RESEARCH ON SOUTH AFRICAN CYCADS, AND ON WELWITSCHIA. 409 
A paper entitled ‘The Living Welwitschia’! contains some of the 
field observations, and shows that the ovules are insect-pollinated ; others 
are included in a general paper (‘ Notes on a Journey from Walfisch Bay 
to Windhuk’) which I have sent to the Director of Kew for publication ; 
some will form part of a future paper. 
In collaboration with Mr. E. E. Galpin, F.L.S., who accompanied me, 
I made a study of the flora of the desert area in which Welwitschia 
grows ; the results will be published as soon as we are able to work up 
our collections. 
The cones being in a more advanced condition than those collected a 
fortnight or three weeks earlier in the season, in 1904, I have obtained 
material which is expected to yield stages which I was unable to describe 
in my former paper. At present I have only been able to make a pre- 
liminary examination of a few ovules. Nearly all seem to be in an 
excellent state of preservation, and I have already identified two sperm- 
cells in the pollen-tube and several stages in the development of the pro- 
embryo—these, however, I am not yet in a position to describe. I hope 
to have the results of this work ready for publication by the middle 
of 1908. 
Studies of Marsh Vegetation.—Report of the Committee, consisting of 
Dr. F. F. Buackman (Chairman), Mr. A. G. 'TansLey (Secretary), 
Professor A. C. Srwarp, and Mr. A. W. Hi... 
Tue researches to aid which this Committee was appointed were under 
taken by Professor Yapp, primarily with the object of investigating the 
problem of xerophily in marsh plants. So far the researches have been 
carried on chiefly in the Fens of Cambridgeshire, where marshes of the 
‘ Flach-moor’ type are still to be found, notably at Wicken, where indeed 
most of the actual work has been done, though other Jocalities have been 
visited. 
The vegetation of Wicken Fen has been studied in some detail, at 
different seasons of the year, in situ ; visits for this purpose were made 
in August, November, March, May, and July. 
Particular attention has been paid to the mutual relations of the 
different plants composing the vegetation and to their modes of growth, 
vegetative periods, and other peculiarities which, it was thought, might 
affect the general problem. 
A considerable amount of material has been preserved for anatomical 
investigation. 
A series of physical observations has been made of the maximum and 
minimum temperatures, and also of the evaporating power of the air,? at 
different levels in the vegetation, which in many spots forms a dense 
tangled mass some 5 feet in height. These observations have only 
been commenced during the present summer (1907), but it is proposed to 
continue them for a further period. 
In order to test the possible effect of varying conditions of soil, 
moisture, and light, a Jarge number of plants of Spirwa Ulmaria are now 
' Nature, April 4, 1907. 
? For this purpose an improved form of evaporimeter has been employed, based 
on the same principle as that described by Livingston, The Relation of Desert Plants 
to Soil, Moisture, and to Hvaporation. Washington, 1906. 
