: THB ree 
Bustralian WMaturalist. 
‘Vor. IV. ete UY. 01 0: Parr 7. 
NOTE.—Members having any mattey of interest suitable for publication 
in these pages ave requested to communicate with the Editor. 
: Owing to the prevailing epidemic of influenza, there have 
he been no meetings pelican those held in December, 1918, 
and June, 1919. 
THE BFFECT OF SUNLIGHT ON PLANTS. 
By A. A. Hamilton. 
(Read 38rd December, 1918). ; 
A publication* was recently brought under my notice 
by Mr. C. Thackeray, containing an article on ‘‘The Trend. 
of Modern Thought,’’ in which attention is focussed upon 
solar energy as a creative factor. A section of the treatise 
deals with certain experiments conducted by Colonel Raw- 
the hours of sunlight and shade supplied to plants he was 
able to produce double flowers from single ones, multiply — 
will. He could also produce extreme alterations in the 
shape of leaves, and develop ribbon-growths (fasciation) 
in stems, and the coloration of flowers was demonstrated — 
to be under his control by a similar process. My attention — 
has for some years been directed to variations in form 
— (morphology) and malformations. (teratology) in plants, 
including double flowers and fasciation. In a papert deal- 
ing with the instability of leaf form asa character in the 
identifieation of plants, certain factors affecting the growth | 
of leaves were submitted, which will appeal to the ordinarily 
intelligent observer, e.g., differences in size of leaves, due 
to good or bad seasons (phenological) ; alterations brought 
about by environmental conditions, rich v. poor soil (eda- 
phic), cold y. heat (climatic); shade, shelter, moisture, 
* “The Meaning: of Life,” Ed. by E. Re ree 
t Prec. Linn. Soc., N.S.W., XL, 
son, C.B., R.E., in which it is claimed that by regulating 
the number of flowers, and alter the shape of the petals at Bik 
