Page:Hardwicke's Science-Gossip - Volume 1.pdf/266

In the late Sir T. Wyse's "Excursion in the Peloponnesus," just published by Day and Son, an account is given of an interesting coniferous tree, which is named Queen Amalia's Fir (Abies Reginæ Amaliæ). It was first described by Dr. Heldreich, in 1860, and has only been found on the mountains of Central Arcadia, where it forms forests of considerable extent, at from 2,700 to 5,000 feet above the level of the sea. It is especially remarkable for its peculiarity of pushing forth new shoots and branches where the trunk has been cut.

"The Greek forests, Messrs. Origoni and Balsamaki, first saw this singular tree when passing, on a tour of inspection, near the village of Khrysovitza, about nine miles from Tripolitza. They came to a pine forest extending for eighteen miles in a north-westerly direction across Mount Rhoudia (1,400 feet high), and through the adjacent valleys as far as Alonistena and Magouliana. Their surprise became great at observing the countless branches that had been lopped off at every variety of size and height (doubtless by the neighbouring villagers for their own use), and which had again thrown forth new crests around the broken parts. In some instance three and four new shoots sprung up, the stems having the thickness of a tree; but, generally speaking, when the central branch had been cut away, not only a new top-shoot had grown, but two or three upright branches rose anew, giving a chandelier-form to the tree, often of very symmetrical proportions. . . .

"These firs, in favourable localities, attain the height of fifty-five feet, the trunk having a diameter of two or three feet. In those trees which have been deprived of their original top-shoots, the new crests and upright shoots often grow to eighteen or twenty feet, whilst their lower part is one foot and a quarter thick. These new shoots, however, are of very unequal growth, and one of the number usually develops itself to the prejudice of the others. . . H. M. Queen Amalia sent one of her gardeners, M. Bayer, to Arcadia to examine this fir, and he fully confirmed the report of the foresters, bringing back with him to Athens ripe seeds and several small trees showing this peculiarity. . .

The illustration, placed at our disposal by the publishers, is from the work already named.

Since Dr. Donkin in the Quarterly Journal of Microscopical Science, vols. 5 and 6, recorded his discovery of several new and beautiful forms of marine diatomaceæ, gathered from the open Northumberland sea-beach, I have not seen any published accounts of the best mode of gathering free forms of marine diatomaceæ.

It may not, therefore, be uninteresting to the readers of Science Gossip to be informed how to recognise diatoms when they make their appearance on the open sea-beach, how to gather them free from admixture of dirt, and what the principal forms are that may be gathered on those parts of the beach which mark the high, middle, and low tides. My experience in gathering marine diatoms is confined to the Northumberland coast, and to that, therefore, the observations I am about to make particularly apply, although there can be little doubt that were the coasts on other parts of the United Kingdom properly searched, similar and perhaps more extensive varieties might be found on many of them. Marine diatomaceæ may be obtained during all periods of the year, but the months most favourable for obtaining them in great abundance are April, May, August, and September; the days most favourable are those that are clear and bright, with considerable warmth in the sunshine; and the period of the day, the afternoon or early evening, when the sun has had an opportunity of exerting his full influence on the exposed sea-beach.

Diatoms are found in greatest abundance on the