Dec. 1, 1865.] 



SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



275 



with the bark. The root appears to force its way, 

 taking entire possession of the bough by expansion 

 behind the growing-point, and gradually forming an 

 excrescence above the bark somewhat resembling the 

 crown of a root. 



The absorption of the juices by the Mistletoe in 

 lime causes the decay of that part of the branch cut 

 off from communication with the trunk by it. This 

 I think will account for large plants of Mistletoe, 

 found on the branches, being almost invariably at the 

 eud of the branch. 



The expansion is a strange phenomenon. The 

 accompanying sketches wiU. convey some idea of the 

 general appearance of different sections. They are 

 reduced from nature, the shaded part representing 

 the IMistletoe. (See figs. 4, 5, G.) A horizontal section 

 of the expansion itself shows concentric rings and 

 medullary rays, but distorted in every possible way, 

 owing, I suppose, to the pressure of the wood of the 

 bough. 



A theory has, I thinlc, been started that it maybe 

 propagated by fibres running from one plant, and so 

 take possession of the whole tree. I have tried several 

 specimens where on the same bough I obtained two 

 large plants within sis inches of each other. But I 

 have failed, as yet, to detect in sections cut from 

 between the two plants, any fibrous connection. 



The capricious habit of the plant is very remark- 

 able. In a wide district abounding in White and 

 Lombard poplars there is scarcely a White poplar 

 that is not covered with masses of Mistletoe, while 

 on not a single Lombard can I find even a sprig. On 

 one Ash, standing in a clump of ash-trees, I found 

 ten plants ; but not one of the surrounding trees bore 

 a single plant. The same caprice applies to its growth 

 on the Lime and White Thorn, as far as I have been 

 able to ascertain. 



The inquii-y into the growth of the Mistletoe, a 

 plant enveloped in so much mystery, mythical and 

 natural, is fraught with interest ; and I shall be ex- 

 tremely glad if this letter shoirld prove to be the 

 means of exciting or assistingthe researches of others. 



R. B. 



A PLEA EOR. NETTLES. 



~| E one might be allowed to form an opinion from 

 -^ the way in which people generally speak of 

 nettles, the conclusion would be inevitable that they 

 are not only the most useless weeds in creation, but 

 the greatest pests wherewith the earth has been 

 cursed. There are some morose beings in the world 

 who are for ever looking on the dark side, no saatter 

 Avhat it is that has its evils, to them it is all evil. 

 Eor our own part we don't believe in such a doctrine. 

 Our creed is that there is something good in every- 

 thing, and we have faith in this creed, even though 

 our own knowledge may be too limited to discover 

 all the good which we believe to exist. Sfmging 



nettles are very disagreeable things we confess, 

 either to handle or sit upon, but that they do not 

 deserve wholesale condemnation shall be evident 

 before we have done. 



Our indigenous nettles are small and insignificant 

 beside those of tropical countries. It is true that 

 they are by no means scarce, and if there is any 

 luxury in coming into contact with them, it need 

 not remain long unsatisfied. We possess three, 

 some say four, species ; the Small Nettle {JJrtica 

 urens), and the Great Nettle {Urtica clioica), both 

 of which bear fruit in spikes, and the Roman Nettle 

 ( Urtica pilulifera), in which the clusters of fruit are 

 globose. The last is only local, whilst both the 

 former are common everywhere. It is doubtful 

 whether we have any other indigenous plants so 

 often abused, ill-spoken of, or maltreated as nettles. 

 Scarcely any one, from the infant to the grey-beard, 

 speaks a word in their praise, and for insect and 

 fungal parasites they are almost without parallel. 

 Indeed the wonder seems to be that we have nettles 

 at all, since so many enemies combine against them. 

 Yet nettles and parasites increase and multiply and 

 replenish the earth. 



There is a nettle found in the East Indies, known 

 to botanists as Urtica crenulata, the handling of 

 which is certainly "no joke," if the account given 

 by Leschenault de la Tour is a plain, unvarnished 

 tale. He says, "One of the leaves slightly touched 

 the first three fingers of my left hand ; at the time 

 I only perceived a slight pricking, to which. I paid 

 no attention. This was at seven in the morning. 

 The pain continued to increase ; in an hour it had 

 become intolerable ; it seemed as if some one was 

 rubbing my fingers with a hot iron. Nevertheless 

 there was no remarkable appearance : neither swell- 

 ing, nor pustule, nor inflammation. The pain 

 rapidly spread along the arm, as far as the armpit. 

 I was then seized with frequent sneezing, and with 

 a copious running at the nose, as if I had caught a 

 violent cold in the head. About noon I experienced 

 a painful contraction of the back of the jaws, which 

 made me fear an attack of tetanus. I then went to 

 bed, hoping that repose would alleviate my suffering ; 

 but it did not abate ; on the contrary, it continued 

 nearly the whole of the following night ; but I lost 

 the contraction of the jaws about seven in the 

 evening. The next morning the pain began to leave 

 me, and I fell asleep. I continued to suffer for two 

 days ; and the pain returned in full force when I put 

 my hand into water. I did not finally lose it for 

 nine days." A similar occurrence took place at the 

 Calcutta Botanic Gardens, and the man who was 

 stung described the sensation, when water was 

 applied to the part, as if boiling oil was being poured 

 over him. The common nettle of the Neilgherry 

 Mountains (fig. 1) and some parts of Northern 

 India {Urtica heterophjlla) , Roxburgh stated was 

 the most ferocious plant he had ever seen, and that 



