BY J. J, FLETCHER. 873 



Among other matters, I particularly wished to know whether 

 the examination of a considerable number of embryos or seed- 

 lings — say not less than 100 — of any of the four species repre- 

 sented as dicotylous in the Baron's list would show any indications 

 of occasional polycotylous developments. Also whether the 

 examination of a considerable number of embryos or seedlings 

 of the species reputed to be polycotylous, would show any obvious 

 indications of an occasional tendency to produce dicotylous 

 embryos. Another matter T wished to know was, whether it was 

 possible to recognise auy definite proportion in which the numbers 

 might be expected to occur whenever a fair number of specimens 

 were examined. 



Perhaps the statistical information collected with this object 

 in view may help to throw some light on the Baron's numerical 

 data and also upon this statement — " Again, as in Coniferse so 

 also in Persoonia, the number of embryo segments ranges only 

 within specific definite limits " (I.e. p.116). 



I have examined seedlings of ten species, four of which are 

 not in the Baron's list — P. salicina, P. mollis^ P. acerosa, and 

 P. chamcejritys. Seedlings of two species, one of which, 

 P. angulata, is not in the list, were not procurable, though I 

 spent considerable time in searching for them; consequently I 

 had to fall back on the examination of embryos. 



Persoonia ferruginea Sm. — Of the ten species available for 

 investigation by me, this is the only one which has offered dico- 

 tylous embryos and seedlings. It is one of the Baron's four 

 dicotyledonous species. The plant is common, but seedlings are 

 scarce. Not only do the fruits often fall where the seeds have 

 little or no chance of germinating, but, in my opinion, in many 

 eases, too long exposure to desiccating conditions, notwithstand- 

 ing the hard putamen and mucilaginous mesocarp, before an 

 otherwise favourable opportunity for germination presents itself, 

 is responsible . for a large number of failures. After much 

 searching, I had to be content with nine seedlings, the j*oungest 

 of which is shown in fig. 1. Neither these, nor ten embryos 

 examined, offered any departure from the dicotylous condition. 



