[June  1,  1897, 
Sit/jp/oinoif  to  the  “ Tropical  A(j?icHlturistT 
S90 
Instructor  „ ..  E.  jVl.  Slieltoii,  B.sc. 
Colonial  Botanist  ...F.  M.  Bailey,  F.L.s. 
(loveniment  Enloino'.o- 
_ . Henry  Tryon. 
Curator,  Botanical  Gar- 
dens ...Blnlijj  MacMalion. 
Overseers  of  Nurseries  ...E.  Cow  ley  and  D, 
Buchanan. 
I'ruit  Export  ...A.  H.  Benson. 
Chief  Clerk  ...Ernest  8criven. 
Chief  Inspector  of  Stock 
and  Bejfistrar  of 
Brands  ...P.  R.  Gordon. 
Itepuly  do  ...J.  E.  de  Villers. 
Director  of  Stock  Insti- 
tute and  Government 
Bacteriologist  ...C.  J.  Pound,  F.K.M..S. 
Veterinary  In.spector  ...W.C. Quinnel, M.K.C.V.S. 
The  strength  of  the  Victoria  Regia  has  been 
demonstrated  by  the  fact  that  it  has  borne  the 
infant  son  of  Lord  and  Lady  Leamington,  who 
has  been  pliotogra]died  while  sitting  on  a leaf  of 
this  giant  lily,  the  diameter  of  wdiich  was  found 
by  measurement  to  be  4 ft.  6 in.  Another  child 
l)hotographed  in  the  same  jtosition  was  found  to 
weigh  51  lbs. 
It  is  a popular  idea  that  the  seeds  of  many 
plants  pass  unhaimed  through  the  digestive  canal 
of  birds,  and,  being  voided  with  the  excrements, 
reach  the  ground  in  a i)eculiarly  favourable  con- 
dition for  germination  ; and  this  is  generally  be- 
lieved to  be  especially  the  case  of  the  mistletoe, 
the  seetls,  in  this  case,  being  de[)0.sited  on  the 
branches  of  the  tree  on  wdiich  the  mistletoe  is 
jiarasitic.  In  a paper  contributed  to  the  Traiisoc- 
tioN.s  of  the  Linnean  Society,  Mr.  F.  \V.  Kceble. 
shows  that  this  is  at  all  events  not  universally 
the  case  with  the  Lomuthacece,  especially  with 
the  Cingalese  sjiecies  of  Lomnihus.  The  species 
of  this  genus  wdth  tubular  llowers  which  are 
natives  of  Ceylon  are  ornithophilous  (visiteil  by 
birds,  the  bird  most  elf'eetive  in  their  iiollination 
being  a honey-bird,  a sjjecies  oi  N ecta.nnia.  In 
the  large-Howered  species,  tlie  buds  remain 
closed;  but.  when  tapjied,  the  corolla-lobes  Hy 
oiien  wdth  an  exidosioii,  and  the  pollen  issc.t- 
tered.  The  closing  of  the  llower-bnds  appears  to 
serve  the  purpose  of  i»rotecting  the  pollen  against 
rain,  wdiile  the  violent  expulsion  of  the  pollen 
aids  in  its  carriage  by  the  visiting  birds,  their 
beaks  being  freipiently  found  to  be  covered  wdth 
pollen  after  visiting  the  dowers.  When  the  fruit 
is  ripe,  the  bird  eats  the  succulent  portion  only, 
wiping  out  the  seeds  with  its  beak  on  to  a 
branch  of  the  tree,  to  wdiich  they  thus  become 
attached  by  their  viscid  coating.  If  swallowed, 
the  seeds  are  found  to  he  digested  and  destroj'ed. 
— Nature. 
