ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 
61 
pollination is not only rendered possible, but is, as be believes, the 
ordinary mode of fertilization. 
Fertilization of Glossostigma.^ — Mr. 0. W. Lee describes the 
peculiar structure of the pistil in Glossostigma elatinoides, a native of 
New Zealand. It forms a kind of hood over the stamens ; and, when 
irritated, rises up and falls back upon the petals, leaving the stamens 
exposed. In about fifteen minutes after being disturbed, it resumes its 
original position. The author believes that the object of this con- 
trivance is to favour cross-fertilization. 
Pollination of the Barberry-f — Prof. B. D. Halsted describes the 
mode of pollination of Berheris vulgaris, which is very rarely, if ever, 
self-fertilized. Surrounding the rim of the cup-shaped stigma is a 
narrow belt of long stiff hairs, secreting abundance of an adhesive sub- 
stance ; and it is on to these hairs that the pollen is thrown when the 
valves of the anther are thrown back, and not the upper surface of the 
discoid stigma, which is covered with papillae, and which only can 
incite the emission of pollen-tubes. To this surface the pollen-grains 
can be carried only by insects. 
Irritability of the Stamens of Portulaca.J — Prof. B. D. Halsted 
calls attention to the remarkable irritability of the stamens of the 
purslane, Portulaca oleracea, and P. grandijlora, which promotes the 
scattering of the pollen over the bodies of insects visiting the flowers. 
Cultivation of the Pollen-tubes of the Primrose,§ — To ascertain 
the cause of the greater fertility of “ legitimate ” as compared to 
“ illegitimate ” unions in the heterostylous species of Primula, Herr 
C. Correns has cultivated the pollen-grains in a solution of 20 per cent, 
sugar and 3 per cent, gelatin. He finds the measurements of the 
pollen-grains to agree nearly with those given by Darwin ; the diameters 
of the short and long-styled forms being in the proportion of 10 : 7, 
the volume being therefore about 3:1. Contrary, however, to what 
has hitherto been stated, he found that the larger grains do not put out 
longer tubes than the smaller grains, though they are somewhat thicker ; 
nor is there any difference of form and size in the papillae on the 
stigmas of the two forms. The author was unable to find in the 
pollen-grains themselves any explanation of the greater fertility of 
“ legitimate ” unions. 
Distribution of Seeds by Birds.|| — Aceording to Herr W. O. Focke, 
the seeds of berry-bearing plants are not distributed by birds to the 
extent generally supposed ; since they are usually voided in close 
proximity to the parent-plant. The species which appears to be most 
widely distributed in this way is the juniper ; also to a less extent the 
following : — Pyrus Aucuparia, Samhucus nigra, Buhus Idseus, Solanum 
Dulcamara, Frangula Alnus, Viburnum Opulus, and the black-fruited 
species of Buhus. 
* Trans. New Zealand Inst., xxi. (1888) pp, 108-9. 
t Bot. Gazette, xiv. (1889) p. 201. 
X Bull. Bot. Departm. State Agricult. College Iowa, 1888, pp. 65-6. 
§ Ber. Deutsch. Bot. Gesell., vii. (1889) pp. 265-72. 
' II Abhandl. Naturw. Ver. Bremen, x. (1889) p. 140. See Bot. Centralbl., xl. 
(1889) p. 148. 
