222 
MISCELLANEOUS NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS. 
one at Poonah in 1855, and the other at Poulton Downs on 10th 
Peb., 1886. In the latter case the bow was seen with a setting 
sun.]— H. George Fordham , Odsey Grange, Royston. 
Botany. 
A Nectarine growing on a Reach Tree .—Last autumn Mr. T. 
Cotterell, of the Stanboroughs, Watford, showed me a nectarine 
growing on a peach tree on a wall in his garden. There were a 
peach and a nectarine growing almost from the same stalk and 
touching each other, yet both perfect in the shape, colour, and 
flavour of the fruit, and in the stones. I had never seen this before, 
nor had any of the gardeners of whom I had inquired. In search¬ 
ing through the ‘Journal of the Boyal Horticultural Society’ I find, 
however, that the same thing was recorded 80 years ago. It was 
considered sufficiently remarkable to form the subject of a paper, 
and au illustration was given; and as since then Charles Darwin has 
furnished us with a key to explain these apparent deviations from 
the usual course of nature, I thought it might not be a waste of 
time if I directed your attention to the subject. In the ‘Transactions 
of the Boyal Horticultural Society,’ 2nd series, vol. i, p. 3, Mr. 
B. A. Salisbury, F.B.S., says: “ Though it has long been known 
that nectarines and peaches are sometimes naturally produced not 
only on the same tree, but also on the same branch, I do not find 
the fact recorded by any author, and having last year met with two 
instances, I presume to offer a short history of this anomaly.” The 
first instance recorded seems to be in a letter to Linnaeus. The 
writer, after alluding to two apple trees standing near each other, 
one of which in consequence bore rough and smooth fruits, mentions 
a peach tree which produced both peaches and nectarines. In the 
next volume of the ‘ Transactions ’ (p. 59) a case is mentioned, in 
1812, of a peach and a nectarine growing close to each other on 
the same tree. 
I do not think that this phenomenon is caused by cross-fertiliza¬ 
tion, because, if it were, I should expect a hybrid to be produced. 
I should expect a fruit partaking of the nature of both parents— 
half-peach, half-nectarine. But in our case this did not occur; each 
fruit was perfect of its kind, in appearance, flavour, and seed. My 
explanation is that it is a kind of reversion, or what breeders call a 
“throwing back”; that the peach and the nectarine, however 
different they are now, are derived from a common stock. The 
French call the nectarine the smooth peach, and say that accidental 
varieties have been cultivated that would seem to become distinct 
species. But in Mr. Cotterell’s tree the common origin is showing 
itself by its producing two different fruits on one twig; and it seems 
to me that the facts 1 have recorded help to substantiate the theories 
of Darwin. One case is recorded of a single fruit partaking of the 
nature of both peach and nectarine. [ Postscript , Sept., 1887. 
This year the tree has produced the ordinary fruit.]— A . T. Brett, 
M.B ., Watford. 
