SCIENTIFIC SUMMARY. 
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announced. Mr. Hind has published his “ Introduction to Astronomy .” 
A German astronotaiical society has been inaugurated : the first meeting 
was held at Heidelberg on August 28. 
BOTANY AND VEGETABLE PHYSIOLOGY. 
Two Forms of Plants growing under the same Conditions. — Dr. John 
Edward Gray, F.R.S., of the British Museum, has lately recorded the fact 
that occasionally upon the same tuft, flowers of quite opposite colours may 
be found. This year, at Watfield, he found tufts of the Anemone nemorosa , 
on which were flowers some of which were purple and others of the 
normal white colour ; and although both were in the same tuft, the 
purple variety was characterised not only by the colour of its flower but 
by its darker foliage and narrower petals. The plants of Primula vulgaris 
exhibit similar variations, being sometimes found differing in colour, 
although residing in the same locality, and apparently without being 
influenced externally in any way sufficient to account for the difference. 
The colour of the primroses found near Broadhaven in Pembrokeshire is 
usually a pale lilac, so that, as Dr. Gray observes, “ to ask for a yellow 
ribbon as primrose-coloured would be a misnomer.” In the case of the 
wood-sorrels, too, pink flowers are sometimes seen among the natural 
white ones. This has been recorded by Dillenius. Dr. Gray has observed 
this phenomenon of variation, also, in Lamium album and in Anthriscus 
sylvestris , one of the Umbelliferae. — The Journal of Botany , British ana 
Foreign , October. 
Inflammable Gases developed by Plants. — It was first observed by 
Linnseus’ daughter, that when she approached the flowers of Dictamnus 
albus with a lighted taper, a flame was kindled round the petals, without, 
however, affecting their structure. The observation, however, was not 
confirmed, and so it remained till recently, when Dr. Hahn conducted 
some experiments with a view to ascertain the truth or falsity of the state- 
ment. At first he supposed it was necessary to make the attempt to kindle 
this lambent flame in warm weather ; but he has since discovered that 
external temperature has nothing whatever to do with the phenomenon. 
On applying the flame of a candle to some freshly opened flowers, there 
was no ignition of gases, but the moment it was brought near a faded 
blossom there was produced “ a reddish, crackling, strongly sooting flame, 
which left a powerfully aromatic smell and did not injure the peduncle.” 
When the faded and fresh flowers were comparatively examined, it was 
discovered that there was a series of small glands in both, but these were 
much more fully developed in the former than in the latter. These 
glands secrete a peculiar ethereal oil, to which, no doubt, the flame and 
the perfume of incense are due. 
Goethe's Essay on the Metamorphosis of Plants. — This most philosophic 
achievement of the great German poet is really the foundation of all our 
modern ideas of the homologies of the various organs of plants. It has 
been admirably translated by E. M. Cox, and appeared in its English 
garb in the November number of the “ Journal of Botany,” to which we 
beg to refer our readers for further particulars. 
