162 



feGIENCE-GOSSIP. 



[JuM 1, ISO;: 



EOT AMY. 



ExAMiNSSfG Plants. — Never guess at a poitit in 

 'question; but if the flower you are dissecting will 

 not enable you clearly to determine the character, 

 examine a second or third, until you are satisfied on 

 the point under examination. If the points are so 

 minute as to be difficult of discrimination by the un- 

 assisted eye, a pocket magnifying-glass will be neces- 

 sary, and should always be at hand. A sharp pen- 

 knife and a needle will be all the dissecting instru- 

 ments necessary. Special care should be taken to 

 gather good specimens with several flowers, and, if 

 possible, a specimen which has gone to seed as well. 

 If the stamens need to be counted, always examine 

 two or three flowers to see if there is any variation. 

 In a few plants the true number is only found in the 

 terminal flower. Remember also the possibility in 

 a flower which has been opened some little while 

 that the anthers of some stamens may have fallen 

 off and left only the filament. Ereshly-opened 

 flowers are, therefore, always best. Let no one 

 attempt to "commit to memory" the meaning of 

 terms ; but for every term which is not thoroughly 

 understood turn to the glossary. Though this will 

 at first be troublesome, and perhaps be voted "slow," 

 it will soon become less and less needful ; for the 

 meaning of most of the. terms wiU become per- 

 fectly familiar after a little practice, and the liahit 

 of careful and accurate examination, formed from the 

 first, will be found of inestimable value. Slovenly 

 and careless habits of study will hinder progress 

 exceedingly ; and those who in the beginning skip 

 difficulties, or are satisfied with guesses, will always 

 be plagued and impeded by doubts. — Notcutfs 

 Handbook of British Plants. 



Poisonous Properties oe Yew Leaves.— The 

 circumstances mentioned at p. 112, of deer having 

 died from the effects of yew juice is contrary to 

 the notions entertained by most persons as to the 

 poisonous qualities of the leaves in question, when 

 eaten by either deer, sheep, or goats. That yew 

 leaves prove fatal to horses is a well-known fact ; 

 and it would be m^cU to ascertain the truth of the para- 

 graph (p. 112) ; for the jew is so frequently found in 

 deer parks, that it would be highly desirable all owners 

 of such should order the branches to be properly cut. 

 I think, if I remember rightly, the yew branches in 

 Richmond park were a few years ago quite within 

 reach of the deer ; but I never heard of any accident 

 there. It is a singular thing that the withered 

 branches of this tree are quite as pernicious to 

 horses as the fresh leaves. Many tales, ancient and 

 modern, relative to the properties of the yew tree 

 have been recorded. Its juice was at one time 

 considered a sure antidote to the bite of a viper, 

 and in Germany it is even now a popular remedy for 

 hydrophobia. — Helen Watney. 



Orchid Rust [TJredo OrcMdis, Mart.). — This rust 

 is of a bright golden-yellow, and occurs in large 

 spots on the under surface of the leaves of some or- 

 chids. Mr. R. M'Leod has lately sent it to us on 

 the leaves of the Tway-blade {Listera ovata), and on 

 Orchis latifolia, collected by liim at Crosby Sandhills, 

 near Liverpool. We are not aware that it has been 

 before recorded in Great Britain. — 31. C. C. 



Varieties oe Common Plants. — I take the 

 liberty of sending you the following brief notes of a 

 few varieties of some of our wayside flowers that 

 have come under my observation. I shall refer to 

 them in the order of time when found, 



1. A pure white-flowered variety of Geranium Ro- 

 hertiamim, found between Enfield and Edm.onton, 

 Middlesex, three or four years ago — have not 

 examined the spot since. 



3. A pure white-flowered variety of Lanmm piir- 

 pureuni, found in Fulham Nursery, two years since, 

 growing alongside the purple variety; only two 

 plants found — seen two years in succession — not 

 looked for since. 



3. A white variety of Geranium molle, found this 

 spring, at Needham Market, Suffolk — abundant on a 

 bank mingled with a typical rosy-purple variety. 



4. A pure white variety of Spergularia marina (or 

 Arenaria rubra marina, Linn.), found this season 

 on the banks of the Orwell, near Ipswich, with the 

 typical form. In addition to the pure white flowers 

 the whole plant differed from the type by being of a 

 pale green colour, and having perfectly glabrous 

 (not rough) peduncles and calyx. 



5. One striking form of the occasional hybrid 

 said to be produced between the Primula vulgaris 

 and Primula veris. It seemed exactly intermediate 

 between the two species, having the inflorescence 

 of both in the same plant, the long single-flowered 

 radical peduncles of P. vulgaris (5 or 6), from the 

 centre of which there arose the true umbellate 

 scape of P. veris. The corolla, too, was in size and 

 colour precisely intermediate between the species 

 named, plants of (both) which were growing around 

 it. I regret that an accident subsequently befel the 

 plant before a more careful examination could be 

 made. Found in Wherstead Park, Ipswich. 



6. A form of Achillea millefolium., presenting 

 marked (and I should think) permanent differences 

 from the common form. The whole plant is of a 

 lighter green, the leaves more compound, especially 

 at the base ; the flowers much smaller, and pure 

 white ; the stems too were much less angled, and 

 less woody. Although my description fails to indi- 

 cate very marked differences, the two forms were 

 very distinct seen growing side by side. 



I shall feel happy to furnish you, or any of my 

 fellow correspondents or readers, vnth any of the 

 foregoing that I can procure. — W. H. Ade, Ipsioich. 



