3 M 
Notes. 
stem, and even on the bracts of the persistent involucre, small brown 
patches occur. They are irregularly distributed, and appear to 
indicate signs of some disease. Sections taken through a portion 
of the leaf including one of the brown spots, show the latter to 
consist of several layers of peripheral cells with no contents, the walls 
being suberized. Below these, and cutting them off from the rest 
of the leaf, occurs a well-marked cambium—the whole having some¬ 
what the appearance of a lenticel. These structures may occur on 
either surface of the leaf or at the margin. It is difficult to surmise 
the cause of this actively dividing cambium, as there is no trace of 
fungus; but it might possibly be due to the bite of some insect 
injuring the epidermis, the subsequent suberization and the cambium 
below, protecting the inner tissue. It was later observed that many 
of the seedlings in cultivation here, showed precisely similar formations, 
with the exception that they were, in many cases, of much larger 
extent. The first sign of the development of these structures in the 
leaf of the seedling is a moist glistening appearance on the external 
surface, as if the epidermis had become porous to moisture. Sub¬ 
sequently, in many cases, mucilage in large drops is secreted and lies 
on the surface of the leaf in irregular masses over the apparently 
injured epidermis. In the third or fourth layer below the epidermis 
a cambium is now formed, which gradually curves up in all directions 
until it meets the uninjured epidermis around the abnormal portion, 
completely cutting off the latter from the rest of the tissue. The 
walls of the outer cells then become suberized and appear a light 
brown colour. In some cases the cambium is formed in sub-epidermal 
layers nearly all round the leaf, giving at first sight an impression 
that it is by this means that the leaf increases in circumference. The 
formations are perhaps connected with the environmental conditions 
under which the seedlings are grown, such as an atmosphere too 
moist, since the method of cultivation of the plant is naturally of 
a somewhat experimental nature at present. 
The non-parasitic nature of Nuytsia is still an undecided point. 
Differing from its parasitic allies in its anatomy and terrestrial habit, 
it shares with them the same degradation in the structure and 
development of the gynoecium. It is obvious that the plant might 
be terrestrial and attain to its large size and yet be semiparasitic on 
the roots of other plants. In response to Von Mueller, W. Webb, 
of King George's Sound, reported that the roots of the mature tree 
