BOTANY. 689 
covered exactly resembling an early stage of the developing spo- 
rules, which points matured into the flagellate state. Farther 
experiments demonstrated that a heat, without dryness, of 66° C. 
destroys all the adult forms, while young monads appear and de- 
velop in an infusion which has been heated to 127° C., suggesting 
that the sporules are uninjured by a temperature which is destruc- 
tive to the adult. 
After this history, whose importance, if verified by subsequent 
observation, can scarcely be over-estimated, a history of a monad 
multiplying by subdivision, reproducing by conjugation (a true 
sexual reproduction of an extremely simple type), and actually 
seen to develop from sporules invisible under the powers usually 
employed in such investigations, and indestructible by heat which 
is fatal to the adult forms, it seems almost a waste of time to read 
of experiments with boiled infusions in sealed flasks, and we are 
rather inclined to wait patiently until Powell and Lealand or 
olles, or some one else, shall give us a lens capable of reading 
the life-history, whatever it may be, of Bacteria and Vibriones. — 
H W. 
BOTANY. 
PERFORATION OF GERARDIA PEDICULARIA BY Bres.—I have 
always been much interested in the pretty genus Gerardia, largely 
represented in the vicinity of Providence, R. I. In the summer of 
1871, while sitting amidst a dense growth of G. pedicularia, I 
noticed that all the humble-bees which visited the flowers alighted 
on the outside near the base of the corolla. I could not account 
for so singular an action, asthe aperture to each bell was so wide. 
I found upon examination that the corolla in each case was pierced 
on the upper side near the junction with the calyx. I sent a note 
in regard to the matter to W. H. Leggett, Esq., of New York, and 
it appeared in the “ Bulletin of the Torrey Club.” The editor re- 
marked that it was the first case, in his knowledge, of our native 
flowers being slit in this manner by visiting insects. 
Not satisfied with what I then saw, I have watched the plants 
again this year with much attention, often sitting among them 
for an hour or more with the bees buzzing about my head. I 
Should say that they were all humble bees, and I have seen but 
One of them approach the natural opening of the flowers. This 
was a much larger bee than any of the others. None of them had 
AMER. NATURALIST, VOL. VII. 
