

 perhaps, be well to place this on record with a note as to some 

 characteristic features of the young plants. The two cotyle- 

 dons are stalked, fleshy, obovate in outline, with distinct 

 auricles at the base directed downwards. The two pairs of 

 lea\'es above the cotyledons form with them three decussate 

 pairs, and in this respect the seedlings differ from the descrip- 

 tion by Tubeuf as translated in Lubbock's ' Seedlings,' where 

 the first leaves are described as alternate. These first two 

 pairs of leaves are shortly stalked, coarsely serrate, with only 

 occasional signs of biserration. They are only slightly asym- 

 metrical, have small stipules at their bases, and both surfaces 

 are rough with hairs, many of which are glandular. Above 

 these leaves the stem becomes more hairy and carries one or 

 two or, more rarely, three small scale-like leaves above the gap 

 between those previously described. Arranged alternately 

 with these is again a similar small set (one, or rarely two). 

 Succeeding to these are leaves in the ordinary leaf-spiral, but 

 not quite so asymmetrical as usual, with stipules of the usual 

 size. 



The scale-like leaves certainly suggest modified stipules, 

 and the usual passage from the opposite arrangement of the 

 cotyledons and the two first pairs to the alternate (^ diver- 

 gence) and afterwards to spiral phyllotaxy is noteworthy. 



The Discovery and Settlement of Port Mackay, Queensland, by H. Ling 

 Roth, Halifax: F. King l'v: Sons. 114 pp. 



Mr. Ling Roth is well known to the scientiiic world for his ethnological 

 researches ; and consequently any work from his pen will receive serious 

 attention. In the present case we think he has acted very wisely in placing 

 upon record much valuable information relating to the early history of 

 Port Mackay — information which will be of much greater value each year 

 as time goes on. The author was in Queensland some thirty years ago, 

 and took careful note of the district and its numerous attractions. Since 

 then he has kept a keen watch, recording such items as he thought desir- 

 able. The first part of the book contains narratives from the books of 

 earlv visitors to Queensland, including those of Jukes, the geologist. There 

 is a' full account^'of Capt. Mackay's expedition, and of the settlement of 

 the town and district of Mackav- The closing chapters deal with the 

 ethnology and natural history of the area ; the Hymenoptera Aculeata 

 being exceptionallv well dealt with. There are nearly one hundred illus- 

 trations, including maps and cliarts. 



igog Oct. I. 



