Q. 33. State the circumstances under which you would expect to find the following:-Vorticella, Cordylophora, Bugula, Dytiscus, Chironomus, Chiton, Sepia, and Amphioxus.

Fairly well answered. Some had evidently not personally collected the animals in question.

Q. 34. Describe the heart and chief blood-vessels in the leading types of Vertebrata, and contrast the conditions seen in Perca, Columba, and Lepus.

Correct enough so far as the answers went. There were usually some omissions.

Q. 35. Compare the respiratory organs of Amphioxus with those of Ascidia and of Raia-how do all these differ from the respiratory organs of Mya and of Cancer?

Only moderately answered. There was some want of appreciation of the fundamental differences involved.

Q. 36. Give an account of the vertebrate renal organs with special reference to the conditions found in the frog, the rabbit, and the dogfish.

Not well done by the few candidates who attempted the question.

Q. 37. Give a classification of the Mollusca; place Mya, Chiton, Helix, Buccinum, and Sepia in their proper groups, and discuss the modifications of the nervous system found in these types.

Only taken by three candidates, and not very well done.

Q. 38. Give a full account of the mouth-organs of the cockroach and of the odontophore of Buccinum, explaining the action of the parts in each case.

The cockroach was done better than the Buccinum. The latter part of the question was very feebly answered-if attempted at all.

HONOURS.

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

Q. 41. Describe fully Antedon, or Lepas; refer it to its group, and state where it is found.

Not taken by the candidates.

Q. 42. Describe in detail the life-history of Ascidia and discuss its significance.

Not taken.

Q. 43. Write an account of—

The formation of coral reefs and islands,

or Parasitism.

Parasitism treated well, coral reefs not so well.

Q. 44. Classify either the Mollusca or the Fishes, giving illustrative genera of each group. .

Mollusca satisfactorily done, Fishes less well.

Q. 45. Describe four of the following larvæ, and state what adult animals they respectively belong to :-Planula, Pluteus, Nauplius, Trochophore, Veliger, Zoea, Pilidium.

Fairly well answered.

Q. 46. Give an account either of the surface life of the sea around the coast of England, or of the characters of the Australian land fauna.

Australian fauna taken and only moderately well done.

Report on the Examinations in Botany.

EVENING EXAMINATION.

STAGE 1.

Results 1st Class, 194; 2nd Class, 291; Failed, 142; Total, 627.

The work, on the whole, was very satisfactory and shewed evidence of good and careful teaching. Many candidates shewed a creditable grasp of principles, but more care must be devoted to observation and drawing of actual specimens.

Q. 1. Describe the specimen placed before you. Sketch it, and name the parts. (You are expected to dissect it sufficiently to enable you to identify and describe its principal features.)

The specimen set was Pyrus Japonica. It was generally well done, although many were puzzled by the stipules.

Q. 2. What is meant by sympodial branching? Explain your answer by means of diagrams, and describe one example of a sympodium that you may have studied.

This was often well done, though the sketches were frequently careless. Q. 3. What functions other than the absorption of water do roots perform? Illustrate your answer by descriptions of any examples you may select.

The answers were uneven. Some were very good, and shewed a familiar acquaintance with the functions of roots, whilst others practically knew nothing beyond the statement conveyed in the question.

Q. 4. Describe fully what structures you would expect to find in a cross-section of a 3 year old branch of such a tree as a willow. Illustrate your answer by sketches.

Nearly always very badly done. It is quite surprising that such an object should be so unfamiliar. The hand lens seems not to be intelligently used on such objects although nearly all the chief points of structure can be made out by its aid. Most knew nothing beyond blackboard demonstrations.

Q. 5. What is the use of starch to a plant? Where is it found, and what structures does it show?

Very few seem to have realized that starch is an insoluble reserve of food. The knowledge of its structure was very superficial.

Q. 6. Describe and explain as far as you can the appearance of a potato that has sprouted (1) in a dark cellar (2) on the surface of the soil.

Often very well done.

Q. 7. What are the principal modes in which seeds are dispersed? Describe the mode of dispersal in gorse (Ulex), violet, willow, blackberry.

The answers were disappointing as a whole. made, but a few candidates who had evidently themselves secured high marks.

Many wild guesses were examined the objects for

Q. 8. Describe the structure of a bulb, e.g., that of a daffodil, and explain

how such a bulb is formed.

Some good answers were sent in, but most candidates are ignorant of the real morphological nature of the bulb.

Q. 9. Many plants when wounded allow a milky juice to exude. What is this juice, and what do you know of its occurrence in plants? Very few attempted this question successfully-a surprising result considering how commonly latex occurs.

Q. 10. What is meant by a biennial? How does it differ from (a) an annual, (b) a perennial? Give two examples of each of these three classes of plants.

Generally well answered.

Q. 11. In what respects does a flower of the Deadnettle (a) resemble (b) differ from, that of a Borage or a Forget-me-not?

Very unevenly done. More training in drawing useful comparisons is needed.

STAGE 2.

Results: 1st Class, 89; 2nd Class, 274; Failed, 76; Total, 439.

The general standard reached by Stage 2 candidates is rather low, and the quality of the work relatively much poorer than that of Stage 1. The teaching up to this stage is evidently beyond many of those responsible for the candidates.

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

The specimen set was Rosmarinus officinalis. It was generally fairly well done, though there was much carelessness shewn in details.

Q. 22. What is meant by an albuminous and an exalbuminous seed respectively? Describe carefully any albuminous seed of a dicotyledon which you may have studied.

A very large proportion of utterly worthless answers were sent in. Many candidates still seem to be unaware of the occurrence of examples amongst dicotyledons, and often instanced wheat or maize !

Q. 23. How would you show that plants respond to the stimulus of gravity? What conditions must be present in order that they may be able to respond, and what experiments would you perform to illustrate your statement.

Comparatively few students showed acquaintance with any form of klinostat, and on the whole the answers were decidedly poor.

Q. 24. Explain why it is that in the early summer it is easy to detach the bark from a willow twig, and why it is more difficult to do this in the late summer.

This question which required a little independent thought was very badly done. Scarcely anyone connected the difference with the way in which new tissue is formed in the stem.

Q. 25. Describe the gynæcium, and also the fruit, of the Primulaceae, and compare them with the corresponding structures of the Caryophyllaceæ.

The answers were not good. Very few seemed to point beyond blackboard illustration. Candidates in this stage are expected to have some knowledge of the range of form met with in, at any rate, common British representatives of the orders prescribed for special study.

Q. 26. What is a sporangium? In what respect does a sporangium differ from a seed?

The answers were very confused, and the homologies were often either left untouched or entirely misunderstood.

Q. 27. Write a short account of the life-history of the moss, and explain the use of the peristome in these plants.

This was often well done, but the use of the peristome was often not understood.

Q. 28. Describe the changes which occur in the female cone of a pine from the time of pollination up to the dispersal of the seeds. Illustrate your answer by sketches.

Often very well done.

Q. 29. Give a short account of the structure of a lichen. In what kinds of localities do lichens chiefly occur?

A fair knowledge was shewn, and some really excellent answers were sent in.

Q. 30. How would you determine experimentally the source from which green plants obtain the carbon they require ? Sketch the apparatus you would employ.

Generally badly done. Many of the suggested experiments were quite imaginary and would not work in practice. But a few good answers were returned.

Q. 31. Describe, with illustrative sketches, the ways in which roots branch.

Generally very badly done. Great confusion was shewn between roots and stems in respect to their modes of branching.

STAGE 3.

Results 1st Class, 8; 2nd Class, 25; Failed, 19; Total, 52.

Some of the candidates attempting this stage had clearly never really gone through any advanced course of training, and the general average was somewhat low.

Q. 41. Describe the specimen provided. Dissect it so as to enable you to see its various parts, and make sketches so as to fully illustrate its structure, so far as it can be seen with the aid of a simple lens.

A considerable amount of "cram" was shown. Much absolutely irrelevant matter was introduced and the order, which was not asked for, was commonly given as Saxifragaceæ. The specimen set was Staphylea pinnata. Q. 42. Give a short account of the existing Lycopodineæ. What light has a study of fossils thrown on the affinities of the genera composing the group?

Sometimes really well done, and these candidates showed evidence of having really seen many of the things they wrote about.

Q. 43. Under what circumstances may alcohol be formed in green plants? How would you identify its presence, and what do you regard as the meaning of its occurrence?

No real knowledge on this subject was shown at all. The whole physiology of respiration was commonly misunderstood.

Q. 44. The Rosacea are often said to be closely related to the Leguminosa. On what evidence does this statement rest?

This question was very badly done indeed, although it was often attempted. Hardly anyone seemed to know anything of the Leguminosa, except as exemplified by the pea or bean!

Q. 45. Give some account of mycorrhiza, and discuss its significance in the economy of the plant.

Often rather well done.

Q. 46. Give an account of either the Truffle fungi, or of the Erysipheæ. Very seldom attempted. Many confused the Truffle with forms like Scleroderma.

Q. 47. Write a short essay on parasites and the evolution of the parasitic habit in plants.

The answers were rather rambling and little grasp of the matter was shewn.

Q. 48. Give an account of the experimental evidence on which our knowledge as to the relation of light to photosynthesis is based. A few good answers, but the majority of those who attempted the question had none but the most elementary knowledge.

HONOURS.

Results 1st Class, ; 2nd Class, 3; Failed, 10; Total 13.

The majority of candidates presenting themselves for this examination were quite inadequately prepared. But on the other hand, a few of those who were successful sent in good answers, showing considerable knowledge and independant thought.

On the whole the work compares well with that of recent years.

HONOURS PRACTICAL EXAMINATION.

Four candidates presented themselves. One of them was a decided failure, and shewed no evidence of really advanced knowledge of the subject.

Those who passed exhibited an imperfect acquaintance with the principles of chemistry and physics, which prevented their acquitting themselves well in the physiological part of the examination.

The candidates were tested by an examination partly consisting of practical work and partly viva voce.

DAY EXAMINATION.

STAGE 1.

Results 1st Class, 39; 2nd Class, 34; Failed, 21; Total, 94.

The

The answers to the questions in Stage 1 call for no special comment. These are, on the whole, more mediocre than those of last year. detailed criticisms of the answers are given below.

Q. 1. Describe the specimen placed before you. Sketch it, and name the parts. (You are expected to dissect it sufficiently to enable you to identify and describe its principal features).

The specimen set was Papaver nudicaule. The descriptions were uneven, and candidates often lost marks because they failed to examine the structure, especially of the gynæcium, sufficiently. The sketches were, however, sometimes remarkably good. Many candidates made a guess at the natural order, although it was not asked for, and generally were unsuccessful in the attempt.