ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOrY, ETC. 779 



the upi:)er part; or all these are wautlug. A list of the species of 

 Coreopsis is given, with descriptions founded on characters drawn from 

 the achencs. 



Floating-organs. * — After a discussion of the mathematical problems 

 connected with contrivances for hindering the descent to the ground of 

 parts of plants, Herr H. Dingier classifies the various kinds of floating 

 organs under twelve distinct heads, viz.: — (1) Dust-like (Schizomycetes, 

 spores of Fungi, Vascular Cryptogams, &c., the pollen-grains of anemo- 

 philous plants) ; (2) Grain-like (seeds of Papaveracese, Orobanchacefe, 

 Ac.) ; (3) Furnished with bladders (fruit of Valerianella, seeils of 

 Orchideae, achenes of Cijnara Scoli/mus, &c). : (4) Hair-like (many Bro- 

 meliaceaB) ; (5) Disc-like and flat (fruit of elm, seeds of some Irideaj 

 and Liliaccse); (6) Disc-like and convex (fruit oi Pnliurus acxdeatus ; 

 seed of Ecrremocarpus scaler ; {7) Parachute-like (achenes of Dipsa- 

 caceo3, Plumbasineai, and many Compositfe ; (8) Cylindrical and 

 winged (fruit of many Polygonacefe and of Halesia) ; (9 and 10) With 

 ridges which give a sail-like form (Ailanthis and some Bignoniacefe 

 and Ternstroemiaceje) ; (11 and 12) Samaras and other fruits and seeds 

 which fall with a helicoid motion (samara of ash, maple, &c., fruit of 

 Lirwdendron tulipifera, seeds of many Coniferas). 



Pitcher of Nepenthes.f— From a study of the development of the 

 leaf of several species of Nepenthes, Prof. F. 0. Bower has come to the 

 conclusion that the leaf is not a simple but a branched one, the space at 

 the back of the lid being its organic apex ; the whole leaf consists 

 of :— (1) a phyllopode, winged throughout its whole length, terminating 

 in the spur, and developing the pitcher itself as an involution of its 

 upper surface ; and (2) a pair of pinnae, which show congenital coales- 

 cence across the frontal face of the phyllopode, and constitute the lid of 

 the pitcher. By phyllopode he understands the main axis of the leaf 

 (including petiole), exclusive of all its branches. 



Pitchered Insectivorous Plants.^— From observations on species of 

 Nepenthes, Eeliampliora, Sarracenia, Darlingionia, and Cephalotus, Dr. 

 J. M. Macfarlane has also come to the conclusion that in the first four 

 genera the leaf is compound, and consists of from two to five pairs of 

 leaflets, exhibiting a marked tendency to dorsal fusion of the leaflets 

 from apex to ba«e. This is demonstrated by comparison of the seedlin» 

 with the adult leaves. The pitcher is, in these genera, a deep dorsal 

 involution of the mid-rib just above the termination of the fused under 

 pair of leaflets. The lid itself is made up of two leaflets produced on 

 either side of the median mid-rib, which may afterwards be excurrent, 

 or the leaflets may fuse distally to form a median dorsal process. Tho 

 pitchers of Cephalotus appear to differ in every respect from those of the 

 other genera, and probably represent one of a chain of forms otherwise 

 lost. 



Homology of Stipules.?— Studying the development of the parts of 

 the flower in Magnolia and many other plants, Mr. T. Meehan assigns 



* 'Die Bewegung. d. pflanzlicheu Flugorgane,' IMiinchen, 1889, 342 dp and 

 8 pis. See Flora, Ixxii. (1889) pp. 169-79. 

 t Ana. of Bot., ill. (1^89) pp. 239-52 (1 pi.). 

 X T. c, pp. 253-6(3 (1 pi.). Cf. this Journal, ante, p. 408. 

 § Troc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Pbilad., 1889, pp. 62-4. 



