127 
ch a elegans.—-The genus Trichopteryx belongs to the 
tribe Avénex of grasses, and is a small one, of which all ae one of 
the spies are confined to Tropical and South Africa, We are indebted 
to a correspondent in British Central Africa for the following inte- 
Sait an account of the mode of dispersion of the see may be 
ad the instances, the general mechanism of s whieh is rà 
by Mr. Pests Darwin in the Trans. Linn. Soc. (Bot.) vol. Oum» 
pp. 149-167. 
Exrracr from letter from Mr. M J. Cameron to Royal Gardens, 
Kew, dated Namasi, January 7, 1896. 
In this part of tna there isa grass which any person aoe 
through the bush is almost sure to have some experience of. One end 
it enters these hairs prevent it from returning the same wa 
every movement this seed penetrates until it reaches the flesh, the 
result being a constant itch until al is RAS a _ This grass g grows 
about sunrise. I examined it and found almost all the ima 2 seed 
attached twisting and turning in all directions, and latterly dropping 
a a ground where this movement was continued. The cause of this 
rement was the rays of the sun "d the grass and the hea 
had affected the awns. Since then I e taken more interest in this 
Ih se 
the awns fall on a box of soil, quite a lot of them, all over the sited, 
some time after they would find their way to the side of the box and 
penetrate between the side of the box and the soil, the end with the 
seed in the ground and the awn standin perpendicular. Had there 
been a hole or indent in the soil some would penetrate there. Supposing 
a perfectly level a pieco of s ground with no grass on it; 
m ts 
between the stone and aks soil, the seed end in the intersection. 
awn has two joints dividing it into three parts. 
Suppose it to be lying flat, its first movement is lifting the seed end 
clear of the ground or surface. When there are a lot together the 
orm a ball or bunch and roll along. Upon reaching their destination 
they stand straight up with the seed in the ground. “When there are a 
large quantity they form quite a mat. At the joints there is a screw- 
like formation, which either coils or ddnde in its movements, 
odomyrtus tomentosa.—Mr. Proudlock, curator of the Government 
pecimen r 
TES jelly, but was not quite so sharp. The plant is very common on 
igher mountains in Southern India, and extends to Ceylon and the 
Malay Peninsula, It is cultivated in two forms in the Temperate House 
