132 
NATURE NOTES 
Store-Houses of Nutriment. — To act in this way, the 
leaf is usually reduced to a scale representing the stalk only, 
as in bulb-scales of lilies. If the scale surrounds the stem, as 
in the onion, it is called “ tunicated.” The meaning of such a 
sheathing scale is that its real use is to supply strength to support 
the blades. This is admirably seen in gigantic palm-leaves ; 
and if the student, when at Kew, will take the opportunity to 
examine some of the palms there, he will observe in old decaying 
bases of the leaves how the fibres not only go all round the 
trunk, but cross each other like lattice-work, giving great addi- 
tional strength to sustain the enormous weight which some 
palm-leaves have. The fleshy scales of the onion, however, are 
only required for storing up nourishment. 
Rambles with Nature Students. By Mrs. Brightwen, F.E.S. Illustrated by 
Theo. Carreras. Religious Tract .Society. Price 5s. 
Mrs. Brightwen is a charming companion for a ramble, no matter in what 
departm.ent of natural history our special interest may lie ; and her copiously 
illustrated volume, arranged according to the months, though rather too heavy 
for the pocket, owing to the glazed paper now so popular with publishers, is a 
most instructive and interesting guide in the study. To give some idea of the 
varied scope of the work in the limited space at our command we cannol“do 
REVIEWS AND EXCHANGES. 
Teasei, Head (natural size, to show bands of florets). 
