HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



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done their best to ingeniously screen with masses of 

 dwarf elder and other like plants crowded together. 

 The two pools in the gardens next drew attention, 

 after which "' the modest-looking greenhouse " was 

 visited. The walls were embellished with pictures of 

 florists' flowers torn from garden periodicals. On 

 again looking over the open grounds it was observed 

 that the Hollinwood botanists had begun a good 

 piece of work in arranging their plants according to 

 the natural system, in separate beds. Near the gates 

 were pretty purple blossoms of the meadow geranium, 

 the ground about them being dappled with many of 

 their fallen petals. 



Listera ovata (Monstrosity). — In my herba- 

 rium I have a specimen of Listera ovata even more 

 remarkable than that figured by Mr. Provis in your 

 August issue. Mine has four leaves, two lowest 

 alternate, two upper sub-opposite. I also have 

 another similar to your figure, but the two lower 

 leaves alternate instead of sub-opposite. Once I saw 

 a specimen with five leaves all alternate .but being 

 so far from home, and being loaded with other plants, 

 could not then take it ; upon returning a few days 

 later the plant had withered. I have often seen 

 these plants with three leaves, but always growing in 

 luxurious soils in woods, etc., never in barren, open 

 places. The normal plant has its two leaves not 

 exactly opposite but sub-opposite, therefore, the rich 

 soil, etc., would have a tendency to develop the 

 nascent internode. Morphologically, the upper 

 leaves ;seem to be bracts, enlarged by the rich sur- 

 roundings of the plant. My specimens bear these 

 enlarged bracts in the position the normal ones 

 occupy in a normal plant. If you would like to see 

 my specimens, should be pleased to forward. — G. T. 

 West. 



Albino Flowers. — On August 1st I found grow- 

 ing on the limestone at Brassington Rocks, Derby- 

 shire, several specimens of Geranium pratense and 

 Centaurea scabiosa, with pure white flowers in both 

 cases ; there were plenty of the normal-coloured 

 flowers growing near. — Jno. E. Nowers. 



Electrical Water-power. — Gradually the 

 world will avail itself electrically of water-power. 

 There is no reason why it should not. The me- 

 chanical ability of water to turn mills has been 

 practically known in this country for more than a 

 thousand years back. Some day the electrician will 

 enlist the services of the wind to produce electrical 

 light and power. Even then he will only be applying 

 a very ancient and simple method of energy, every- 

 where known as the windmill, to a modern and 

 specialised form. Half a dozen years and more ago, 

 one of our daring young electrical engineers declared 

 that the wasted energy of the 40-foot tide, which 

 rushes up and down the Severn, twice every twentyr 

 five hours, was equal to half the factory-power of 

 Great Britain. The day will come when electricity 

 will make the world independent of coal-fields. 



Electrical Transmission of Energy. — At the 

 celebrated falls of the Rhine at Schaffhausen, an 

 electric transmission has now been constructed for 

 propagation of energy by wire-rope transmission. 

 The power is derived from two turbines, and is 

 transmitted across the Rhine, a distance of nearly 

 half a mile, at 624 volts. The current drives a 

 spinning-mill, in which the largest motor is 380 

 horse-power. The power is sold, I believe, at £3 

 per horse-power of the motors per annum. Indeed, 



Swiss water-power is now rapidly being utilised for 

 electrical purposes. The Falls of Niagara are also 

 being laid under contribution. If the whole stream 

 could be utilised, it would supply seven million horse- 

 power, which is double the total steam and water 

 power at present employed in all the manufacturing 

 industries of the United States ! In the words of 

 Prof. Unwin, president of the Mechanical Science 

 Section, at the recent British Association meeting, 

 Niagara is likely to become not only a seat of large 

 manufacturing operations of familiar types, but also 

 the home of important new industries. 



Improved Arc-lamps. — In electrical lighting, arc- 

 lamps were the first to be used and the first to be 

 improved. They are far from being perfect yet, and 

 it is pleasant to see that scientific attention has 

 recently been drawn to their improvement. Indeed, 

 an altogether new kind of arc-lamp is announced, the 

 chief peculiarity of which is that it possesses curved 

 carbons. The points of contact are at the bottom 

 of the lamp, so that no shadow is thrown under- 

 neath it. 



Resting- myself amongst the grass in a pasture- 

 field lately, I began to note the different plants of 

 which it was composed, and was surprised to find I 

 could make out thirty-six without shifting my position. 

 I send you a list. The field was laid down in pasture 

 six years ago and sown only with Lolium perenne, 

 which is now very thinly mixed with the others. 

 Lolium perenne, Cynosurus cristatus, Holcus lanatus, 

 Poa trivia/is, Poa annua, Agrostis vulgaris, Trifolium 

 pratensis, Trifolium repens, Trifolium procumbens, 

 Lathyrus pratensis, Vicia cracca, Lotus corniaclatus , 

 Lotus major, Ranunculus acris, Potentilla anserina, 

 Potentilla tormentilla, Plantago major, Plantago lan- 

 ceolata, Apargia autumnalis, Bartsia odontites, Pru- 

 nella vulgaris, Cerastium viscosum, Bellis perennis, 

 Rumex crisptis, Rumex acetosa, Cnicus lanceolatus, 

 Veronica serpyllifolia, Centaurea nigra, Achillea 

 ptarmica, Luzula campestris, funcus acutiflorus, Lris 

 pseud-acorus , Equisetum arvensis, Car ex glauca. — 

 P. Wright, Ayrshire. 



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