780 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOClETi:. 



the presence in the daffodil of something more or less injurious or 

 even poisonous. In 1878 an investigation showed the presence of 

 an alkaloid, with which some experiments were made on men and 

 frogs. The present research brings the investigation to a point where 

 something definite can be recorded. The authors isolated from the 

 dried bulbs of N. Pseudonarcissus a crystalline alkaloid which they 

 have named ' narcissine,' having the formula OigHiyO^N. Of this the 

 flowering bulbs (dried at about 40^ 0.) yielded '1 per cent, and the 

 resting bulbs yielded 2 per cent. This alkaloid ' narcissine ' is 

 exceedingly stable. 



The crystals can be fused with caustic potash, and even when the 

 temperature is raised to 220° C. (428° F.) the alkaloid is only slowly 

 attacked. 



The crystals are insoluble in water, ether, or chloroform, but 

 soluble in alcohol or dilute acids. 



When the alkaloid was given by the mouth to a cat, it produced 

 nausea, vomiting, salivation, &c., but none of the effects upon cats 

 or frogs were similar to those produced by either atropine or pilocarpine, 

 which were believed by Gerard, an earlier investigator, to be present. 



Narcissus * Princeps ' was first picked upon for this research, but as 

 it yielded only traces of alkaloid, it was abandoned in favour of the 

 N. Pseudonarcissus. 



The fact that hitherto very few alkaloids have been found in mono- 

 cotyledonous plants adds to the interest of the results here obtained. 



W. A. F. 



Daffodils, New. Illustrated and described (generally by the Eev. 

 J. Jacob) {Garden, 1910).— The Anchorite,' May 14, p. 242; ' Apricot 

 Queen,' May 7, p. 226; ' Armorel, August 12, p. 402; * Challenger,' 

 May 14, p. 242; 'Circlet,' August 13, p. 402; 'Dresden,' Septem- 

 ber 24, p. 474; ' Eros,' September 24, p. 474; 'Felicity,' August 13, 

 p. 402; 'Fire Dome,' April 16, p. 190; 'Firetail,' September 17, 

 p. 462; 'Messina,' September 24, p. 474; 'Princess Juhana,' Feb- 

 ruary 5, pp. 64 and 67; ' Socrates,' September 24, p. 474; ' Southern 

 Star,' August 13, p. 402; ' White Star,' May 14, p. 242.— If. B. D. 



Daffodil Notes. By the Eev. J. Jacob {Garden, Feb. 19, 

 1910, p. 89). — Bulbs of ' Golden Spur ' from the Channel Islands and 

 Holland were potted for forcing on the same day and kept under similar 

 conditions, and it was found that those from Holland flowered a few 

 days later than those from the Channel Isles, but later in the season 

 the difference between the two was not so marked. 



{Garden, August 27, 1910, p. 425.) — On light soil it is recommended 

 that a good dressing of kainit be forked into the ground in the autumn 

 before planting. 



{Garden, August 6, 1910, p. 388.)— The value of early planting for 

 Daffodils is insisted on. About a dozen varieties were planted in 

 August and in November, those put in at the later date being if anything 

 tlie larger bulbs. The following spring the lengths of the flower stems 



