954 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 



the fruit may, nevertheless, swell and come to an appear- 

 ance of perfection; and so it is observed to do in the 

 instance in question, and in many others, especially when 

 the fruit is formed of one of the parts less connected 

 with seed, as the calix, receptacle, etc." 



Fihppo Cavolini published his work on caprification in 

 1782, or twelve years later than Milne, whose opinion he 

 had, however, not read. Cavolini believes the caprifig to 

 be the male tree, and the fig the female of the same 

 species. He further notes the difference between the fig 

 receptacle and the seed (60), and how the former can 

 come to maturity on account of its greater attachment to 

 the stem of the tree, while the seed, which is only at- 

 tached to the pericarp by its vessels, requires pollination 

 in order to mature. This pollination causes the juices in 

 the fig to flow more freely, bringing both the seed and 

 receptacle to maturity. That some figs mature their recept- 

 acles and others not depends on a defective structure, by 

 which the juices from the stem of the tree are more or 

 less obstructed in their flow into the fig's receptacle. 

 As this obstruction is lesser or greater, the fig requires 

 more or less pollination, in order to cause more or 

 less sap to flow, while the seed, in order to attain 

 maturity, always requires pollination. That the same va- 

 riety of fig can mature in one locality without caprification, 

 while in a different district it must be caprificated in order 

 to mature its receptacle, depends upon differences in 

 locality and soil. Cavolini's ideas are clearly expressed 

 and to the point. 



At the very end of the century a French botanist, 

 Olivier, traveled in the Ottoman Empire, Egypt, Persia 

 and in Greece, making a particular study of the fig. His 

 descriptive work of his travels was published in Paris 

 (year 9). Olivier came to the conclusion that caprifica- 



