GENERAL NOTES. 171 
rently they should be classed as R. fulzginosa. Nov. 2, 1881.— 
Another union-nest with four young of 2. flabellifera, if outward 
appearances are to be trusted. 
April and May are capital months for observing the graceful 
evolutions and gyrations of these pretty and familiar birds, so 
ornamental and so useful in our gardens. In the former month 
the young cocks make their early attempts to sing, and very 
persevering are their endeavours to improve; like the young 
males of many other species, at first they are low-voiced. Every 
fine day in May they make the most of sunshine, frequenting tree 
tops in numbers ; perhaps as many as twelve or fourteen toge- 
ther may be counted hawking small flies or other insects. Whilst 
thus working for their livelihood, they twirl round or dart forward 
hither and thither, their swift motions and changes of position 
always pretty and graceful, and it takes a very dull person to pass 
by the scene of their aerial flights without notice. In dull or misty 
weather they keep near the ground ; I have seen them flitting 
over stones and drift-wood left uncovered by the tide. One of 
the very latest to retire to roost, it is almost dusk when the last 
feeble twitter sounds through the plantations. Notwithstanding 
the stealthy prowling cat, I do not think the numbers are de- 
creasing at present. 
May 19.—Have noticed &. fuliginosa (?) with and without the 
the white spot or aural plume. 
R. fuliginosa cannot be looked upon as a rare bird in some 
parts of the North Island ; in the neighbourhood of Woodville, 
about the wooded banks of the Manawatu, it has frequently 
been seen, often in company of &. flabellifera. T. H. POTTS. 
RECENT MICROSCOPICAL WoRK ON VEGETABLE TISSUES. — 
From an article under this heading written by the Editor of 
The Victorian Naturalist, we extract the following remarks, 
which are of very considerable importance :—“ Vegetable physi- 
ology has gained as much from the adoption of micro-chemical 
methods as it had previously from the use of high powers of the 
microscope. Double or multiple staining has attained a high 
degree of perfection, but as Dr. Ralph points out this is not a 
chemical re-action at all, and is usually a mere staining of the 
cell walls of particular tissues, and not of their protoplasmic con- 
tents. In search of re-agents which should produce a direct 
chemical effect, evidenced by change or production of colour, 
Dr. Ralph has found one which is remarkably active, neutral 
molybdate of ammonia. Ina paper read before the Victorian 
Microscopical Society in January last, he gave an account of its 
action on 120 genera of plants. He carefully prepares the solu- 
tion of the salt by adding excess of ammonia to the molybdic 
acid, and getting rid of the excess by evaporation. In placing a 
drop of this liquid on the slide and drawing it under the cover, 
tissues of certain plants mounted in water immediately show the 
cell contents tinted with various shades of orange, from palest 
ycllow to deepest red orange. But all plants are by no means 
