NOTES AND ABSTRACTS. 



155 



A dense smoke will always drive away mosquitos, and for house- 

 hold purposes many different materials are suggested for fumigating, 

 among which are pyrethrum powder, sulphur dioxide, powdered 

 jimson weed (Datura stramonimn), and Mimms' culicide, a mixture of 

 carbolic acid crystals and gum camphor. 



A Japanese physician recommends burning dried orange-peel. 



F. G. J. 



Mutisia Clematis {Bot. Mag. t. 8391). — Tropical Andes. Family, 

 Oompositae; tribe, Mutisiaceae. Leaves, pinnate, terminating with 

 tendril. Heads, pendulous, 2^-2f inches long. Corollas of florets, 

 bright-red. Eay-florets, recurved; disc-florets numerous; corolla f inch 

 across. — G. H. 



Oak Pruner, The (Elaphidion villosum Fab.). By F. H. Chit- 

 tenden (U.S.A. Dep. Agr., Bur. Entom., Circ. 130; Dec. 1910; 1 

 fig.). — ^-This insect, which is the larva of a beetle, first attacks the wood 

 under the bark, following the grain. As it grows it bores towards the 

 base, later on following the axis of the twig and boring through the 

 centre and excavating an oval channel for several inches. After 

 cutting away the wood so that the wind will in time bring the limb to 

 the ground, the contained larva retreats into its burrow and plugs up 

 the severed end with its castings. Here it transforms to pupa, and 

 assumes the adult stage in November. 



Where the pruner occurs only in moderate numbers the health of 

 the tree is not impaired, but the fallen twigs serve as a breeding-place 

 for other wood-borers. 



The species may easily be controlled by collecting and burning all 

 twigs as they fall. — V. G. J. 



Oak Wood, Reversion in. By I. W. Bailey (Bot. Gaz. pp. 374- 



80, Nov. 1910; 2 plates). — The author discovers in injured parts of 

 the stem progressive stages which are similar to the stages of re- 

 capitulation in seedlings and to the condition in adult miocene oaks. 

 The so-called primary rays of oak-wood appear to have been built up 

 by an aggregation and fusion of numerous uniseriate rays. 



G. F. S. E. 



Odontog-lossum grande, Peloric Flower Formation. By E. 



Schlechter and H. Fischer {Orchis, vol. v. pt. viii. pp. 119-22; 

 1 plate). — An example of abnormal development of the flower of 

 Odo7itoglossum grande is shown in the accompanying plate. — S. E. W , 



Oenothera Lamarckiana. By Mr. E. G. Hill {Bot. Gaz. 

 pp. 136-40; Feb. 1911). — The author investigated the literature con- 

 cerning the introduction of this plant into Europe. He considers that 

 it is proved that Joannes Morus of England sent seed to Prosper 

 Alpinus at Padua in 1614, or before that date. Joannes Prevartius 

 of Padua sent seed to C. Bauhin at Basle in 1619. Bauhin's descrip- 

 tion was published in 1623.— G. F. S. E. 



