NOTES AND ABSTKACTS. 



645 



tamination from houses. Other important questions are raised, (a) Does 

 the dry-rot fungus live as a parasite in living trees ? Here, again, the 

 information (collected in this paper) reveals scanty knowledge, (b) The 

 germination of the spores ; this has only been observed twice, (c) Has 

 the fungus any other kind of spore besides basidiospores ? A few cases 

 suggest that this is possible, (d) How does it pass the winter ? Hartig 

 found that the house form of dry-rot was extremely sensitive to frost, 

 drought, and heat ; on the other hand, it lives in wooden roofs — is this a 

 different form?— W. G. S. 



Earth or Pea Nuts (Arachis hypogcea) (Qu. Agr. Journ. xii. p. 314, 

 May 1903.) — There is likely to be a demand for earth nuts in Sydney, for 

 oil making. One grower in Brisbane reports that his crop made a return 

 of £35 per acre. 



Further particulars are given (Qu. Agr. Journ. xii. p. 397, June 1903), 

 and instructions for cultivation, also descriptions of the different varieties 

 of the nuts (legumes), the selection of seed, the preparation of the 

 land, sowing and harvesting of the crops, and machines employed in the 

 operations. — M. C. C. 



Echidnopsis somalensis. By W. B. Hemsley {Bot. Mag. tab. 

 7929). — Nat. ord. Asclepiad-acece, tribe Stapeliece. Native of Somaliland. 

 One of six species known, from East Tropical Africa. It is a dwarf, fleshy, 

 leafless plant, six inches high, with a furrowed and tesselated stem. 

 Flowers, 4-5 inches diam., dark purple spotted with yellow. — G. H. 



Ecological Study of the Flora of Mountainous North 

 Carolina. By J. W. Harshberger (Bot. Gaz. vol. xxxvi. No. 4, p. 241 ; 

 No. 5, p. 368). — After a brief description of the subdivisions of ridges and 

 valleys, the hydrography and geology, the author discusses the physio- 

 graphic changes influencing the distribution of plants, which afford an 

 explanation of the peculiarities of the flora of the Southern Appalachians, 

 which displays anomalies of distribution and isolation of monotypic plants. 

 The author discusses the phenological distribution of plants, distinguishing 

 four kinds, boreal, temperate, plants of warmer temperate and neotropic 

 genera. He then discusses the influence of glaciers and the principles under- 

 lying the distribution of plants in Eastern America. The paper concludes 

 with lists of plants, corresponding to relations of light, climate and soil, &c, 

 and the mixed deciduous forest formation. -G. H. 



Edg-eworthia papyrifera S. & Z. By D. G. Fairchild (U.S.A. 

 Dep. Agr. Bur. PI. Inch Bull, 42, p. 9, June 1903 ; 3 plates).— Is 

 recommended for cultivation in the warmer parts of the United States, 

 the bark being used by the Japanese in the production of paper. Its 

 cultivation and the manufacture of different papers are described at 

 length.— E. A.B. 



Electric Pulsation accompanying- Automatic Movements in 



Desmodium cjyrans. By J. C. Bose (Journ. Linn. Soc, Bot. vol. xxxv. 

 p. 405. figs. 1-11). — This paper is a sequel to that published in vol. xxxv. r 

 p. 275, of the same Journal " Electric Response of ordinary Plants under 



