NATURAL HISTORY MISCELLANY.

BOTANY.

FERTILIZATION OF SALVIA BY HUMBLE BEES. - Mr. Mechan's statements "On Objections to Darwin's Theory of Fertilization through Insect Agency," at the late meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, an abstract of which is given in the October Number of the AMERICAN NATURALIST, are at such variance with my own observations on the same subject, that I cannot allow them to pass unchallenged. Mr. Meehan affirms that the humble bee does not enter the corolla of the Salvia to obtain the honey, but "bores a hole on the outside" for that purpose. He says, after describing the structure of the flower"The principle is perfect. But no insect is seen to enter." This statement is certainly not in accordance with facts. I have again and again observed the conduct of the humble bee on the Salvia; and I affirm that a large majority of the bees do enter the corolla, and that the anthers rest on the back of the insect exactly in the way that Mr. Meehan says they ought to rest. It is true that some of the bees do cut the tube of the corolla to get the honey. This, however, is only done by those bees which are too large to get into the flower. - E. H. T., Hindsbury, Delaware Co., Penn., Oct. 15, 1870.

MOTION IN THE LEAVES OF RHUS TOXICODENDRON. - Botanical writers tell us that sections of a leaf of Schinus molle, thrown in water, have a peculiar jerking motion. Under the name of "Australian Myrtle," I have received seeds from California, which prove to be this plant. The leaves have the motions described. I thought perhaps our own representatives of this order (Anacardiaceœ) might present the same phenomenon. I find that this is the case with Rhus toxicodendron. Small sections of a leaf leap about in water, but not with the same force as do those of the Schinus Rhus aromatica though so nearly allied, presents, to me, no motion. I have tried Rhus glabra, R. copallina and R. typhina, but find no motion in any but in the one before named-the common poisoning." A friend

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to whom I have suggested it, however, tells me that his gardener finds that at "some hour in the day" these also will leap about. The Schinus and Rhus toxicodendron with me exhibit their saltatorial feats at any and all times. THOMAS MEEHAN.

BUR GRASS. - I enclose a plant that is very annoying to farmers on the eastern shore of Maryland. I am not botanist enough to determine its place. The natives call it "Sand Burr." Will you be kind enough to say something in the NATURALIST about it? -JOHN W. NOTT.

[Cenchrus, Hedge-hog or Bur-grass, is peculiar for a general resemblance to our Couch or Quitch-grass, and in its habits is equally regarded 87

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with aversion by the farmers. But this latter is a Northern grass, not found at the South, while the Bur-grass is to be found only beyond the limits of New England; according to Dr. Lapham, from Wisconsin to Minnesota; and in the Middle and Southern States, according to other observers. The specimen sent to us by Mr. Nott is C. echinatus Muhlenburg (Descriptio Uberior Graminum, p. 51) and figured by Plunkenet (Phytographia tab. 92-3). It is described by Dr. Chapman in his "Flora of the Southern United States," p. 578; and another species, the C. tribuloides, which grows on the seashores of Delaware, Carolina, etc., known as the Cockspur or Bur-grass, is also familiar to farmers, and much dreaded. As much as we detest the Couch-grass of our northern farms, we are to rejoice in the absence of these spiny and thorny spiked and burred-grasses in our northern soils. In some sections where the land is light, the Couch-grass makes a nutritious fodder and hay, being freely eaten by horses and cows; but we suspect that these sagacious animals would not care to digest the flowers and seeds of the "Sand Burr," although the leaves and stems of C. echinatus appear tender and abundant, and we can easily understand that it is very annoying where it naturally grows.-J. L. RUSSELL.]

WOLFFIA IN BLOSSOM. I have just found (August 28th, 1870) the Wolfia Columbiana Karsten, flowering abundantly in a pool at Sandwich, Ontario, on the Detroit River. I enclose specimens. I discovered this station for it more than a year ago; but hitherto have failed to find the flowers till now. Untold millions of these tiny plants covered the surface of the water hiding it completely, and lying en masse, at least threequarters of an inch thick. We find it, also (though not fertile), some miles higher up the river, at Connor's Creek, Michigan, but nowhere else along the shores. Though Gray says "flowers and fruit not seen," it has, I think, been found once in flower in the Catskills. The delicate white flowers disappear soon after taking it from the water; but on placing some, next day, in my aquarium, the little plants at once" righted themselves," and the flowers almost instantly reappeared, expanding fresh as ever from the centre of the frond. Last year, in the same pool, it was quite abundant, growing with Lemna minor L., which was, however, largely in the majority. Now, I find the Wolffia has almost taken possession of the pool, driving out the Lemna, which is "few and far between," and of a sickly, degraded type. - HENRY GILLMAN, Detroit, Michigan.

ZOOLOGY.

ABDOMINAL SENSE-ORGANS IN A FLY.-While engaged in naming a collection of microscopic preparations of insects mounted on slides by Mr. T. W. Starr of Philadelphia, for the collection of Dr. T. D'Oremieulx of New York, my attention was drawn to a sense-organ situated on the female anal appendages of a species of Chrysopila, allied to C. ornata

(Say), a genus of flies allied closely to Leptis. The female appendages are rounded, somewhat spatulate, and of the usual form seen in other species of the genus. The appendage is covered with stiff coarse hairs, about fifty in number, arising from conspicuous, round, clear cells, while the whole surface, as seen under a Zentmayer's 4-10 (A eye-piece), is densely covered with minute short hairs. On the posterior edge of the upper side of each appendage is situated a single, large round sac, with the edge quite regular. Its diameter is equal to a third of the length of the appendage on which it is situated. Dense fine hairs, like those covering the appendage, project inwards from its edge. The bottom of this shallow pit is a clear transparent membrane not bearing any hairs. There are no special sense-organs on the antennæ of the same insect.

With these organs, which I suppose to be olfactory in their function, may be compared a very similar single sac situated on the under side of the end of the labial and maxillary palpi of a species of Perla, mounted on a slide in the same collection. Its diameter is nearly half as great as the palpal joint itself. Instead of being depressed, the sac in Perla is a little raised, forming a slightly marked, flat tubercle, which is round, slightly ovate, under a 4-10 objective. The surface of the membrane (tympanule of Lespès) is naked. It is strongly probable that this is an olfactory organ, and placed on the under side of the palpi, next to the mouth, so as to enable the insect to select its proper food by its odor, giving an additional sensory function to the palpi of insects. There are no special sense-organs in the antennæ.

Lespès in his note on the auditory sacs, which he says are found in the antennæ of nearly all insects, states that as we have in insects compound eyes, so we have compound ears. I might add that in the abdominal appendages of the cockroach we apparently have a compound nose. In the palpi of Perla, and the abdominal appendages of Chrysopila the "nose" is simple.

On examination, I have found sense-organs in both pairs of antennæ of Homarus Americanus, the Lobster, such as are described by Farre, and also the more rudimentary form of supposed auditory organs in the common spiny Lobster (Palinurus) of Key West, Florida. - A. S. P., Nov. 30. NOTE ON THE EXISTENCE OF TRANSVERSELY STRIATED MUSCULAR FIBRES IN ACMEA.-While engaged in the examination of the lingual ribbon of a species of Acmæa (A. (Collisella) Bickmorii D.), brought from Amboyna by Mr. Bickmore, I noticed that, among the fibres adhering to the ribbon, were several longer than the rest and presenting a different appearance. On submitting them to a high power, it was at once evident that this difference in their appearance was due to distinct, wellmarked, though exceedingly fine, transverse striæ. The structure of the fibre itself was a simple transparent tube or cylinder with nuclei irregularly disposed at intervals more or less distant. Upon closer examination of other specimens the striated muscles were determined to be the retractores radulæ, or the principal, if not the only agents in pulling back

the ribbon. They were evidently voluntary muscles acting with considerable rapidity. It was noticeable that, of all the muscles of the buccal mass, these only exhibited striation. They differed from some of the dorsal muscles of a small shrimp (Palæmon sp.), in being more finely striated. I have had no opportunity, as yet, of examining other species, and therefore cannot say whether the phenomenon is constant throughout the genus. This is the fourth class of the Mollusca, including the Molluscoidea, in which striated muscular fibre has been shown to exist; it has been demonstrated in Polyzoa (Eschara) by Milne-Edwards; in Conchifera (Pecten) by Lebert; in Ascidia (Salpa and Appendicularia) by Eschricht and Moss; and finally in Gasteropoda in the present case. — W. H. DALL.

CEDAR BIRD WITH WAXEN APPENDAGES ON THE TAIL. I have not seen it mentioned in any work, nor do I think that many are aware that the Cedar bird (Ampelis cedrorum Baird) is occasionally, though very rarely, found with the tail decorated with those singular wax-like, really horny tips, which it is well known adorn the wings. I have recently been shown a specimen taken in New York State in which the four middle tailfeathers were heavily tipped with this red wax. I have heard of three other cases in which this occurred, though not so strongly developed. I believe that this beautiful ornament, which is never found in immature specimens, does not appear on the wings till the third year. And it is probable that the tail is not so decorated till a much later period. The specimens here mentioned gave evidence of being unusually old birds.—, HENRY GILLMAN, Detroit, Michigan.

HABITS OF THE RED-HEADED WOODPECKER. In the spring of 1869 some Melanerpes erythrocephalus, began pecking a hole for a nesting place, at about sixty-eight feet from the ground, in the steeple of one of the churches that is situated in our village. One of our citizens, Mr. J. C. Gibson, in order to put a stop to their operations and prevent the farther disfiguration of the edifice, undertook to kill all the birds he saw engaged in pecking at the hole thus commenced; he kept up his deadly assaults upon them until this spring, when his absence from home stopped his attacks upon them; he informs me that he killed in all twenty-two or twenty-three birds that had been engaged in the work; during his absence à pair took possession of the unfinished work, completed the nest, and are now engaged in rearing a brood in it. Is not such persistency of purpose worthy of admiration, notwithstanding it is exhibited by a harmful bird?-L. J. STROOP, Waxahachie, Ellis county, Texas, August 24, 1870. AMERICAN PANTHER. · The Catamount, Cougar, or Indian Devil, as the American Panther (Felis concolor) is called, is said to be still common in the wild regions of the Adirondacks. Mr. H. H. Bromley of the Chasm House informs me that dead ones have often been found in the woods, having been killed by the spines of hedge-hogs which they had attacked. — F. W. P.