962 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 



contained this gall flower, almost exclusive of any real 

 female flower. He further shows how dififerent species 

 of figs are inhabited by dififerent species of Blastophaga. 

 He also unconditionally adheres to the theory of the 

 caprifig and the fig being of the same species. Later on 

 he adopts the theory of Fr. Miiller, that the edible fig is 

 the female plant and the caprifig the male plant. But he 

 is entirely unaware of the existence of a race of figs 

 differently constructed than the common edible figs which 

 he had investigated, and he shared the opinion of Gas- 

 parrini, that all figs were affected by caprification in the 

 same manner, though he recognized the absolute neces- 

 sity of pollination and caprification in order that fertile 

 seeds may be produced. But if caprification is not needed 

 any more, it was once a necessit}'', ages ago, when the fig 

 was first brought into cultivation by man, and before the 

 present race of figs, which requires no caprification in 

 order to set and mature, had originated. The class of figs 

 which the Italians considered as requiring caprification 

 had been shown to set fruit without this operation; the 

 class that once at a time required caprification must, there- 

 fore, have been lost, and superseded by a better, more 

 modern class, evolved from the former. He comes 

 to the following conclusion: " Caprification was once, 

 ages ago, a necessity; it is now no more useful, but only 

 a horticultural operation, transmitted from generation to 

 generation, down to our time, and in its original form. 

 Its scientific importance as means for judging the modifi- 

 cations undergone by our economic plants (culturpflanzen) 

 in the course of ages, can hardly be overestimated." 



It is hardly necessary for me to remark that Solms' 

 conclusion is based on his belief that this race, once 

 requiring caprification, has been lost, has " died out," as 

 no longer of value. Now, if this race has not died out, 



