668 General Notes. [September, 
Etude sur les Grenouilles Rousses Ranze Temporariz et Descriptions d’Espéces 
Nouvelles ou Inconnues. Par G. A. Boulenger. (Ext. Bull. Soc. Zool. de France 
pour 1879.) 8vo, pp. 38. From the author. 
The Plowshare. By Henry M. Parkhurst. Vol. xxxu, No. 3. 16mo, July, 1880. 
From the editor. 
On the Zodlogical Position of Texas. By Edw. D. Cope. (From Bull. U.S. 
Nat. Museum.) 8vo, pp. 51, August Ist, 1880. From the author. 
10; 
GENERAL NOTES. 
BOTANY. 
CONTRIVANCES FOR CROSS-FERTILIZATION IN THE RANUNCULA- 
ceE#.—In ‘Ranunculus the stamens near the honey pores are 
adnate-extrorse to scatter pollen upon insects as they take honey. 
The receptacle is elongated to elevate the ovaries and furnish a 
firm, conspicuous platform, so that insects will first alight upon 
them. An elongation of the styles simply would not accomplish 
‘the purpose. 
In Aquilegia the pollen is very rarely if ever discharged till the 
anthers are beyond the stigmas. As the flowers are pendant this 
prevents its falling upon the stigmas even if they were prepared 
to receive it. The spurred petals are placed on all sides of the 
stamens so that in passing from spur to spur the stamens are 
almost sure to be brushed. After the stamens have all discharged, 
the styles then elongate and the feathery stigmas open and curve 
sidewise so as to bring themselves before the mouths of the petals 
and at about the same distance at which the anthers were in the 
staminate stage of the flower. 
I have seen humming birds visit the columbines and they seem 
especially adapted to fertilize them. 
In Delphinium one sepal is spurred and two petals are utilized 
to make the stiff rim for its mouth. Two other petals, or 19 
some species projections from the two already mentioned, serve 
as a kind of apron to protect the stamens and pistils till each 1S 
fully mature. The stamens are first to become so; at which 
time, by an elongation and bending of the filaments, each anther 
is brought from under the petals and placed before the mouth of 
the spur. After discharging pollen, each is withdrawn by a con- 
trary movement of the filament. In a similar way, after the 
stamens are through, the stigmas are brought into the same 
position. aS 
In both Aquilegia and Delphinium the outey stamens mature 
first, the inner méanwhile forming a sheath for covering the pistils. 
The degrees of complexity in these flowersand the intermediate 
position of Aquilegia need only to be mentioned to be readily 
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