1870.] Botany, 397 



Acclimatization of Palm- Trees. — In addition to the date-palm 

 and the Chamxrops, which have long been naturalized on the 

 European shores of the Mediterranean, M. Naudin has succeeded 

 very well with several other kinds at Collioure, in the Pyrenees, 

 notwithstanding the exceptionally unfavourable character of the 

 winter of 1869-70. The severe cold of the last week of December, 

 when the thermometer descended to — 4°, and in some localities 

 even to — 6° C, was fatal to only one species. The extraordinarily 

 heavy fall of snow which took place in January, lasting for forty- 

 four hours without intermission, was expected to destroy the young 

 trees altogether. After, however, they had been entirely covered up 

 with snow for nine or ten days, so that the boughs were completely 

 flattened, when the thaw came they almost immediately recovered 

 their former position, even the green colour of the leaves not being 

 injured. The same fall of snow caused a fearful amount of destruc- 

 tion among the olives and cork-oaks. 



Mimetic Plants. — At a recent soiree of the Linnean Society a 

 very interesting set of foliage-plants was exhibited by Mr. W. Wilson 

 Saunders, arranged in pairs, the plants of each pair bearing such a 

 striking resemblance to one another in the general character of the 

 foliage, and even in the venation of the leaves, as to be with diffi- 

 culty distinguishable from one another, and yet belonging to en- 

 tirely distinct natural orders, not in any way related to one another. 

 Mr. Saunders states that none of the plants were grown for the 

 purpose, but were selected on the spur of the moment from his 

 collections ; and he has little doubt that if attention were drawn to 

 the subject, such a collection might be indefinitely increased. 



Parasitic Fungi. — In several recent numbers of the * Zeitschrift 

 fur Parasitenkunde,' edited by Dr. E. Hallier, instances are recorded 

 of diseases of the ear resulting in deafness being caused by minute 

 parasitic fungi. The most certain cure appears to be the external 

 application of spirits of wine. 



Recent and Fossil Copal. — At the meeting of the Linnean So- 

 ciety, held May 5th, Dr. J. D. Hooker read a communication from 

 Dr. Kirk, Her Majesty's Vice-Consul at Zanzibar, on the distinction 

 between the recent and fossil states of the resin known in commerce 

 as Copal. One characteristic by which fossil copal is known from 

 the recent resin is the so-called " goose-skin." Dr. Kirk has ascer- 

 tained that the fossil copal shows no trace of this goose-skin when first 

 dug out of the earth, but that it makes its appearance only after 

 cleaning and brushing the outer surface. Both descriptions often 

 contain imprisoned leaves, flowers, and insects in a beautiful state of 

 preservation ; but the fossil variety is clearer and more transparent. 

 Captain Grant states that the true copal gum-tree is a climber reach- 

 ing to a great height among the forest trees, finally becoming com- 

 pletely detached from its original root, when the copal exudes from 



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