208 
SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 
Herr L. Kny * * * § describes the structure and mode of pollination of the 
flowers of Aristolochia Clematitis. He concludes that they are adapted 
for cross-polliuation, and chiefly by a small fly, Ceratopogon pennicornis ; 
though, when this does not take place, they can self-pollinate. 
In another communication, the same author | states that red, blue, 
and violet colours are more attractive to insects than white or yellow ; 
and that the more difficult the nectar is to obtain, the higher is the class 
to which the visiting insect belongs. 
Mr. J. C. Willis and Mr. J. H. Burkill J give a list of the insect- 
visitors observed on between 70 and 80 species of flowering plants in 
localities in England, Scotland, and Wales. The observations confirm, 
as a general rule, Muller’s law that the bulk of the visitors to the higher 
types of flower are insects of a high degree of specialisation. The 
observations of the authors also show that there is, in Great Britain, as 
compared to Low Germany, a larger proportion of Lepidoptera and a 
much larger proportion of short-tongued Diptera, with a smaller pro- 
portion of Hymenoptera, especially of short-tongued bees and other 
short-lipped species. 
Caprification of the Fig.§ — Dr. G. Eisen gives a historical resume 
of the means employed for producing fertile figs. He distinguishes 
between the Smyrna fig ( Ficus carica smirniaca ), which contains only 
female flowers, neither males nor mules, and which therefore requires 
caprification or artificial pollination to bring them to maturity, and the 
common fig ( F . carica hortensis), which does not require caprification. 
To the paper is appended a copious bibliography of the subject. 
(2) Nutrition and Growth (including 1 Germination, and Movements 
of Fluids). 
Vitality of Seeds. |] — According to Dr. A. Burgerstein, the seeds of 
barley, wheat, and oat may retain their vitality for ten years, from 70 to 
90 per cent, being still capable of germinating ; while those of rye have 
by this time lost their power of germination. 
Germination of Seeds of Loranthacese.u — Prof. J. Wiesner gives 
the result of a number of observations on the germination of tropical 
parasites belonging to this order, comparing it with that of the European 
species Viscum album and Loranthus europseus. While the seeds of these 
species remain dormant through the winter and germinate only in the 
light, those of Viscum articulatum and orientate , and of Loranthus 
repandus and pentandrus germinate in the dark as well as in the light, 
though more slowly, and the first three after only a few days of rest. 
The fruit (pseudocarp) of the European Loranfchacese contains a much 
larger quantity of viscin than that of the parasitic tropical species; 
tropical species which are not parasitic contain no viscin. In small 
* Bot. Centralbl., lxiv. (1895) p. 178. 
f Bot. Jaarb., Gent, 1895, pp. 24-37. See Bot. Centralbl., lxiv. (1895) p. 34G. 
X Ann. Bot., ix. (1895) pp. 227-73. 
§ Proc. Californian Acad. Sci., v. (1895) pp. 897-1001. Cf. this Journal, 1893, 
p. 757. 
|| Verliandl. K. K. Zool.-Bot. Gesell. "Wien, xlv. (1895) pp. 414-21. Cf. this 
J ournal, 1895, p. 197. 
H SB. K. Akad. Wiss. Wien, ciii. 1894 (1895) pp. 401-37. 
