68 BOTANICAL GAZETTE [JANUARY 
of oo an occasional condition as a typical one has been reduced to a 
minim’ 
It is = doe to Miss FERGusON to announce that the manuscript left her hands 
Dec. 29, 1902, after which only a few minor corrections in the latter part o the 
work were possible.—C. J. CHAMBERLAIN. 
MINOR NOTICES. 
THE FIRST PART of the second supplement (1896-1900) of the Kew Index, 
containing the letters A-L, is ready for distribution. It is printed uniformly 
in all respects with the Index Kewensis itself. The advantage of having such a 
record of the years 1896-1900 cannot be overstated, and the tremendous amount 
of labor it involves on the part of Sir W. T. Tatsetton-DveEr and his colleagues 
deserves recognition from botanists. The American Branch of the Clarendon 
Press is at 91-93 Fifth Avenue, New York City; and the price of the part is 13s.— 
LMC. 
Koorpers and VALETON? have published another fascicle of additions to 
the anh a flora of Java. The five families included are Fagaceae 
(Castan p., Quercus 25 spp.), Lauraceae (71 spp., 10 of which are new), | 
Masi taciee (4 spp.), Coniferales (Podocarpus 5 spp., one new), and Casuari- 
naceae (2 spp.).—J. M. C. 
AOTES FOR STUDENTS. 
INSECTS AND FLOWER COLORS.—Before considering some very recent papers 
on this sg ik brief reference may be made to the work of PLaTEav, who more 
y other investigator, has raised objections to the familiar ‘‘flag’’ or “‘sig- 
nal” eae as held by SPRENGEL, MUELLER, and Darwin. Among the more 
striking of PLATEAU’s observations, 3 we may note that he observed insect visits | 
in normal number to heads of Dahlia, which were variously hidden from vision — 
indifferently flowers of Salvia and Zinnia, similar in species but differing in 
sae that Pelargonium, however showy the flowers, is but little visited by insects 
y, but that visits are readily induced in great numbers, if honey is placed 
2 the flowers; that visits to Dahlia flowers cease if the nectar glands are removed, 
but begin again if honey is added; that the removal of the outer radiant flowers 
of Hydrangea has no effect on insect visits; that even such intelligent insects 
as bees commit many errors, visiting buds, wilted flowers, fruits, etc. In general 
2KoorpeErs, S. H., and VaLETon, oh Boomsoorten op Java. Bijdrage no. 10. — 
Mededeel. ” sLands Plant. no. 68. pp. vi+287. Batavia. 1904. ! 
3See Bull. Roy. Acad. Belg., 895; 1896, 1897; Mém. Soc. Zool. France, 1898, — 
1899, 1900; Ann. Soc. Entomol. Belg. 1901, 1902; Bull. Roy. Acad. Belg.-1902- 
Reviews of these articles in Biol. Cent. 16:417; 1'7:599; 18:469; 19:349; 20:4993 
21:650; 23:224; 23:311. 
