ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 
217 
Pollination of Crambe maritima.* * * § — Dr. P. Knntli describes the 
structure and arrangement of the male and female organs in the wild 
sea-kail, and the arrangements for pollination. Although slightly 
proterogynous, he considers that, as a rule, the stigma is self-pollinated 
by the aid of small Coleoptera attracted by the abundant and strongly 
scented nectar contained in the honey-glands at the base of the stamens. 
Change in Colour of the Flower of the Horse-chestnut.t — The 
inflorescence of the horse-chestnut consists of flowers, some of which are 
hermaphrodite, but the greater number male from the abortion of the 
style. On the upper petals are patches which are at first pale yellow and 
comparatively inconspicuous, but which, when the flower begins to wither, 
become bright red and much more conspicuous. Herr W. O. Focke 
has investigated the object of this change of colour, and has come to the 
conclusion that it is of no advantage to the individual flower, the small 
insects which are attracted by it taking no part in the process of pollina- 
tion ; its sole purpose seems to be to render the entire inflorescence 
more conspicuous to the humble-bees which are the principal fertilizers 
of the flowers. 
Oospores formed by Union of Multinucleated Sexual Elements.^ — 
M. P. A. Dangeard finds that the young oogone of Cystopus candidus 
contains several nuclei ; these do not fuse into one with the nuclei of 
the antherid, and there is no fusion of male and female nuclei. 
The so-called nucleus is an oily globule, completely soluble in chloro- 
form, and it is surrounded by a layer of protoplasm which contains 
numerous nuclei. As the author has made similar observations on 
Ancylistes, Saprolegnia, Pythium, and Peronospora, he thinks his results 
may be generalized ; the theory, therefore, of Fisch, that there is a fusion 
of nuclei in oospores formed by the union of multinucleated sexual 
elements, must be given up. 
Germination of Seed of Castor-oil Plant.§ — Prof. J. R. Green has 
been led by his study of Bicinus communis to the following conclusions : — 
The reserve-materials in the endosperm consist of oil and proteid matters, 
the latter being a mixture of globulin and albumose. The changes in 
germination are partly due to ferment action, and there are three ferments 
in the germinating seed ; one is proteolytic and resembles trypsin, one 
is a glyceride, and splits the oil into fatty acid and glycerin, while the 
third is a rennet ferment. Two, if not all three, are in a zymogen 
condition in the resting seed, and become active in consequence of the 
metabolic activity stirred up in the cells by the conditions which lead to 
germination. The changes caused by the ferment action are followed 
by others, which are due to the metabolism of the cells, and on these the 
embryo exercises some influence by setting up, as it developes, a stimulus 
which is probably physiological. The result of the various processes is 
to bring about the conversion of the proteids into peptone, and, later, 
into asparagin, and the splitting of the oil into fatty acid and glycerin ; 
* Bot. Centralbl., xliv. (1890) pp. 305-8 (2 figs.), 
f Abhandl. Bot. Yer. Brandenburg, xxxi. (1890) pp. 108-12. 
j Comptes Rendus, cxi. (1890) pp. 382-4. 
§ Proc. Roy. Soc. Lond., xlviii. (1890) pp. 370-92. 
