68 



to fasten the ends of the strips and another was inserted into the 

 leaf to hold the cloth close to the leaf. The photograph, which 



was taken by Mr. Til ley shows that 

 no starch was formed under the 

 black strips. 



It seems perfectly obvious that 

 this experiment is free from the in- 

 accuracy of Detmer's experiment 

 which was pointed out by Miss 

 Haug. The cloth, in many places, 

 was not in contact with the leaves. 

 Even assuming that diffusion did 

 not take place through the meshes 

 of the cloth, there were certain 

 parts under the strips which must 

 have been in conditions essentially 

 similar to those outside the strips, 

 excepting, of course, the factor of light. Since light is the only 

 factor eliminated by the cloth strips, the experiment proves that 

 the absence of light alone will prevent photosynthesis. 



DkWht Clinton High Sciiooi,, 

 New York City. 



Preventiijn of Photosynthesis 

 in Hydrangea. 



BIRDS AND MISTLETOE: A CORRECTION 



By S. B. Parish 



In this journal for July, 1902 (2 : 105), the writer ventured 

 to question whether the berries of the common mistletoe of his 

 region, Plioradcndron flavcsccns, were eaten by birds, and the 

 seeds disseminated by their evacuations. This doubt was sug- 

 gested by observing the undigested appearance of the seeds so 

 abundantly adhering to twigs and other objects, at the season 

 of ripening. Recently I happened on a note by the late Thomas 

 Meehan, published in the Botanical Ga.'^ctte, for Eebruary, i8<S2 

 (7: 22), in which he expresses the same doubt, but founds it on 

 a different premise. Mr. Meehan says : 



