NOTES AND ABSTEACTS. 



631 



merited with birch, Geranium hybrid, Fuchsia, and Dahha. Two 

 plants were selected (as nearly alike as possible), of which one (a) 

 was not watered for two to four days, whilst the other (h) was supplied 

 plentifully with water. 



The plants were then cut across (under water), and the amount and 

 rate of bleeding in each case was observed and plotted. 



It was found that the bleeding from (a) was in every case much 

 more severe than that from (b). In many cases more than double the 

 amount of fluid was given off by the (a) plants. At the moment of 

 cutting there is diminished pressure (schroffen saugung, abrupt 

 sucking), which soon vanishes. The fluid given off in bleeding then 

 increases more or less rapidly to^ a maximum amount, and afterwards 

 gradually diminishes. 



The author discusses these results with reference to the supposed 

 osmotically active substances formed in the stem and the effect of 

 diminished pressure in the vessels. — G. F, S. E. 



Bordeaux Mixture, Test for— Fungicide Sprays. By F. de 



Castella {Jour. Dep. Agr., Victoria, p. 116, Feb. 1912). — A strip of 

 white blotting-paper dipped in a 2 per cent, solution of phenolphthalein 

 and allowed to dry makes a very good indicator for neutrality. 



C. H. H. 



Bullfinch, The Food of the. By W. E. Collinge {Jour. Econ. 

 Biol. vii. pp. 50-57; June 1912). — The examination of the contents 

 of the crops of 308 bullfinches at intervals spread over the whole 

 year confirms the general idea of the damage done by this handsome 

 bird. Only one bird's crop contained an insect. For about half the 

 year fruit-trees are damaged wholesale by it, and weed seeds are eaten 

 during the remainder of the year. The damage done to fruit-trees, 

 however, far outweighs any checking of weeds by them. — F. J. C. 



Canary Islands, Note on. By Dr. G. V. Perez {Rev. Hort. 

 d'Alg. p. 95; March 1912). — The Canary Islands have been seriously 

 affected for the second time by the competition of chemical products. 

 Soda and potash are now procured otherwise than from the ashes of 

 several sorts of Mesembryanthemum, of which these islands used to 

 furnish an important quantity, and now mineral colourings have taken 

 the place of cochineal, which they produced extensively on plantations 

 of Opuntia cochinilliera. This article suggests other crops which may 

 be grown in the Canaries, and gives a list of the rare or remarkable 

 plants which are to be found in the islands. — M. L. H. 



Canephora, Anatomy of. By H. F. Wernham {Beih. Bot. Cent. 

 Bd. 28, pp. 453-472; 7 figs.).— The author describes and figures 

 the peculiar anatomical characters of three species of this Madagascar 

 genus. The peduncle of the inflorescence is invariably borne in the 

 axil of a leaf, but though the main bundle is a completely closed 

 cylinder, there is a faint suggestion of dorsiventrality both internally 

 and externally. Tannin is generally plentiful.— G. F. S. E. 



