100 
SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 
spring of a single seed producing, in three months, as many as 48,960 
seeds, every seed-vessel being fertile. Although freely visited by insects, 
the author states that the structure of the flower is such as to render 
cross-pollination almost impossible. 
The same author * * * § states that, in the form of Lamium purpureum 
which has been introduced into N. America, self-pollination takes place 
before the opening of the corolla, and the flowers are almost invariably 
fertile. 
Herr W. 0. Fockej gives the results of a long series of experiments 
on the self-fertility or self-sterility of a great variety of species, and on 
the production of hybrids. 
Brof. P. Knutli J describes the adaptation of the flowers of Antir- 
rhinum Orontium, Molucella Isevis (Labiatee), and Melissa officinalis to 
cross-pollination by bees. 
Mr. T. D. A. Cockerell § states that in New Mexico it is very common 
to find species of bees practically confined to particular species of flowers. 
This is specially the case with the genus Perdita , of which 80 species 
are known, all limited, with a few exceptions, to the arid region. The 
honey-bee, however, does not conform to this general rule. 
Mr. A. G. Hamilton || describes the remarkable mode of pollination 
in the Australian Eupomatia laurina (Anonaceae). A row of staminodes 
intervenes between the fertile stamens and the stigmas, rendering self- 
pollination almost impossible. Pollination is effected by a beetle, 
Elleschodes sp. indes., belonging to the Curculionidae, which visits the 
flowers in great numbers. They eat their way through the staminodes, 
and in so doing carry the pollen from the outer fertile stamens of the 
same or of some other flower to the stigmas. Although very strongly 
scented, the flowers appear to be entirely unvisited by all other kinds of 
insects. 
Pollination of Erythronium IT — Dr. J. Briquet has investigated the 
mode of pollination of species of Erythronium , especially E. dens-canis. 
He finds the flower to be entomophilous and somewhat proterogynous 
the visiting insects are chiefly bees, especially Bonibus terrestris. Tim 
attracting organs are the brightly coloured perianth and the nectaroseme, 
by which term the author indicates the spotted portion of the perianth- 
leaves which indicates the road to the nectary. The nectar-apparatus 
consists of three nectaries placed in pits at the bas3 of the sepals, a 
nectariferous corridor, composed of the bases of the petals, and com- 
municating with the pits by three orifices, and a nectarostege , which 
forms the roof of the corridor. The pollination by bees is autogamous, 
or more often allogamous. 
Determination of Sex in the Hemp.** — According to M. Molliard, 
the proportion of male and female plauts in the hemp is, under natural 
* Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, 1897, pp. 175-7. 
t Abhandl. naturw. Yor. Bremen, jciv. (1897) pp. 297-304. See Bot. Centralbb, 
lxxi. (1897) p. 235. 
t Bot. Centralbb, lxxi. (1897) pp. 433-5 (4 figs.); lxxii. (1897) pp. Sl-4 (6 figs.). 
§ Bot. Gazette, xxiv. (1897) pp. 104-7. 
II Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S. Wales, xxii. (1897) pp. 48-54 (1 pi.). 
1 Mem. Soc. Sci. Nat. Cherbourg, xxx. (1897) pp. 71-90 (1 pi). 
** Comptcs Rendiis, exxv. (1897) pp. 792-4. 
