IOO 
Watson. — Germination of Seeds of 
rodents succeed in gnawing through it ; or that the seeds 
germinate whilst inside the pericarp, and the first seedling 
to push out the plug and emerge through the aperture 
occupies the whole of it, so as not only to prevent the other 
seedlings from getting out, but also to provide for its own 
future in the decayed remains of its brethren, on which it 
lives until the pericarp has been softened by natural decay. 
The arrival at Kew, six years ago, of fresh fruits of Ber- 
tholletia from Trinidad offered an opportunity to get at the 
truth of the matter. Accordingly, two of the most perfect 
were placed, on October 22, 1894, in a bed of moist cocoa-nut 
fibre kept at a temperature of from 75 0 to 85° Fahr. They 
were quite intact, the plugs firmly fixed in the apertures, and 
it is unlikely that either air or water could find a way in. 
Some of the fruits received at the same time were broken 
open, a by no means easy operation. The outside of the 
pericarp was as hard as well-seasoned oak, whilst the inner 
lining was even harder, and smooth and glass-like. 
After the two fruits had been in the bed a year, on no 
signs of growth being visible, the shell of one was carefully 
sawn in half without disturbing the nuts. It was then as hard 
and water-tight as when it was planted. Germination had 
begun, and some of the seeds had shoots several inches long. 
The plug fell out during the sawing operation, and on 
examining the plug of the second fruit we found that it 
had shrunk and no longer served to keep out air and light. 
The cut shell was put together again and bound with wire. 
It had however been spoilt for the purpose of the experiment, 
the result of the interference being to hasten the growth of 
the seedlings and the decay of the pericarp so that a batch 
of healthy plants resulted. 
A seedling pushed through the aperture in the second fruit 
eighteen months from the time of planting, and it was followed 
by others until within a few weeks six had found a way 
through. They grew as well as seedlings under ordinary 
conditions until they felt the pressure of the ring-like 
aperture, when the effect was seen in their smaller leaves 
