“We now having visited all the lakes, take a look at Lodi, the famous cheese market in Italy; after which we visit Verona, where Pliny the naturalist was born, also Paul Veronese. Shakespeare lays the scene of his play ‘Romeo and Juliet’ in Verona. The short time we have we spend at Venice, the queen of the Italian citys (_sic_) with its wonderful canals and the marvellous cathedral of St Mark’s, also the dark, gloomy palace of the Doge.” _Q._ How are the following seeds dispersed:—Birch, Pine, Dandelion, Balsam, Broom? Give diagrams and observations. (Book studied, Mrs Brightwen’s _Glimpses into Plant Life_.) F. (aged 13):— “The seeds of the Birch are very small, with two wings, one on each side, so that in a high wind numbers of them are blown on to high places, such as crevises (_sic_) on the face of a rock, or crevises (_sic_) on a church tower, or the tower of an old ruin. They are so light that they are carried a long way. “The seeds of the Pine are very small, and the veins in the seed are wriggly, so that the seed is curly, which makes it whirl rapidly in the air, and the whirling motion carries it along a little way before it rests on the ground. It has two small wings. “The seeds of the Dandilion (_sic_) are large, with a kind of silky parashute (_sic_) attached, so that when they fall off they do not fall to the ground, but are carried a little way because the wind catches the under part of the parashute (_sic_). The seed has a little hook at the top of it which prevents it from being pulled out of the ground by the parashute (_sic_) after it is once in. “The Balsam seed case splits when the seeds are ripe and sends them flying in all directions, so they are far enough dispersed, and need no wings or parashutes (_sic_) to help them. “The Broom seed case is a carpel, more like that of the sweet pea. When the seeds are ripe the two sides of the carpel split open and curl up like springs and send the seeds flying out, so they are dispersed without needing wings or parachutes.” _Q._ Describe the tissue of a potato and of a piece of rhubarb. (Book studied, Oliver’s _Elementary Botany_.) G. (aged 13):—