76 Canadian Ptecord of Science. 



laborious work in typical areas of these rocks — such work as has 

 been carried out by Lehmann, in Saxony ; Brogger, Tornebohm and 

 Reusch, in Scandinavia; Heim, in the Alps ; Maepberson, in Spain, 

 and Lawson in part of Central Canada. When we have in this 

 way become possessed of the facts concerning tbese rocks, oar 

 theoretical deductions will be much more valuable than they are at 

 present. In the meantime, the consideration of such questions as, 

 whether the water present on the primeval crust of the earth 

 existed as puddles or oceans, and whether the feeble foliation of the 

 fundamental gneisses may not be due to the solar tidal waves in the 

 original magma, while the more pronounced foliation and apparent 

 false bedding of the schists may be attributed to the action of the 

 lunar tides, can scarcely be considered to be especially profitable. 



F. D. A. 



Notes. 



A very interesting and somewhat unusual instance of 

 reversion was recently brought to my notice in a specimen 

 of Trillium erectum var album which appeared in the 

 student collection of Mr. S. W. Mack. The plant was eight 

 inches high and the three leaves much less than the normal 

 size. The ordinary sepals were enlarged to two-thirds the 

 size of the leaves, which they very closely resemble in all 

 respects. The three petals had become sepals, which were, 

 however, much broader and more leaf-like than in the 

 normal flowers. The six stamens were all connected into 

 foliar organs, each about the size of a normal sepal. They 

 closely resembled the sepals in all respects except in the 

 tips, which were white and quite pitaloid. The pistil was 

 completely transformed, and each carpel replaced by two — 

 six in all — linear and small foliar structures resembling 

 abortive petals. 



Monstrosities are common in this genus, but this particu- 

 lar case is one of more than passing interest. 



D. P. P. 



