250 PROCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES. 
Proceedings of Societies. 
Boranicat Socrery or Eprvs uren.—Day 8th.—‘‘ Notes on the 
Fertilisation of the Cereals.” By A. 8S. Wilson. The cereals to 
which the sige ales refer oupren about fifteen varieties of Wheat, 
dore, the Fluckwheat, and some others, the peculiarity of which is, a 
short ear with the grains closely packed together, at half the distance 
apart of the common two-rowed and Chevalier argh Probably in 
none of these close-flowered, two-rowed Barleys do the flowers ever 
open. The cereal flowers are open for only about whe minutes or 
half an hour. Even in the calmest days, the whole of the pollen is 
discharged in one or two minutes. It is generally pores the act of 
opening that fertilisation seems to take place. It is very true, as Dr. 
bs -says, that when the anthers of Wheat are be nded they 
e empty ; but they do not empty themselves within the closed 
‘ales, but in falling from one side to another of the flower-cup as it 
, 1n many 
s, have grown or extended to Sat penisteatin while the whole 
of the pollen will have fallen out. In the Oat the filaments, ier | 
one-twentieth of an inch, extend to about one-third of an inch in 
len ngth. This rapid extension of the filaments is not a mere e itenighte 
ening out of a doubled-up thread, but i actual growth or erection, 
which remains unretracted. And in he Wheats, which have light 
; but the opening of the lowermost inner flower will 
for a eine ee a the wile spikelet out of its natural place ; and in the 
Fly Oat (Avena sterilis) and Canadian Oat (Avena sativa), ’ which have 
wey stiff pales, the force which separates them by be quite 
9 What, then, is the initiative act in opening the flower ? 
the maturity of the pollen sarorn the sudden res of 
he filaments ? If in a field of flowering Rye an ear which has not 
ret blossomed be gently drawn ‘hrough: 'the hand, in a minute perhaps 
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