zoology and botany, microscopy, etc. 257 



or at least by one particular species of insect. Even where the visits of 

 such an insect have not been actually observed, they must be assumed 

 from the structure of the flower. 



Bigeneric Orchid Hybrids.* — Mr. E. A. Kolfe sums up his con- 

 clusions on this subject as follows : — 



(1) Hybridization may take place not only between distinct species, 

 but also between distinct genera of orchids. 



(2) Tbese hybi ids are generally of artificial origin, or accidentally 

 produced, aud cannot be treated in the scheme of classification either as 

 varieties, species, or genera. 



(3) The possibility of hybridization taking place between species 

 hitherto considered as distinct does not necessarily prove them to be 

 merely forms of the same species. 



(4) The occurrence of a hybrid between two structurally different 

 genera does not prove the necessity of uniting them in one ; nor can 

 hybrids be arbitrarily referred to either of the parent genera. 



(5) Species, and genera too, will always have to be dealt with in the 

 scheme of classification according to their structural peculiarities and 

 differences, without reference to the possibility of hybridization taking 

 place between them. It is therefore clear that hybrids, whether bigeneric 

 or otherwise, should be dealt with on their own merits, and named in 

 such a way as to avoid all confusion between them and existing species 

 and genera. In the case of bigeneric hybrids the plan of compounding 

 a name from that of the two parents should always be followed, as 

 " PMlageria X," a name invented by Dr. Masters for a hybrid raised by 

 crossing Lapacjeria rosea with the pollen of Philesia buxifolia. By 

 this means all confusion between them and natural genera would be 

 avoided. 



Germination of Palms.f — Herr 0. Gehrke has observed the mode of 

 germination of the seeds of a number of species of palms, and finds that 

 they all agree in all essential features. The subordinate points in which 

 they differ are examined in detail, especially in the case of Phoenix 

 dactylifera. 



(3) Nutrition and Growth (including Movements of Fluids). 



Importance of the Mode of Nutrition as a means of Distinction 

 between Animals and Vegetables.^ — M- P- A. Dangeard considers the 

 Chlamydomonadinefe to form a group of the same rank as the Chytri- 

 dinepe ; the two groups are both related to the Flagellata, but they do not 

 diverge at exactly the same point. The Chytridineas are intimately allied 

 to the zoosporous monads, only differing from these latter in the manner 

 of nutrition ; the Chlamydomonadinece appear to separate from the 

 Flagellata a little higher in the series. Within these limits the deve- 

 lopment between an animal and a plant does not differ sensibly. The 

 aiithor then describes in detail the mode of nutrition of Pseudaspora 

 Nitellarum Cnk. and Spliserita endofjena Dangeard. The former species, 

 when forming its sporange, introduces starch into the interior of its 

 chlorophyll-grains, the starch being obtained from the protoplasm of 



* Journ. Linn. Soc. Lond.— Bot., xxiv. (18S7) pp. 156-70. 



t Gehrke, 0., 'Beitr. z. Kenntniss d. Anat. v. Palmenkeimlingen,' 29 pp., Berlin, 

 1SS7. See Bot. Centralbl., xxxii. (1887) p. 265. 

 % Comptes Kendus, cv. (1887) pp. 1076-8. 



