SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE, JANUARY 13. 



xix 



SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE. 



January 13, 1903. 

 Dr. M. T. Masters, F.R.S., in the Chair, and eleven members present. 



Mczcreon dying. — Mr. Holmes showed specimens, and remarked upon 

 the suddenness with which they died off. 



Ranunculus arvcnsis. — Mr. Holmes referred to this plant as said by 

 Sowerby to be poisonous to sheep. 



Cedrus Deodara. — Mr. Bowles exhibited a male catkin of this tree, 

 which had become branched, bearing several branches, all being 

 staminiferous. 



Finns Bungeana bark. — Dr. Masters, F.R.S., showed a specimen of 

 the bark of this tree from China, which was silvery- white and scaling off. 

 He mentioned that Abies arizonica had a similar bark, both resembling 

 that of the common Birch. 



Maize androgynous. — Dr. Masters showed specimens, received from 

 Mr. F. M. Bailey, of Brisbane, Queensland, of which the following were 

 typical examples : — (1) This had one small cob of grains arising from 

 the base of nine male spikes ; single female flowers were scattered at 

 intervals on the latter, both near the bases and summits. (2) Fifteen 

 male spikes had one terminated with a small cob ; isolated female flowers 

 were scattered throughout among the male flowers. (3) This had about 

 twelve male spikes, all being female below and terminated by male 

 flowers above ; the whole formed a dense mass of small cobs, giving the 

 appearance of a proliferous cob with male flowers above. 



Practical Pollination. — Mr. Davidson, of Fanners, Wickham Bishops, 

 Essex, described an ingenious method of artificial fertilisation of flowers, 

 as follows : — " I have adopted a method of economising pollen, the 

 ordinary camel's-hair brush being very wasteful. If a stick of sealing-wax 

 be rubbed briskly on the coat- sleeve, as for electrical experiment, and 

 then presented to the flower, the pollen flies to it and adheres. Every 

 particle can thus be utilised far more easily than with a brush." 



Climbing Plants. — Mr. Davidson also forwarded the following 

 observations. — " I have had a number of Hoy a camosa plants Hinder 

 observation for a considerable time, and (i. ) though they twist resolutely 

 enough in one direction during the day, the hours of darkness usually 

 appear to have been a period of indecision, the work of the day being 

 sometimes more or less undone daring the night, (ii.) While they are 

 decided enough in twisting their way up living plants, they show no 

 such decision in climbing up dead supports. For instance, if I slightly 

 untwist a Hoya from a growing plant, it coils round again in a very 

 short time ; whereas if a stick is substituted for a living plant, the 

 Hoya scarcely ever regains its old position without assistance." It was 

 thought by the Committee that this difference was more due to the 

 smooth or rough nature of the surface than to the fact of the support 

 being either alive or dead. 



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