Q. 3. What is meant by transpiration? What is the use of the process to the plant? How would you ascertain the rate of transpiration in any given instance?

This was sometimes very well done. The experiments had clearly been made by the better candidates. Others, on the contrary, have confused ideas as to what transpiration really is, and they often included a discussion of root pressure in their answers! Experiments were often described which either could not be carried out at all or from which no quantitative inferences could be drawn.

Q. 4. Mention plants that possess stipules. Explain in each case the exact use of the stipules to the plant that bears them.

Comparatively few attempted this question with much success. The examples were often rather ill chosen, and the correlation between form and function was generally badly elucidated.

Q. 5. Give an example of (1) a plant that climbs by means of leaf structure, (2) a plant that climbs by means of stem structure. Carefully describe the process of climbing in the case of one of them.

The pea was the commonly selected example, and most candidates contented themselves with the statement that the tendril is a modified leaf. This is, of course, incorrect, as these organs are derived from leaflets. The actual process of climbing was seldom touched on in any detail. Some candidates selected the hop, but they scarcely ever mentioned the hairs on the stems of this plant.

Q. 6. What do you understand by phyllotaxis ?

Illustrate your

answer by four examples which you have specially studied.

This question was not well done. Book illustrations were given instead of names and diagrams of plants that had really been studied.

Q. 7. To what structures is the green colour of a plant due? Explain what happens to it when you allow a green leaf to soak for some time in alcohol.

Often well done, but others had evidently never observed the action of alcohol on leaves.

Q. 8. Describe three fruits that are adapted for dispersal by animals, and explain the nature of the adaptation in each case.

This question was commonly done well. But the examples were frequently not well chosen so as to illustrate different modes of dispersal. Q. 9. What is meant by the vernation and the venation of a leaf? Illustrate your answer by a description of two examples. This was often badly answered. The illustrations were very imperfectly described.

Q. 10. In what way do monocotyledons differ from dicotyledons? Give three examples of each group.

This was commonly done well, but too many still adhere to the error that dicotyledons always possess exalbuminous seeds.

Q. 11. Explain the effect of pruning a shrub or tree, taking any definite example you may select as an illustration.

This was seldom attempted, and whilst a few good answers were sent in, the majority were almost worthless. The effect was imperfectly known, and the reason for the effect was usually merely guessed at.

STAGE 2.

Results 1st Class, 65; 2nd Class, 200; Failed, 145 ; Total, 410.

Q. 21. Refer the specimen placed before you to its natural order, giving your reasons, and describe it fully, taking its organs (when present) in the following order :—

The specimen set was Iris xiphioides. It was generally fairly well done, although some candidates mistook the petaloid styles for petals.

Q. 22. Give an account of the gametophyte of the pine and compare it

with that of the fern.

This was often attempted, and was very unevenly done. Some of the answers were extremely good, others hopelessly bad. Some confusion exists as to the limits of the generations. The latter part of the question was almost always badly done.

Q. 23. Explain the nature and mode of the origin of "knots" and of "silver grain" in timber.

Comparatively few candidates attempted this question, but it was sometimes very well done.

Q. 24. How would you make a pure culture of Mucor or Eurotium ? State fully the precautions you would take.

Many worthless answers were sent in. The real nature and use of the precautions were often quite ignored. Hardly anyone seemed to know what a pure culture really is.

Q. 25. Describe the flowers of the willow, and explain how pollination is effected in these plants.

Most of those who attempted this question confined themselves chiefly to the inflorescence. Too many stated that pollination is effected by the wind, completely ignoring the nectaries and the other entomophilous characters of the flowers. Very few seemed to have observed the plant when actually in flower.

Q. 26. What conditions are essential in order that a green leaf may form starch? Give an account of the experimental evidence on which your answer is based.

This question was often fairly well done, but many of the answers were imcomplete-thus some omitted to mention the need of carbon dioxide.

Q. 27. Mention three carnivorous plants that occur in Britain, and describe the structures that are adapted for catching or trapping the animals in each case.

Nepenthes was often given as an example, although it is not a British plant. Arum and Lathræa are not carnivorous plants.

Q. 28. Describe in the case of any seedling you may select how the structure characteristic of the root changes into that met with

in the young stem. What do you think is the use of the change to the plant?

Seldom attempted and almost always badly done.

Q. 29. Describe and compare the fruits of the rose, fig, strawberry, and

mulberry.

This was often very carelessly done, and the comparison was, as usual, a weak point in the majority of answers.

Q. 30. What is meant by sclerenchyma? Give some account of its mode of occurrence in stems, and show how it is of use to the plant.

Very rudimentary knowledge was shown as to the nature of sclerenchyma. It was often confounded with water-conducting tissue. The mechanism of strengthening tissue as a whole seems not to be appreciated.

Q. 31. Give an account of the modes of vegetative reproduction met with in a fern, a snowdrop, and a bramble.

Sometimes this was well answered, but most of those who attempted the question showed very little real knowledge of the main facts.

STAGE 3.

Results 1st Class, 11; 2nd Class, 21; Failed, 12; Total, 44.

:

The work was on the whole fair, but the conclusions to be drawn from experiments, e.g., on geotropic phenomena, were in most cases not well reasoned, and they often rested on too narrow a base. Many answers failed to get high marks on account of inaccuracies due to mere guessing.

Q. 41. Identify the specimen provided, and comment on its morphology. The specimen was Viburnum Lantana, and it was often correctly known; a common error lay in referring it to Umbelliferæ, a mistake betraying gross ignorance of natural orders. Very few really good accounts were given of the morphology.

Q. 42. Give an account of the principal modifications in floral structures encountered in the Scitamineæ or in the Myrtaceæ.

This question was frequently attempted. Nearly all candidates showed some knowledge of the Scitamineæ as exemplified by Canna, but few were really able to deal with the order as a whole.

Q. 43. Discuss the ecological conditions that may determine the formation of the "Heather-moor," and give some account of the composition of the flora of such moor.

Many candidates attempted this question, but the answers were in many cases almost worthless. Much guessing was obvious, and few had any real acquaintance with the real conditions that determine plant formations.

Q. 44. What are the chief reserve-substances of food stored in the seeds of plants? State how they may be severally identified. This was often rather well done, and candidates showed that they had really obtained first-hand knowledge of the reactions involved.

Q. 45. Write a life history of either Erysiphe or of Tilletia, and include in your answer a discussion of the parasitic habit of the form you select.

This was very seldom well done. The latter part of the question was hardly ever properly attempted.

Q. 46. Write a short account of the Conjugatæ, as illustrated by British

genera.

Often attempted with fair success.

Q. 47. What is meant by geotropism? Write a careful account of any three experiments you may have performed in order to investigate the geotropic phenomena in roots.

The descriptions of experiments were often fairly done, but the experiments themselves were seldom well chosen. It would appear that the subject of irritability is not well dealt with; it is one that students commonly find difficult. Thus the stimulus given by gravity was frequently confounded with the geotropic response. Again the special case of taproots was almost exclusively referred to, and hence the evidence derived from a study of shoots

and lateral roots was ignored. A more careful study of these phenomena is most important, since they offer so excellent an opportunity for enabling the student to obtain a real insight into the nature of irritability in general.

Q. 48. Give an account of the structure of the fossil known as Lyginodendron, and include in your answer a discussion of its affinities with existing groups of plants.

This question was seldom attempted with any great measure of success.

HONOURS.

Results 1st Class, - ; 2nd Class, 3; Failed, 9; Total, 12.

Some of the work sent in was of considerable merit, but the answers to certain questions betrayed great ignorance on matters of general biological importance. Thus no candidates were able to discuss adequately the question of "acquired characters"; very few realised the real difficulties encountered in explaining root-pressure, and no one attempted to deal with the symbiotic associations as illustrated by Bacteria. There seems evidence to show that students have attended certain courses of advanced lectures, but have done little work independently of these.

DAY EXAMINATION.

The general average of the work in Stages 1 and 2 was fairly good, but the number of really first-class papers, especially in Stage 2, was smaller than might have been expected. In this respect there was no difference between Training College and other students.

Many candidates seem to think that they will be judged by the quantity, rather than by the quality, of what they write, and the instruction that the answers are to be strictly confined to the questions proposed is, in very many cases, completely ignored.

STAGE 1.

Results 1st Class, 72; 2nd Class, 47; Failed, 24; Total, 143.

Q. 1. Refer the specimen placed before you to its natural order, giving your reasons; describe it, taking its organs (when present) in the following order :

The specimen set was Campanula glomerata.

The description was in some cases very good, in others extremely careless. Some candidates evidently had decided from memory what they thought they ought to see, and thus committed the most absurd errors.

Q. 2. Mention two plants that possess bulbs. Describe and explain carefully the structure of the bulb of one of them.

This question was nearly always attempted, but beyond text-book generalities, real knowledge was shown only by a few candidates. The examples commonly selected were the onion and hyacinth, but the real nature of the scales (i.e., persistent bases of foliage leaves) seemed to be known only to very few. This implies that the objects themselves had at best been very imperfectly studied.

Q. 3. Give some account of the modes of climbing to be met with in British climbing plants.

Foreign examples were often selected, and they were not often well chosen to illustrate the various methods of climbing.

Q. 4. What are "sleep movements"? Describe fully these movements in any example you may have studied.

This question was very seldom attempted. It is difficult to understand why so widespread a phenomenon should have been so little studied.

Q. 5. Describe, and, as far as you can, explain the appearance of a seedling that has been grown in continuous darkness.

This was often intelligently answered, and candidates vho had obviously made observations on actual plants secured high marks.

Q. 6. Write a short account of seed distribution in either the Composita or Rosacea.

The answers were rather meagre, very few examples being known. Fruits illustrate so well the diversity ultimately reached by structures originally similar, that they should receive more attention. Such collections are easy to make and are very instructive.

Q. 7. What is meant by the terms symbiosis, saprophyte, parasite ? Mention and briefly describe one example of each.

Seldom attempted, but a few very good answers.

Q. 8. Explain what is meant by the torus. Compare the torus in the Ranunculaceae and the Umbelliferæ.

This question was seldom attempted, and was never well done. The structure of an epigynous flower seems not yet to be understood.

Q. 9. Describe, and state the functions of the cotyledons in any three of the following plants :-pea, buckwheat, castor oil plant, mustard. This question was badly done by those who attempted it..

Q. 10. Describe a twig of either hawthorn or furze (uiex), and explain the morphological nature of the thorns in the example you select. The answers were very uneven, some good, others very poor.

Q. 11. How is the plant enabled to take in the gases present in the atmosphere? Which of these gases are useful to the plant, and what is the nature of the use in each case?

Some very wild answers were returned. Phosphorus and carbon were even stated to be gases by some candidates. A few, however, showed real knowledge.

STAGE 2.

Results: 1st Class, 16; 2nd Class, 61; Failed, 9; Total, 86.

Q. 21. Refer the specimen placed before you to its natural order, giving your reasons describe it, taking its organs (when present) in the following order :

22. When a leafy shoot is gathered it soon begins to wither. Explain as fully as you can the nature of the events that lead to "withering."

This question was very unevenly answered. The principal source of mistakes lay in confusing turgidity of the cells with nutrition, and with photosynthesis.

Q. 23. Describe fully the flowers of the campanula, and show how the seeds of this plant are dispersed.

Few appreciated the mechanism for ensuring cross pollination, and no one explained correctly how the seeds are dispersed.