BIOLOGICAL STUDIES OF FIGS. 961 



figs are concerned, caprification should be abandoned. 

 This point is confirmed by the circumstance that these 

 same figs mature in countries where no caprifigs are grown. 



I cannot see how any other conclusions of importance 

 can be drawn from the experiments of Gasparrini. It 

 must always be regretted that he never thought of the 

 possibility of their being any other race of figs than that 

 one which he happened to have under his eye. How 

 different, for instance, would his conclusions have been 

 if he had had the true Smyrna figs to experiment on. 



•In our own times no one has given as much study to the 

 fig question as Professor H. Count Solms-Laubach. His 

 researches were published in 1882, and contain a perfect 

 mine of knowledge, partl}^ compiled, partly his own 

 investigations. While scientifically investigating his sub- 

 ject and studying the figs and the fig insects, both in Italy, 

 Java and France, it appears that he had no opportunity 

 to make direct experiments in caprification, but founded 

 his opinions principally on the experiments of Gasparrini. 

 He sifts the knowledge of others with rare ability and 

 patience, adds numerous and interesting observations of 

 his own. His researches are of the utinost importance. 

 As a botanist, he rejects, as insufficiently proven, Gas- 

 parrini' s theory of parthenogenesis, and showing that 

 Brazilian figs produce no fertile seed, concludes that 

 caprification is necessary for that purpose. 



During his investigations in Java he discovered that 

 most figs grovv^ing there consisted of female trees as well 

 as of male trees, and he found that the male tree pos- 

 sessed a flower especially adapted to foster the Blasto- 

 phaga, a degenerated or differentiated female flower, 

 which he calls the " gall flower." This gall flower has 

 probably lost its power to produce seed. Returning home 

 and investigating the caprifig, he found that even this fig 



2d See., Vol. V. ( 62 ) January 11, 1896. 



