124 General Notes. [ February, 
Last season, during a freshet, the river ran over its bank past 
them, uncovering their roots on one side. In this way six differ- 
ent places were shown where large roots from the living tree ha 
become grafted to those of the dead one. For convenience we 
will designate the dead tree as A, and the living one as 
in one case the roots of B appear to have met the root of A 
squarely and followed it, investing it; in other cases the roots 
from each had crossed each other and grown to a considerable 
size before uniting. In every case, however, but one root lived 
beyond the union, and that one belonged to A. In most cases, 
also, while both lived above the union, that from B was much the 
larger. In one case that from A had died, leaving the remain- 
ing living root joined to B with a curious acute angle in it. One 
instance was seen of the hoe of two roots from B to each 
other, in a similar way. oung ash was growing between A 
and B. It is needless to say that its roots showed no tendency 
to unite with those around them. Doubtless many similar 
junctions remained unrevealed. The stump of A was so rotten 
that it could be easily crumbled with the fingers. Its roots, as 
before stated, were living some distance above their union with 
those of B, and doubtless have traitorously carried the nourish- 
ment which they helped store in A in its prosperous days, aae 
the root sent out from B, by reversing their action. 
say, therefore, that B has first starved A to ore then by gait 
its own roots as feeders has been devourin 
This glimpse = the hidden life of rie suggests several 
lusse inference 
1. All trees of thé same species, in a grove together, may 
become organically connected. Perhaps this may be turned to 
their mutual advantage when contending with other kinds. 
2. Weaker members of a grove may be killed, not simply by 
lack of sunshine, air, etc., but they may be literally bled to death 
by their more powerful neighbors. 
. It is seen how the growth formed by a failure or unsuccess- 
ful individual is utilized directly in the economy of nature, just as 
when in the animal world the large fish live on the little ones.— 
. £. Todd. } 
On tHE Nectar oF FLtowrers—Mr. Wilson read a paper 
on this subject before the British Association, which may interest 
American botanists. He discussed the extent to which the vis- 
iting of plants by insects in search of sugar occurs in nature, since - 
this action is believed by some biologists to have been the cause _ 
that determined the existence, forms, colors, and odors of flowers. 
The number of flowers required to yield a pound of honey—viz: 
two and a half millions—was mentioned as showing what an 
enormous number of visits an insect collecting honey must make 
in order to obtain an appreciable quantity, and as proving that the 
industry of the bee is in reality. necessary to its very existence. 
