164 



SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



The Flora of Newfoundland. — Last July and 

 August, Messrs. Robinson and Schrenk, of Harvard 

 University, made a botanical visit through the 

 Exploits Valley and some other stations in New- 

 foundland. They collected over 7,000 specimens 

 of flowering plants and vascular cryptogams. The 

 Exploits Valley, though 200 miles further north than 

 St. John's, has a richer and more advanced flora. 



Flowering of Evening Primrose. — On July 

 6th, about 7.30 p.m., I was looking at some very 

 fine specimens of evening primrose, in a garden 

 opposite the infant school at Coldharbour. The 

 evening was decidedly cool, after a very hot after- 

 noon, and most of the flowers were fully expanded ; 

 but I observed in one flower that was still closed a 

 peculiar rotatory movement, as if some one held it 

 by the flower-stalk and swung the flower round ; 

 or, as if a large humble-bee were describing circles 

 inside it. In fact, every moment I expected to see 

 such a bee issue from it ; but, instead of this, the 

 sepals of the calyx all at once flew back with a 

 spring and the petals began to gradually separate 

 from one another. I do not pretend to explain the 

 phenomenon, but I fancy it may be due to a fall of 

 temperature, producing contraction of elastic fibres 

 in the flower-stalk, because the flowers will open in 

 the day-light when the sky is overcast and the 

 temperature falls. At any rate, the phenomenon is 

 most interesting to the student of biology, showing, 

 as it does, the intimate connection of physical and 

 mechanical laws with vital functions. — D. Hooper, 

 B.A. and M.B. (Loud.), Kitland's Farm, Cold- 

 harbour, Surrey ; July yth, 1895. 



Harmonious Colouring of Wild Flowers. — 

 Everyone who possesses a mixed border in his 

 garden must have experienced the difficulty of 

 effecting harmony in the colour of the flowers 

 composing it. Here, we may be shocked by the 

 sight of a red tiger-lily side by side with a rose- 

 coloured foxglove ; there, the bright blue cornflower 

 flaunts itself in too close proximity to a clump of 

 lavender-blue campanula. Now it has often struck 

 me as remarkable, that flowers of our fields and 

 woods exhibit no such discords of colour in their 

 juxtaposition, but on the contrary are ever 

 charming us with their apparently fortuitous 

 harmonies. The instance of the purple heath and 

 yellow gorse is a familiar one. On Mickleham 

 Downs at the present moment ma}' be seen sheets 

 of pale yellow Sedum acre interspersed with the 

 pale blue of some forget-me-not (Myosotis arvensis), 

 and when the Sedum goes off, its place in the 

 harmony will be filled up by the rock rose 

 (Helianthium vulgare), which grows here almost as 

 abundantly as the Sedum. In a wood near 

 Dorking one early summer, I remember another 

 harmony of darker blues and yellows made up of 

 spikes of ground-ivy and "weasel snout," in a 

 dainty bed of melic and other grasses, and the 

 same colours are contrasted, to the increased 

 setting off of each flower. Now we know that the 

 colour of flowers has been developed through 

 natural selection as an attraction to the insects 



that fertilize them, that flowers to attract bees 

 tend to become blue. But is there not some good 

 reason for the harmonious juxtaposition of the 

 wayside flowers? May not, for instance, the 

 contrasts of colour, so gratifying to our artistic 

 sense, serve the purpose of attracting insects by 

 making each colour more conspicuous, or in other 

 words, may not each flower best flourish and 

 abound on the community of interest and natural 

 selection principle, side by side by that other 

 whose colour best serves to display its charms ? — 

 M. J. Teesdale, St. Margaret' s,Dulwich ; July 13/A, 1895. 



Growth of Reed-mace. — While out for a 

 ramble with my friend, Mr. Broadbent, a few- 

 weeks ago, we came across a pond wherein the 

 common bulrush (Typha latifolia) grew very plenti- 

 fully, and among the rest we noticed one, the 

 leaves of which had penetrated a piece of the dried 

 stem of a last year's plant, which it had lifted out 

 of the water for a distance of twelve or fourteen 

 inches as represented in the accompanying drawing. 

 Similar occurrences may be noticed in woods in 

 early summer, when the leaves of the bluebell will 

 be found to have bored through and lifted up the 

 dried leaves which fell from the trees in the 

 previous autumn. — Charles Mosley, Woodside Road, 

 Huddersfield ; June, 1895. 



Forced Germination of Seeds. — In answer to 

 Mr. Geo. Nowers' query in Science-Gossip of 

 July, it is well known that by the application of 

 chlorate of potass, oxalic acid and chlorine, the 

 germination of seeds that have been kept for some 

 time has been brought about, when probably they 

 would not have germinated under ordinary condi- 

 tions. Humboldt stated that the seeds of the 

 common cress (Lepidium sativum) in a solution of 

 chlorine, germinated in six or seven hours, whereas 

 in water, germination did not take place for thirty- 

 six or thirty-eight hours. I am not aware of any 

 other experiments on the forcing power of acids, 

 but I would refer Mr. Nowers to an article on 

 "Electricity in Horticulture," published in Science- 

 Gossip (Vol. I., New Series, 1894-5, P a S e I2 4)> m 

 which it is shown that, according to the experi- 

 ments of certain observers, electricit)' can 

 hasten the germination of seeds when currents are 

 passed through the soil. It is well known that the 

 prime factors in the germination of seeds are heat 

 and moisture in due proportions, and that after the 

 initial stages, and with the unfolding of the first 

 leaves, light in proportion must be afforded or no 

 real growth or formation of material by the action 

 of chlorophyll can be obtained. Some botanists 

 have striven to show that artificial light can hasten 

 the germination of seed, but it is probable that 

 rays of light have but little or no influence on the 

 actual germination of seeds. The probable explana- 

 tion is that the artificial light promotes greater 

 heat than when plants were grown under ordinary 

 conditions. The question, "Which does exercise 

 the most beneficial influence on seed germination, 

 light or heat ? " could easily be answered, and it is 

 to be hoped that someone will soon throw a little 

 light on this important subject. There seems to 

 be no doubt that when the green leaves first put in 

 an appearance above ground much may be done 

 by the rays of the arc-lamp to hasten maturity, 

 and it may be suggested that some of our county 

 councils take up this subject, for anything that 

 will enable the English market gardener to compete 

 with foreign produce is of great importance. Some 

 day forcing by electric light may be universally 

 employed. — Herbert C. Fyfe, Kensington. 



