NOTES AND ABSTKACTS. 



543 



Hybrids, Triple (Bot. Gaz. vol. xlvii., No. 1, pp. 1-8, January, 

 1909). — Professor Hugo cle Yries has a further paper on hybrids of 

 Oenothera Lamar chiana. It ds perhaps best to give the author's own 

 summary. 



1. "Triple hybrids are produced in crosses of Oenothera scintillans 

 and 0. lata by such species as produce twins from 0. Lamar chiana. 



2. " The species investigated are 0. strigosa Rydb., 0. Hooheri F. 

 and G. and one of the American subspecies of 0. biennis. 



3. " Of the triple hybrids, two are the same as the twins from the 

 corresponding Lamar chiana crosses and bear the characters of 0. laeta 

 and 0. velutina combined with those of the other parent. 



4. " The third type resembles the mother (0. lata or 0. scintillans) 

 but in its special marks is also intermediate between its parents. 



5. " The laeta and velutina are constant and uniform in the succeeding 

 generations so far as experience goes. In this respect they follow the 

 rule for the twin hybrids of 0. Lamar chiana. 



6. "The laeta, however, in the only case tried, repeated the splitting 

 after self-fertilization, producing, however, only lata and velutina. 



7. " It seems probable that the whole progeny of the crosses named 

 should split up into two equal parts laeta and velutina, and that each 

 of them should produce a certain percentage of lata. In this way 

 quadruple hybrids would arise."— G. F. S.-E. 



Impatiens Hawkeri. By J. D. Hooker (Bot. Mag. tab. 8247). — Nat. 

 ord. Balsamineae. Eastern New Guinea. Herb, If —2 feet high ; leaves 

 4-6 inches long ; flowers solitary, 2J-3 inches across, bright red. — G.H. 



Inheritance of Strength in Wheats. By Professor R. H. Biffen, 



M.A. (Journ. Agr. Sci., vol. ii. (1908), p. 86). — The author shows that, 

 though certain complications occur, the character of "strength," in 

 wheats (the property of wheats in virtue of which a large loaf is pro- 

 duced) is hereditable and in Mendelian parlance " dominant. " He con- 

 siders that there is every hope of producing strong wheats giving yields 

 as high as those of the best known "weak " English wheats. — F. J. C. 



Insect Parasitism. Its Value to the Farmer. By F. M. 



Webster (U.S. A. Dep. Agr. Year Booh, 1907, pp. 237-256; 24 pi.).— A 

 remarkable account of the economic application of insect parasitism, 

 which, owing to the detail with which the subject is presented, is im- 

 possible to summarize. — E. A. Bel. 



Insecticide, Improved {Jour. Soc. Nat. Hort. Fr., March 1909, 

 p. 192). — Certain insects seem impervious to tobacco washes, by reason 

 probably of a coating of some greasy matter over their bodies, and it is 

 suggested that the addition of a certain quantity of methylated spirit to 

 the tobacco liquor would probably make it more effective in these cases. 



M. L. H. 



Iris, Dutch. A new early race. By Joseph Jacob (Garden, 

 July 17, 1909, p. 349). These are bulbous Irises, 10 days to a fortnight 

 earlier than the Spanish Iris, which they resemble in appearance, though 



