NOTES AND ABSTRACTS. 



449 



of statements concerning the food actually found in the stomachs of the 

 birds. It is maintained that few birds are always and everywhere so 

 seriously destructive that their extermination can be urged on sound 

 economical principles (p. 8), and that, except in a few cases, any farmer 

 who is willing to .pay the toll collected by birds for actual services 

 rendered will be vastly benefited. — A. P. 



Bordeaux Mixture, Action of Carbon Dioxide on. By 0. T. 



Gimingham (Jour. Agr. Sci. vol. iv. pt. 1; May 1911).— Pickering 

 showed that the action of carbon dioxide on ordinary Bordeaux mixture 

 is to render some of the copper soluble so soon as the excess of lime 

 (if any) has been converted into carbonate. The experiments detailed 

 iti the present paper lead the author to conclude that it is impossible to 

 attribute the fungicidal action of Bordeaux mixture to the copper sul- 

 phate liberated by atmospheric carbon dioxide, for it is shown that it 

 is extremely unlikely for there to be more than the very slightest trace 

 of copper rendered soluble in this way. It is thought that actual 

 contact between the fungus and the particles of insoluble copper com- 

 pound is the most important means by which germination or further 

 growth of fungus spores is prevented. — F. J. C. 



Bulbophyllum lepidum. By J. J. Smith (Orchis, vol. V. pt. 4, 

 pp. 52-54; 1 plate). — This orchid is described by Winkler in his 

 ' Orchids of Java.' A coloured plate illustrates its growth. — S. E, W. 



Caladiums, Culture of Brazilian. By Numa Schneider (Rev. 

 Hort., July 16, 1911, p. 332-4). — A long and very interesting article 

 on general cultivation, propagation, &c., a very porous soil with an 

 admixture of crushed oyster shells being recommended. Frequent 

 watering rots the fleshy roots. Flowers should be suppressed as mili- 

 tating against foliage development. Must be carefully shaded from 

 direct sunshine, but otherwise ample light beneficial to coloration. 



C. T. D, 



Campanula Medium and its Varieties. By B. A. Plemper 



(Oester. Gart. Zeit. vol. vi. pt. 4, pp. 130-136).— The varieties of; 

 C. Medium are illustrated by 4 figures.- — aS'. E. W. 



Carnation Stems, Composition of, with reg-ard to Rigidity. 



By L. Fondard and F. Gauthie (Jour. Sac. Nat, Hart. Fr. series iv. 

 vol. xi. Dec. 1910, p. 845). — A comparison between the chemical con- 

 stituents of the stems of native French carnation flowers and of those 

 of imported American varieties, considered in relation to soil and added 

 nourishment, ^seems to point to possibilities of gradually reproducing 

 the superior rigidity of the American plants in the older races. A 

 French carnation with a specially limp stem was chosen for comparison 

 with three American varieties, and tables are given to show that except 

 in the matter of potash there was no difference in the chemical com- 

 position of the leaves in all four kinds. The composition of the stalks 



VOL. XXXVII. G G 



