THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 27 



apparent fruits referred to, and the other two, pale-coloured and 

 hairy, simply curved round from being confined, and reached a 

 length of I inch and ^-inch respectively. The "eye" of the 

 larger apple was in its proper place at tiie top, but formed an 

 elongated depression about half an inch in length, surrounded by 

 the much-reduced remains of the calyx leaves. There were also 

 numerous shrivelled stamens and several withered styles project- 

 ing, but I could not detect any trace of petals. When cut 

 longitudinally, and carefully examined, the core was found to be 

 double, but without the formation of seeds, and it was plainly 

 seen that there had been two flowers stuck together, there being 

 calyx leaves at either end of the depression, and the correspond- 

 ing stamens and styles. The calyx leaves were dark brown and 

 triangular in shape. The marks of the bandage were on the 

 apple, and the petals had probably been shed and adhered to it. 

 The " eye " of the smaller apple was about the middle of the 

 flattened side, lying agamst the other, and the fruit had evidently 

 been twisted round and compressed owing to the confined con- 

 ditions. The brown and withered remains of the calyx and 

 corolla leaves were seen here, as well as shrivelled stamens and 

 styles. The presence of the corolla leaves probably show that 

 the bending over took place in the flower stage, so that the petals 

 did not fall away. From the same branch which produced the 

 smaller apple there was a lateral outgrowth which formed a 

 flower with all the parts, but it shrivelled up and did not develop 

 further. There were thus four flowers formed altogether, in 

 three of which the thickened floral axis or hypanthium became 

 succulent, but in no case had fertilization occurred, as the well- 

 known pips or seeds were absent. The remarkable points about 

 this abnormal specimen are : — i. The extraordinary conditions 

 under which flowers were formed beneath the clay and the 

 bandage used for the graft. 2. The compression and contortion 

 which took place, two flowers being stuck together in a sort of 

 double-barrelled arrangement, and one hypanthium forming for 

 both, while in the third apple the flower had bent over so that 

 the eye was apparently lateral. 3. The comparatively large 

 development of the hypanthium or succulent portion surrounding 

 the core without fertilization having occurred. — D. M'Alpine. 



Cuckoos. — Early in October all the Cuckoos — viz., the Pahid, 

 Fan-tailed, Bronze, and Black-eared species — left this district 

 suddenly. I missed them all in the course of three or four days. 

 I have not known them leave so early before ; they usually remain 

 till March, though a few of the Pallid and Fan-tailed species 

 often winter here. The summer turned out very hot and dry. 

 We had no rain from September to end of Februar}^ The 

 question arises, were the Cuckoos able to foretell this dry spell, 

 and so took their departure before it set in ? — C. H. M'Lennan. 

 Pine Plains, vid Hopetoun, 28th March, 1906. 



