94 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



deposit of Selsey ; it yields numerous plants, land 

 and freshwater mollusca, and mammalian bones, of 

 which lists are given. The strata between the brick- 

 earth ( = Coombe Rock) and the gravel with large 

 erratics yield southern plants and animals, and seem 

 to have been laid down during a mild or interglacial 

 episode. A similar succession is found in the Thames 

 Valley, and in various parts of our eastern counties. 



The Geologists' Association. — We have to 

 acknowledge the February issue of the " Proceedings 

 of the Geologists' Association," containing reports of 

 ordinary meetings, and the following papers: — 

 " Organic Matter as a Geological Agent," by the Rev. 

 A. Irving; "Supplementary Observations on some 

 Fossil Fishes of the English Lower Oolites," by 

 A. Smith Woodward ; " The Geology of the Country 

 round Stirling," by H. W. Monckton, with Appendix 

 by J. G. Goodchild; "The Geology of Devizes, 

 with Remarks on the Grouping of Cretaceous De- 

 posits," by A. J. Jukes-Browne (to be continued). 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



The White Flower Question. — The questions 

 raised at page 263, November number, by Mr. John 

 Corrie may be tentatively and provisionally answered 

 as follows: — (1.) Is it the case that when flowers 

 change from one colour to another it is in an unchang- 

 ing order from yellow to white, from white to red, 

 and finally to blue ? — reversions, ot course, in inverse 

 order. The view that all flowers were originally 

 yellow, etc., is a merely gratuitous hypothesis 

 specially designed to bolster up the utterly false 

 assumption that flowers have been rendered con- 

 spicuous and beautiful in order to attract insects, 

 a doctrine which has proved to be one of the most 

 mischievous of the Darwinian chimeras. Yellow 

 flowers are the least liable, even less liable than 

 orange flowers, to change into white ; and the purest 

 blue flowers are those which are most frequently 

 found colourless or nearly so. (2.) If this is so, why 

 is it that blue flowers revert directly to white instead 

 of to red, the colour from which they have more 

 recently been evolved ? The researches of scientists 

 have shown that in most cases, the blue and the red 

 colouring-matter is due to one and the same sub- 

 stance. The normal colour is, 1 believe, red, and the 

 blue colour (only about sixty species in our flora are 

 of this colour) may at any time " sport " into red, as 

 it entirely depends upon the coexistence in the petals 

 of other substances which precipitate or neutralise 

 the aids or oxidising agencies which help to produce 

 or deepen the red tint. Some gardeners can arti- 

 ficially change the red to blue by using artificial 

 solutions for watering, etc. ; but this can only be done 

 in the case of flowers whose tints are slight, and 

 where the pigment is normally produced in compara- 

 tively small amounts, otherwise the artificial strain 

 would almost certainly be green, or yellow, i.e. in 

 this case a very light tint of red brown. Hence, also, 

 it would follow that the purer the colour, the more 

 liable it is to vanish and fade into pure white. (3.) Is 

 it the case that lessened vegetative vigour tends to 

 check the development of colour, and if so, to what 



extent does the check operate ? Unquestionably this 

 is so ; but we must endeavour to get at the life of the 

 process a little nearer than what is implied when it is 

 said that " colours are a result of nutrition." Per- 

 sonally I am fully satisfied that the colours of petals 

 are the result of certain changes which the tannins 

 and glucosides originally evolved in the leaves, buds, 

 roots, seeds, etc., undergo, and the structure of the 

 petals is just the very thing most eminently calculated, 

 if not to help in evolving the tints, at least, to show 

 them off to the best advantage. Hence it follows 

 inevitably, that whatever tends to check the produc- 

 tion of tannin and glucoside will also indirectly lessen 

 the formation of pigment. These bodies are the 

 result of the processes of metabolism which are con- 

 stantly carried on more quickly or more slowly 

 according to the general vegetative vigour of the 

 particular plant. It would be needless to enter into 

 detail ; but there is one agent that can be fastened on 

 with great confidence, and perhaps, therefore, may be 

 mentioned here. The size and brilliant colouration 

 of the Arctic and Alpine flora have been frequently 

 admired, and the latter feature has been attributed to 

 two causes, viz., an increase of chlorophyllous tissue, 

 or their comparative leaf-surface, and the vast quantity 

 of light which is shed on these plants during their 

 short period of growth. Now these two factors are 

 precisely the same as what other independent investi- 

 gators have found to be principally concerned in the 

 increased production of the special cell-contents 

 (tannin and glucoside) which, as it were, metabolise 

 into the bright pigments. — P. Q. Kecgan. 



Birds and Fruit. — A very heavy crop of dam- 

 sons was grown in this district last summer, with the 

 result that a large proportion of the fruit was left on the 

 trees, as it was found that it only paid to pick the best 

 of them. In the autumn the plantations were visited 

 by immense flocks of fieldfares and redwings, which 

 appear to have migrated to Kent for the sole purpose 

 of feeding on the damsons. Besides these two species 

 there was a considerable number of blackbirds and 

 thrushes. Only once before have I heard any noise to 

 compare with the "chatter" emitted by these birds 

 — this was at the roosting-place of one of those 

 immense flocks of starlings that are seen in the 

 autumn. On being disturbed, the fieldfares would 

 rise, uttering their peculiar "chuck-chuck-chuck," and 

 fly some distance, only to return again in a few 

 minutes, while the redwings, blackbirds, and thrushes, 

 being less shy, would merely fly to a short distance 

 from the intruder. Day after day thousands of these 

 birds were to be seen, until they had eaten up all the 

 pulp of the fruit, leaving the ground strewn with the 

 bare stones. And now (January) an altogether 

 different noise may be heard. Large flocks of haw- 

 finches have arrived to complete the work commenced 

 by the soft-billed thrushes. If one walks quietly 

 through the plantations, he will hear a distinct crack- 

 ing noise, caused by the hawfinches splitting the 

 damson stones with their powerful beaks, in order to 

 get at the kernel : already a considerable proportion of 

 the stones have been thus cracked. I believe this bird 

 is a good deal commoner than is generally supposed. 

 On account of its shyness, it is not often seen, but its 

 "robin-like" note may frequently be heard as it 

 flies over at a great height. Bullfinches, too, come 

 to the plantations in large numbers at this time of the 

 year, to feed on the blossom-buds of various fruit- 

 trees. I have frequently induced these birds to come 

 quite near, and occasionally have had the pleasure of 

 hearing their beautiful natural song, which is so low, 

 that it can only be heard at a very short distance. — 

 Edward Goodwin, Wateringbury , Kent. 



