FLORA AND SYLVA, 



such cases. It would be contrary to all natural 

 operations to predicate in them any differen- 

 tiation in constitution. If special instances 

 were demanded, no stronger evidence could 

 be given to the fact than such a flower as 

 the ever-present and ever-vigorous Ground- 

 sel [Senecio vulgaris), which flowers and seeds 

 all the year through, almost irrespective of 

 seasons and assuredly perfectly irrespective of 

 insects. 



In fact, the whole family of the Composite?, 

 of which the Groundsel is a member, could 

 be cited in similar evidence. 



The The members of this family of 



Composite?. n J 



flowers are by their construc- 

 tion necessarily almost unexceptionally self- 

 fertilized, as in them the pistil passes in its 

 growth through the closely encircling tube 

 of ripened anthers, and carries with it, as it 

 advances, the pollen to the mouth of the 

 florets. 



(To be continued?) 



The late Mr. Meehan, the American bota- 

 nist, says of two of the flowers — the Dande- 

 lion and the Ox-eye Daisy — which are typi- 

 cal examples of two of the great divisions 

 of the order, that " they showed that they 

 were self-fertilizers. In the Dandelion, as the 

 pistil grew it carried the pollen with it. The 

 apex of the pistil then forked, and watchers 

 could see that as the cleft opened the pollen 

 on the line of the cleft fell in. It was but a 

 little, but that was enough. In the Ox-eye 

 Daisy the pollen fell into the stigmatic cavity 

 more easily than in the Dandelion. Insects 

 might visit it subsequently ; it would make 

 no difference, having already received its own 

 pollen." The Composite? are, as Bentham tells 

 us, " the most extensive family among flower- 

 ing plants, and are represented in every quar- 

 ter of the globe and in every description of 

 station" (" English Flora"). 



Field Naturalist, M.A. 



The Fountains in Trafalgar Square. — 

 For years I have seen these huge and ugly 

 basins with regret and put down to our British 

 toleration of ugliness that the most used of 

 any open space in London should be so de- 

 graded. Apart from the filth of the water the 

 square is wholly wrong from the point of view 

 of good and simple design. If we are to have 

 such breathing spaces in crowded cities, surely 

 it is only plain reason to ask that they be not 

 merely to add to the areas of asphalte and 

 stony surfaces with which we are already am- 

 ply supplied ? The mistaken idea of these huge 

 fountain basins is taken from cities like Rome 

 with a long and hot summer. Fresh and de- 

 licious water coming from the hills and tum- 

 bling into the hot places of Rome, supplying 

 the people with water and cooling the hot 

 streets, was a necessity, and Roman artists 

 made their fountains worthy of their great use 

 and of the city of Rome. But in our cool and 

 moist country there is no need, artistic or 

 other,for the introduction of huge water-basins 

 of this character, and we may see the hideous 

 result in other places as well as Trafalgar 

 Square— for example, the head of the Ser- 

 pentine. On the other hand,we have evidence, 

 both in London and other cities, that such 



small places may be fresh and beautiful, even 

 in the smoke. There is surely enough work 

 for our architects to rebuild our houses and 

 cities, without despoiling open spaces, which, 

 with a little thought and care, might add to 

 the beauty of the town. Even their own true 

 work suffers, as such " architectural garden- 

 ing," as it is called, offers no relief to buildings 

 as even poorly planted squares do. The spaces 

 about Trafalgar Square are so wide and airy, 

 that there is not the slightest occasion to leave 

 a wide spread of asphalte towards the middle. 

 There might be two lines of trees on the upper 

 terrace, and the tramps who now defile the 

 whole place should be kept to that or some 

 other fixed place, and not occupy, as they do, 

 the best place in the square. The warm side 

 would be a happy place to grow the flowers 

 that in our climate enjoy and need the sun. 

 Let anyone who looks at this square in its pre- 

 sent state go and look at some of the smaller 

 squares in the West Central District, and then 

 compare the effect. The gardening in the 

 squares of London is the worst of any city in 

 Europe — men digging and muddling about 

 overgrown privet and like rubbish — yet the 

 trees save the situation as they would Trafalgar 

 Square. — Letter in Lancet, June 1 3th. 



