i LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN 580.(5 LP 1 848/55 CENTRAL CIRCULATION AND BOOKSTACKS The person borrowing this material is responsible for its renewal or return before the Latest Date stamped below. You may be charged a minimum fee of $75.00 for each non-returned or lost item. Theft, mutilation, or defacement of library materials can be causes for student disciplinary action. All materials owned by the University of Illinois Library are the property of the State of Illinois and are protected by Article 1 6B of Illinois Criminal Law and Procedure. TO RENEW, CALL (217) 333-8400. University of Illinois Library at Urbana-Champaign Sie 1 9 2008 When renewing by phone, write new due date below previous due date. LI 62 'Zk^jsS PROCEEDINGS ^ V LINNEAN SOCIETY or LONDON. VOL. II. nifn I. From November 1848 to June 11855. <^ / 1 1 1^ ''^ PRINTED FOR THE SOCIETY, BY TAYLOR AND FRANCIS, RED LION COURT, FLEET STREET. 1855. LIST OF PAPERS. page Adam, Walter, Esq., M.D. On the Osteological relations observable among a few species of the Bovine Family 332 Alexander, Richard Chandler, M.D., F.L.S. Notes on the Leaf of Giiarea grandifolia, Dec 129 Allemao, Dr. Francisco Freire. Extract from a Memoir on the Origin and Development of Vessels in Monocotyledonous and Dicotyledonous Plants 361 Babington, Charles Card.ale, Esq., F.R.S., F.L S. Notes on Potamogeton fiabellatus, Bab., a new British species ... 259 Battka, M. J. B. Notice of the Characters and Synonyms of the genus Senna 281 Bell, Thomas, Esq., President. Anniversary Address, 1854 296 ■ — , 1855 385 Hor(B Carcinologicce, or Notices of Crustacea : — I. A Monograph of Leucosiadce, with Observations on the relations, structure, h;i1)its and distribution of the family, a revision of the generic characters and descriptions of new genera and species 428 Berkeley, Rev. Michael John, F.L.S. Note on Edible species of Nostoc, from the Arctic Regions and Mountains of Centi-al Asia 166 On two new genera of Fungi 197 Blackwall, John, Esq., F.L.S. Ex))eriments and Observations on the Poison of Animals of the Order Araneidea 13 BoLLAERT, William, Esq. Observations on the Botany of Texas 95, 9/ Bromfield, William Arnold, M.D., F.L.S. Observations on a new form of Luzula, from the Isle of Wight... 53 Brown, Robert, Esq., D.C.L., President. On the Origin and Mode of Propagation of the Gulf-weed 77 BucKTON, George Bowdler, Esq., F.L.S. Notice of several species of Bats, captiu-ed in England during the present Autumn 259 BuisT, Dr. George. On the Construction of the Nest of a species of Mason- Wasp in the neighbom'hood of Bombay 333* B'jNBURY, Charles James Fox, Esq., F.R.S., F.L.S. Notes on the Vegetation of Buenos Ayres and the neighbouring Districts 214, 220 IV page Champion, Capt. On the Temstroemiaceous Plants of Hong Kong 98 Clarke, Benjamin, Esq., F.L.S. Memoir on the position of Carpels when two and when single, including Outlines of a new Method of Arrangement of the Orders of Exogens and Observations on the Structure of Ovaries consisting of a single Carpel 101, 105 Supplementary Note to ditto 117 On the position of the Raphe in Anatropal Ovules 147 On the Embryo of Nelumbium 340 Notes on Cephalotecs and Belvisiacece 342 Clarke, Joshua, Esq., F.L.S. Observations on the Parasitic Habits of Rhinanthus Crista Gain, L., and its injurious effects on the growth of Barley ... 265 CoLEBRooKE, Henry Thomas, Esq., F.R.S., F.L.S. Remarks on Dr. Roxburgh's Memoir on the Aloe-wood Tree ... 124 Curtis, John, Esq., F.L.S. On the Economy of a new species of Saw-fly 66 Notice regarding a Weevil of the Vine and its Parasite 265 On the genus Myrmica and other Ants — 288 Remarks relative to the Affinities and Analogies of Natural Ob- jects, more particularly of Hypocephalus, a genus of Coleoptera 291 Daniell, George, Esq. Notes on the Habits oi Myrmica domestica, Shuck., together with some account of a means of turning the industry of this minute Ant to account in the preparation of skeletons of small Animals 1/2 Notes on the Habits of the Common Garden Ant, Formica nigra, L 290 FoRSTER, Thomas, M.B., F.L.S. On the present Season in relation to Birds and other Natural Phsenomena 146 GcEPPERT, Heinrich, Prof., F.M.L.S. Remarks on Fossil Palms 352 Graham, Frederick J., Esq., F.L.S. On the Injuries sustained by certain Plants from the attacks of parasitic Fungi, with particular reference to the Cause of the Potato Disease 1 Griffith, William, Esq., F.L.S. Papers transmitted by John McClelland, Esq., F.L.S 252 Hamilton, Buchanan, M.D., F.R.S., F.L.S. Commentary on the Ninth Pai-t of Van Rheede's " Hortus Mala- baricus" 127, 1/8 Hance, H. F., Esq., Ph.D. On the Structure of the Fruit in Punica 96 Henfrey, Arthur, Esq., F.R.S., F.L.S. On the Development of the Embrj-o in Orchis Morio, L o. 26 On the Development of the Spores and Elaters of Marchantia polymorpha, L 61 On the Development of Ferns from their Spores 203 Remarks on the so-called Eye-spot of the Infusoria and Micro- scopic Algm 2^6 Notes on the Elaters of Trichia 279 V page IIiNCKs, Rev. William, F.L.S. Note on the Nature of Fasciated Stems 215 Hogg, John, Esq., F.R.S., F.L.S. On a double variety oi Matricaria Chamomilla, L 2 On a large and remarkable Wasps' Nest 33 On the Artificial Introduction of a breed of Salmon into the River Swale, &c 178 On the Artificial Breeding of Salmon and Trout, with Remarks on the Modes of Fecundating their Ova 246 Notice of the appearance of Myriads of a species of Aphis in the North of England, during the present Autumn 261 On the external Membrane of the unimpreguated and impregnated Ova of the Common Salmon 330 On the occurrence of a large specimen of Tunny {Thynnus vul- garis, Cuv.), in the River Tees 348, 360 IIoLDswoRTH, A. H., Esq. Notes on the Dry-rot, as observed in the Church of Kuig's Wear, Devonshire 80 Hooker, Joseph Dalton, Esq., M.D., F.R.S., F.L.S. Note on the OccvuTence of an Edible Nostoc in the Arctic Regions and in the Mountains of Central Asia 166 On some remarkable Spherical Exostoses developed on the Roots of various species of Coniferce 335* On the Structure and Affinities of the Natural Order of Balano- phorecB 369, 436 , and Thomson, Thomas, Esq., M.D., F.R.S., F.L.S. , On Hodgsonia, Hook. fil. et Thoms., a new and remarkable genus of Cucurbitacece 257 On Decaisnea, a remarkable new genus of the tribe of Lardiza- balem 349 Huxley, William, Esq., F.R.S. Ou the Anatomy and Physiology of Physalia, and on its place in the System of Animals 3, 4 On the Anatomy of Diphyes, and on the Unity of Composition of the Diphyidce and Physophoridce 15, 60, 65, 67 Kennedy, Benjamin, Esq., F.L.S. Description of a supposed Fossil from South Africa 127 KiPPisT, Richard, Esq., Libr.L.S. Note on Mr. Woods's Paper on the various forms of Salicornin . 112 On Acradenia, a new genus of Diosmece 200 Knox, Robert, M.D. On the food of certain Gregarious Fishes 354 Lankester, Edwin, M.D., F.R.S., F.L.S. Notice of a peculiar Structure of the Cells on the surface of Cul- litriche verna, L 94 LiNNE, Charles von. Almanac Notes for the year 1735, translated from the Swedish by Nathaniel Wallich, M.D., F.R.S., V.P.L.S. &c 5 Letter to the Rev. John White, communicated by John Gould, Esq., F.L.S 31 Extract from a Manuscript Account of his Journey in Dalecarlia in 1734, in the possession of the Society 114 LoAVE, Edward Joseph, Esq. Catalogue of Land and Freshwater Mollusca found in the neigh- bourhood of Nottingham 117 VI page MiERS, John, Esq., F.R.S., F.L.S. On the Family of Trmriacete 71j .72 Ou two Genera of Plants from the Cordillera of Chili 154 On the correctness of the jiosition assigned to Oxycladvs in the family of Bignoniacece 270 On the Structure of the Seed and pecuhai- Form of the Embryo in ClusiacecB 333, 343 Notes on Dr. AUemao's Memoir on the Origin and Development of Vessels in Monocotyledonous and Dicotyledonous Plants . . . 364 Moore, David, Esq., A.L.S. On the Introduction oi Anacharis Alsinastrum, Bab., into Ireland 269 Moore, Thomas, Esq., F.L.S. Descriptions of two new Swan River PapilionacecB 202 On Venation as a generic character in Ferns ; with Observations on the genera Hewardia, J. Smith, and Cionidium, Moore ... 210 Notes on some Fei-ns in the Wallichian Herbarium 285 Nem^port, George, Esq., F.R.S., F.L.S. On the Anatomy and Development of certain Chalcididce and Ichneumonidce, compared with their special (Economy and In- stincts ; with Descriptions of a new genus and s])ecies of Bee- Parasite, Part I 23 , Part II 34 On Ichneumon Atropos, Curt 54 I'm'ther Observations on the habits of Monodontomerus, with some account of a new Acarus, Heteropus ventricosua, a. Para- site in the nests of Antlwphora retusa 70 Further Observations on the genus Anthophorahia, Newp 169 ' Additional Note to his Memoir on Ichneumon Airo[jos, Curt 213 On the Ocelli in the genus Anthophorahia, Newp 219 Notes on the Dipterous Parasites which attack the Common Earwig and the Emperor Moth 247 On the Reproduction of lost parts in Earthworm s 256 Nicholson, B. A. R., M.D. Notes ou Bdellium 125 Peach, Charles W., Esq Notes on the Habits oi Medusa and of small Fishes 280 Ralph, Thomas Shearman, Esq., A.L.S. Sketch of the Vegetation around Wellington, New Zealand 250 Roxburgh, William, M.D., F.L.S. On the Aquilaria Agallocha, Roxb., the Agallochum or Aloe- wood Tree of Commerce , 123 SCHLAGINTWEIT, Dr. AdOLPH. Summary of the principal Results of the Investigations of him- self and his brother into the Vegetation of the Alps 1 02 ScHOMBURGK, Sir Robert Henry, Ph.D. On the Forest-trees of British Guiana and their Uses in Civil and Naval Architecture , 158 Seemann, Berthold, Ph.D., F.L.S. Remarks on Sarsaparillas 262 Notes on the Natural Order Crescentiaceee 268 On the identity of Finns hirtella and Pinus religiosa of Humboldt, Bonpland and Kunth 351 On the " Oro Vegetal," or Vegetable Gold of Mexico 436 VI 1 page Smith, Frederick, Esq. Notice of a species of Monodontomerus, parasitic in the cells of Anthophora retusa 29 Thomson, Thomas, Esq., M.D., F.R.S., F.L.S. See Hooker, J. D., Esq., M.D. Thwaites, G. H. K., Esq., F.L.S. Note on the genus Ancistrocladus of Wallich 284 VoGEL, Dr. Edward. Extracts from a Letter, giving some Account of the Botanical features of the region between Tripoli and Momzouk 274 Wakefield, Robert, Esq., F.L.S. On some of the Habits of Ants 293 Wallich, Nathaniel, Esq., M.D., F.R.S., V.P.L.S. Translation fi'om the Swedish, of Almanac Notes for the year 173o, bv Charles von Linne 5 Translation from the Swedish, of a Notice concerning Linnaus's Iter Dalecarlicum, extracted from a Letter of Mr. Charles Hartman, M.A 114 Notes on the Germination of sixteen hundred and forty -three species of Plants 12/ Welwitsch, Dr. Frederick. Extracts from a Letter to Richard Kippist, Esq., Libr.L.S., on the Botany of Western Africa 327 Westwood, John Obadiah, Esq., F.L.S. Description of Melitiobia Audouinii, a Bee-Parasite 3/ Descriptions of seventeen new species of the Coleopterous Famil}- Patissides 55 Description of two new species of Paussldce from Australasia ... 100 Notice of the Discovery in England of a new genus and species of Amphipodous Crustacea {Niphargus stygiiis, Schiodte) 218 Notice of a species of Carabideous Insect, Helluo {Acunthogenys) myrinecophilus, Westw., found, together with its larva, in Ants' Nests in Ceylon 435 On the Lan'fe of Coleopterous Insects 436 White, Adam, Esq., F.L.S. Note on the Natural History of Shetland 157 On the Baladeva Walkeri, Waterh., aud on the Affinities of Hy- pocephalus 294 On a new species of Anomourous Crustacea, belonging to the family Homolides, found by Mr. Wm. Lobb, at jVIouterey in California 329 Wilson, A., Esq. Extracts of Letters on textile plants growing in the Island of Jamaica 340 Woods, Joseph, Esq., F.L.S. Remarks on the genus Atriplex, L 30 On the various Forms of Salicornia 1 09 Yarrell, William, Esq., V.P.L.S. On the Habits and Structvu-e of the Great Bustard (0?is tarda, L.) 20/ Yates, James, Esq., F.R.S., F.L.S. Obsenations on various species of the Natiu*al Order Cycadea... 15 Observations on the Inflorescence of Cycas revoluta aud Macrn- zamin spiralis 253 SHORT COMMUNICATIONS. page Adams, Arthur, Esq., F.L.S. Notice of a species of Spider from Madagascar, collected by Capt. Sir E. Belcher .'. 2 Adamson, Dr. Notice of several Vegetable Fossils from S. Africa 145 Alexander, Richard Chandler, Esq., M.D., F.L.S. Notice of various specimens from the Island of Jamaica 340 Bates, H. W., Esq. On the sexes of Termites 333* Bell, Thomas, Esq., President. Notice of some specimens of the Megalopoid form of the genus Planes ......333* Bentley, Robert, Esq., F.L.S. Exhibition of fibres used in the manufacture of Paper 436 BoRRER, William, Esq., Jun., F.L.S. Notice oi Motacilla alba, L., killed at Lancing in Sussex 245 Brocas, Frederick, Esq. Notice of an Exhibition of leaf-skeletons, &c 343 Brow^n, Robert, Esq., D.C.L., President. Notice of the Victoria Water-Lily 17 Notice of trunks of Winter's Bark Trees ( Wintera Magellanica), cut down in 1826 by Capt. P. P. King, R.N 95 Notice of the Structure of the stems of Kingia australis, R. Br., audi Xanthorrhma arborea, R. Br 113 Notice of the Dioecious character of the three known species of Rafflesia 128 Notice of a new species of fossil Cycadea {Cyeadites Saxbyanus, R. Br.), from the Isle of Wight 130 BuNBURY, Charles James Fox, Esq., F.R.S., F.L.S. Notice of the occurrence of a specimen of the Hoopoe in the English Channel 327 Clarke, Joshua, Esq., F.L.S. Notice ofFilago Jussicei and Melilotus arvensis, found near Saffron Walden, Essex 2 Couch, Jonathan, Esq., F.L.S. Notice of the discovery of a species of Onchidium on the Coast of Cornwall 152 Gould, John, Esq., F.R.S., F.L.S. Notice of a new species oi Menura {M. Alberti) 67 Notice oi Balmniceps Rex 10.9 Hance, H. F., Esq., Ph.D. Notice of his Paper on the Island and Flora of Hong Kong 213 IX page Hawker, Rev. William Henry. Extract of a Letter to the President 359 Hogg, John, Esq., F.R.S., F.L.S. Notice of a variety of Hordeiim hexastickon, L 61 Notice of a double variety of Scabiosa arvensis, L 64 Notice of Grapes ripened out of doors in the County of Durham, m lat. 54° 35' N .' 153 Notice of the Capture of two species of Pipe-fish, Syngnathus Typhle, L., and S. eequoreus, L 157 Notice of an Umbellate variety of the Common Primrose 246 Iliff, William Tiffin, Esq., M.D., F.L.S. Notice of some pharmaceutical simples from Peru 343 Layard, E L., Esq Notice of the Timber-trees of Ceylon 287 LlEBMANN, M. Notice of h s Paper on the Impregnation of Cycadece 69 LoFTUs, W. K., Esq. Notice of Plants producing foetid Gums, in a Letter from Kir- rind in Persia 152 Matchwick, Mr. Notice of the Tussack Grass of the Falkland Islands 127 Meisner, Dr. C. F. Notice of his Memoir entitled " New ProteacecB of Australia "... 361 MiLLiGAN, Jo.^EPH, Esq., F.L.S. Notice of present of Natural Productions of Van Diemeu's Land, from the Exhibition of the Industry of all Nations 153 Motley, James, Esq. Notice of his Letters on the Camphor Tree of Bonico 177 Muller, Dr. Ferdinand. Notice of his Paper on the Flora of South Australia displayed ... 206 Notice of his Paper on the Vegetation of the District surrounding Lake Torrens, &c 207 Newman, Edward, Esq., F.L.S. Notice of two species of Ferns found in Scotland 245 Notice of the discovery of Ophioglossura Lusitanicum, L., in Guernsey 279 Newport, George, Esq., F.R.S., F.L.S. &c. Notice of his Obser^'ations on the Impregnation of the Ovum in Amphibia 145 Pereira, Jonathan, M.D., F.L.S. Notice of a specimen of Myrospermum, &c 101 Halph, Thomas Shearman, Esq., A.L.S. Notice of an Earthquake at Sea between New Zealand and Port Phillip 250 Salmon, John Drew, Esq., F.L.S. Notice of two specimens of Kestrels, prepared in a new manner. 326 Saunders, William Wilson, Esq., F.R.S., F.L.S. Notice of a species of Cyclamen (probably C. hedercefolium, Dec.) found by him near Hastings 98 X page Scott, A. W., Esq., M.A. Notice of an intended AVork on Australian Lepidoptera and their Transformations, and of the Drawings prepared for it 17- Seemann, Berthold, Esq., Ph.D., F.L.S. Notes written dui-ing the Voyage of H. M.S. Herald 7^ Smith, Sir James Edward (the late), Pres.L.S. Extracts from two Letters to the late Jonas Dr)'ander, Esq., V.P.L.S 69 Spruce, Richard, Esq. Extracts fi'om a Letter addressed to Sii- W. J. Hooker, F.R.S., F.L.S 354 Stevens, Samuel, Esq., F.L.S. Notice of a Collection of Insects lately received from Mr. R. Fortune, from Northern China 287 Notice of a Cone oi Araucaria Cookii, and oi Stangeria paradoxa from Natal 340 Notice of a new Butterfly [Ornithoptera Brookeana, Wallace) from Borneo 428 Treviranus, Prof., L. C, F.M.L.S. Letter accomijanying a present of a Collection of Original Letters from John Christian Daniel von Schreber, r.nd Xavier Wulfen to Albert William Ivoth 145 Varley, Cornelius, Esq. Notice of Drawings illustrative of the Structure and Circulation in diiferent species of Chara 64 Wallich, Nathaniel, M.D., F.R.S., V.P.L.S. Notices and Anecdotes of John Christian Daniel von Schreber, chiefly derived from Dr. E. W. Martius's ' Erinnerungen ' 69 Ward, Nathaniel Bagshaw, Esq., F.R.S., F.L.S. Notice of some new and remarkable species oi AlgcB found in Ceylon by Dr. W. H. Harvey 287 Notice of the discovery in Ireland of Desmarestia pinnatinervia, Montague, and of two American species of Trichomanes 287 Notice of the growth of Gymnogramma leptophylla, Desv., in a closed case 288 Notice of Gentiana verna, L., and Andromeda tefragona, L 291 Notice of the difi'erences between two sets of specimens of Asple- nium lanceolatum, from Jersey 347 Notice of Alpine Plants flowering on peaty banks in his gai'den at Clapham 428 Westwood, John Obadiah, Esq., F.L.S. Notice of a new species of the genus Achias, Fabr 3 Notice of five new species of Paussidce, from Mozambique, and of five Australian species o( Adelotopus 13 Notice of the occurrence for the first time in England of Chelura terebrans 13 Notice of Protuberances on the branches of a Pear-tree caused by the punctures of a species of Aphis 65 Notice of a large Wingless Bii-d, observed by Capt. Poole in Lord Howe's Island, S. Pacific 105 Supplementary Notice of ditto 1 45 XI page Notice of his Exhibition of a Volume of Autograph Letters addressed to Philip Miller by Linnaeus and others 245 Notice of a Collection of Insects made by Capt. Slater at Darjeel- ing and in other parts of India 288 White, Adam, Esq., F.L.S. Notice of three species of Hemiptera belonging to the genera Scaptocoris and Petalochirus, with remarks on fossorial In- sects, &c 13 Notice of a Paper on the Animals known to the Ancients, with especial reference to those sculptured on the Monuments of Nineveh 15, 23 Notice of Mr. Gosse's Drawings of Rotifer a, &c 96 Notice of the perforation by Anobium striatum, of a Wooden Cistern lined with lead 153 Notice of the flowering of Alpine and Arctic Plants immediately on the disappearance of the Snow ... 177 Notice on the Structure and AiRnities of Hypocephalus artnatus, Desm 288 Notice of a Collection of Thibetan Coleopterous Insects made by Dr. Thomas Thomson, F.L.S 295 Woods, Joseph, Esq., F.L.S. Notice of his Botanical Notes made during a Tom* in France 169, 171 Yarrell, William, Esq., V.P.L.S. Notice of the growth of a Cedar at Bishop's Stortford, Herts ... 166 Notice of a specimen of the Sooty Tern {Sterna fuliginosa. Lath.) killed at Burtoii-on-Tient 213 Notice of a specimen of the Dusky Petrel {Puffinus obscurus) taken off the South Coast of Ireland 245 Yates, James, Esq., F.R.S., F.L.S. Notice of Ceanothus thyrsiflorus, Eschsch 54 OBITUARY NOTICES. page AiKiN, Arthur 305 Aiton, William Tovvnsend 82 Allan, James, M.D 180 Audubon, John James 130 Barrow, Sir John, Bart 38 Beaufoy, Hemy 180 Bennett, George, 39 Bicheno, James Ebenezer ... 180 Bird, Golding, M.D 404 Blainville, Henri M. Ducrotay de 91 Bromfield, William Arnold, M.D 182 Bromhead, Sir Edward Thomas Ffrench, Bart 405 Brown, John, M.D 132 Brownlow, The Right Hon. John Cust, Earl 306 Buch, Baron Leopold von ... 241 Cameron, David 50 Cartwright, Richard 406 Charlton, Edwin Charles 39 Children, John George 183 Cox, Joseph Cox, M.D 185 Cripps, John Marten 231 Davy, David Elisha 185 De la Beche, Sir Henry Thomas, Knt., C.B 406 Derbishire, Philip, M.D 232 Derby, The Right Hon. the Earl of 186 Dickson, Sir David James Hamilton, Knt., M.D 84 Doubleday, Edward 84 Downes, Henry, Comm. R.N. . 187 Ducane, Charles, Capt. R.N... 132 Duke, Rev. Edward, M.A. ... 232 Endlicher, Stephen Ladislaus . 49 Fielding, Henry B 188 Fischer, Friedrich Ernst Lud- wig von 419 Fisher, Gotthelf Friedrich 318 Forbes, Sir Charles Fergusson, M.D 188 page Forbes, Edward 408 Forster, Edward 39 Foster, Thomas Henry 306 Francis, Rev. Robert Bransby, M.A 132 Gardiner, William 244 Gardner, George 40 Gaudichaud, Charles 320 Gibbes, Sir George Smith, M.D. 188 Gordon, William, M.D 44 Greeuough, George Bellas ... 412 Hailstone, Samuel 189 Harwood, John, M.D 413 Hasted, Rev. Henry, M.A. ... 233 Heron, Sir Robert, Bart 414 Home, Edward, B.C.L 132 Ingpen, Abel 425 Jacob,Rev. Stephen Long, M.A. 133 Jameson, Robert 306 Jussieu, Adrien de 321 Kidd, John, M.D 189 Kirby, Rev. William, M.A. ... 133 Kunth, Karl Sigismund 92 Landsborongh, Rev. David, D.D 426 Ledebour, Karl Friedrich von. 193 Lemann,CharlesMorgan,M.D. 234 Link, Heinrich Friedrich 139 Lloyd, William Horton 45 Luxford, George 426 Lyell, Charles 87 M'^Ajthur, Duncan, M.D 414 Macfadyen, James, M.D 135 Mackinnon, Donald 88 MacLeay, Alexander 45 M-^Nab, William 52 Mantell, Gideon Algernon, LL.D 235 Meyer, Carl Anton 422 Milne, Joshua 136 Mirbel, Charles Fran9ois Bris- seau de 423 Munro, Donald 237 Murray, John 191 Xlll page Neill, Patrick, LL.D 191 Newport, George 309 Northampton, Spencer Joshua AlwyneCompton, Marquis of 137 Norwich, Edward, Lord Bishop of 88 Pereira, Jonathan, M.D 237 Petit, Louis Hayes 90 Pilkington, William 47 Raphael, Alexander 137 Rashleigh, William 414 Reich, Gottfried Christian ... 143 Reinwardt, Kaspar Georg Karl 322 Richard, Achille 243 Ridout, John 415 Saint-Hilaire, Auguste de 323 Savigny, Jules Cesar de 194 Schouw, Joachim Frederic ... 195 Schwaegrichen, Christian Fried- rich 325 Sowerby, George Brettingham 415 page Stephens, James Francis 239 Stocks, John EUerton 416 Stokes, Charles 312 Streeten, Robert James NichoU, M.D 48 Symons, Rev. Jelinger, M.A. . 192 Thackeray, George, D.D 138 Thomson, Anthony Todd, M.D. 91 Thomson, James 138 Thomson, Thomas, M.D 240 Wahlenberg, George 143 Wall, Charles Baring 313 WalHch, Nathaniel, M.D 314 Walter, John Frederick, M.D. 48 Wilson, James Hewetson, B.A. 139 Wing, William Edward 417 Winterbottom, James Edward 418 Wintle, Frederick Thomas, M.D 241 Wray, Robert 139 PROCEEDINGS LINNEAN SOCIETY OF LONDON. November 7, 1848. Edward Forster, Esq., V.P., in the Chair. A paper was read by F. J. Graham, Esq., F.L.S., " On the In- juries sustained by certain Plants from the attacks of parasitic Fungi, with particular reference to the Cause of the Potato Disease." In order to demonstrate the subject more clearly, Mr. Graham exhibited drawings, with magnified figures of several species of para- sites ; and a great many specimens of diflferent plants, both native and exotic, presenting a healthy appearance on those parts which were still free from the attacks of the different species of mildew to which they were subject, but at the same time showing the most in- disputable signs of disease on those parts which were infested by tufts of mildew. The manner in which one plant in particular. Shepherd's Purse {Thlaspi Bursa Pastoris, L.), was affected, was very remarkable. Portions of the stems of this were covered, to the ex- tent of two or three inches, with Botrytis parasitica, which caused them to become gouty or swollen to three times their natural size ; and eventually these parts assumed a brown colour and a moist pu- trescent character, which could be traced down the stalks, and in many cases killed the plants. Transverse sections of these blotches, compared with similar sections of a blotch on the potato stalli, ex- hibited the same efTects, the dark fluid having penetrated the tissues of both to a considerable extent. Of all the species of parasitic mil- dews which he has noticed, Mr. Graham considers those belonging to the genus Botrytis to produce the severest injuries ; and it is an undisputed fact that the potato crops have been universally attacked, during the last three seasons, by Botrytis infestans. As to the manner in which these parasites acquire their destruc- No. XXXVIII. — Prockedings of the Linnean Society. 2 Linnean Society. [Nov. 21, tive power, Mr. Graham considers that it arises from the natural de- cay of their mycelium or internal filaments, which he has found tra- versing the tissues of plants, beneath the external tufts of mildew. That the tissues of plants are extensively permeated by this myce- lium, has been frequently shown by the Rev. M. J. Berkeley and other mycologists ; but the important fact that these roots (as they may be termed) die within the tissues of plants, along with their super- structure, assuming a dark colour in decay and ultimately dissolving into a viscous mass, has hitherto, Mr. Graham states, escaped the notice of authors. Decaying matter being thus secretly introduced, corrupts the adjacent tissues, and in many cases spreads over the entire plant and kills it. Mr. Graham states that he has arrived at this conclusion after repeated examinations under powerful micro- scopes, but that the effects are visible in some cases to the naked eye. Experiments made by enclosing tufts of mildew in the sap of those plants on which it grew, also exhibited the results above stated. November 21.' Edward Forster, Esq., V.P,, in the Chair. Mr. A. Adams, F.L.S., presented specimens of the habitations of a species of Spider, collected by Captain Sir E. Belcher on the north- west side of Majambo Bay, in the Island of Madagascar, and com- municated by him to Mr. Adams, with the particulars of their history. It appears that on this coast the north-east wind blows so constantly and to such a degree, that it would effectually destroy the more usual forms of web ; to remedy which, the spiders of the locality collect together a number of small even-sized grains of quartz-sand, of which they fabricate a tolerably firm horn-shaped habitaculum, uniting them together by means of a fine loose web, which they hang from the low shrubs that grow upon the sand, and thus suspended defy the breeze and ride out the gale in safety. Mr. J. Clarke exhibited specimens of Filago Jussicei and Melilotus arvensis, found near SaflFron Walden, Essex. Mr. J. Hogg, F.R.S., F.L.S., exhibited dried specimens of a plant ■which he regarded as a double variety of Matricaria Chamomilla, L., found by himself on the saridy road- side near Whitburn, Durham, to- gether with a coloured drawing of the natural size. He stated, in a 1848.] Linnean Society, 3 communication accompanying the exhibition, that he had never before observed any similar variety of the species above named, nor could he find any account of its having been known to vary with a double flower. Sir J. E. Smith, however, in his ' English Flora,' states of Anthemis nobilis, that " varieties with double flowers are common in gardens ;" and in Smith's own herbarium, in the Museum of the Society, are two specimens of Pyrethrum inodorum, var. flore pleno, the flowers of which very strongly resemble those exhibited. These were found in Norfolk by Mr. Crow^e in 1799, and are mentioned in the ' English Flora ' as " a double variety, having a multiplied ra- dius and an obliterated contracted disk." In the present example Mr. Hogg states that " the external white petals, or rather the florets of the radius, are altogether larger and stronger ; they are much elongated, strap-shaped, less narrow, with their margins somewhat folded inwards, and are rather more numerous than those in the ordi- nary single flower, from which they also differ by being sometimes bilabiate ; whilst the disk itself is greatly contracted and reduced, and its tubular florets appear to have become very small and abor- tive ; thus apparently indicating that the florets of the radius have become lengthened and enlarged at the expense of those of the disk." Mr. Hogg adds, that in general appearance these large double flowers of Matr. Chamomilla resemble the common white double flowers of the genus Chrysanthemum. Read the commencement of a memoir " On the Anatomy and Physiology of Physalia, and on its place in the System of Animals." By William Huxley, Esq., Assistant-Surgeon of H.M.S. Rattle- snake. Communicated by the President. December 5. E. Forster, Esq., V.P., in the Chair. Thomas Robert N. Morson, Esq., was elected a Fellow. Mr. J. O. "Wlestwood, F.L.S., exhibited a new species, of large size, of the genus Achias, Fabr., of which two species only were hitherto known. Read the conclusion of Mr. Huxley's memoir on Physalia, com- menced at the last Meeting. 4 Linnean Society. [Dec. 5, The specimens of Physalia on which Mr. Huxley's observations were made, were collected on board the Rattlesnake, between the 25th of February and the 3rd of March, between lat. 25° and 37° S. and long. 5° and 7° W. They varied in size from \ in. to 2 in. in the long diameter of the float. The author first describes the general appearance of the specimens, of which he doubts whether the largest were adult, and then proceeds to a minute examination of their de- tails, dividing them for this purpose into the float or air-bladder, and the appendages of greater or less length which depend from it when the animal is in its natural position at the surface of the water. The smaller specimens he states to be the best adapted for examination. The float is described as consisting of an outer coat, an inner coat and an air-sac contained within them, attached only to one spot of their parietes, and there communicating with the exterior by a small constricted aperture, which was always found on the upper surface. The disposition of the appendages is very irregular, but the larger ten- tacles are generally placed more externally, the smaller and nascent organs more towards the centre. These appendages are of three kinds, and consist of stomachal sacs, tentacles and cyathiform bodies. Of each of these the author gives a detailed description in their more perfect form, as well as in their undeveloped state as nascent organs ; and then proceeds to inquire, first, what is the physiological import- ance of the organs described, and secondly, what zoological place should be occupied by an animal provided with such organs so dis- posed. Each of these questions the author treats at considerable length. Of the function of the stomachal sacs in receiving the prey there can be little question ; but it may be doubted whether the digested nu- tritive matter circulates in the ciliated water-carrying canals or is absorbed into totally difi^erent channels. In the latter case the pur- pose of the stomachal villi would plainly seem to be to absorb nutri- tive matter and convey it through their central canal to the wide in- terspace existing between the outer and inner membrane ; but the author states that he has never seen in this interspace any corpuscles analogous to those described by Will as blood- corpuscles. He sug- gests that the villosities noticed by Dr. Milne-Edwards in the sto- machal sacs of Apolemia are the same organs, and not ovaries as Dr. Milne-Edwards considers them ; and observes that similar organs exist in a Diphya (Eudoxia), hereafter to be more fully described. The function of the tentacles, both as prehensile and defensive organs, admits of little doubt ; and on this subject the author notices an erroneous view of M. Lesson, who describes them merely as 1848.] Linnean Society. 5 ducts for conveying an (hypothetical) acrid fluid from an (hypotheti- cal) poison-gland. He also controverts M. Lesson's opinion that cer- tain of the colourless tentacles are to be regarded as branchiae ; being quite convinced that there is no diff'erence between these and the ordinary tentacles except in the absence of colour. As regards the function of the cyathiform bodies, he has no other than analogical evidence to offer. The only organs in the Acalephce with which he conceives them to have any resemblance are the natatorial organs of the Physophorce. But their little adaptation to a similar purpose, and the entire absence even of their rudiments in young Physalife, dis- courage this comparison ; while on the other hand they bear a sin- gular resemblance to the female generative organs of a Diphja, and this resemblance extends even to the younger stages of both. Mr. Huxley concludes by referring Physalia to the position as- signed to it by Eschscholtz among Physophorce, and near Discolabe or Angela. In fact, he regards Physalia as in all its essential elements nothing but a Physopliora, whose terminal dilatation has increased at the expense of the rest of the stem, and hence carries all its organs at the base of this dilatation. The paper was illustrated by pencil drawings of the structures de- scribed. Read also a translation* from the Swedish, of "Almanac notes for the year 1735, by Charles von Linne." * Note by Dr. Wallich. — The Council of the Society did me the honour at the end of last session to entrust the duty of translation to my care. It has been made in the first instance from a communication by Joh. Aug. Holmstrom, in "Botanical Notices" edited by Al. Ed. Lindblom, No. 12 for December 1845, pp. 210-218, with the following motto and preface. Mr. Bentham having pointed out to me that there existed a German translation by Dr. Bcilschmid in the Flora for P'ebruary 1847, pp. 97-104, I have gladly availed myself of this additional aid. Nor have I altogether neglected to consult the precious little relic itself, how in the Society's possession, although of course without any other result than that of verifying the fidelity of Mr. Holmstrom's edition. All the notes are his with very few exceptions, which have been duly marked. I have taken the liberty of frequently leaving Lin- nasus's abbreviations in statu quo, and very rarely indeed altered his ortho- graphy. " Parva h«c quippe, et quanquam paucis percontantibus adorata, tamen ignorantibus transcursa." — Apuleius, l^lorida. Every, even the smallest memorial of a truly and through all ages great man, possesses its value, and deserves to be secured from de- cay and oblivion. It is on that account that I have thought it my duty to publish these notes of the ' Princeps Botanicorum,' which have accidentally come into my hands. Although containing nothing 6 Linnean Society. [Dec. 5, new, or of great importance, they furnish several valuable data con- nected with, perhaps, the most remarkable year in the life of Linn^ ; they exhibit, in various points, traces of the peculiar naivete of his style, and are therefore, in respect to character alone, not without their value. The annotations are written on ten pages, interleaved in an alma- nac having the following title : "Almanaeh paAhret efter JesuChristi naderika Fodelse 1735- Til Skara Horizont, etc. Utreknad och steld af Birger Vassenio, samt vidare fortsattjande af underrettelsen til Retta Tanckar am thenna SynligaWerldennes Systemate, allar Sam- manhang. — Skara, Herm. Arnold MoUer." 16mo. (Almanac for the year 1735 from the gracious birth of .1. C. For the horizon of Skara, &c. Calculated and regulated by Birger Vassenius, together with further instructions concerning right ideas of the system or structure of this visible world.) The volume is quite complete and well-preserved. It appears, even during Linnseus's lifetime, to have come into the possession of strangers, and to have been taken into the country and used there, through a succession of years, in lieu of a new almanac ; for we find, in three several places, remarks made by peasants' wives on sundry matters. One of its latest male or female owners has even altered with ink the year printed on the title-page for that of 1765. Thus the little brochure has passed into the possession of several individuals, without any of them being aware, or caring, by whom the many notes were added. These notes are numerous, and constitute almost an entire diary, during the first months of the year ; after which they become less and less frequent, ceasing alto- gether in the months of October and November. The complaint of A. Afzelius (in Linne's Eg. Ant * pi. loc.,), that it is difficult to decipher the handwriting of Linnseus, is often verified here. Yet I think I have hit on the right meaning in most instances. With respect to some of the most difficult places. Professor J. H. Schroder has afforded me explanation with his accustomed sagacity. The notes are now published with as much accuracy as was pos- sible, even as to spelling and grammar. The words which have been added by way of explanation are included within brackets. Italics indicate that abbreviations have been filled up f. A few notes have been subjoined. * Linnaeus's Personal Notes, edited by A. Afzelius. — N. W. t Except on the first mention of a name, I have thought it best to leave the abbreviations unsupphed. — N.W, 1848.] Li/mean Society. 7 (JANUARY.) O ! Ens entium miserere mei ! 1. Christmas dinner with alderman Dan. Moraeus. 2. called on Sara l^isa ', in a Lapland dress. 3. the same, absentibus parentibus. 4. prepared a new edition of Systema Mineral. ^ 5. Assessors Benzelstierna and Kolmeter^ called on me. 6. Christmas party at alderman Anders Jers. 7. dined with assessor Kolmeter. 8. commenced writing Sponsalia plantar.* 9. continued. 10. called on S. L. M. and had a little fun. 11. tried Anders Jers's well. 12. dined at Morbygden with B. Forsling. 13. called on S. L. M., and at Kongsg§,rden \ and on me assessor Morseus. 14. Christmas party at Troilli's, surveyor of mines. 15. the provost's at Fahlun with S. L. M. 16. dinner at secretary Neuman's. N.B. a day of immortal commemoration, of final settling with S. L. M. 17. wrote to baron Koskul, dean Sandel, raagister Linder, 18. dined with the lieutenant of the province (Landshofdingen). 19. Lars Fetter ^ dined at a party at engineer (Konstmaster) Trygg's. Betted two tankards of. rhenish wane, that there will be a christening (barnsol) in 4 years. 20. wrote to J. Morseus, S. S.^ about S. L. M. Exphcitly solicited (her hand). 21. wrote to S. L. M. 22. called on , gave annulum. 23. reciprocation by mother-in-law. 24. wrote to the Society ^ cum lachesi Lapponica. 25. remained quiet. ' Daughter of John MoicBus, town-physician {Stadsphysicus), brother of the above mentioned. She was afterwards married to Linnaeus on the 26th June, 17SS, ^ Probably a revision, in manuscript. 3 The future brother-in-law of Linnseus, married to Anne Christina, the younger daughter of John Moreeus. * Published as a disputation at Upsala," in 1746, 4to. * North- or Fahhi-Kongsgard. ^ Quis? ^ Socero Suo ? ^ The Society of Sciences at Upsala, wliich had defrayed Linnjeus's re- cent journey into Lapland (in 1732. — B.). 8 Linnean Society. [Dec. 5, 26. noon ' (at) alderman Lundstrom's (with) Nasman, controller, and Anders and Ions Williamsons. 27. received from J. Mor. responsio concerning 3 O - secundum abitum. seven temptations ! 28. called on Troilli, surveyor of mines; Stromberg, controller; Trygg. 29. called on S. L. M. concluded Floram Dalekarlicam*. 30. dined with the lieutenant of the province. 31. wrote to Doctor Celsius, Spelin and Neander about employment. (FEBRUARY.) 1. attended a woman in childbirth. 2. dined with the provost of Fahlu; in the evening (at) Schultze's, accountant. 3. at the Kongsg&rd and (with) S. L. M. Gave obligatio scripta fidei. 4. was with a sick person at Morbygden. 6. received letters from Celsius, Spelin, Neander, Liungwal (and) Sophia Littorin. 7. wrote to Spelin, Liungwal, Tegnelin. 8. in the evening (with) S. L. M. 9. in the afternoon at a frolic at Morbygden. 10. evening (with) S. L. M. 11. with S. L. M. until X o'clock in the evening. 12. paid visits with Browallius *. 13. paid a visit to F. Ehrenholm absente S. L. M. received letters from Spelin, Ossengius, Ahlgren. 14. wrote to dean Sandel (and) Anna Maria Linnaea*. 16. dined with surveyor of mines Troill and parents-in-law. 17. Surv. of min. Borgenstrom (and) Svaben called on me^. 18. took leave of father-in-law. 19. took leave of S. L. M., who wrote the oath 7. J Probably dined.— N. W. 2 Years. This stipulation is notorious. Miss Hedin, Minne (Souvenir) of Linne, i. p. 47. ^ Not published. * "At that time domestic chaplain and tutor in the family of Reuterholm, lieut. of the province, afterwards professor and bishop at Abo." — Linnaeus's Personal Notes, p. 22. * Linnreus's sister, married to G. Hok, afterwards dean at Wiresta. * Surv. of mines Anton Svab. After this follow two illegible words. ' See 3rd of this month. This reciprocal obligation by a written oath was not known before. 23 24 1848.] Linnean Society. 9 20. at 10 oclock. left Fahlun with Clas Sohlberg. 21. dined with Swedenstierna (at) Hogfors, arrived at Nya Elfsborg. 22. dined with Lybecker, surveyor of mines, arrived at Nora. S remained at Knutsby with surv. of mines Christiernin. 25. was at the sulphur mine at Dylta, arrived at Crebro. 26. left Orebro. 27. went through Askersund; at noon with pastor Tiselius. 28. through schenninge, arrived at Wislena. (MARCH.) 1. went to schenninge, called (on) Menlos, pastor loci. 2. -, at church, dined at Wislena. 3. called on Mag. Knop. Dinner at Bishop Benzeh'«s'5. 4. went to Wislena, called on professor Hermens. 5. remained. 6. went through Schenninge and Wastena, visited the church. 7. through Omberg to the end of Ostergiotland. 8. in Smaland through grenna, Skiersadd to Jonkioping. 9. at church in Jonkioping. 10. dined at dean junbeck's. 11. left; remained at Wrekstad. 12. came to Wexio. 13. dined at assessor Rothman's. 14. general Koskul's. 15. Hoken's'. 16. treasurer Bergman's. 17. assessor Rothman's. 18. dined with treasurer Bergman. 19. went to stenbrohult. 23. BrowaU's letter dated the 7^ March arrived. 24. wrote to inspector Sohlberg, Brovall and S. L. M. 26. we were at mockelsnas. 30. BrowaU's letter of 21 March arrived. 31. Doctor Rothman called on me at stenbrohult. (APRIL.) 3. Rothman left ; was at Did. 6. feasted at Mocklanas with Ekelund (and) Hok. 7. feasted at stenbrohult with brother-in law (and) Tornquist. ' Linnaeus's brother-in-law. 10 Linnean Society. [Dec. 6, 8. feasted at Dio with brother-in-law. 9. — Dito — and Uuner. 13. Mag. Hok left us at stenbrohult. 15. took leave of stenbrohult and its inhabitants, arrived at the Ry iron mine at Unner's. 16. at noon at grotteryd ; arrived at the inn at Markary. 17. arrived at Helsingborg. 18. Day of prayers ; went across the sound after evening prayer. 22. embarked at Helsingor. 24. sailed past Zealand (and) Copenhagen. 25. got sight of german ground. 26. S. L. M's birth-day. 1716'. 26. arrived at Lybeck. 27. at church at Lybeck. 28. went to Hamburgh. 29. inspected the town of Hamburgh. 30. called on prof. Koul. (MAY.) 1. Prof. Koul called on me. visited Sprekelsons Hort. 2. inspected Nators cabinet and Hydram. 3. at the Resident's^, and Sprekelson's. 4. dined at Schiining's and entertained Kolal (and) Jenes'. 5. (walked) with Sprekelson in hort. 1 ducat. 12. at a dinner party at Sprekelsons. 13. Carl hinncei birth-day*. 13. wedding at Schonnings. 14. 35 doler 7 ore silvercoin due to me^. 15. visited Anderson's cabinet, drank 75 years old Rhenish wine. 16. took leave'of Hamburgh for Altona. 17. at 9 oclock J ^ embarked. 18. arrived at storen, remained at wefwelsflyt. 19. at church at wafvelsflyt, detained by contrary A 7. 26. the environs of groeningen in sight. 27. saw groningen. ' By a singular conceit of Linnaeus (" qvam sunt lusus pueriles amoris " !), the name and year of birth of his betrothed are written with reversed letters and cyphers. — The pedigree in Personal Notes gives another day, namely the 28th April. * Should this be the President's, as Dr. Beilschmid translates it? — N. W. * More correctly Janitsch, Gottfr. Jac, physician. Compare Personal Notes, pp. 23 and 83 ; Hedin, i. p. 50. * This entry, too, is made with larger, reversed letters. * Quis ? • i daytime. ' A wind. 1848.] Linnean Society. 11 28. got sight of Wastfriesland. refreshment at Stiernkoog'. 29. remained right opposite Stiernkoog. 30. went across the sea, saw omerland, an island^ of 3 miles, very near being wrecked. 31. at 5 oclock in the morning passed by Harlem ^ a small sea- town ; at noon (passed) Yorge. in the evening (at) Enkhysen, situated on our left. At noon a terrible hurricane with rain, wind, thunder, lightning. Haddervik to the eastward, we could not see. Enkhysen was the first (pretty place*) of Holland. (JUNE.) 1 . obliged to continue off Enkhysen untill noon, on account of the storm and contrary wind, afterwards on our right saw Horn, a town. 2. arrived early in the morning at Amsterdam ; in the afternoon I saw Hortum Medicum there. 3. called on prof, botanices BuYman, and at his library. 4. inspected Seba's incomparable dispensary. 5. dined at Burman's, (in) the evening went to Hadderwik. 6. at 3 oclock in the morning arrived at Hadderwik. inspected the academy. Heard prof. Lom's introduction. 7. post Examen creatus fui Candidat. medic. 8. Recepi a Promotore Diss.^ meam censuratam et typographo tra- didi imprimendam. 9 1 * > audivi Lectiones privatas Prof, de Gorter. 10. J ^ 12. Linnaeus Doctor Creatus fuit Harderovici^. 13. left Hadderwik in the evening. 14. arrived at Amsterdam. 15. was at the plantations and saw crowds of people. 16. took 7 ducats, total 8 ducats 7. 18. went to Leyden. 19. saw Hortum academicum. 20. called on prof. v. Roy en. 21. saw the library. 27. Artedi arrived at Leiden, saw the Arboretum of Boerhaave. 30. sent Systema Naturae to the press 8. ^ Schiermonigkoog. ^ Ameland. ^ Harlingen. * These very indistinct words are given conjecturally, * Nova hypothesis de febrium intermittentium natura. Diss, grad. Har- derovici, 1735, 4to. ' The 13th, according to Pers. Notes, p. 24. ^ Compare 5th May^ ® The printing commenced; see fmther on, the 15th July and 2nd (13th) December. 12 Linnean Society. [Dec. 5, (JULY.) 14. (3. old style^) botanized on the sea-shore. 6. went to Amsterdam. 8. went to Leiden. 15. completed the Systeraa nat. * ... 16. wrote to Rothman and my father. 17. went to Ytrecht. inspected Hort. Acad. 18. went to Leiden with Gronov. and Mouschenbr. 22. went to Amsterdam, stayed with prof. Burm. 28. literae ad uxorem^. 29. sent to press Bibliotheca Botanica*. (AUGUST.) 12. (1 . old style) received a bill of exchange for 200 Dollar silvercoin from Sohlberg. 1.3. (2. o. s.) went to Cliffort. 14. (3. o. s.) returned home. 17. (6. o. s.) went to Leiden. 19. (8. G. s.) arrived at Amsterdam. (18.) Appointed Praefectus Horti ClifFortiani. 19. wrote to Inspector Sohlberg, Browall (and) S. L. M. (SEPTEMBER.) 13. took charge of preefecturam horti ClifFort. 27.1 (16-17. o. s.) hora 1 noctis Artedius was drowned at Am- 28. J sterdam. (DECEMBER.) 13. (2. 0. s.) Promotio cum Kappa Lugduni*. Concluded the printing of Systema Nat.^ ' This and some of the subsequent dates are according to the 7iew style, quoted in a separate column in Vassenius' Almanac. In these cases I have added the old style dates within brackets. ' Finished the manuscript. ^ Jocose ita dixit. Cic. * Left the press only in 1736 at Amsterdam, small 8vo. * Cappa (medieval Latin), doctor's gown. See Du Fresne, Gloss. Lat. i. p. 856, et Gloss. Gr^c. p. 584. Sperling ad Testam. Absolonis, p. 105. ® The printing finished. This editio princeps, which is very rare in Sweden, has the following title : Caroli LinnEei Systema Naturse, sive Regna tria Naturae, systematice proposita per Classes, Ordines, Genera, et Species. Lugd. Bat. ap. Haak, 1735. Fol. maj. — 14 page?. The original manuscript is preserved at the CaroUnska Institut, at Stockholm. Comp. Beckman's Minnen (Recollections), p. 112. 1848.] Linnean Society. 13 December 19. The Lord Bishop of Norwich, President, in the Chair. Mr. J. O. Westwood, F.L.S., exhibited five new species of Paus- sidcE from Mozambique, belonging to the collection of A. Melly, Esq.; also five Australian species of Adelotopus, a genus closely allied to Pseudomorpha, Kirby in Linn. Trans. Mr. Westwood also exhibited a piece of Memel timber used in submarine erections at Southampton, destroyed by Chehra terebrans, a crustaceous animal not hitherto observed in England, although pre- viously found in Ireland and Scotland. Mr. Adam White, F.L.S., exhibited three curious species oi He- miptera belonging to the genera Scaptocoris and Petalochirus. He made some remarks on fossorial insects in general, illustrating them with specimens of a New Zealand Mole- Cricket and of a new genus of Carahidce, allied to Scarites. He particularly described a new spe- cies of Scaptocoris {S. Amyoti) from Northern India, remarkable in- asmuch as it forms a second distinct species of a very striking genus hitherto known to occur only in Brazil (S. castaneus, Perty). Read a paper, entitled " Experiments and Observations on the Poison of Animals of the Order Araneidea." By John Blackwall, Esq., F.L.S.&c. After referring to the fabulous accounts of the singular effects said to be produced in the human species by the bite of the Tarantula, and of the serious and sometimes fatal consequences attributed to that of the Malmignatte, Mr. Blackwall proceeds to consider the validity of an opinion prevalent among arachnologists of the present day, that in- sects pierced by the fangs of spiders die almost instantaneously. He states that in the summer of 1846 he commenced an experimental investigation of the subject, the particulars of which he commu- nicates, arranging his experiments under four distinct heads, corre- sponding to the objects upon which they were made, namely the human species, spiders, insects, and inanimate substances. The ex- periments are detailed at length, and the following are the principal results. First, as regards the effect of the bite of spiders upon the human species. The species selected was Epe'ira Diadema, and Mr. Black- wall states the legitimate conclusion deducible from various expe- riments to be, that there is nothing to apprehend from the bite of the 14 Linnean Society. [Dec. 19, 1S4S. most powerful British spiders, even -u-hea inflicted at a moment of extreme irritation and in hot sultry weather, the pain occasioned by- it beino- little if any more than is due to the laceration and com- pression which the injured part has sustained. Under the second head, the observations were made on a male and female of Tegenaria chilis ; on two females of Segestria senocu- lata; twice on females of Cinifio atrox and females oi Lycosa agretica ; on a female Epe'ira Diadema and a female Ccelotes saxatilis ; on two females oi Epe'ira Diadema ; and lastly on a female of Epe'ira Diadema, which in a state of high exasperation bit itself. Extensive mechani- cal injuries, Mr. Blackwall states, commonly prove fatal to spiders, whether received in conflicts with their congeners or otherwise ; but no e^•idence supplied by his experiments indicates that the fluid emitted from the orifice in the fangs of the Araneidea possesses a property destructive to the existence of animals of that order when transmitted into a recent wound. Thirdly, as the result of numerous experiments on insects, made with jEjaeira Diadema, Segestria senoculata, Epei'ra quadrata, Tegenaria civilis, and Agelena labyrinthica, the author comes to the conclusion that they do not present any facts which appear to sanction the opinion that insects are deprived of life with much greater celerity when pierced by the fangs of spiders than when lacerated mechani- callv to an equal extent by other means. It is true however that the catastrophe is greatly accelerated if the spiders maintain a pro- tracted hold of their victims, but this is obviously attributable to the extraction of their fluids, which are transfen-ed by often-repeated acts of deglutition into the stomachs of their adversaries. Fourthly, in his experiments on inanimate substances, Mr. Black- wall found that litmus- paper presented to spiders belonging to several genera when in a state of extreme irritation, and moistened by the transparent fluid which issues under such circumstances from the fissure near the extremity of their fangs, invariably became red as far as the fluid spread, clearly proving that this secretion, although tasteless, is an acid. On the other hand, the fluid which flows from the mouth, as also that contained in the stomach and that which is discharged from wounds inflicted on the body or limbs, were found by the same chemical test to be alkaline. Turmeric paper, on the contran-, was rendered brown by the application of the fluids from the mouth and stomach, and restored to its original colour by the agency of the fluid secreted by the so-called poison-gland, thus aflfording complete confirmation of the respectively alkaline and acid natures of these several secretions. Feb. 6, 1849.] Linnean Society. 15 Mr. Blackwall concludes his paper by proposing the name of falces for the instruments by which spiders seize and destroy their prey ; the term mandibles being obviously improper for organs which do not, as Mr. W. S. MacLeay has plainly shown, constitute any part of the oral apparatus ; and that of chelicera, proposed by M. La- treille, implj^ing an hypothetical analogy to the antennae of hexapod insects, from which they differ so widely both in structure and in function. He adds, that he has observed the labrum in a low state of development in species belonging to numerous genera, and that it is attached by its base to the superior surface of the palate, but that the extremity, which is free and usually round or somewhat pointed, can be shghtly elevated, depressed, extended, retracted and moved laterally at -nill ; and mentions that Professor Owen has de- tected a rudimental labrum in spiders of the genus Mygale. To apply the term mandibles to organs originating above the labrum, and therefore not situated within the mouth, is evidently erroneous ; and the author ventures to anticipate, upon anatomical consider- ations, that future investigations will lead to the conclusion that the mandibles of the Araneidea are confluent with the palate. January IG, 1S49. E. Forster, Esq., V.P., in the Chair. James Hepburn, Esq., and Frederick Salmon, Esq., were elected Fellows. Read the commencement of a memoir " On the Anatomy of Diphyes, and on the unity of Composition of the Diphyidr&cte\s foliis C07iformibus. 1. Sciaphila tenella, " tenuissima carnosa aphylla, scapo simplicissimo erecto, floribus nutantibus, perigonii laciniis reflexis apice viilosiusculis, stigmate sessili punctiformi, baccis pluribus glandulis pellucidis tectis, semine subtriquetro, testa subcoriacea." Sciaphila tenella, Blume, Bijdr. p. 515. 2. Sciaphila maculata, hyalina, caule simplici, foliis bracteiformibus ad- pressis lineis interruptis rubris maculatis, perianthii laciniis sublan- ceolatis reflexis apice intiis baibatis alternis margine ciliatis, floribus inferioribus staminibus 3 cassis (?), carpellis densissime congestis, utri- culo hiante. Hab. in Insulis Philippinis, Cuming, no. 2088. 3. SciArniLA picta, hyalina, caule subramoso erecto flexuoso, foliis brae- 74 Linnean Society. [April 16, teiformibus maculis longis rubris pictis, perianthii laciniis oblongis acutis patentibus rubro-maculatis apice intus barbatis alternis sublatioribus ciliatisj tubo laciniarumque basi lineis punctatis violaceis creberrimis ornatis, floribus (an semper ?) hermaphroditis, carpellis plurimis den- sissime supra disciim carnosum congestis staminibus 2 v. 1 munitis. Hab. in Venezuela, ad fl. Apure, a cl. Purdielect. Octobr. 1845. (Herb. Hooker., exemplar unicum.) 4. Sciaphila erubescens, hyalina tenerrima, foliis bracteiformibus brac- teisque acutis rubro-pictis, floribus punctis rubris maculatis, perianthii laciniis agqualibus oblongis acutis glaberrimis reflexis, flor. superioribus (Jinferioribus jinterdum hermaphroditis, staminibus .3 cassis (?), utri- culo bivalvi. Aphylleia erubescens. Champ, in Calc. Jour7i. Nat. Hist. vii. p. 468. Hab. in Insula Ceylon, ad Narawalle, prope Galle, in sylvis umbrosis. Hyalisma, Champ. Char. Gen. Flores monoici, v. dioici. Perianthium in utroque sexu 8- partitum ; laciniis lanceolatis, cequalibus, patentibus, celluloso-rugosis, basi in urceolam coalitis, sestivatione valvatis, persistentibus. Masc. Stamina^, in androphorum carnosum prominulum fere sessilia, laciniis alternis opposita ; filamenta brevissima ; antherce 4-loculares, peltatae, apice linea transversa bivalvatim hiantes ; pollen sphsericum simplex. Pistilli rudimentum nullum. Fem. Stamina nulla. Ovaria plurima, (50-60) densissime in gynascium carnosum liberum aggregata, obovata, 1-locularia ; ovulo unico erecto. Stylus fere basilaris, ovario 3-7-pl6 longior, subulato-filiformis, celluloso-articulatus, apice subobtuso, stig- mate inconspicuo. Carpidia plurima, utricularia, obovata, breviter stipitata, structura omnino Sciaphilce. — Herba Ceylonica, pusilla, hya- lina ; rhizomate Jtbroso ; caule simplici, erecto ; foliis hracteiformibks alternis, ovatis, acutis, venis destilutis, celluloso-rugosis ; spica terminali ; floribus pedicellatis, scepissime dioicis, interdiim monoids, et tunc supe- rioribus $ inferioribus ? ; pedicellis unijloris, basi bracteatis. Hyalisma ianthina, Champ, in Calc. Journ. Nat. Hist. vii. p. 466 cum icone. Hab. in Insula Ceylon, prope Galle, in sylvis humidis. To these plants Mr. Miers adds the following, described from spe- cimens recently sent from Para by Mr. Spruce. SoRiDiuM, Miers. Char. Gen. Flores monoici. Perianthium in utroque sexu 4-partitum ; laciniis ovatis, acutis, patentibus, celluloso-rugosis, sestivatione valvatis, persistentibus. Masc. Stamina 2, supra discum minimum inclusum fere sessilia, laciniis alternis opposita ; filamenta brevissima ; antherce transversim elongatae, compressae, 4-loculares, rima verticali longitudi- naliter 2-valvatim septicide hiantes ; pollen globosum, irregulariter sub- trivalvatim rumpens. Ovaria plurima, in capitulum dense aggregata, 1850.] Linnean Society. 75 obovata, sessilia, l-locularia ; ovulo solitario erecto. Stylus lateralis, fere basilaris, pilis longis clavatis plumosus. Stigma obconicutn, trun- catum, piloso-plumosum. Carpidia plurima, baccata, radiatim aggre- gata, obovata, stylo persistenti basilar! notata, monosperma. • Peri- carpium siccum, subcoriaceum. Semen ovale; testa colorata nucleoque omnino Sciaphilee. — Herba Amazonica, in uUginosis umbrosis indigena, hyalina ; rliizomate substolonifero, radiculas hinc inde emittente ; caule simpUci erecto ; foliis pancis, hracteiformibus, alternis, ovatis, acutis, venis destitutis, celluloso-rugosis ; floribus spicatis, superioribus S , infe- rioribus^; pedunculis \-Jloris, basibracteatis. SoRiDiL'M Spruceanum, Miers. Hab. prope Para Brasilise, ad Caripi, in sylvis umbrosis. Having concluded the description of these remarkable plants, which he gives in much detail, Mr. Miers proceeds to observe on their affinities. They evidently belong to one common group with Triuris, which the author originally suggested would form the type of a distinct order (Triuriacece), subsequently adopted by Dr, Gard- ner, under the name of Triuracece. He first dismisses without hesi- tation the hypothesis that they have any relationship to Menisper- macece or Smilacece, as suggested by Dr. Gardner with reference to Heocuris ; or to any section of Urticece, to which Sciaphila was re- ferred by Dr. Blume, and in which he was followed by Endlicher and Gardner. He commences his investigation by calling particular attention to their habit as plants destitute of real leaves ; composed of little more than cellular tissue ; void of green colour, of fibres and of ducts ; and furnished with a seed not merely acotyledonous, but without distinct embryo. He refers to Mr. Brown's memoirs on Rafflesia, and to Mr. Griffith's on the plants referred to RMzanthece, for instances of inembryonal seeds ; and observes that we have no satisfactory evidence of the existence of an embrj^o, in the ordinary sense of the term, in Burmanniacece. He notices also the imperfect condition of the embryo in Cuscuta, in Orobanchea and in Monotropa ; and the striking discrepancy between the well- developed cotyle- donous embryo of the leaf-bearing Cactece and the solid and undi- vided embryo of the leafless genera of that family. Admitting then, in TriuriacecE, Burmanniacece, Balanophorece, &c., the existence of an organ endowed with the function, but wanting the usual structure, of the embryo, he proposes for this organ the name oi protoblastus, with the view of distinguishing between a protoblasteous and a coty- ledonous embryo. Modifications of the protoblasteous structure may occur ; and the author refers to Ceratophyllum and to several genera of Aroide ^ntennis ]atis ; niargine aiitico subrecto ; margine supero vel postico ser- rate, prothorace cordato-truncato linea media tenui longitudinali im- pressa disco tenuissime punctato, elytris brevibus fere Isevibus nitidis, tibiis anticis apice subemarginato angulo apicali acuto ; tibiis quatuor posticis apice externo obtuse rotundatis. — Long. corp. lin. 3. Hah. in Australasia. In Mus. Hist. Nat. Paris. (Verreaux) et Westw. (Mossman). November 19. Robert Brown, Esq., President, in the Chair. Dr. Pereira, F.L.S., exhibited a specimen in fruit of the species of Myrospermum which yields the Balsam of Peru and White Balsam, from the Balsam Coast, San Salvador ; together with samples of both kinds of Balsam and of a new chemical principle {Myroxocarpine) obtained from the White Balsam. Read the commencement of " A Memoir on the Position of the Carpels when two and when single, including Outlines of a new Method of Arrangement of the Orders of Exogens, and observations on the structure of Ovaries consisting of a single Carpel." By- Benjamin Clarke, Esq., F.L.S. &c. December 3. Robert Brown, Esq., President, in the Chair. John Hutchinson, Esq., and Samuel Stevens, Esq., were elected Fellows. Read a continuation of Mr. Clarke's " Memoir on the Position of the Caipels," &c. 102 Linnean Society. [Dec. S, Dr. Adolph Schlagintweit, at the request of the President, gave a summary of some of the principal results of the investigations of himself and his brother into the Vegetation of the Alps in con- nexion with height and temperature, as contained in their " Unter- suchungen ueber die physilialische Geographie der Alpen." He stated that very remarkable differences are to be observed in the limits of the altitude of vegetation in the district of the Alps. In the mean results for large divisions, we may plainly recognize the influence of geographical position, as well as that of the nature of the soil, and of the massiveness of the mountain range. The limit in fact becomes higher the more we approach the southern and western groups, a phsenomenon which is connected with the general changes of cUmate. The mean temperature varies in these latitudes from 0*5° to 0*7° of Celsius for one degree ; and at the same time the isothermal lines show an evident inclination from west to east. Many very essential diflFerences cannot, however, be explained by geogra- phical position alone ; another important influence is dependent on the form of the mountain-range, the limits of vegetation being generally connected with the mean magnitude of the elevation, and reaching higher in massive and lofty groups of Alps than in the lower chains. The favourable influence which the massiveness of the elevation exercises on the vegetation, is essentially the same as that which is also evidenced with regard to the temperature of the air and soil ; and corresponds to the diff'erence which is remarked between the climate of a plateau, and that of a ridge or free peak in the neighbourhood. In diff'erent valleys or on the spurs of a moun- tain remarkable difi'erences in the altitude of the limit of vegetation often manifest themselves according to the exposure, the direction of the wind, or the proximity of separate and extensive masses of glacier ; but these influences are for the most part merely local, and the general variations of the limit of vegetation dependent on the massiveness of diff'erent groups of Alps are but little aff*ected thereby. A comparison of the annual isotherms with the limits of vegetation proves that the diff^erent groups of vegetation do not always terminate at the same annual isotherm. With the exception of the Beech, he showed that up to the height of Coniferce, these limits in the Northern Alps are reached at warmer isotherms than in the Central Alps ; and a somewhat lower mean temperature is obser\'ed on corresponding points of the group of Monte Rosa and Mont Blanc. This is immediately dependent on the fact that the growth of plants is not determined alone by the mean temperature of the year, but also by that of the seasons and of the months. The 1850.] Linnean Society. 103 warmth of the summer is in this view of peculiar influence ; the greater this is in connexion with the same mean temperature of the whole year, the higher plants ascend, and the colder are the annual isotherms which mark their limits. A review of all the meteor- ological observations made in the district of the Alps shows that in the Central Alps and in the group of Mont Blanc and Monte Rosa, the summer warmth is greater and the climate consequently more extreme than in the lower chains of the Northern Alps ; by which means the relation of the limits of vegetation to the annual isotherms in these different mountain-groups is explained. He further stated that his and his brother's investigation of the periodical development of the vegetation at heights of from 1500 to 8000 Paris feet showed among other things that the retardation of the development by the elevation is in general less during the flowering than during the ripening of the fruit ; it amounts in the Alps during the former period to ten days, during the latter to twelve and a half, and on the average of the whole j)eriod of vegetation to eleven days. The mean temperature is diminished in general about 2° of Celsius for the same difference of height, during the period of the develop- ment of vegetation. From their own observations on the influence of height on the growth of Comfereas. L.S., exhibited a specimen of the Sooty Tern (Sterna fuliginosa. Lath.), a species new to Britain and even to Europe, which was killed in October last at Burton -on-Trent, was preserved for, and belongs to the collection of H, W. Desvceux, Esq. Read the conclusion of Dr. Hance's paper "On the Island and Flora of Hong Kong." Read also an " Additional Note " to Mr. Newport's memoir on Ichneumon Atropos, Curt., in reference to the changes which take place in the alimentary canal after the parasite has ceased to feed, and while assuming its imago state. These changes, which are very considerable both as regards form aud condition, are minutely de- scribed ; and every part of the canal is shown to be supplied with tracheae, the trunks of which, one in each segment, passing trans- versely inwards, divide into branches, which, again subdivided, pe- netrate into and ramiiy through the structure. These, like all other tracheae, are formed, as described by Sprengel, of three tissues, an external membranous and an internal mucous, enclosing between them a strong spiral fibre. The nature and origin of the external tissue have been shown by Mr. Newport in previous memoirs ; but he has since found that the ramifications of the tracheae which pene- trate the structure of the canal, or of any other organ, become de- nuded of this external covering, and then seem to be formed only of two tissues, the spiral and the mucous, if indeed there be not also, as he has some reason to think, an extremely delicate serous, or basement membrane, closely adherent to and uniting the coils of fibrous tissue on its external surface. The ultimate dicisions of the tracheae are always distributed separately, and do not anastomose, ending, as noticed by Mr. Bowerbank, in extremely minute, filiform, blind extremities ; and this Mr. Newport finds to be their condition 214 Linnean Society. [March 15, in all structures, in the nervous and tegumentary, equally as in the glandular and muscular. These facts, the author observes, may perhaps assist us to understand the nature of the injection of the tracheae by M. Blanchard, and also the mode of nutrition in insects ; the ultimate branches of tracheae in the tissues of the alimentary canal operating, possibly, as absorbent structures, and inducing the chylific fluid elaborated around them to flow, in its transit outwards, along the channels formed by their loose peritoneal covering into the regular circulatory currents. Further, they may assist to explain the mode of coloration of the tracheae in the experiments of MM. Alessandrini and Bassi, and of M. Blanchard, and also in others, yet unpublished, made by himself on the larvae of Clissocampa Neustria, in July 1837. March 1. R. Brown, Esq., President, in the Chair. The Meeting having been specially summoned for the Election of a Member of Council in the place of James Francis Stephens, Esq., deceased, Thomas Bell, Esq., was declared to be elected in his room. Read the commencement of a paper entitled " Notes on the Vege- tation of Buenos Ayres and the neighbouring Districts." By Charles James Fox Bunbury, Esq., F.R.S, F.L.S., &c. March 15. R. Brown, Esq., President, in the Chair. John Van Voorst, Esq., was elected a Fellow. Read a continuation of Mr. Bunbury's paper " On the Vegetation of Buenos Ayres," &c. 1853.] Linnean Society. 215 April 5. R. Brown, Esq., President, in the Chair. Charles Alexander Law, Esq., was elected a Fellow. Read a " Note on the Nature of Fasciated Stems." By the Rev. "William Hincks, F.L.S., Professor of Natural History in Queen's College, Cork. The author lays it down as an indubitable principle, that what we call monstrosities or anomalies, either in the animal or vegetable kingdom, are always susceptible of explanation from the operation, under unusual circumstances, of causes or principles the ordinary operation of which produces the normal structure of the species. Hence they are always worth studying until a satisfactory explana- tion of their nature has been arrived at, and even when that is ac- complished they have still an interest as illustrations of principles which we apply in the explanation of normal structures, or as proofs of the truth of particular views in respect to the origin or relations of parts in certain tribes. In accordance with this view of the im- portance of such investigations he proceeds to the consideration of the nature of fasciated stems, which, in concurrence with the view taken by Linnaeus in his ' Philosophia Botanica,' he is disposed to regard as formed by a group of coherent stems. According to this view the real peculiarity would consist in the number and remark- able arrangement of the buds, the coherence of stems brought to- gether in such a relative position being, as shown by innumerable examples, a matter of course. Having regard to the crowded or unusually placed buds which are found in the anomaly called plica, tracing this cohesion upwards from the not uncommon ad- herence of two stems, and observing what must necessarily happen from numerous branches occurring together, it seems to him that the fascia is by no means difficult of comprehension. The striae which it almost invariably presents exhibit the traces of the Unes of junc- tion ; and the curved or spiral contraction, which is so often met with, is perhaps accounted for by the growth in connexion with each other of internodes of unequal length. He would not, however, affirm that every stem which is called fasciate is composite in its nature ; for that term has been extended to cases of riband-like expansion, which, although dependent also on excess of nourishment, are dis- tortions of a single stem. Mr. Hincks then refers to the objections taken to the theory of 216 Linnean Society. [Aprils, Linnaeus by several recent physiologists, and most clearly and ex- plicitly stated by M. Moquin Tandon in his ' Teratologie Vegetale ' under the following heads : — 1. " We find plants with a single stem fasciated (as Androsace maxima), and nothing announces to us that we have in this case several individuals imited together." 2. " On certain fasciated stems we may remark that the branches are of the same number and the same arrangement as in tlie normal condition." 3. " Two branches accidentally united in the direction of their length form a body of which the transverse section presents a figure more or less resembling a figure of 8, if the coherence is recent or slight, and an elliptic or rounded figure if it is of long standing or very in- timate : traces of two medullary canals are almost always found. In a fasciated stem the section gives an elongated figure in which we commonly observe only one compressed canal." 4. " To obtain a fasciated stem by coherence a great number of united branches would be required ; but though an accidental union of two branches or of three may be admitted, it is very difficult for it to occur at the same time among four, five, or six. It is very difficult to suppose that these branches should all meet longitudinally, and that the union, instead of taking place around the central axis, should be en- tirely in one direction," 5. " If fasciated stems were the result of many combined branches, we ought to find cases in which the union is incomplete, and to be able to observe on their surface such a dis- tribution of leaves or buds as would announce the fusion of many partial spirals or verticils." Setting aside the anomalies before alluded to, and guarding against the assumption that mere adherence explains an appearance which chiefly depends upon a peculiar position of buds and the pro- duction of numerous branches in a certain relation to each other, Mr. Hincks regards these arguments as not possessing any great weight. In regard to the 1st he remarks, that herbaceous plants which have usually but a single stem, not unfrequently produce several, which often remain distinct, but their union into a sort of fasciated stem is by no means uncommon. In proof of this he showed specimens of Primula vulgaris and Hieracium aureum, exhi- biting the union of two stems so produced, and of Ranunculus bul- bosus showing still greater complexity in the stem, while the prin- cipal flower appeared to be made up of two or three combined. The 2nd objection may appear in certain cases to be just, but the author is of opinion that it is hazardous to conjecture that we have no more leaves present in a fasciated stem than we should have in the same space in an ordinary one, and he referred to specimens on 1853.] Linnean Society. 217 the table as distinctly proving that an increased number of leaves and buds is a general character of fasciated stems. M. Moquin Tandon himself has, indeed, referred to an instance in Bupleurum falcatum where the leaves had been whorled, doubtless, Mr. Hincks observes, from those belonging to two or more stems being collected together. The 3rd argument he regards as very deceptive, for the nature of the transverse section presented by coherent stems must depend not only on the intimacy of their union, but also on the in- ternal structure of the stems themselves. When two flowers adhere without much pressure, they exhibit uniting circles somewhat re- sembling a figure of 8, but when more completely combined they have one circumference of a much- elongated figure, and something similar is to be expected in herbaceous stems. Even the elongated pith of a transversely cut woody fasciated stem only marks the inti- mate union of several branches ; and the author has noticed instances of the union of two and only two stems when the internal appear- ance was the same as in other fasciations. The 4th objection is derived from the improbability of the lateral union of many stems ; but in addition to the common examples of the union of two stems, the author appealed to a distinct case of a union of four flower-stems of Scrophularia aquatica so complete that a composite flower was formed containing all the parts of the four component flowers, and produced a fasciated stem of Ranunculus bulbosus, where the union of several stems terminated in a flower having at least double the usual number of parts, as indisputable evidence of the fact. He also laid before the Meeting examples of numerous branches laterally arranged as if ready to combine, in immediate connexion with fas- ciated stems, which, according to his view, are made up of similar branches already combined. To the 5th and last objection he answers that cases in which the adherence is incomplete, and on which the marks of fusion of several stems are to be perceived, are in fact frequently met with, and may be appealed to as strong direct evidence in favour of the Linnean theory. A striking example is given in DeCandolle's ' Organographie Vegetale ' (pi. 3. f. 1) in a stem of Spartium junceum having several branches only imperfectly fasciated ; and similar specimens of Aucuba Japonica and Cotoneaster microphylla were exhibited, together with a fasciated Ash, in which the traces of numerous stems were observable upon the surface. The author stated his conclusion to be, " that the fasciated stem is best explained from the principle of adherence, where, from super- abundant nourishment, especially if accompanied by some check or injury, numerous buds have been produced in close proximity ; and Proceedings of the Linnean Society. 218 Linnean Society. [April 19, that the supposition of a leaf-like expansion of the elements of a single stem is insufficient to explain the usual appearances, and is founded on a false analogy between fasciated and certain other ano • malous stems." The specimens exhibited were from a collection formed by the author and now in the Museum of Queen's College, Cork, They consisted of — 1, an intimate adherence of two stems of Bunium flexuosum ; 2, an entire adherence of two stems with their heads of flowers of Hieracium aureum, and of two or more stems of Primula veris ; 3, a fasciated stem of Ranunculus bulbosus, with the terminal flower formed by the union of two, and the stem showing other signs of composition ; 4, a fasciated stem of Cheiranthus Cheiri, apparently consisting of at least three united branches ; 5, a fasciated stem of Veronica maritima ; 6, two stems of the same plant, in which the buds which usually produce individual flowers have produced se- condary stems themselves flower-bearing, so as to transform a simple into a compound spike; 7, a fasciated stem of Aucuha Japonica, seeming to prove the composite nature of such stems ; 8, a fasciated stem of Cotoneaster microphylla, in which the composite structure is peculiarly evident ; 9, a fasciated stem of Fraxinus excelsior showing a crowd of buds and of small branches in a linear series at the ex- tremity of fasciated portions, and also showing the curved contrac- tion of the fasciated branches from weaker branches being connected with a stronger one. The author also referred to a remarkable fasciculation ot Asparagus officinalis in the same collection, the upper portion of which is spirally twisted, and the crowded branches from which seem to prove the presence of several stems ; and to some fine specimens of fasciations from the Society's collection which were placed upon the table. April 19. R. Brown, Esq., President, in the Chair. Alexander Gibson, Esq., was elected a Fellow. Mr. Westwood, F.L.S., communicated a notice of the discovery in England of a new genus and species of Amphipodous Crustacea, the Niphargus stygius of Schiodte, an animal hitherto only found in the caverns of Adelsberg, celebrated as the locality of the Proteus 1853.] Linnean Society. 219 anguinus. The Crustacean in question has been found in great numbers in a well near Maidenhead, the water of which was in con- sequence rendered unfit for use. Mr. Westwood took occasion to remind the Members of the opinion entertained by some naturalists of the existence of a distinct subterranean fauna of which the Pro- teus was an example ; the members of which fauna hitherto disco- vered were remarkable for their general want of colour, and for their being destitute of eyes, two physiological conditions dependent on the dark and gloomy places where they have hitherto been found . Mr. Kirby, in his ' Bridgewater Treatise,' was one of those wri- ters who contended that such animals formed no part of the fauna now in existence on the surface of the earth, but belonged to a di- stinct subterranean race of animals. M. Schiodte, in a remarkable memoir recently published in the Transactions of the Danish Aca- demy (which Dr. "Wallich has kindly translated for the Entomolo- gical Society of London, in whose memoirs the translation has ap- peared), has described a number of singular animals belonging to the class of Annulosa, exhibiting all the characteristics of such a fauna, being destitute of sight and also almost or quite colourless. Amongst them are the Crustacean in question, a species of Spider and false Scorpion, a species of the family Podurida;, and several Coleoptera, all of which were found in the caverns of Adelsberg in Carniola. Mr. Westwood also noticed that animals very closely related to those described by Schiodte had been found in the Great Mammoth Cave in Kentucky, including also a blind species of Cray-fish, and one or more species of fishes destitute of eyes, at least wanting the transparent external cornea, although the optic nerve was present, which would probably allow a certain sensibility to the presence of light ; and M. Schmidt had noticed that two newly discovered spe- cies of Beetles belonging to one of Schiodte's singular genera had, although destitute of all external rudiments of eyes, exhibited a sensibility to light by retreating under stones and towards the darker parts of the cavern when brought towards its entrance. A remarkable new genus of Shrimps had also been recently described by Professor Bell in his work on British Crustacea, dredged at a very great depth of the ocean, of which the eyes, cdthough present, were destitute of the usual hexagonal facets. Read a paper " On the Ocelli in the genus Anthophorahia , Newp." By George Newport, Esq,, F.R.S., F.L.S., &c. The author remarked that since the publication of his observations on these insects in the ' Transactions ' of the Society, his attention 220 Linnean Society. [May 3, had again been directed to the peculiarities of the organs of vision in the male sex. He had already shown that these individuals pos- sess only ocelli at the sides of the head as well as on the vertex, but that these structures exist at precisely the same parts of the head as the ocelli and the compound eyes in the female, and consequently that there can be no doubt of their homology. These appearances, however, having led some to question the correctness of this, it be- came necessary, in order to judge aright of their nature, to consider what are the essential conditions of a structure which is specially destined for the appreciation of light. This consists, as already pointed out in Fishes, of a follicle or pit in the tegument of the head, coated with dark pigment, and receiving the distal termination of a particular cerebral nerve, conditions which are precisely those of the ocelli, both of the sides of the head and of the vertex, in Antho- phorahia. The various modifications of the eye in insects, with re- gard to the form of the cornea, the depth of the chamber, and the presence of the choroid, and of the lens, with reference to the extent of field, and the focal distance, of vision, were pointed out, and the degree in which they exist in Anthophorabia mentioned, as coinciding with the peculiar habits of the insect. The structures in the male were thus shown, by the presence of cornea, chamber, choroid, and nerve, to be most indisputably organs of sight. The author referred also to the binary origin of the nerve of the middle ocellus of the vertex, as formerly pointed out by him in his paper on Pteronarcys ; to the origin of ocelli in the same way as other dermal tubercles ; and to the imperfect eye- spots in the Scorpionida being supplied with nervous filaments from the same optic nerve which supplies the recognised organs of vision in those animals. May 3. R. Brown, Esq., President, in the Chair. William Clarke, Esq., was elected a Fellow ; and Professor Von Schlechtendal and Monsr. Louis Ren6 Tulasne, Foreign Members. Read the conclusion of a memoir " On the Vegetation of Buenos Ayres and the neighbouring districts." By Charles James Fox Bun- bury. Esq., F.R.S., F.L.S., &c. 1853.] Linnean Society. 221 Mr, Bunbury commences his memoir by an indication of the sources from which his notes are principally derived, consisting chiefly of very extensive collections made by the late Mr. Fox (for- merly British Minister at Buenos Ayres, and afterwards at Rio de Janeiro) in the neighbourhood of Buenos Ayres, Montevideo, Mal- donado, and other localities on the northern shore of the Rio de la Plata, and along the lower part of the River Uruguay, aided by a residence of about a month at Buenos Ayres in the beginning of 1834, during which he had himself the opportunity of becoming acquainted with the most prominent features and general aspect of the vegetation. The principal published works which he has con- sulted are M. Auguste de St. Hilaire's ' Report of his Travels in Southern Brasil' (in the ninth volume of the ' Memoires du Mu- seum d'Histoire Naturelle'), and the papers by Sir William Hooker and Dr. Walker- Arnott " On the Plants of Extratropical South America," in the 'Botanical Miscellany' and 'Journal of Botany;' and he also acknowledges his obligations to Sir William Hooker for very important assistance in naming the specimens contained in Mr. Fox's collections. The region of which he proposes to treat is defined as lying on both banks of the Rio de la Plata, and on the lower part of the courses of the two great rivers by whose junction it is formed ; and consequently comprises those parts of the republics of Buenos Ayres and the Banda Oriental which lie nearest to the Plata, between the parallels of 33° and 35° S. lat. The collections were chiefly formed in the neighbourhood of the coasts and of the rivers. Mr. Fox also made large collections in the southernmost part of Brasil ; on the vegetation of which Mr. Bunbury proposes occasionally to remark, as forming a connecting link, botanically as well as geographically, between the Buenos- Ayrean districts and the tropical parts of the same continent. Geologically the Rio de la Plata (which as far up as Buenos Ayres is between twenty and thirty miles wide) forms a strongly marked boundary, separating two widely extended and very dissimilar formations. All its northern shore is composed of cry- stalline rocks (granite and gneiss, and their various modifications), which range from thence to the northward uninterruptedly through many degrees of latitude, constituting the whole coast of Brasil, even it is said as far as Bahia. On the south of the great river nothing is seen but tertiary formations of a very late date ; first, the mud and marl of the Pampas, and further south the gravel and shingle of Patagonia. The line of demarcation between these two formations is absolute ; but notwithstanding this remarkable differ- No. LII. — Proceedings of the Lixnean Society. 222 jLinnean Society. [May 3, ence in the structure of its banks, the Plata does not form a botani- cal boundary. There are indeed several species of plants which are confined to one side or the other, and some families (principally tropical) which do not cross it ; yet the leading characteristics of the vegetation, both as to its general physiognomy and its prevailing forms, are the same on both sides. The whole country, therefore, from the frontier of Brasil southward, as far as the Pampas vegeta- tion extends (or to the border of Patagonia), may be considered as one botanical province, which, for the sake of convenience, Mr. Bunbury provisionally calls the Argentine region, from the name of the great river. The botanical characteristics of this region are well-marked ; its most striking peculiarity consists in the almost entire absence of trees, and the scarcity even of shrubs except along the banks of the principal rivers. Every one who has come from Rio de Janeiro to Monte Video and Buenos Ayres has been struck by the contrast between the gigantic vegetation of Brasil and the bare, treeless, almost barren character of the shores of the Plata, where the culti- vated Poplars, and the flower- stalks of the Agave, with here and there a solitary Ombii tree {Phytolacca dioica), are the only objects that relieve the nakedness of the country. It is not that the vege- table covering of the soil is really scanty ; but the vast majority of the plants which compose it are herbaceous, of low growth, and for the most part not very conspicuous. This treeless character has been forcibly described, and its possible causes most ably discussed, by Mr. Darwin in his ' Journal.' The immediate banks of the Uru- guay and Parana, however, and the islands in those rivers, appear to be wooded, although not with trees of great height or size. As compared with Brasil, the vegetation of the Argentine region is further distinguished (as might be expected) by the diminished num- bers of tropical families, and also by something of a more European physiognomy. The resemblance in this particular appears, however, to Mr. Bunbury to be not so great as has been represented, being in a great measure due to the abundance of naturalized European plants ; and excluding these, to consist rather in a certain general similarity of character than in a real botanical analogy. Schouw's estimate, that out of 109 genera which belong to Buenos Ayres, 70 appear in Europe, and St. Hilaire's statement, that of 500 spe- cies collected by him in the Banda Oriental, only 15 belonged to families completely strangers to Europe, are doubtless accurate so far as they go ; but the vegetation of these countries is really more different from the European than such comparisons would seem to 1853.] Linnean Society. 223 imply. For, in the first place, many families and genera, which are strikingly characteristic of the Argentine region, are but scantily represented in Europe. Such, in particular, are the families of So- lane November 7th, 1854. Thomas Bell, Esq., President, in the Chair. Thomas Fleming Robinson, Esq. was elected a Fellow. Mr. Samuel Stevens, F.L.S., exhibited a cone oiAraucaria Cookii, from New Caledonia; and the caudex, with the male and female cones, of Stanggeria paradoxu, from Natal. Dr. Alexander, F.L.S., exhibited a sample of Dalmatian Figs, to- gether with specimens of vegetable fibre prepared in the Jamaica Botanic Garden from various species of Yucca, Bromelia, Tillandsia, Musa, and Sida ; and the Secretary read extracts from two letters addressed by Mr. A. Wilson, Curator of the Botanic Garden at Bath, in the Island of Jamaica, to R. C. Alexander, M.D., F.L.S., &c., on the textile plants of the Island, native and cultivated. In the last of these letters, dated Bath, September 25, 1854, Mr. Wilson says: — "You are aware that we abound in textile plants : I have already prepared fibre from twenty different spe- cies, and perhaps I might discover twenty others. Those you mentioned, such as the Urtica tribe, produce excellent fibre, but not in quantity sufficient to warrant a profitable cultivation among a lazy people. I have lately been agreeably surprised to find so large a quantity of fibre from a species of Sida (S. mollis) growing in this garden. It is most admirably adapted for cultivation in any soil or situation. There is also another plant (a species of Trium- fetta), which is a wayside nuisance, but which produces a splendid fibre. I should be obliged if you would exhibit these fibres to the next meeting of the Linnean Society ; it might be the means of attracting attention to a new and profitable cultivation in this unfor- tunate island. It was in consequence of the transmission to London of a very few species of fibre that attention has of late been so much drawn to our textile resources, and I think it a fortunate circumstance that we have those resources to fall back upon. It has occurred to me that I might, with advantage to the island, send about twenty spe- cies of fibre to the Great French Exhibition of next year, which would be a means of extending their reputation, and perhaps of inducing the investment of capital on a large scale in their cultivation." Read also a Memoir " On the Embryo oi Nelumbium." By Benja- min Clarke, Esq., F.L.S., &c. Mr. Clarke's observations were made on seeds germinated in the 1854.] Linnean Society. 341 Royal Gardens at Kew, in various stages of advancement. His view of the embryo is, that the plumule is enclosed within two large amygdaloid cotyledons, with well-defined margins, which are distinct down to the attachment of the base of the plumule, or very nearly so ; and there is also an obvious tendency to form a radicle, so that the embryo appears to conform fully to the ordinary dicotyledonous type. Then follows the membranaceous envelope and four leaves successively, which are alternate with the cotyledons, and in most cases there is a slight attempt to produce a fifth. The membranous envelope, or proper membrane of the plumule, consists entirely of cellular tissue, and has indistinctly the appearance of a leaf alter- nating with the first leaf above it. The first two leaves having laminae are elevated in the young stem of the plumule, so as to be removed to some extent from the cotyledons, while the jjroper mem- brane arises from its very base, and might be described perhaps as being attached to the line of junction between the young stem and cotyledons. It can have no connection with the first leaf of the plumule, a considerable portion of the axis intervening between them. Supposing it to be a stipule, it must be compounded of two, and those belonging to the cotyledons. This, however, the author thinks, will not be regarded as probable ; he considers it without doubt as a rudimentary leaf of the plumule itself, for which opinion he gives several reasons. It is further remarkable that all the re- maining four leaves of the plumule are furnished with laminae, differ- ing in this respect, Mr. Clarke observes, from those of the stem, where only one leaf in three ever produces a lamina. Of these four leaves of the plumule the first is without stipules ; a farther proof, in Mr. Clarke's opinion, that the proper membrane is not to he regarded as a stipule. Of the three succeeding leaves, the intra-axillary stipule of each, on being laid open, is found to contain the succeeding leaf. This stipule Mr. Clarke regards as compounded of two, one origina- ting on each side of the petiole, united by their membranous margins within the axil of the leaf, as in Pontederia and Potamogeton. As regards the foliage of the plant, Mr. Clarke states that according to his view, three leaves only are produced on each node, and are attached so nearly on a parallel, that did they not successively enclose each other, they could not be distinguished from opposite leaves ; of these the two outermost of each whorl consist only of membranous scales, without any rudiments of stipules, completely surrounding the third and perfect leaf. This leaf having a lamina, should, Mr. Clarke states, in common with those in the upper part of the plumule, have a large intra-axillary stipule, enclosing the terminal bud or 342 Linnean Society. [Nov. 7> growing-point, and this he finds to be obviously the regular struc- ture. The flower appeared in one instance not to be terminal, but to be produced from the axil of the second scaly leaf, while the buds in the axils of the leaves with laminae were leaf-buds. On the sub- ject of affinity, Mr. Clarke thinks that the Nymphseal alliance, as usually limited, has no very near relationship except with Ranun- culacea ; but that much analogy exists between it and some Endo- genous families, and that it may also be connected with Crypto- gam(B, through Ceratophyllum and Chara, the embryo of Ceratophyllum showing a difference between its second foliaceous appendages as compared with those that follow, in analogy possibly with that of Nelumbium. The paper was accompanied with a series of illustrative drawings. Read further, "Notes ouCephalotea and Belvisiaceee." By Benjamin Clarke, Esq., F.L.S., &c. In these two notes Mr. Clarke gives a general account of the structure of the remarkable plants on which the families are founded. The ovule of Cephalotus he describes as erect, anatropal, with a dorsal raphe, and a large and somewhat two-lipped foramen at the base, on the inner side of the funiculus. The torus in the ripe fruit is described as broad and conical, almost filling the calyx ; during the stage of flowering it is almost flat, the carpels appearing to be attached to the flat base of the calyx. As the fruit advances in growth the conical torus forms between the carpels, to the sides of which they are attached ; and after the carpels are fallen off, it forms a rirn immediately above the part to which they were attached, not unlike the expanded style of Sarracenia in miniature, the rim, however, being comparatively much more contracted. The rim has six angles, which alternate with the attachments of the six carpels, and from the place of attachment of the carpels, or immediately above them, are formed six small filamentous processes. Mr. Clark considers this small peltate process as analogous with the expanded termination of the style in Sarraceniacea, and consequently regards the nearest afiinity of Cephalotece as being with that order. In other respects he considers it as very nearly allied to Francoacece and Ranunculaceee, and thinks it shows some analogy with Aristolochiacece in the glands of its calyx. It approaches Rosacece in its perigynous stamens, and in the position of its raphe, if the ovule pendulous with raphe next the placenta be regarded as an equivalent character. In his note on Belvisiaceas, Mr. Clarke describes the ovary of Napoleona as five-celled ; the ovules as two — four in each cell, when 1854.] Linnean Society. 343 two suspended, when four in pairs one above the other, and^(in an early stage at least) nearly horizontal; when suspended amphitropal, with the raphe dorsal and the foramen turned up nearly to the base of the ovule, so as to be distinctly under the funiculus ; the style thickened, more or less hollow below, and terminated above by a broad peltate plate, forming the stigma ; the stigmatic surface con- fined to five small elevations in the five angles of this plate, within which are five cavities opening upwards ; and the stigmatic surfaces apparently opposite to the cells of the ovary. He states the prin- cipal points of structure which may be regarded as indicative of affinity to be, first, the acicular woody fibre, in which Napoleona agrees with Clusiaceee and Rhizophorece, particularly the former ; secondly, the table-shaped stigma, which he states to be almost peculiar to Clusiaceee and their allies, and this character, he thinks (as well as the monadelphous extrorse stamina), separates Belvisiacea from Myrtacece ; thirdly, the dorsal raphe (or at least the resupinate position of the ovules), in which they agree with TernstroemiacecB and BarringtoniacecB , where the ovules are few and suspended, but difi^er from Rhizophorece, where the raphe is next the placenta. The balance of affinities is therefore, in Mr. Clarke's opinion, towards Clusiaceee and TernstroemiacecB, November 21st, 1854. Thomas Bell, Esq., President, in the Chair, Dr. IliiF, F.L.S., exhibited specimens of Baccharis genistelloides and a species of Senecio from Peni, transmitted to a German com- mercial house as pharmaceutical simples. At the request of the President, Mr. Brocas exhibited numerous specimens of leaf skeletons, prepared in such a manner as to repre- sent delineations of natural objects, portraits, &c. Read the conclusion of Mr. Miers's " Observations on the Struc- ture of the Seed and peculiar form of the Embryo in the Clu- siaceee," commenced on the 20th of June. The author proceeds to off'er some observations on the nature of the external covering of the seed, which is considered by him to be an arillus. In the Clusiece this is entire, without the smallest fissure. 344 Linnean Society. [Nov. 21, is fleshy, of equal substance, not very thick, and generally of a reddish -yellow or orange colour. In the Tovomitece it is slit upon the dorsal side from top to bottom, the fimbriated edges overlapj^ing each other, so that when opened out, it appears like a flat sheet with the seed attached in its centre. In the Garciniece the arillus is much thicker, of pulpy or mucilaginous substance, generally edible, and quite entire, as in the Clusiea. The nature of this outer covering in the two last tribes cannot be questioned, and it is fair to conclude that the precisely analogous development in the Clusiea is also a true arillus. It is however essential to determine this point beyond cavil, because in the HypericacecE, Marcgraaviaceee, and other orders, it has been held to be a thickened epidermis of the testa, while in the MagnoliacecB it has been assumed to be the testa itself. In the latter family, where the seeds are suspended by long funicular threads, it forms a very conspicuous development, under the form of an entire fleshy scarlet- coloured covering, precisely like that of Clusiece, and where in like manner within it, on one side, is seen proceeding from the base to the apex a flattened raphe, whose upper extremity is lost in a fungous spot filling the cavity of a distinct aperture pierced through the osseous shell, which by most botanists has been con- sidered to be the testa, but which by some has been held to be the inner integument of the seed, called tegmen by Mirbel, and endopleura by DeCandolle. Endlicher was the first to suggest this idea, which he expresses ambiguously, stating that the seeds of the MagnoliacecB have in most cases " an external fleshy integument covering a crustaceous testa, with a raphe situated between it and the testa, and terminated by a chalaza on the summit, but that sometimes there is no outer integument, the raphe in such cases existing between the testa and endopleura." Mr. Miers considers that this misapplication of the term chalaza (a name that should be confined to the peculiar thickening of the inner integument where it unites with the raphe, around the point where all farther trace of the continuation of the nourishing vessels ceases), where evidently it has been confounded with the diapyle, has probably led to the error of regarding the true testa as the tegmen of the seed. Dr. Asa Gray, however, in his ' Genera of the United States,' amplifies this suggestion of Endlicher in unequivocal terms, stating that in Magnolia the seed has no arillus, and he designates as the testa the external scarlet covering which preceding botanists call arillus, while the hard crustaceous shell called testa even by Endlicher, is there denominated tegmen. This he infers from the fact of having observed spiral vessels in the placentary attachment of the ovules, 1854.] Ldnnean Society. 345 which he thinks " clearly demonstrates that the baccate exterior integument of the seed is formed of the primine of the ovule, and therefore is not an arillus." Had the growth of this tunic been actually traced from the primine of the ovule, an important fact would have been established ; but simply because the primine is the more exterior tunic of the ovule, and the arillus is the external coat- ing of the seed, it does not necessarily follow that the one is the product of the other, and notwithstanding the argument of Dr. Gray, there is no reason to doubt that in Magnolia the scarlet envelope is due to a subsequent growth over the primine, as occurs in numerous well-known cases. Mr. Miers is confirmed in this view by observa- tions which he made in Brazil upon living seeds of Talauma, a genus closely allied to Magnolia : — P'irst, he found the thick outer tunic to consist of fleshy or oily matter, in distinct granules, enclosed within a thin external epidermis, which is the usual texture of arillus, not of testa. Second, the coating called tegmen by Dr. Gray, and considered by him as the innermost integument, is in reality the intermediate en- velope in Talauma : it has a small basal hilum, a longitudinal furrow runs along its ventral face for the reception of the free raphe, and a brown fungous scar through which the raphe finds a passage to the interior, fills a distinct aperture near its apex (the diapyle), which Dr. Gray, following the example of Endlicher, considers to be the chalaza ; this crustaceous envelope is thick and osseous in texture, bearing all the characters of testa, certainly not of an innermost integument of the seed. Third, the existence of an inner mem- branaceous integument around the albumen, and within the true testa, thickened and discoloured round its summit, where it is at- tached by a short neck to the fungous process that fills the diapyle, and where it unites with the raphe, is a development wholly unno- ticed by Dr. Gray, by Endlicher, or by DeCandolle, although the presence of this integument is indicated by Gaertner ; but it is an important feature, because it proves that the bony coating is the testa, and not the tegmen, as has been inferred. Fourth, the raphe proceeding from the hilum is wholly exterior to and free from the bony coating, and interior to the outer tunic, and this is the constant position of the raphe when it is free, in regard to arillus and testa, assuredly not in respect to testa and tegmen. Fifth, as the raphe consists of the nourishing vessels originally existing in the funiculus or placentary attachment of the anatropal ovule, it could never have existed between the primine and secundine, but must have been, as Dr. Gray figures it, wholly exterior to the primine, and consequently, as we afterwards find it, outside the testa, which is a product of the 346 lAnnean Society. [Nov. 21, primine ; hence as the raphe is found in a free state, though par- tially impressed in its soft substance, within the external tunic, the inference is irresistible, that the latter must be of posterior growth (therefore of the nature of an arillus), and in this manner enclosing the raphe within it. Sixth, we have thus the evidence complete of the existence of the usual and distinct envelopes around the nucleus of the seed, viz. an inner integument with its apical chalaza, an in- termediate hard testa with its corresponding diapyle, through which the nourishing vessels of the more exterior raphe penetrate, and the whole included within a scarlet-coloured arillus. From all these facts it may be inferred, that the envelope, which unquestionably is an arillus in the Garciniea and Tovomitece, must be of the same nature in the ClusiecB, and that which is arillus in the ClusiecB must be the same development in the Magnoliacece ; that which is granted in the one, cannot, Mr. Miers thinks, be denied in the other. Although it be true that the several envelopes of the seeds in different families are not to be recognized alone by their consistency, which may be more or less membranaceous, ligneous, cellular, or composed of oily or resinous granules according to cir- cumstances, yet they may always be determined by their relative position in regard to raphe, chalaza, diapyle, micropyle, hilum, &c. Connected with this question is that of the origin and mode of growth of the arillus in seeds, which by St. Hilaire is described to be of two kinds, the true and the false arillus, the former open at its extremity, the latter entirely covering the seed. This view was afterwards modified by Dr. Planchon, who gave to the false arillus the name of arillode. Both kinds are alike ia texture, form, and colour, their difference consisting in this : — the arillus, whether ab- breviated or entire, always covers the micropyle of the testa, while the arillode constantly exhibits a minute or larger opening in its surface around the micropyle, which is never covered by it. He traces this distinction to their different sources of origin, attributing the growth of the true arillus over the ovule to a gradual enlarge- ment of the funiculus, noticing its first appearance from a mere swelling of the umbilical cord to its gradual increment and ultimate develo])ment ; but the arillode, he states, is derived from an enlarge- ment of the mouth of the exostome or foramen of the ovule, its margins being reflected and produced over the primine, thus growing upon it in the form of an additional tunic. In either case, it is, therefore, clear, whether this accessory coating be arillus or arillode, that the raphe, when it is free, must necessarily be enclosed within it. In EuphorbiacetB this coating is considered by many botanists, Dr. 1854.] Linnean Society. 347 Planchon among the number, as merely an epidermis of the testa ; but it becomes difficult to discriminate between a very thin arillus and a thick epidermis, as both appear to be of the same nature, varying in degree of thickness from one extreme to the other in different genera of that family. The most instructive and conclusive evidence of the origin and subsequent extraneous grovpth of the arillus over the ovule, has been adduced by Cambessfedes, who found in Casearia many incom- plete seeds where the anatropal ovule remained in a state of com- plete abortion, while the arillus had grown over it to its full extent, proving that where the ovule had ceased to grow, the increment of the funiculus was not stopped in its progress of extraneous develop- ment. According to the hypothesis of Dr. Planchon, the outer tegument in the ClusiacecB, as well as in the Magnoliacece, must be a true arillus. The facts thus demonstrated will, Mr. Miers argues, necessarily change our views of the affinities of the Clusiacea, serving to bring the order into close proximity with the Rhizobolacece, a relationship long ago pointed out by Cambessedes, founded upon their floral structure, but now rendered more evident by the great similarity observable in their extraordinary embryonal development. The latter family exhibits likewise an embryo with a gigantic radicle, and exceedingly small cotyledons, but here these are separated from the radicular body by a slender free caulicle or neck ; now if we imagine the suppression of this caulicular extension, and the close approximation of the minute cotyledons to its monstrous radicle, there would be little or no diiference in the structure of the embryo in the two families. While these circumstances tend also to draw closer the affinity of the Clusiacea to the Hypericacea and Marc- graaviacecB, they tend to remove them far from the Ternstrcemiacece, with which order they have been hitherto considered to be most intimately related. The farther consideration of the real affinities of the Clusiaceee will be more fully examined by the author, who intends on a future occasion to treat of the organography, floral structure, and generic features of the whole family, restricted within the limits be proposes. December 5th, 1854. William Yarrell, Esq., V.P., in the Chair. Mr. Ward, F.L.S., exhibited two sets of specimens of Asplenhim 348 Linnean Society. [Dec. 5, tanceolatum, from Jersey, both found growing on disintegrated sandstone, exhibiting a striking difference between the growth of the same species on an open sunny bank and in dense shade. Mr. John Hogg, F.R.S., F.L.S., exhibited some scales, and a piece of the scaly covering which was cut from the back of a large fish found in the river Tees, in September of this year. He stated that two fishermen observed a great fish — such as they had never before seen — left by the tide on a sand-bank, in the estuary of the river Tees. They described it as having the head of a salmon, with the back-fin like that of a perch, erect, and somewhat spiny, and the tail spreading and much curved. The colour they did not men- tion, except that of the back, which was represented as being of a purplish-black. They likewise particularly observed some large scales on the front of the fish near the gill-covers, one of which Mr. J. Hogg also exhibited, and which is of a very strong bony texture. From the account of this fish so given, Mr. Hogg conceived that it could only have been a large Tunny {Thynnus vulgaris of Cuvier), which had been stranded whilst in pursuit of herrings or other small fishes. MM. Cuvier and Valenciennes in their ' Hist. Nat. des Poissons,' tom. viii. p. 57, separated the Tunnies from the Mackerels (Scomber), in consequence of the "remarkable disposition of the scales on the thorax, which are larger and more unpolished than the others, and form around that part a sort of corselet?" They also describe the corselet of the Common Tunny thus : — " Le corselet, c'est-a-dire cette portion du tronc couverte d'ecailles plus grandes et moins absorbees dans la peau, est considerable." (p. 62.) This, however, would seem to lead to an incorrect view of the smaller scales on the back, which are, as it were, enclosed between two skins, and are placed in a somewhat imbricated manner, resembling the arrangement of the slates upon a roof, and cannot properly be termed " absorbees dans la peau." Mr. Hogg showed the nature of the piece of the external covering which the fishermen had cut off the back ; the outside skin being of a dark, or nearly black colour, and of a coriaceous substance. The white scales, imbedded in it, are similar to those forming the corselet near the gill-covers, but they are much smaller, and so closely placed by one overlapping the other, that they constitute a perfect defence against nearly every kind of danger. The piece so cut off the back f the fish, which was done with some difficulty, resembling a portion of a shield, would seem to be (from the close disposition of the osseous plates or scales enclosed between two skins) proof against large shot, or 1854.] Linnean Society. 349 even a ball from a musket. Both the external large plate-like scales forming the corslet, and those, arranged in a slate-like manner, be- tween the skins, are of an irregular, but somewhat round, or oval, shape. When seen from the outside of the external black skin, the plain parts between the extremities of four scales, present, by the overlapping of their edges, a somewhat regular appearance, and are of a nearly uniform size, viz. about half an inch in length, by a little more than one- eighth of an inch in width, and they thus exhibit much of a diamond pattern. Mr. Hogg observed, that ichthyologists seem not to have described this remarkable protection, presented by the thick skins, and strong bony interlaminated scales, which is evidently a beautiful provision of Nature to defend these fishes from the attacks of their enemies, and especially those of their greatest foe, the sword-fish. Read a paper " On Decaisnea, a remarkable new genus of the tribe Lardizabalea," by J. D. Hooker, Esq., M.D., F.R.S., F.L.S., and Thomas Thomson, Esq., M.D., F.L.S. The small family of Lardizabalece, which was first instituted many years ago by Mr. Brown, and characterized by the distribution of the ovules over the whole surface of the ovary, was afterwards admirably illustrated by M. Decaisne in a memoir in the ' Archives du Museum.' Though the peculiar distribution of the ovules has always been justly regarded as the most strildng characteristic of Lardizahalea;, it is by no means the only peculiarity of the order which may be distinguished from all its near allies by a considerable number of very striking characters, sufiiciently proving the distinct- ness of the order even where the prominent characters of the in- sertion of the ovules and the digitate leaves are absent. This is remarkably the case in the plant to which the authors of this paper called the attention of the Society, and of which a figure was placed on the table. This interesting plant, which was originally discovered in Bhotan, by Mr. Grifiith, is briefly referred to in his ' Itinerary Notes,' under the name of Slackia insignis, a name evidently imposed on a con- viction that the many striking characters which it presents warranted the establishment of a new genus, to which, however, no characters were assigned. That name having (before the publication of these ' Itinerary Notes,' in which it was only a manuscript designation,) been applied by Grifiith himself, in his ' Essay on Palms,' to a genus of that order, the authors proposed to designate the plant now de- scribed, Decaisnea, after the distinguished monographist of the group No. LX. — Proceedings of the Linnean Society, 350 Linnean Society. [Dec. 5, to which it belongs, as the two genera of Orchidea which have been so called have both proved to have had earlier names. Decaisnea, Hf. %■ Thorns. Sepala 6, lineari-subulata. Petala 0. Stam'ma in flore masculo mona- delpha, in hermaphrodito parva libera. Ovaria 3, lineari-oblonga. Ovula placentis 2 filiformibus parallelis, sutures ventrali approximatis sed ab ea discretis, inserta, indelinita, anatropa. FoUicuU pulpa re- pleti. Semiiia indefinita, compressa ; testa laevi, nitida, Crustacea, atro- fusca. Frutex Himalaiciis erectus ; foliis alternis, pinnatis ; inflorescentia race- mosd, terminali ; floribus pallide viridescentibus. Decaisnea insignis is a native of the temperate parts of the Eastern Himalaya, at elevations between 8000 and 10,000 feet. As men- tioned above, it was first discovered in Bhotan by Griffith. Dr. Hooker's specimens are from the interior of Sikkim. It is an erect shrub, with large simply pinnated leaves, and a nearly simple trunk, marked by large scars after the leaves fall away, as in many Araliacece. The nearest analogy is no doubt with the section Mahonia, of the o-enus Berberis, but the leaves of Decaisnea are soft and thin, not rio-id and prickly as in Berberis. The flowers are arranged in elon- gated racemes, and closely resemble those of other Lardizabalece. Their colour is pale green, slightly tinged with purple towards the apex. The sepals are elongated to a subulate point, and there are no petals. The stamens on the male flower are monadelphous, and very like those of Stauntonia or Parvatia. In the fertile flower the stamens are free and very small, but the anthers always contain pollen, so that the flowers are rather polygamous than dioicous. The most remarkable character is exhibited by the ovaries, which, though externally not unlike those of HollbdlUa, have the ovules arranged in a double series along two elevated lines, one on each side of the ventral suture, and not scattered over the whole surface of the ovary as in all the other genera. The same arrangement is preserved in the ripe fruit, which consists of three large follicles full of an agreeably-flavoured solid pulp, dehiscing along the ventral suture, so as to expose to view the numerous shining black seeds, in structure like those of Hollbbllia. The characters of this remarkable plant are so striking that no lengthened detail is necessary. It will suffice to call attention to its importance, as aff^ording an indication of the value of characters in the class of plants to which it belongs. An inspection of the figure (which is intended to form one of the plates of Dr. Hooker's ' Illus- 1854.] Linnean Society, 351 trations of Himalayan Plants' now in preparation) shows that, not- withstanding its remarkable alteration from the character which has hitherto been considered as most essential to Lardizabalece, it is an undoubted member of that group. At the same time it illustrates, by many points of structure, the relationship of that tribe to all the surrounding orders. The proof which it affords that the apparently very aberrant structure of fruit in which the ovules are scattered over the whole surface of the ovarium, is compatible in the same order with the normal structure, and is therefore reducible to it, and as it were only a modification of it, is especially interesting, and sufficiently, the authors trust, justify them in bringing the plate just completed to the notice of the Society. Read also observations " On the Identity of Pinus Mrtella and Pinus religiosa of Humboldt, Bonpland, and Kunth." By Berthold Seemann, Esq., Ph.D., F.L.S. Dr. Seemann states that a short time ago, when determining the Com/era gathered by himself in the western parts of Mexico, he was glad to find that he had amongst them specimens of the Pinus (^Abies) hirtella ; but on comparing them with those named Pinus {Abies) religiosa in the herbaria of Sir W. J. Hooker and Mr. Ben- tham, he observed that the latter too, without exception, had hirtel- lous branches ; and again, on examining specimens of P. religiosa growing in the Royal Botanic Gardens of Kew, as well as at various other horticultural establishments, he found that they did not differ in any way from those of Mrtella collected by himself. As the only difference between P. religiosa and P. hirtella insisted upon by writers on ConifertB consists in the former having glabrous, the lat- ter hirtellous branches, he was forced to conclude that all the spe- cimens of P. religiosa which he had seen in this country ought to be called P. hirtella, unless it could be shown that P. religiosa had (notwithstanding Humboldt's, Bonpland's, and Kunth's description) hirtellous branches. In order to ascertain this point, he addressed a letter on the subject to Mr. George Gordon, at the Horticultural Society's Gardens at Chiswick, a gentleman of great practical ex- perience, who, in a letter dated Chiswick, Nov. 11, 1854, kindly replied, that "having taken a good deal of interest and pains in the matter, when Mr. Hartweg was collecting in Mexico, and begged him to examine minutely Humboldt's and Bonpland's localities, and see what their A. hirtella was, he did so, and could discover no other species than the ' Oyamel,' or Abies religiosa. He found Abies religiosa, and carefully examined the same in various places 352 Linnean Society. [Dec. 5, between 15° and 22° S. Lat.; but its chief range was about 19° and at an elevation of 9000 feet. He found it on the ' Campanario,' the highest point of the mountains of Angangues, 5 or 6 feet in dia- meter, and 150 feet high; at other places very much smaller and stunted, but still the same species ; and I have, as well as Hartweg, after carefully examining all these facts, come to the decided conclu- sion that both names, P. hirtella and P. religiosa, belong to the same species ; and that the error arose from describing imperfect speci- mens, and not having cones of A. hirtella to compare with the • Oyamel' of the Mexicans." Finding that Mr. Gordon's opinion coincided so entirely with his own, in order to settle the point definitively. Dr. Seemann requested his friend Dr. Charles Bolle, at Berlin, to examine Humboldt and Bonpland's original specimens of P. religiosa, and to ascertain whe- ther they had glabrous or hirtellous branches. In a letter just re- ceived from that botanist, dated Berlin, Nov. 24, he says, — " I con- gratulate you upon your power of divination, for the authentic specimens of P. religiosa in the Royal Herbarium have certainly hirtellous branches." We may therefore conclude that P. religiosa and P. hirtella are identical, and consider the difference thought to exist between them as entirely attributable to imperfect descriptions. As the names were both given at the same time, it becomes a ques- tion w^hich of the two ought to be adopted. The name hirtella might appear the most appropriate, as indicating a botanical cha- racter ; but as that of religiosa is so much more diffused, and as the plant is used in Mexico, on account of its elegant branches, for ornamental purposes on religious festivities. Dr. Seemann determines in favour of the name P. religiosa. Read further " Remarks on Fossil Palms." By Dr. Goppert, Professor of Botany in the University of Breslau. Translated from the German and communicated by Berthold Seemann, Esq., Ph.D., F.L.S. These remarks are the result of a letter addressed by Dr. Seemann to Dr. Goppert, requesting to be favoured with a brief summary of all that is known of fossil Palms, and they have appeared to Dr. Seemann of so much interest as to induce him to lay them before the Linnean Society. They are as follows : — " During the last, and even the first quarter of the present century," says Dr. Goppert, " so little was known of the structure of Palms, and all that was known appeared so abnormal to the scientific men of those days, that they were only too readily inclined to class with 1854.] Linnean Society. 353 the Palms almost all fossil plants presenting strange and anomalous forms. This remark applies with full force to Sigillaria and Lepi- dodendron, genera belonging to the Palaeozoic formation ; and startling as it may be, it cannot be very surprising to us, when we consider that even in our own times notions equally erroneous prevail to an almost incredible extent. For instance, a principal share in the formation of coal is still ascribed by the generality of geologists to the Ferns, although it has been proved by me, by a series of careful observations on numerous carboniferous formations, that such can be claimed only for the Sigillarias and Stigmarias ; that a subordinate share only is due to the Araucarias and Calamites, con- tained in the anthracite coal ; and a still less significant portion to the Lepidodendrons, the Ferns, and the remaining members of the flora of the Carboniferous period. " A diligent study of the extinct flora has demonstrated that the Palms occur more rarely than was thought in the transition rocks and the Carboniferous formation, and more frequently than was believed in more recent formations. Generally speaking, we know at present only trunks, leaves (both fan-shaped and pinnatisect), and a few fruits of fossil Palms ; flowers have as yet not been discovered, and the spathes collected have hitherto not been satis- factorily proved to belong to the natural order under consideration. These fragments, remnants of members of former creations, have been distributed under nine genera and seventy -eight species. For the trunks, there have been adopted the genera Palmacites, Brongn., and Fasciculites ; for the leaves, Flabellaria, Sternb., Zeugophyllites, Brongn., Phcenicites, Brongn., and Amesoneuron, Gopp. ; for the spathes, Palceospatha, Unger (founded, as has been stated, upon doubtful materials) ; for the fruits, Baccites, Zenk, and Castellinia, Massal. The genus Burtinia of Endlicher, placed by Unger among Palms, belongs without a doubt to PandanecB, and is identical with Nipadites. " Although our present imperfect knowledge of fossil plants renders it an almost useless task to speak of the proportion which the number of Palms bears to that of the other members of the extinct flora, yet it may be remarked that, if the number of species of the fossil flora is assumed to be 4000, — there are actually 3945 described, — Palms constitute about the eighty-fourth part of the whole. In the transition rocks no remnants of Palms have as yet been discovered ; in the Carboniferous formation five species have been noticed ; in ' Kupfersandstein,' or the Permian formation, only two species have been collected ; in the secondary class of 354 Linnean Society. [Dec. 19, rocks which succeeds (Keuper.Bnnter-Sandstein, Muschelkalk, Lias- Jura, and Wealden formation), none have been collected except three species in the Cretaceous formation, especially in Quadersand- stein. The greatest number has been found in the Tertiary class of rocks, viz. sixty ; twenty-nine of which belong to the Eocene system, and thirty-one to the Miocene formation. The habitat of nine spe- cies is unknown. "It will be seen from this synopsis that there was a geological period when Palms were entirely wanting in the extinct flora, or when, after their first appearance on the globe, they vanished again, and after a lapse of time reappeared ; a state of things, which if confirmed by future investigations, would certainly be highly curious, and is one never before observed in a like manner in any large group of plants. No species is common to two formations. Several spe- cies show a remarkable degree of resemblance with those of the flora now existing, especially some of those collected by Junghuhn in Java, as for instance, Amesoneuron calyptro- calyx, Gopp., A.dra- cophyllum, Gopp., A.fagifolium, Gopp., and A. anceps, Gopp. But it would be rather bold, perhaps injudicious, to attempt identifying them, from the fragments hitherto collected, with those of the pre- sent flora. The results hitherto obtained only entitle us to say, — Palms make no exception to the rule generally received, that the laws governing the vegetable kingdom were the same in all periods of our earth's history when plants existed ; and that the species of Palms have a very local geological, as they have a very local geo- graphical distribution." Read also. Extracts from a Letter addressed to Sir W. J. Hooker, F.R.S.. F.L.S. &c. By Richard Spruce, Esq. Dated St. Carlos de Rio Negro, Venezuela, March 19, 1854. This letter is intended for publication in Sir W.J. Hooker's ' Journal of Botany.' December 19, 1854. Thomas Bell, Esq., President, in the Chair. Isaac Newton Loomis, Esq., M.D., was elected a Fellow. Read a Memoir " On the Food of certain Gregarious Fishes." By Robert Knox, Esq., M.D. Communicated by William Yarrell, Esq., V.P.L.S. Dr. Knox's inquiries were commenced about thirty years ago, and 1854.] Linnean Society. 355 the results then arrived at were communicated to the Royal Society of Edinburgh, in whose ' Transactions ' a notice of the paper was published. Since that period the observations have been repeated on many occasions, and the author does not find it necessary to alter or modify the statements w'hich he originally made. His attention was first directed to the fact, that in the stomachs of Salmon, fresh from the recesses of the ocean, nothing is ever found except a small quantity of a peculiar reddish substance, unlike anything known to possess life. Practical fishermen agreed in the opinion, that the food of the Salmon, while resident in the ocean, was altogether unknown ; neither could they give any satisfactory account of that of the Herring. Having learned accidentally, that in a lake or lakes near Lochmaben there existed in great abundance a small fish (the Vendace) which could not be tempted by any bait, and whose food was entirely un- known, he determined to visit Lochmaben, and make this fish, so easily procured, the subject of his researches. Dozens of Vendace were taken in nets, and immediately opened ; and their stomachs were found crammed with thousands of Entomostraca, which were immediately recognized on placing a portion of the contents of the stomach under a strong lens. The species first discovered belonged to the genus Lynceus ; but several other genera were subsequently observed ; and in ^vinter, that is to say, on the 14th of December 1832, several species of Cyclops, Miill., most abounded. The notion that the Vendace dies immediately on being taken out of the water, Dr. Knox found to be quite erroneous. It is by no means a very delicate fish, and could easily be transplanted to other lakes ; but its good qualities have been much exaggerated. The author next enters into some detail on the distinctive charac- ters of a number of Vendace, both males and females, caught partly in the Castle Loch and partly in the Mill Loch, and which were carefully examined by his brother ■nath a view to their supposed specific distinction. He treats as a delusion the idea that the males live apart from the females in deeper water, for a single draw of the net in the Castle Loch, in the presence of Mr, Murray and himself, was found to produce nine females and six males, although of forty taken in the Mill Loch at one time only two were males. Dr. Knox then turned his attention to the food of the Char, of which some fine specimens were obtained from Windermere ; and the food of these, which also proved to consist of Entomostraca, was exhibited to the Royal Societj'^ of Edinburgh. The Char is a gre- garious, deep-swimming fish, and shy of taking any bait ; but never- theless it will rise to a fly, and the common food of the Trout may 356 Linnean Society. [Dec. 19, be found in its stomach, although the author has not himself met ■with it. It does not seem to feed so exclusively on Entomostraca, although these unquestionably form the larger portion of its natural food. The observations on this fish were several times repeated, and always with the same results. The Early-spring or Grey Trout of Lochleven form the subject of the next series of observations. Dr. Knox had many years ago remarked a distinction, which he is still disposed to believe may be specific, although anatomical investigation has not hitherto confirmed it, between the ordinary Trout of the lake and this, which is in the highest condition at the end of December, and in the months of January, February and March, a period in which all other descrip- tions of Trout are worthless as food for man. On an examination of these Trout in the month of January, they were found to be filled with Entomostraca, which the author has always found to constitute the food of the early spring Trout of Lochleven. During the remainder of the year, the ordinary Lochleven Trout live on the Buccinum and the common food of Trout, with which the lake abounds ; they rise readily to a fly, and may be taken with worms or minnows, or any of the ordinary bait used for Trout. In regard to the Herring, which next formed the subject of Dr. Knox's investigations, the great difficulty was to obtain speci- mens from the deep sea in fine order, and as remote as possible from the spawning condition, inasmuch as when found near the coast the Herring is either about to spawn or has already spawned ; and in these states it is more or less of a foul fish, and the food taken by it at these times is not to be regarded as its natural food in the ordi- nary state. Of the hundreds and hundreds of deep-sea Herrings examined with this view, the author remembers only three in whose stomachs anything was found excepting Entomostraca of various species. Of these three, one had been feeding on sand-eels, another on what appeared to be small herrings, and the third on a small shell-fish, apparently a Buccinum. When near the coast, and before spawning, the Herring is frequently not feeding. The stomachs of a great number of Herrings taken in the Frith of Forth in January and February 1834, were found quite empty. After spawning, and while still close to the shores, they seem to take to other food, such as sand-eels and shrimps. This was the case with Herrings taken off Dunbar in June 1831, at which time the stomach and intestines were loaded with putrescence, and the fish worthless and insipid. The author's own repeated observations and those of his brother confirm the fact, already well ascertained by practical men, that 1854.] Linnean Society. 357 shore-fisheries of fish whose habitat is the deep sea, seldom. produce the fish in prime condition. Of this truth the deep-sea fisheries of Cod and Haddock, as compared with those caught high in estuaries, also afford good examples. A long series of observations, establishing this position in regard to the Herring, are then given. And lastly, Dr. Knox states that his friend and former pupil, Mr. H. D. Goodsir, one of the enterprising companions of Sir John Franklin in his last fatal expedition, having been requested by him to push the inquiry to the utmost, that lamented naturalist undertook a series of excur- sions in the fishing-boats, not only in the Frith of Forth, but also to the fishing-ground near the Isle of May, and in the open sea. The author transcribes one of Mr. Goodsii-'s letters, dated " Anstruther, June 15, 1843," in which he states, first, that "the Entomostraca are at certain seasons the almost exclusive food of the Herrins:. There can be no doubt that they follow shcals of these Crustacea to prey upon them, for it is only when the latter make their ap- pearance on this coast that the former are seen, and when the food is most plentiful the Herrings are in best condition. It is during the summer months also that we find the larvae of the more common species of Decapoda, along with those of Balani, and occa- sionally a minute shell-fish, among the contents of the stomach. Secondly, it appears to be chiefly during the winter and spring months that the Herrings take other kinds of food than the Ento- mostraca ; during these months we find the stomach oftener empty, and only occasionally filled with Crustacea, such as shrimps, &c. ; in other cases with Entomostraca. Thirdly, as to Entomosti-aca being the partial or exclusive food of other fish besides the Herring, there can be no doubt that during the summer months, when the shoals of Entomostraca, or what our fishermen term Maidre, are in great abundance, they form the food of a great number of other animals besides the Herring. The common Coal-fish is particularly the species which, next to the Herring, preys on the Maidre. It appears to me also that the shoals of Cetacea, which make their ap- pearance in the Frith during the Herring season, are in pursuit of the Maidre, and not of the Herring, as is most generally thought." To these facts, thus confirmed, Dr. Knox would especially call the attention of M. Valenciennes ; they are most important to man in regard to the Herring-fisheries, and explain certain oeconomic sta- tistics bearing on the great fisheries of Holland, otherwise wholly unintelligible. The naval power of the ancient Republic of Holland was connected with, and based on, a deep-sea Herring-fishery ; while the modern Herring-fisheries of France and England and the Scan- 358 Linnean Society. [Dec. 19, 1854, dinavian States are shore- and boat-fisheries, of little value as a food- producing employment, and of no value whatever in a naval point of view. Dr. Knox concludes this branch of the subject with extracts from the works of Sir Gilbert Blane, Dr. M'Culloch, and Leeuwen- hoek, showing the total obscurity in which the food of the Herring was involved prior to the time when he first communicated the result of his observations. Lastly, the author proceeds to examine the question as regards the Salmon. From about midsummer, but more especially with the autumnal floods, Salmon and Sea Trout of various sizes begin to rush up the freshwater streams and rivers, their object being clearly to make their way to the place of their birth, there to provide for the propagation of their species. From the time the Salmon enters the fresh water it ceases to feed, properly speaking, although it may occasionally rise to a fly, or be tempted to attack a worm or min- now, in accordance seemingly with its original habits as a smolt. But after first descending to the ocean and tasting its marine food, it never again resorts to its infantile food as a constant mode of nourishment. This great fact, well understood by fishermen and anglers, has been placed by Mr. Young of Invershaw beyond all doubt. Nothing is ever found in the stomach or intestines of the fresh sea Salmon but a little reddish substance, and this Dr. Knox, after a careful microscopic examination, concluded to be the ova of some species of Echinodermata. Of the Salmon, while in the sea, this is therefore the sole and constant food. Sea Trout also live on it, but they readily take to other food even in the sea, such as sand-eels, herring-fry, &c. The absence of this kind of food forms an insurmountable obstacle to the preservation of Salmon and of some kinds of Sea Trout in freshwater lakes. M. Valenciennes de- scribes the Salmon as voracious, and states that its food consists of fishes — Ammodytes Tobianus ; but Dr. Knox maintains that there exists not a single fact in the history of British Salmon to support this opinion. He refers to various fanciful theories suggested by fishermen and others in regard to the marine food of the Salmon ; and concludes by stating that in spring, as the spawn fish are descending with the smolts, they may occasionally be tempted with an artificial fly or lob-worm, but as to their feeding regularly in rivers, Mr. Young's experiments have negatived the assumption be- yond all doubt. With regard to the Entomostraca themselves, they are abundant in the sea as well as in freshwater lakes ; and it is easy to see by their remains in the limestone of Burdiehouse and of other quai'ters Jan. 16, 1855.] Linnean Society. 359 that they played an important, perhaps the same, part in the oeco- nomy of the ancient world as they do in this, serving as food namely to countless shoals of gregarious fishes, which abounded then as now in fresh and in marine waters. The Entomostraca of the Southern Hemisphere differ seemingly from those of the Northern ; that they serve there also as the food of gregarious fishes was proved by the author's brother many years ago in respect of the so-called Herring of the Bay of Islands. They vary considerably in size, and seem to extend from pole to pole, consuming the organic remahis, which but for them might speedily infect the ocean itself. The paper was accompanied by magnified drawings of the species of E?itomostraca found in the stomachs of the Vendace and of the Herring. January 16, 1855. Thomas Bell, Esq., President, in the Chair. Read, an extract from a Letter, addressed by the Rev. William Henry Hawker to the President, dated " Horndean, Hants, Dec. 11, 1854." After referring to his previous discovery of Aspleniumfon- tanuni in the neighbourhood of his place of residence, Mr. Hawker proceeds as follows : — " My discoveries of the past year are not altogether without interest. Last year I paid a visit to the English Lakes, and had the good fortune to find Polystichum Lonchitis growing near UUeswater. I brought away one plant and sent a frond to Newman, who, how- ever, does not mention it in his new Edition. This year (in July) I went to the Lakes again and had the pleasure of confirming the above discovery ; and, moreover, on my mentioning it to other col- lectors, a search was instituted, which has resulted in its turning up in several new localities in that district, e. g. Helvellyn, Fairfield, &c. This fern has never before, I believe, been found in the Lake country. Whilst there this year I went a few days' botanical ramble with Mr. Clowes of Windermere, and on one of these days, whilst clambering on a terrific precipice, I had the delight to find Aspl. septentrionale growing in such quantity, that I took away I suppose between 60 and 70 plants and left more than 100, and here right amongst them I found 2 plants of AsiAenium germanicum ! 360 Linnean Society. [Jan. 16, A guide was with me, who found close by Woodsia Ilvensis growing in some quantity. Three good things were they not, to be growing on a spot only a few yards square ? It was on an outcrop of iron ore, which seems to me always to be a good ' matrix ' (?) for ferns. This took place not many miles from Scaw Fell, though not on it. It was of course plain that the locality had never been before visited by a botanist. Mr. Clowes found Euphorbia Cyparissias growing on Whitbarrow Fells in great quantity. I have gathered it on the mountain limestone of Somersetshire near Wells, and I should think it will prove to be a true native ; on the continent it is the com- monest of weeds, especially where there is limestone. I followed your advice about keeping the Helix Pomatia till the spring, when I fed them up and kept them till impregnated, and then turned them out. The dry summer was rather against them, but I dare say they are all right, though I have not searched for them since. I have found another rare shell in the Ashford woods, Clausilia Rolphii — I think about its fifth or sixth locality in England. " Last September and October I took a rapid run on the continent up the Rhine, — Heidelberg, Baden Baden, Basle, Soleure, Bern, Interlaken, the Simmenthal, Vevay, Geneva, over the Jura to Dijon, Fontainebleau, Paris, and home. The season was late ; flowers mostly over, and deciduous ferns killed down, so that on the Alps I did not gather Woodsia alpina as I wished. I found on the Jura in one spot my favourite Aspl. fontanum. In the Pine forests of the Alps and Jura, Polystichum Lonchitis grows in the most wonderful luxuriance ; I have dried some fronds 22 inches long ! Its appearance is quite beautiful ; I dried a good deal and brought away some live roots. Aspl. septentrionale too abounded on the alpine rocks. I found Helix obvoluta at Heidelberg at the foot of the walls of the Castle amongst grass, and also at Thun in a wood. Helix Pomatia was very com- mon and abundant everywhere." Read also a Letter addressed to the Secretary by John Hogg, Esq., F.R.S., F.L.S. &c., dated " Stockton-on-Tees, December 27th, 1 854," of which the following is an extract : — " Since my return home, I have had an opportunity of learning more particularly respecting the large fish which was stranded last September in the Tees Bay ; and I have now not the least doubt that it was a common Tunny, and that too of a large size. One of the fishermen who had seen the fish, on cutting it said — the flesh looked like highly salted bacon, i. e. red with salt or saltpetre. He described it in size as ' being pretty well on to 60 stone,' which at 1855.] Linnean Society. 361 8 lbs. to the stone (meat weight) would give 480 lbs. The only freshly killed Tunny 1 ever saw was at Palermo ; it was a good- sized fish and was carried on the shoulders of two strong fishermen, the one walking a few feet before the other. Pennant describes in his ' Brit. Zool.' (edit. 1812), vol. iii. p. 362, one which was caught at Inverary in 1769, as weighing 460 lbs. This then would probably be somewhat less than the Tees fish ; and this is further shown by the following fact — Pennant says the tail ' measured 2 feet 7 inches between tip and tip ' of its crescent-form. 1 yesterday measured the tail of the Tees fish, which gave 2 ft. 8^ inches from tip to tip, thus having 1^ inch more in the width of the crescent-tail than Pennant's, and consequently most likely it was the larger of the two. The fisherman had well preserved the tail, and it presents a beautiful specimen of a crescent, and very perfect, each half corresponding in a very accurate manner with the other. It is covered with a thick, nearly black skin, and quite smooth. 1 counted the caudal rays, and at first I made nineteen on one side and eighteen on the other ; but on re-counting them 1 am more satisfied that they are equal, i. e. eighteen on each side or in each half. Between them I noticed most distinctly ' a cartilaginous keel between the sides of the tail,' as described by Cuvier in his generic characters of his genus Thynnus. Moreover, the fisherman (who is a very sensible man and a good bird-stufFer) on being shown Mr. Yarrell's figure of the Common Tunny, immediately recognized it and pronounced it at once to be the same fish." Read further, the Introductory part of a paper, entitled " New ProteacecE of Australia." By Dr. C. F. Meisner. Communicated by the Secretary, and intended for publication in Sir W. J. Hooker's • Journal of Botany.' Read, in conclusion, an " Extract from a Memoir on the Origin and Development of Vessels in Monocotyledonous and Dicotyledo- nous Plants." By Dr. Francisco Freire Allemao of Rio de Janeiro, translated and communicated by John Miers, Esq., F.R.S., F.L.S. &c. Dr. Allemao states that in 1849 he commenced a series of micro- scopical observations on several points of vegetable anatomy, and in particular on the origin and development of vessels in the roots of plants. In 1831 he read before the Vellozian Society of Rio de Janeiro a memoir in which the most important facts obseiTed by him were shortly stated, which memoir he revised and published in 1852, as the third of his "Botanical Exercises," in the ' Trabalhos da So- 362 Linnean Society. [Jan. 16, ciedade Velloziana,' p. 101. In the following year lie pursued his investigations into the growth of vessels in germinating seeds, and extended them to the next stage in the development both of dicoty- ledonous and monocotj'ledonous plants. This inquiry is not yet completed, but Dr. Allemao transmits the extract communicated by Mr. Miers, together with a portion of the illustrative drawings, with the view of ascertaining whether his observations are really, as he believes them to be, new to science, and whether they are sufficiently exact. I'he drawings represent first, a young plant of Sida carpinifolia, but little developed, shomng the epigeal cotyledons still enveloped in their seminal integuments. The caulicle (radicle) is linear and without ramification. Seen under the microscope the nervures of the cotyledons are found to be composed solely of tracheal vessels, two of which constituting the midrib are continuous with those of the caulicle, which are four in number, distinct, entire, straight, parallel, and equidistant, descending more than half the length of the cauUcle, the lower portion of which does not yet exhibit any vessels, nor does its radicular bulb show any tendency to form roots. In a somewhat more developed stage, the nervures of the cotyledons have their tracheae considerably increased ; the gemmule is seen tinder the form of a cellular tumour without vessels ; the four tracheae of the stem descend parallel to each other as far as the radicular bulb, and thus constitute the medullary sheath ; no root- lets are yet observable. A further stage of development exhibits the same plant after the formation of rootlets, and the development of one of the leaves of the gemmule. In this stage the cotyledons have acquired a larger number of nervures ; the nervures of the primordial leaf consist only of tracheae, two of which forming the midrib descend by the stem to meet the four cotyledonary tracheae ; in the stem or primary merithal (radicle of authors) these tracheae are as yet solitary for two-thirds of the upper portion of their length, but in the lower third they are accompanied and invested externally by dotted ducts. At the limit between stem and root where the rootlets are given off, the tracheae of the stem terminate, and we see the commencement of the dotted or ligneous vessels, which begin to ascend in bundles through the stem outside the tracheae and to de- scend, unaccompanied by tracheae, through the roots and their rami- fications. From his investigations Dr. Allemao infers, first, that the tracheae, which are the first vessels formed, derive their origin in the stem from the vital point in which the leaves originate, whence they ascend. 1855.] Linnean Society. S63 forming bundles in the leaves, of -which they constitute the nenaires, and whence they descend through the stem to form the medullary sheath. Secondly, that roots do not exist in the embryo, but are formed in the young plant when, freed from its seminal envelopes, it penetrates the earth. [This is, however, subject to some exceptions in cases where the roots begin to sprout while contained within the seed.] The radicular bulb which is destined to produce them bears some analogy with the gemmule, and may be considered as a primary spongiole, through which the plant absorbs nutriment prior to the production of roots. Thirdly, that the fibrous, ligneous or reticu- lated vessels are formed posteriorly to the appearance of the tracheae, their origin being at the vital point from which the roots proceed, whence they ascend in bundles through the stem until they reach the extremity of the nervures of the leaves, being always external to the tracheae, and whence they descend through the root as far as the extremities of its ramifications, leaving almost always in its centre a kind of canal filled with cellular tissue, which is a true pith, and com- municates with the herbaceous envelope by means of medullary rays, but is not enclosed by tracheae in dicotyledonous plants. Tracheae are to be found, however, in the roots of nearly all monocotj'ledonous plants, or if absent, their place is supplied by mixed or scalariform vessels. In this exposition of his views Dr. Allemao has gone beyond what appears on the face of the drawings sent, and has, he is awai'e, repeated several well-known facts : what he believes to be new in them is the extension of two vascular systems in opposite directions, and their increment at their respective extremities ; in other words, the projection upwards and downwards of fibres or vascular bundles. Fourthly, that the radicular branches, as appendicular or radiated organs, are in their origin perpendicular to the fibres of the stem, and not continuous with them, contrary to the theory maintained by Gaudichaud. The same facts are demonstrated in monocotyledonous plants by microscopical observations on the young rooting bulbs of Fourcroya gigantea. A longitudinal section passing through the centre of the bulb shows, on repeated and careful dissection, that the bulbous mass is formed of rather dense cellular tissue filled with a viscous lymph, the cells of which contain much fecula and a large quantity of raphides or solitary prisms. Of the numerous sheathing and con- centric leaves, the central one, in its earliest development, is com- posed only of very fine cellular tissue ; the one next in succession outwards is still cellular, but beginning to receive tracheal ramifica- tions, which are the upper extremities of numerous simple tracheae 364 Linnean Society. [Jan. 16, forming a crown around the vital point which Dr. AUemao regards as the limit between stem and leaves. These tracheae are very slender, vermicular or fusiform, with a curvature in the middle, the convexities of which look towards the centre ; extending upwards they penetrate the leaves in great number running parallel to each other, and passing downwards they cross and become external to the interior bundles taking a fiexuose direction. In the succeeding leaves there are no simple trachese, but numerous tracheae form bundles running parallel to each other as far as the extremities of the leaves, and giving off lateral and transverse branches which anastomose in a very beautiful manner. These vascular bundles also descend as far as the base of the bulb. Above they are formed entirely of tracheae ; lower down the tracheae are accompanied on the outer side by dotted vessels, which extend upwards to penetrate the leaves and downwards to communicate with the root. In the roots the vascular system is composed of a certain number of bundles, parallelly disposed with admirable symmetry, among which are seen dotted and scalariform vessels, but no true tracheae, A great number of microscopical observations made on various plants under different circumstances have confirmed these views, which Dr. AUemao con- siders unquestionable. The paper was accompanied by a series of notes by Mr. Miers, in which, from his knowledge of his antecedent researches, published in the Proceedings of the Vellozian Society, he states it to have been the object of Dr. AUemao to test the validity of the theory first propounded by Du Petit-Thouars, and more recently modified and supported by Gaudichaud, which maintains, contrary to the views of Mirbel and others, that aU the woody fibres of the stem proceed from the nascent leaf-buds and thence descend to the radicular ex- tremity of plants. Dr. AUemao believes that his observations in no degree tend to support this theory. He takes as an example the Cucurbita Pepo, in which the dotted vessels are extremely large and conspicuous. In this plant no reticulated vessels are found in the last-formed leaves or in the internodes near the termination of the stem, although they exist in the lower and older leaves. He ob- served spiral vessels only in the stems and leaves as low as the 9th or 10th axil from the extremity of each branchlet ; from that point as low as the 14th and loth axils, other vessels are observed in the stem only ; but below this point he found them in the stem, and more especially in the leaves, proving, as he believes, that all reticu- lated and dotted vessels ascend through the stem before they find their way into the leaves, in the progress of their growth upwards. 1855.] Linnean Society. 365 He thinks that the formation of a circular tumour in the trunk of dicotyledonous plants above the line of a ligature tightly tied around it may be accounted for by reasoning on the facts which he con- ceives himself to have established, viz. that in the development of the vascular fibres of the stem, there always exists a vital centre from which they extend themselves in two opposite directions. This vital centre may be fixed, moveable, or accidental ; fixed in woody fibres, moveable in tracheae, and accidental in all adventitious forma- tions. If, for instance, we take a cutting of any young branchlet, in M'hich no natural bud is distinguishable, and plant half of it in the ground, several adventitious vital points make their appearance, the lowermost of which give out rootlets, and the uppermost leaf-buds. In this case, vital points or centres make their appearance in the vital zone of the cutting, which would never have existed in the natural condition of the branch. Applying this fact to the case of the liga- ture, he thinks it evident that the cambium or elaborated sap, or whatever may be the source of the tumour deposited between the wood and the bark, must assuredly proceed from the leaves towards the root, and meeting with this obstacle, becomes accumulated there ; its tendency to organize itself not being distributed, a zone of Kdven- titious or occasional vital centres soon appears in that point, whose two forces are quickly manifested; the ascending fibres continue to;^/A> extend themselves without impediment, while those which should ^^^^L^^*- have descended, unable to overcome the impediment presented to their further progress, continue to grow, twisting and interlacing themselves, so as to form a tumour. Mr. Miers then refers to the differences which Dr. Allemao be- lieves to exist between his theory of the evolution of each fibre in opposite directions upwards and downwards, and that of Gaudichaud, in respect to which he thinks there must be either a misprint or a complete misapprehension of the views of Gaudichaud, who clearly traces the source of each bud, not from the point of external growth (as Dr. Allemao seems to infer), but from the seat of its origin around the medullary sheath, at the nceud vital or point of de- parture of each independent ascending and descending system of vascular fibre. The origin of numerous distinct bud-formations around the medullary sheath, and the extension of ascending spiral vessels and of corresponding descending dotted vessels from each of these separately, are maintained throughout by Gaudichaud in his " Recherches Generales" as an essential part of his theory, and mi- nutely demonstrated in his figures, both in monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous plants. He even forcibly quotes the same circum- No. LXI. — Proceedings of the Lfnnean Society. 366 Linnean Society. [Jan. 16, stances of the intumescence of a stem produced by a ligature, and the germination of an apparently budless stem, in support of his views; between which and those of Dr. Allemao, Mr. Miers is con- sequently unable to perceive any essential difference. Mr. Miers further quotes, from early works of Mirbel, the proof that; as long ago as 1802 and 1809, he accurately depicted and de- scribed the origin and formation of similar vessels in germinating seeds of Nelumbo and of the Common Haricot ; and refers to plates by him in the 5th and 13th volumes of the ' Annales du Museum,' showing the ascending system of spiral vessels in the plumule and cotyledons, and the descending system of dotted vessels in the radicle. Dr. Allemao further states, that although the " bolbo radicular " is always the chief growing point of the radicle, he observed, in Euphor- Mace(S, four other cruciform branches, on the same horizontal plane, proceeding from this radicle. The same fact was described more than forty years ago by Auguste de St. Hilaire (Ann. du Mus. xix. p. 467) in the germination of a Ranunculaceous plant {Ceratoce- phalus). In this, besides the main shoot, growing in the same way as an ordinary exorhizal root, five other branching rootlets are shown to be produced on one plane, from the collar of the young root, which make their appearance through lacerations of the ex- ternal coat. Their earliest indication is in the form of tubercles, through the investing covering of which these rootlets burst a pass- age, in all respects similar to the coleorhiza in the germinating em- bryos of Monocotyledonous plants. The coleorhiza is sometimes extended to some distance along the rootlet, but in other cases it forms merely a swelling round its base. The same appearance, although far from general, was observed by St. Hilaire in the ger- minating embryos of numerous other exorhizal plants, as Myosurus, Plantago, Valerianella, Urtica, Senecio, Sonchus, Calendula, Matri- caria, Veronica, Phaseolus, Medicago, &c. In Tropeeolum the radicle, although exorhizal, exhibits a kind of valve-like opening for the exit of the plumule, which has been called a coleorhiza : and a somewhat similar appearance is said to occur in the germination of the seed of Viscum album ; this, however, Mr. Miers apprehends can refer only to the coleorhizal mode of bursting of the attenuated expansion of the thin covering of the albumen which is spread over the growing radicle. Dr. Allemao, Mr. Miers adds, here considers the radicle of the embryo as forming part of the caulicle or stem, and the root as ori- ginating in the subsequent growth of the embryo, after it is released 1855.] Linnean Society. 367 from its integuments, and produced by the expansion of the obtuse extremity of the radicle, which he calls the " gommo ;" and Gaudi- chaud the radicular bulb. This view was taken by Turpin nearly twenty years ago, and represented by him, in the germination of Solanum tuberosum (Mem. Mus. xix. p. 19. t. 1), where all the radi- cular portion of the embryo is referred to the tigelle or ascending system, while the true root is represented as beginning from its sprouting point in the radicular bulb. It has not, however, been generally countenanced, and Mr. Miers states that he cannot per- ceive that it has any advantages over the more generally received theory which regards the radicle as an elementary root, commencing from the point of union of the cotyledons and their junction with the plumule. On the contrary, it is disproved by numberless facts, and more especially by one to which he lately called the attention of the Society, in the germination of the embryo oi Xanthochymus , as figured by Dr. Roxburgh ; in which (in addition to the principal root thrown out at the base of the seed, at the point which Dr. Allemao would call the radicular bulb) another secondary root is seen pro- ceeding from the summit of the nucleus out of the ascending collar or tigelle, immediately below the scales, which appear to be minute cotyledons, showing that the main body of the nucleus or radicle belongs to the descending system of the root. It is more natural, Mr. Miers thinks, to conclude, in the case cited by Dr. Allemao, that the main descending shoot, growing out of the radicular bulb, and also the subsequent coleorhizal rootlets, are productions of that axile portion of the radicle, which Mr. Miers has called the neorhiza ; and under this point of view he considers it easy to account for the coleorhizal character of the secondary rootlets in the germination of Ceratocephalus, as described by St. Hilaire. A verj' singular example of this sort of production is shown by Klotzsch, in the germination of the seeds of Pistia (Ueber Pistia, Berl. 1853, plate 1. f. C.D.E), where the many secondary rootlets, or branches of the neorhiza, force their way through the epirhizal covering of the main root, ex- tending it as a coleorhiza, in the form of a long cylindrical tube, which at length breaks away, leaving a long sheath in the form of a thimble, covering the extremity of each growing rootlet, and which probably thus performs the functions of a spongiole. 368 Linnean Society. [Feb. fi> February 6. Thomas Bell, Esq., President, in the Chair. William Freeman Daniell, Esq., M.D., and William Gourlie, Esq., were elected Fellows. Mr. Westwood, F.L.S., exhibited some cocoons and living chry- salides of the Eria Silk- worm of India, which feeds on the castor-oil plant, which he had received from the Governor of Malta through Dr. Templeton ; this being the species, the introduction and culti- vation of which in Malta, Italy, and the South of Europe was now attracting so much attention in those countries, as proved by the numerous communications presented within the last few months to the Academie des Sciences at Paris by Marshal VaiUant, French Minister of War, and by MM. Milne-Edwards, Guerin-Meneville, Isidore GeofFroy Saint- Hilaire, Dumeril, Montague, &c. An extract was read, communicated by Major-General Hearsey, from the " Journal of the Asiatic Society," on the peculiarities of the silk of this species, the natural history of which, as well as of the Tusseh Silk-moth of India, formed the subject of an excellent memoir by Dr. Roxburgh in the " Transactions of the Linnean Society," vol. vii. On examining the cocoons, Mr. Westwood had observed, that, unlike those of the common Silk-worm and most other moths which were of an entire, oval form, these cocoons were open at one end, which was protected by a series of converging elastic threads (like the mouth of a rat-trap), a peculiarity which had been long observed in the cocoons of the common Emperor Moth, Saturnia pavonia minor. This peculiarity, which had also been noticed by M. Dumeril, had been supposed to have for its object the introduction of air to the interior of the cocoon, and also the prevention of the ingress of parasitic Ichneu- monidcB, &c. Neither of these hypotheses were however considered by Mr. Westwood as conclusive ; he thought rather that it was con- nected with the discharge of the fluid which most insects emit im- mediately after arriving at the perfect state. The circumstance is however of some practical importance in the Eria Moth, as it allows the egress of the perfect insect without injuring the thread of the cocoon, as is the case when the common Silk worm Moth of the mulberry is allowed to escape from its cocoon. It is not, however, of so great a practical importance as might be at first supposed, as 1855.] Linnean Society. 369 the silk-growers never allow the cocoons intended for winding to produce the moth ; still those cocoons, which were set aside in order to obtain the perfect insects for breeding from, would also remain uninjured after the escape of the moths. Read the commencement of a memoir " On the Structure and Affinities of the Natural Order of Balanophorece." By J. D. Hooker, Esq., M.D., F.R.S.. F.L.S. &c. February 20. Thomas Bell, Esq., President, in the Chair. Read a Letter addressed to the Secretary by Mr. E.D. Lockwood of Haileybury College, mentioning the occurrence in that neigh- bourhood, during the late severe weather, of several rare birds, and among them a fine specimen of the Red-throated Diver and the little Auk, both killed between Ware and Hertford. Hawfinches, Mr. Lockwood adds, have been very common in the neighbourhood. Read also a continuation of Dr. Hooker's memoir " On the Struc- ture and Affinities of the Natural Order Balanophorem," commenced at the last Meeting. March 6. Thomas Bell, Esq., President, in the Chair. Mr. Syme, F.L.S. , exhibited specimens of Ophioglossum vulgatum, L., from Swanbister, Orkney, together with a large series of speci- mens from other localities ; and comparing them with an extensive series of specimens of Oph. Lusitanicum from various distant locali- ties, came to the conclusion, in common with several recent bota- nical writers, that these two supposed species are in reality merely varieties of one and the same specific type. Mr. N. B. Ward, F.L.S., exhibited on the part of Mr. Maxwell T. Masters, Sub-Curator of the Fielding Herbarium at Oxford, an 370 Linnean Society, [Mar. 6, ibnormal stem of a species of Dipsacus, on which the following ob- servations, by Mr. Masters, were read : — " The specimen was received from Mr. Smith of Witney in Ox- fordshire, to whom it had been given by a blanket manufacturer of that town. From the presence of some small prickles on the remains of the leaves, Mr. Baxter, jun., the Curator of the Oxford Botanic Garden, suggested that it might be the stem of a Dipsacus. Great as is the dissimilarity between this abnormal specimen and the natural appearance of a Teazel-stem, the subsequent testimony of the donor confirms Mr. Baxter's opinion. Moreover, if the explanation here offered be correct, there is little difficulty in supposing it really to have been a TeazeLstem. It has unfortunately been broken, but its general appearance, when it came into our possession, is shown in the accompanying sketch. It then measured about 21 inches in length, and as the specimen seems to have been broken off pretty close to the ground, its original height must have been much less than that of an ordinary Teazel. At the base it is of a cylindrical form ; soon, however, the stem becomes, as it were, twisted on itself, and is then flattened out laterally. A cross section of it at this point would therefore be ovoidal in outline. This portion of the stem is hollow : traces of the pith adhere to its inner surface. The greatest breadth is about 2^ inches ; the breadth, however, gradually diminishes towards the upper part, where the cylindrical form is resumed. The branches, or flower-stalks, are placed one over the other in a line following the spiral curvature of the stem. Some of the branches have been broken off, and indications of several abortive branches are plainly visible. Remains of leaves occur at the base of one or two of the upper branches, and on these are small prickles, such as are found on a Teazel-leaf. The epidermis has for the most part peeled off, showing the course of the woody fibres in a spiral direction all the way up the main stem, but taking an opposite direction from that formed by the line of branches. In the lateral branches the course of the fibres is straight. The obliquity of the spiral is greatest in the lower part of the stem, diminishing as the stem expands laterally, and again increasing towards the upper part, where the stem resumes its cylindrical form. When the course of the fibres is traced from the base of any of the branches, the spiral will be found to terminate about the base of the second branch above that from which the line started. If each turn of the spiral, in this abnormal specimen, be considered to represent an internode, then the opposite and alternate arrangement of the branches of a Dipsacus would seem to be indicated. Should this view be correct. 1855.] lAnnean Society. 37 1 it would have an important bearing on that theory which ascribes the opposition of leaves to the absence or non- development of in- temodes, for here, where the internodes are developed, the arrange- ment is alternate. The position of all the branches in a line one over the other is accounted for by the spiral course of the fibres of the stem. And thus, if we conceive the fibres of this specimen un- twisted and made to assume a vertical direction, and at the same time imagine the absence of internodes, the result will be the oppo- sition of the branches and the alternate position of the pairs of branches as regards the side of the axis from which they proceed. At the dilated portion of the stem the growth was probably much more rapid than at the lower part, which, from its more solid and firmer structure, may be conceived to have offered some resistance to the lateral expansion of the stem. In so doing it may have been the cause of that twisting of the stem upon itself, which, it will be observed, begins at the point where the change of form also com- mences." The communication was accompanied by a sketch of the monstro- sity described in it. Read the commencement of a memoir entitled " Remarks on the Botany of Madeira and TenerifFe." By C. J. F. Bunbury, Esq., F.R.S., F.L.S. &c. March 20. Thomas Bell, Esq., President, in the Chair. Dr. Daniell, F.L.S. , exhibited a specimen of Kino, the produce of Pterocarpus erinaceus. Lam., from Nyami, on the Upper Gambia ; and also specimens of preserved vegetables, reduced by powerful pressure into very small compass, and intended for use during long voyages, of which large quantities have lately been forwarded to the army in the Crimea. Mr. S. Stevens, F.L.S., exhibited specimens of two species of Euchirus, one recently brought from Amboyna by Madame PfeifFer, the other from India. 372 Linnean Society. [Mar. 20, Mr. N. B.Ward, F.L.S., exhibited a number of Autograph Letters written by Sir John Franklin, Capt. Matthew Flinders, Sir Joseph Banks, Toumefort, Antoine de Jussieu, Bernard de Jussieu, Antoine- Laurent de Jussieu and Adrien de Jussieu. Read a " Description of Peachia hastata, a new genus and species of the Class Zoophyta ; with observations on the Family Actiniada." By Philip Henry Gosse, Esq., A.L.S. The specimens on which Mr. Gosse founds his new genus, Peachia, were discovered by the Rev. Charles Kingsley in the months of January and March 1854, in the vicinity of Torquay. INlr. Gosse gives an elaborate description of the animal, both in reference to its external and internal structure, together with a particular account of its habits, derived from the communications of Mr. Kingsley as well as from his own observations. He considers that the possession of an excretory orifice to the body is a character of sufficient im- portance to separate it from Actinia, and to constitute a new genus, for which he proposes the name of Peachia, as a tribute to the zeal, industry and success with which marine zoology has been studied by Mr. Charles W. Peach. He is also led to this selection of a name, because he thinks it probable that a minute species, described by Mr. Peach under the name oi Actinia chrysanthellum, may belong to the same genus. The following are the characters, generic and specific, of the animals in question : — Peachia, Gosse. Corpus elongatum, subcylindricum, pyriforme, v. fusiforme, ditrematum, liberum ; tentaculis paucis, brevibus (disci diametrnm baud superanti- bus), crassis, conicis, uniseriatis ; oviductu in tuberculum papillosum desinente. 1. Peachia hastata, corpore roseo lineis asqiialibus pallidis, tentaculis 12 albo-hyalinis seriebus 2 parallelis macularum sagittatarum brun- nearum notatis, disco circulis duobus macularum brunneavum V-for- mium cincto, oviductiis papillis numerosis aggregatis. 2? P.? chrysanthellum, corpore cylindrico albido lineis ina?qualiter latis, tentaculis brunneo-annulatis. Mr. Gosse considers the principal interest of this form to consist in the decided approach which it makes to a higher type than that of Actinodermata, assisting, together with the genus Edwardsia of M. Quatrefages, to diminish the interval between the Actinia and Holothuridee. Of the genus Edwardsia he observes that there are 1855.] Linnean Society. 3/3 two British species, on^ of which was described and figured by him- self, in the 'Annals of Natural History' for Sept. 18.53, under the name of Scolanthus callimoi-phus, which genus he is now convinced ought to be abolished ; and the other, described in a letter from Mr. Kingsley, appears to be identical with Edwardsia Beaiitempsii, Quatr. The author then proceeds to remark on the importance of still further dividing the large remainder of species, which, even after the separation of the genera already constructed from it, still remain united under the name of Actinia. After discussing the principles on which he conceives that this division may be most properly founded, he goes on to establish the following generic types, adding after each the names of the British, and of some of the exotic species belonging to it. Sagartia, Gosse. Actinice basi adhaerentes ; tentaculis conicis facile retractilibus ; sphesrulis marginalibus nuUis. Corpus everrucosum, Jilamenta capsuUfera e poris emittens ; Jilis urticantibus brevibus, pilorum fasciculo dense armatis. Sp, Brit. — Act. viduata (:=anguicoma, Price), Troglodytes, Aurora, Candida, rosea, nivea, venusta, parasitica, Bellis, Dianthus ; forte etiam A. aurantiaca et pulchella, Joid. The following exotic species, figured by Mr. Dana in the Zoophytes of the American Exploring Expedition, seem to be referable to this genus, viz. A. Primula ; the beautiful decorata and Fuegensis, both allied to our Bellis ; and Achates, reticulata and Paumotensis, which are evidently allied to Dianthus. BuNODEs, Gosse, ActinicB sphserulis marginalibus nuUis ; corpus verrucosum ; cute coriacea, Jilamentis T[\\s5\\\hus nvi\\\s;JiUs urticantibus longis simplicibus; ten- taculis plerumque crassis, conicis, obtusis. Sp. Brit. — A. gemmacea, Thallia, clavata, crassicornis, monile (forte crassicornis ]\x\nox)1 Chrysopleniuml, albal, miniatat Of exotic species A. Diadema, pluvia. Gemma, Artemisia of Dana's Zoophytes, probably belong to this genus. Actinia, L. (pars). Sphcenila capsuUferce ad disci marginem seriatae ; corjms everrucosum, poris Jila7nentisque missilibus destitutum ; cute \sevi. Sp, Brit. — A. Mesembryanthemum, margaritij'era, Chiococca. Of exotic species A, Tabella and graminea of Dana are here re- ferable. 374 Linnean Society. [April 3, The following British species are of doubtful position, viz. A. coc- cinea, intestinalis , biserialis and vermicularis. The very curious A. biserialis has a close parallel in Dana's Rhodora ; and these may perhaps form together another genus when more is known about them. A. intestinalis and Vermiculum show, in their slender lengthened form, an approach to the free condition of Peachia, &c. Mr. Gosse next exhibits in a tabular manner one of the modes in which the British non-coralligenous Actiniadce may be artificially distributed ; and under the head of each genus comments on its structure, limits, and affinities, concluding his paper with a diagram intended to express, as nearly as such a representation can, the varied consanguinities and cross- alliances of the group. The paper was illustrated by figures of Peachia hastata ; and by magnified representations of the thread- cells and threads of several species of Sagartia. April 3. T. Bell, Esq., President, in the Chair. The following letters were read : — " 12 South Frederick Street, Glasgow, "Dear Sib, 22nd March, 1855. " At Dr. Hooker's suggestion I send you, for the herbarium, two specimens of a rare British plant (^Hierochlo'e horealis), which, after having been erased from the list, was rediscovered near Thurso by Mr. Robert Dick, who states that it flowers so early in the year as May and the beginning of June, disappearing soon afterwards ; so that there was no wonder I and others could not find it in Don's station, Glen Kella, Angusshire, as botanists seldom go there before the end of July. " I am, dear Sir, yours truly, " R. Kippist, Esq." " Wm. Gourlie." The specimens forwarded with this letter were marked as gathered by Mr. Robert Dick, at "Thurso, Caithness, May 1854." " Cedar Terrace, Henwick, Worcester, " Mif Dear Sir, March 21st, 1855. " In the account of the Meetings of the' Linnean Society which 1855.] Linnean Society. 375 have met my view, I have seen no notice of a very interesting addi- tion to the British Flora vi^hich was made in 1854 in this neighbour- hood, on the confines of Worcestershire and Herefordshire, though strictly within the latter county. The plant 1 allude to (a specimen of which I enclose for the inspection of the Society) is the pretty little Orchid, Epipogium aphyllum, which was never before, that 1 am aware of, met with in England, and has not been alluded to as a probable native in any of our local or general floras. " It was first noticed in July of last year (1854), by Mrs. Anderton Smith, then staying at Tedstone Rectory, and other specimens were afterwards gathered by her husband, who communicated with me on the subject, and indicated the place where Mrs. Smith first gathered the plant. The locality has quite a subalpine aspect, the Sapey brook there running in a deep glen shadowed on all sides by lofty trees, and near the spot a little water-fall gurgles over the massive sandstone rocks. It was the felling of some of these trees that brought the plant to light. I have also to mention another locality for the Neottia or Spiranthes (Estivalis, hitherto, I believe, only found in England in the New Forest, Hampshire ; but the last autumn a specimen of the Spiranthes (Estivalis was shown to me, which was gathered by Mr. George Jordan of Bewdley, on the confines of the great bog in Wyne Forest, Worcestershire. 1 have been careful to examine the plant gathered by Mr. Jordan, and to visit the spot where it was found, so that the information may be relied on, and thus the range of the Spiranthes cestivalis is extended in England. This it may be interesting to note. " The enclosed specimen can be exhibited at the next Meeting of the Society, if the plant has not been previously brought before their notice as a native of Britain. It is the only one I at present possess ; but if the Linnean Society has not a British specimen in their collection and you think it may be any way advantageous to botanical science, or be uspful for metropolitan botanists to examine, I will with pleasure permit the retention of it for the Society. Otherwise please return it to me at your leisure after it has been examined. " I remain, my dear Sir, yours very truly. " R. Kippist, Esq." ^ " Edwin Lees." The specimen oi Epipogium, which (in compliance with Mr. Lees* kind permission) has been placed in the herbarium of the Society, is stated on the ticket to have been "gathered in a woody dingle on the banks of Sap»y Brook, Tedstone, Herefordshire, about a 376 ' Linnean Society. [April 17, mile and, a half south of Clifton-on-Teme, Worcestershire ; July 1854." Read the conclusion of Mr. Bunbury's memoir " On the Flora of Madeira and TenerifFe," which will be printed entire in a subsequent part of the ' Proceedings.' April 17. T. Bell, Esq., President, in the Chair. Edward Hart Vinen, Esq., M.D., and Thomas Williams, Esq., M.D., wei-e elected Fellows. Read, a paper " On the Homologies of the Carapace and on the Structure and Functions of the Antennae in the Crustacea." By Charles Spence Bate, Esq., F.L.S. &c. First, the author's object, was, by tracing the limits of the anterior rings in the higher Crustacea, to define the number and position of those which enter into the structure of the carapace. The ring which carries the eyes, he demonstrated, from its position in Squilla and the larva of the genus Cancer, as well as from its con- nection with the nervous ganglia, to be the most anterior. In the Brachyura it is arched over and enclosed by the ring next succeeding, but with which it is never united. In the higher tribes, except the aberrant family of the DiastylidcB, Say, which includes the genus Cuma of M. Milne-Edwards, the eyes are borne on moveable pedicles. The ring which bears them is covered by and not fused with the rest of the testaceous skeleton, and therefore takes no part in the development of the carapace of Crustacea : the internal antennae succeed the eyes and (with the exception of the genus Squilla) the ring which supports them is always fused with the succeeding, the external antennae ; these two form a closely associated part in the structure of the anterior portion of Crustacea, and (together) complete the whole of that portion of the carapace which is in advance of the cervical suture ; which, according to the author's showing, forms almost the whole of the 1855.] Linnean Society. 377 carapace in Brachynra, half the same in Macroura, and lessens in im- portance as the animal descends in the scale of nervous develop- ment. In Diastylis and Cuma, the eye (for in this family the two coalesce and form but one) is nearly in the centre of the carapace ; this position is the result of the great development of the lateral angles of the posterior portion of the carapace, which meet in front and form what appears to be a rostrum, yet never unite, but continue distinctly separate, through the median line of the so-called rostrum, which separation is persistent on each side as far back as the posterior portion of the third ring, and then continues in the line of fusion across the back where the two meet*, which line homologizes with that which Milne-Edwards has named the cervical suture in the Macroura. The constant relative position of this suture in all Crustacea must be the same ; it forms a line of demarcation between the third and fourth (that is the posterior antennal and the mandibular) rings. The posterior antenna, anchylosed as it is with the dermal skeleton in all the Brachyura, still holds the same relative position as in the pupa stage ; therefore by inversion, since the ring folds over so as to form the orbit, the anterior limit of the cervical suture must be beneath and on the inner side of the posterior antenna. Such a suture is plainly demonstrable in most of the Brachyura, but it extends posteriorly to the extreme limits of the carapace, forming as it were two wings or side pieces, the epimera of Milne-Edwards f ; this line, according to the author's opinion, homologizes with the cervical suture in the Macroura, the portion anterior to which is most developed when centralization of the nervous system is most perfect, and vice versd. Centralization decreases as the posterior portion of the carapace increases. In the Brachyura, this line of union is more or less perfectly fused, but sometimes splits when the animal throws off the exuviee. Here the mandibular ring or portion posterior to the cervical suture is at its minimum, and the antennal ring or anterior portion is at its maximum. In Macroura, where the nervous centre commences its first ten- dency to separate into distinct ganglia, we find the anterior portion • The figures of Cuma Hathkei, in Kroyev's great work on Scandinavia, agree with those given with this paper ; a circumstance, of which the author was not aware until be had perfected his own researches. f That the epimera of Milne-Edwards homologize with the mandibidar ring, has been previously stated by Dana, a fact of which the author was not aware until the day on which the paper was communicated to the Society. 378 Linnean Society. [April 17, decrease in a relative degree to the rest of the carapace. This, •which is apparent in Macroura, is carried to the greatest extent in the Diastylida, where the carapace is almost wholly constructed of the mandibular ring, leaving but a small area in the centre as re- presentative of the antennal rings. Lower in the scale we find that the same law still prevails, and the author identifies the first ring in the Amphipoda with the man- dibular ring in the Podophthalma ; the anterior three rings being so diminished in importance and absorbed within the fourth, that they are recognized by their appendages only. Secondly, the object of the author was to show, in this portion of his paper, the functions with which each antenna is separately endowed ; this was done by a relative comparison of the external character of each with its internal structure. On removing one of the superior antennae from its position, and examining the basal articulation, which is largely developed in the whole of the Brachyura, the author found that the chamber formed by the integumentary walls was occupied by a still smaller chamber or cell, having calcareous walls of a more delicate character ; this internal chamber bears a strong similitude to a true but low kind of cochlea, which the author believed it to represent. This supposed cochlea is attached to the walls of the cavity farthest from the median line of the Crab. It presents a tendency to a spiral form, but passes not beyond a single turn ; it is supplied by the third pair of nerves from the cephalic ganglion. In consequence of the presence of this internal cell in the base of the internal antennae of the Brachyura, together with the constant presence of fine membranous cilia upon the prolonged filament, the author associates the sense analogous to hearing with these antennae rather than with the external, to which it has been attributed by Dr. Farre and Prof. Milne-Edwards, and which the present state of science admits. But the author feels assured, from a careful exami- nation of the external antenna, that it is not adapted for the purpose of conveying sound. The organ of hearing is always so placed that it may catch the first sound of approaching danger ; but the organ in the lower antenna, described by Dr. Farre from the Macroura, is in the Brachyura protected by a calcareous operculum, and is more- over covered by the supplying organs of the mouth — two circum- stances which destroy its efficiency as an organ of hearing ; whereas its close proximity to the mouth may, by testing the character of the passing material before taken as food, render its position valuable for an organ of smell, which sense the author has been led 1855.] Linnean Society. 379 by long continued researches to regard as being connected with the external antennae. The paper was accompanied with many carefully made drawings, illustrative of Crustacean structure generally. May 1. Thomas Bell, Esq., President, in the Chair. Francis Tagart, Esq., was elected a Fellow ; and Prof. Goeppert, M. Hofmeister, and M. Planchon, were elected Foreign Members. Read a paper entitled, " Notes on the White Secretion of the Flata limbata, and on its relation to the Insect White Wax of China." By Dr. Charles Murchison, formerly of the Bengal Medical Service ; communicated by J. D. Hooker, M.D., F.R.S., F.L.S. &c. The author's observations were drawn from an insect which he had found in the month of April 1854, in the jungles in the neigh- bourhood of Rangoon, specimens of which were exhibited to the Society. This insect was observed adhering in clusters to the leaves and twigs of various species of plants in the jungles, impart- ing to them a beautiful snow-white appearance. On endeavouring to secure one of the leaves with the adhering insects, a number of perfect hemipterous insects furnished with four wings, and a little larger than a common house-fly, were observed to spring by sudden jerks in various directions, leaving the white matter still adhering to the leaf. On close inspection, this white matter was found to consist of a number of insect- cases, each furnished with six legs, and with a dense tuft of white pectinated appendages adhering to the dorsal and lateral aspects of the posterior segments. These appendages were about two-thirds of an inch in length, and in the fresh state spread out in all directions from the tail, some of them curving upwards and forwards towards the head. They were extremely fragile, the slightest touch reducing them to a fine white powder, with which the whole body of the insect was thickly bestrewed. Distinct from these there were on each insect two smaller tufts of straight white filaments, exhibiting under the microscope the ordinary characters of the hairy appendages found 380 Linnean Society. [May 1, upon insects, with a tendency to split up at their distal extremities. These insect-cases were evidently the remains of the pupal stage of the more perfect insect which had sprung away. The author then proceeded to show the identity of this insect with Flata limbata, originally described and figured by Sir George Staunton in his account of Lord Macartney's 'Embassy to China' (vol. i. p. 353), as the source of the Chinese Insect-wax, and afterwards by Mr. Westwood in his edition of Donovan's 'Insects of China' (p. 40. pi. 17), and in the ' Gardener's Chronicle ' for July 1853. After considering the importance of the Chinese Insect -wax, in an economical point of view, and enumerating the several uses, medicinal and economical, to which it has been applied in this country and in China, the author proceeded to mention the various sources to which the substance had been attributed. He quoted the statements of Sir G. Staunton and others already alluded to, which referred it to the white secretion of the Flata limbata. He then alluded to the detailed observations on the subject which have been recorded by Capt. Hutton of the Bengal Service in the Asiatic Society's Transactions (1843), in which that gentleman had endea- voured to prove, that the substance formed by the Flata limbata presented very different properties from those of the Chinese wax. He showed, however, that Capt. Hutton had confounded the viscid excretion of the insect with the white secretion originally described by Sir George Staunton, and which in its properties is really almost identical with the Chinese wax. He then observed, that in the Rejiorts of the Juries of the Great Exhibition of 1851, the Chinese Insect- wax was said to be the produce of the male Coccus ceriferus. This insect, however, had been shown by Dr. James Anderson to yield the " white lac " of Madras, a substance which presented very different chemical rela- tions from those of the Chinese wax, being, as shown by Dr. Fear- son, soluble in alcohol and aether, and of higher specific gravity than water. The author then reviewed the elaborate paper on the subject of the Insect-M'ax published in the ' Pharmaceutical Journal ' (April 1853) by Mr. D. Hanbury, in which that gentleman had endeavoured to show that the substance was the production of a species of Coccus hitherto undescribed. His conclusions were drawn from specimens of the crude wax, as scraped from the tree, transmitted to him by William Lockhart, Esq. of Shanghae, in which were a number of full-grown bodies of a female Coccus, as well as pieces of stick in- crusted with wax, and with the insects still in situ. This insect 1855.] Linnean Society. 381 had been named by Mr. Westwood Coccus si?iensis, and afterwards Coccus Pela. Mr, Hanbury's description and figures were shown to agree for the most part with the accounts and figures given by Chinese authors of the mode of production of the Insect-wax of China, and which had been translated into French by Du Halde and M, Stanislas Julien. Mr. Hanbury, however, apparently misled by the arguments of Capt. Hutton, concluded that the Flata limbata could not produce the Chinese wax. The author then proceeded to consider the physical characters and chemical properties of the Chinese wax of commerce, and to com- pare M'ith them those of the waxy matter of the Coccus Pela, described by Mr. Hanburj', and of the white secretion of the Flata limbata, exhibited to the Society. 1. The physical and chemical properties of the wax of commerce were shown to have been ably investigated by Mr. B. C. Brodie, Mr. Ure, and Dr. Maskelyne of Oxford. It was described as occur- ring in circular cakes of various dimensions, often about a foot in diameter, 3 or 4 inches thick, and perforated in the centre. In structure it closely resembled spermaceti, being of a brilliant white, and of a sparkling, highly crystalline appearance. It differed, how- ever, from spermaceti in being harder, more brittle and pulverizable, and presenting a more fibrouo character of crystallization. Under a low magnifying power it was seen to consist of a mass of irregularly shaped crj'stalline tabular scales. Its specific gravity was "965, and its melting-point had been stated by Mr. Brodie to be 18i°'4 Fahr., and by Mr. Ure to be 196°, the melting-point of pure white wax being only 155° Fahr. When melted, it became transparent and colourless, and again opake white upon cooling, and was then seen to consist of acicular crystals for the most part arranged in a stellate manner. It was but very sparingly soluble in either alcohol or sulphuric aether, and did not saponify with the solution of caustic alkali. It dissolved, however, with great facility in naphtha, out of which fluid it might be crystallized. It was combustible and made good candles, for which purpose it was largely used in China, and to a smaller extent had been employed in this country by Mr. Samuel Childs. The investigations of Mr. Brodie relative to the proximate and absolute analysis of the Chinese wax, as published in the ' Trans- actions of the Royal Society ' (1848), were then considered. 2. The characters of the crude wax furnished by the Coccus Pela were then enumerated. As forwarded to Mr. Hanbury by Mr. Lock- hart of Shanghae, it consisted of the crude wax as scraped from the tree, along with a number of full-grown bodies of the Coccus Pela, No. LXII. — Proceedings of the Linnean Society. 382 Linnean Society. [May 1, as well as pieces of stick incrusted with the wax, and with the insects still in situ. The crude wax itself formed around the branch a white, soft, fibrous, velvety coating of from one- to two-tenths of an inch in thickness, and when scraped off, occurred in whitish, flattened, curled, or generally irregular masses, the largest pieces about half an inch in length. These masses exhibited no crystalline structure, but were fibrous-looking, and so soft as to retain the im- pression of the finger. It presented peculiar microscopic characters, which had been described and figured by Mr. Quekett in an appendix to Mr. Hanbury's paper published in the ' Pharmaceutical Journal.' When examined with a power of 250 diameters linear, it was " found to consist of a series of short filaments or cylinders, some of which are straight, but others more or less curved ; within each cylinder is a tubular cavity, extending throughout its whole length. The dia- meter of the cylinders is on an average ^Q^Q^th of an inch, whilst that of the tube within varies from yJ^-oth to g oVo^^-" ^^' Quekett had found similar tubular filaments in the cocoons of the Cochineal insect. The specific gravity of the crude wax had not been ascer- tained, but the melting-point of a purified wax obtained from the crude substance had been shown by Mr. Hanbury to be 182°" 75 Fahr. It did not dissolve, or at all events but very sparingly in alcohol, aether, or solution of caustic alkali, but it dissolved readily in naphtha and vegetable oils, uniting with the latter to form a solid white mass. When melted, it formed a clear, colourless liquid, which became opake white on cooling, and was then found to have lost its tubular structure, and to be composed of acicular crystals arranged in stellate masses, like those produced by the commercial wax when similarly treated. From these characters, as well as the evidence of Mr. Lockhart of Shanghae, Dr Murchison thought that there was good reason for coinciding with the conclusion arrived at by Mr. Hanbury, that the Coccus Pela is a source of the commercial wax. 3. The characters of the white appendages of the Plata limbata were then considered. Close inspection showed that these appen- dages were of two sorts. First, there was on each insect a small tuft or brush of minute white hairs, adhering firmly to either side of the insect's body, and distinguished from the great bulk of the white appendages by their smaller size, greater slenderness, less opacity, and greater strength, admitting of being handled with perfect im- punity. These filaments under the microscope presented the ordinary characters of the hairy appendages often found on insects, with a remarkable tendency to split up at their distal extremities. The greater bulk of the white appendages were thicker, longer, and 1855.] Linnean Society. 383 more opake than the preceding. They were but loosely attached to the surface of the insect's body, and extremely delicate and fragile, so that the slightest touch with the point of the finger reduced them to a fine white powder, and hence was explained the fact, that the leaves and branches upon which these insects occur, become com- pletely whitened by a white powdery substance in the manner de- scribed by Sir G. Staunton. On microscopic examination they pre- sented a beautiful appearance of spiral structure. When one of the appendages was compressed with care between two glass plates, and examined under a power of 250 diameters, it was found to consist of a mass of spiral threads, with their long axes running in the same direction. The slightest friction of the surfaces of the glass plates broke up these threads into fragments more or less minute, and if the friction was continued, they were almost entirely converted into granular matter. The threads differed from the cylinders found in the crude wax of the Coccus Pela in not being tubular, and in their diameter measuring on an average only -g-gV o^th of an inch, or about one-half. Attempts were made to trace the mode of connexion of these filaments with the insect's body, but owing to their extreme delicacy and fragility this was found impossible. The integument, however, to which they were attached was found to be perforated by a number of circular openings, having a distinct double outline, the diameter of the inner circle exactly corresponding with that of one of the filaments. Hence it seemed probable that the spiral threads, which were evidently a secretion, had issued from these circular openings. "What was the chemical nature of this white secretion ? A small portion, placed on a glass slide and melted over the flame of a spirit-lamp, became a transparent, colourless drop, which on cooling became opake white, and was then found to have lost its original structure and to have become crystalline. The crystals consisted partly of irregularly- shaped fragments, and also contained, especially when the cooling had been conducted slowly, acicular crystals arranged in stellate masses as in the case of the two substances already described. The melting-point, as far as could be ascertained with the small quantities experimented on, was between 190° and 200° Fahr. The substance floated in water, and was perfectly insoluble in this fluid, and but sparingly, if at all, soluble in alcohol, sulphuric aether, or solution of caustic alkali, whereas in naphtha it dissolved readily, as also in vegetable oils, forming with the latter a white solid substance. From these cha- racters there could be little doubt that the white secretion of the Plata limbata was of a waxy nature, and also very similar in its properties to the Chinese Insect- wax of commerce. 384 Linnean Society. [May 1, The author concluded as follows : — "The Flata limbata occurs in great abundance in China, and also in some parts of India, and 1 believe, from the facts above stated, that there is nothing improbable in the original statement of Sir George Staunton, that it may be a source of the Insect-wax of commerce. That it is the sole source, as was once believed, I think is disproved by the arguments which Mr. Hanbury has brought forward in favour of the Coccus Pela. That it is one source, however, of the Insect- wax employed for economical purposes by the Chinese, I think is rendered highly probable by the following considerations : — " 1. We have seen that the Flata limbata secretes a waxy matter in considerable quantity. " 2. This waxy matter resembles closely in its characters and chemical relations the Chinese insect- wax of commerce. " 3. The Flata limbata is known to be very common in many parts of China. " 4, Sir George Staunton, when travelling in Cochin China, found that it was generally believed that the white matter secreted by the Flata limbata formed the white wax of the East, and he adds, ' It is asserted on the spot, to have the property, by a particular manipula- tion, of giving in certain proportions with vegetable oil such solidity to the composition, as to render the whole equally capable of being moulded into candles.' The truth of this statement I have myself verified. "5. It has been stated by Dr. Macgowan (Journal of Horticult. Soc. of India, vol. vii. p. 164), that the annual produce of the Insect- wax in China is not far from £400,000 ; and when we consider the very small quantity yielded by an individual insect, whether the ' Coccus Pela or the Flata limbata, it would appear probable that the substance may be obtained from several insects, of which no doubt the Coccus Pela is one, and probably the Flata Uinbata is another." The paper was illustrated by specimens of the insect in its natural state adhering to the leaf, and also by numerous preparations, illustrative of the microscopic appearances and chemical relations, of the waxy matter both of the Coccus Pela and Flata limbata. The specimens of the Flata limbata adhering to the leaf have since been deposited in the Museum of the Royal Gardens at Kew. Micro- scopical delineations of appearances seen in the secretions both of Flata limbata and of Coccus Pela, and of the spiral threads and white hairs of the pupa of Flata limbata, also accompanied the paper. 1855.] Linnean Society. 385 May 24. Anniversary Meeting. Thomas Bell, Esq., President, in the Chair. This day, the Anniversary of the birth of Linnaeus, and that ap- pointed by the Charter for the election of Council and Officers, the President opened the business of the Meeting with the following Address : — Gentlemen, At the last Anniversary Meeting of the Society, I stated my intention on the present occasion, to take a brief review of the progress which has been made during the intervening year in the general interests of Natural History. It is not my purpose, in en- deavouring to carry out this intention, to enter into any detail of the various discoveries, more or less important, which may have cha- racterized that period ; and still less to analyse the contents of books or other publications on these subjects. These are of course known to the cultivators of every branch of the science respectively ; and I conceive that I shall more usefully employ the short time allotted to this duty, by taking, as it were, a bird's-eye view of its present state with reference to the past, and considering some of the means by which the future interests of natural science, and the welfare of the Linnean Society in particular, may be best promoted. As regards the present state of the Society, I think I may safely congratulate the Members on the fact, that notwithstanding public difficulties, unparalleled during the last half-century, notwithstand- ing the heavy demands upon every one's income, the depression and sadness of spirit which have well nigh weighed down every heart in the nation, and the concentration of the popular mind upon the harrovdng events which have been daily transacting around us, our funds have increased, our Meetings have not fallen off either in numbers or interest, and the communications which have been read at them will not suflFer, in point of variety or importance, in compa- rison with those of any former period. Many losses we have indeed sustained both by retirement and by death, and there are some vacancies which it is no disparagement to living excellence to mourn as not likely soon to be filled up. These 386 Linnean Society. [May 24, are the painful features in our annual retrospect ; and as time goes on and some of us have to look back upon the recurrence of many of those periods, at each of which some congenial spirit, some respected associate in our pursuits had been taken from us, the sad- ness of each successive stage seems to increase, and we are warned that ere long we too must give up our place to others, to be missed, we hope, and lamented in our turn. In contemplating the list of those who have been taken from amongst us by death during the past year, I had not intended to offer on my own part any anti- cipation of the obituary notices which Mr. Bennett will presently read to you ; but there is one name in that sad list, which my own personal regrets and the irreparable loss to science occasioned by his removal will not suffer me to pass over without a brief allu- sion. Had I indeed been called upon to select the individual in our Society, whom, for the variety and extent of his acquirements, the versatility of his genius, the soundness of his judgment, the cer- tainty and depth of his knowledge, the cheerful kindness of his temper, the singleness and simplicity of his heart, his purity and unselfishness of purpose — science and his friends could least have spared, I know not whom I could have named as uniting in himself all these qualities in such harmonious and equally balanced propor- tion as Edward Forbes ; and when we recollect that he had only arrived at that period of life when the mental powers become ma- tured and the judgment ripe, — when too we saw him just raised to that desired position, the very culminating point of his ambition, where all his extraordinary qualities would have had full scope for independent exercise, uncontrolled but by his own cautious and intelligent judgment, — it is impossible not to feel that one has fallen whom we may scarcely hope to replace, and that science has sustained a loss, the depth of which, from the suddenness of the shock, we are only now beginning to realize. Amongst the circumstances of the Society which call for parti- cular notice at this time, one of the most interesting is the aspect which it presents with reference to its foreign relations. We have every reason to be assured, from the manner in which our choice of Foreign Members last year was received by those distinguished na- turalists on whom that honour was conferred, that this distinction was never more highly appreciated than at present; and, as this phase of our Society must always be especially important to us, as determining its prestige amongst the most celebrated naturalists abroad, I have thought it desirable to state briefly, as I did at the 1855.] Linnean Society. 387 last Anniversary, the grounds on which the Council recommended the same honour to be conferred upon those eminent persons whom you have recently elected to fill the vacancies which had occurred since that period. Those vacancies having been all produced by the decease of botanists, three persons were selected to succeed them, who were distinguished for their attainments in that branch of natural history. M. Hofmeister's contributions to botanical science are confined to physiological researches, and these are of the highest interest and value, having been always conducted with the greatest skill and judg- ment, and illustrating the most difficult and obscure facts in vegetable embryogeny. The results of these observations are so well known in this country through the correct translations of Professor Henfrey, published in the ' Annals of Natural History,' and the Reports of the British Association, that I need do no more than allude to them here. The most elaborate and important is his work on the Reproductive Organs of Lycopodiacece, and on the Embryogeny of ConifenB, pub- lished at Leipsic, a quarto volume, illustrated by 33 beautifully executed plates. M, Hofmeister has also published Essays on the Fecundation of (Enothera, and on the Reproductive Organs of Equi- setum and of the Ferns, in the Proceedings of the Royal Society of Science of Saxony, and others on the Embryo of Phsenogams, &c. Besides throwing great light on these subjects and developing many new facts, M. Hofmeister has displayed, in all his researches, a thorough knowledge of his subject, and a rare delicacy and skill in microscopical investigation, which have, in comparatively few years, raised him to the rank of a proficient in physiological botany. M. Planchon is the " Aide " Professor of Botany at Montpelier. He commenced the study of this science under Professor Dunal of that place, and in 1844 published his first essay on the Origin and Development of Arilli, and on the Ovules of Veronica and Avicennia. This treatise, which I believe was his inaugural dissertation on pre- senting himself for the degree of Doctor in Science at the University where he now holds his Professorship, at once established for him at a very early age, the reputation of a talented and promising botanist. But M. Planchon may be said to have a peculiar claim upon our sympathy and good will, as he ten years since accepted the office of Curator of Sir William Hooker's Herbarium at Kew, where he de- voted himself for five years indefatigably to the study of systematic botany. A series of most important memoirs have from time to time proceeded from his pen, consisting for the most part of mono- graphs of little-known genera and small families of plants contained in 388 Linnean Society. [May 24, the Hookerian herbarium. These all display remarkable sagacity and talent, together with a great amount of original research, an exten- sive acquaintance with the literature of botany, skill in the discri- mination of genera and species, and above all a rare and compre- hensive knowledge of the structure and affinities of the natural orders of plants : — a wide range of attainments this, which entitle M. Planchon to be considered one of the first systematic botanists of the day. Amongst his more important botanical papers are those on the Natural Order Melianthece, published in our Transactions; on Linew, Temstrosmiacem, Simarubece, Saurureee, and many others, in Hooker's ' Journal of Botany ;' and on Droseracece and Nymphee^- acece in the ' Annales des Sciences Naturelles ;' besides minor con- tributions to these and other journals. Heinrich Robert Goppert, Professor in the University of Breslau, is highly distinguished for his labours in vegetable physiology, and particularly in fossil botany. The following list of his principal works will show how extensive and important have been his contributions to botanical science, and especially to our knowledge of fossil botany : — " On the Condition in which Fossil Plants are found, and on the process of Lapidification." This paper gives an account of some curious experiments in producing imitations of fossils, by placing recent ferns, &c., previously steeped in a solution of sulphate of iron, between layers of soft clay, which, after having been dried in the shade, were gradually heated till they became red-hot. By this means exact counterparts of fossil plants were produced, some of which, Mr. Kippist informs me, were exhibited at one of our meetings many years ago. His ' Systema Filicum Fossilium ' occupies an entire supplemental volume of the Acta Acad. Naturae Curiosorum, and is beautifully illustrated with plates of the fossils themselves and comparative figures of their analogues amongst recent forms. ' De Floribus in Statu Fossili Commentatio ; ' ' Flora of the Tertiary Period ; ' ' Flora Fossilis Formationis Transitionis ; ' ' Account of Fossil Woods collected during MiddendorfF's Siberian Travels ; ' ' On Fossil Plants found in Amber ; ' — these are amongst his extensive publications on fossil botany ; and in addition to these he has published several papers on vegetable physiology ; for instance, " On the Development of Heat in the Living Plant ; " " On the Time of Flowering of Plants," &c., and two papers on the Balanophoreee. This brief account of the labours of the three distinguished men whom you have recently elected upon your Foreign list, will, it is believed^ afford a satisfactory justification of your choice. 1855.] Linnean Society. 389 In considering the means by which the study of Natural History may be most extensively and effectually advanced, it is impossible not to turn with the most anxious anticipations to our great seats of learning, the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge. It is not for me to criticise the course of education, which, established by the wisdom of our ancestors and hallowed by the long list of great men whom it has formed, has been corrected and expanded by successive ages of accumulative experience, and accommodated, in some degree at least, to the spread of knowledge and the increasing requirements of advanced civilization. Nor am I disposed to join in the cry which has been got up against the great importance which is attached to the study of the exact sciences in the one, or to the acquisition of classical literature in the other. The severe mental discipline and logical exactitude ensured by the former, and the essential applica- tion of the course of study involved in it to astronomical and physical science, are considerations so important as scarcely to admit of an over-estimate ; and, on the other hand, amidst many minor though very material advantages derived from the critical study of classical literature, it must never be forgotten that upon it depends the permanent preservation, in their purity and integrity, of the " ipsis- sima verba" of the Holy Scriptures. Far be it then from us to depreciate the graver studies which have so long been identified with those great schools, whilst we claim and earnestly demand some degree of their patronage, for those not less interesting and scarcely less important pursuits, to which our attention is especially directed. One of the most important and delightful objects in connection with the spread of natural knowledge, is the genial and elevating effect which an acquaintance with natural phaenomena must produce upon the heart and intellect of a population so generally addicted as ours to the drudgery of business, and so subject to the narrowing influence which its exclusive pursuit is calculated to exercise on the mind. And this is not less applicable to the rich than to the poor — to the merchant or the manufacturer who counts his wealth by hundreds of thousands, than to the humble labourer the sweat of whose brow procures his daily pittance. But where are we to look for the sources from whence this blessing to the common mind of our country is to flow ? Where but to the higher and influential classes of society, whose example as well as patronage seems to be necessary to any wide and systematic extension of this unspeakable good. And yet how few comparatively of the nobility, the landed gentry, the wealthy merchants or manufactui'ers, on whom the masses are mostly dependent, possess even the most superficial acquaintance 390 Linnean Society. [May 24, with these branches of knowledge, or evince the slightest indication that they are aware of the enjoyment which they lose for themselves, and of which, by their indifference or opposition, they are depriving others ! Is it not true that, as a general rule, these studies are con- fined for the most j^art to men engaged in the incessant duties of one or other of the learned professions, and especially, from the very nature of their professional education, to the practitioners of medi- cine ; or to those who, though engaged in business or in rural occupations, have from early associations or from a refined and pure taste, sought their relaxation from toil in these calm and tranquil- lizing pursuits ? If then the masses are ever to be influenced in that direction, the question recurs, from whence is the impulse to be given, by whom is the influence to be sustained ? Doubtless in a great degree by those who have received their education in the great national Uni- versities ; — in a word, by the representatives of our aristocracy, and still more immediately and extensively by the clergy of the church, who, it must be remembered, are intimately connected with educa- tion in every rank of life, as the professors of colleges, the masters of public and private schools, and the managers and directors of every national school in the country. It is this consideration which has induced me to dwell with what may perhaps be felt by some a tedious prolixity, upon the importance of the Universities as the great prospective sources of a general extension of the knowledge of natural history. Not that I am disposed to underrate the value of other appliances concurring to the same great end, but that the im- portance of this means is so obviously paramount, that it forces itself upon our primary consideration. The changes which have recently taken place in the constitution of the University of Oxford, and those which are in contemplation in that of the sister University, are, I humbly conceive, entirely out of the sphere of my present object, but I have thought that a few remarks on the progress which natural science is making there may not be wholly uninteresting or useless. It is generally known, (and I now speak from the authority of one whose position gives him the best means of correct information,) that within the last few years, the facilities for studying natural history at Oxford have greatly increased by the acquisition of several very important collections in various branches both of botany and zoology. I may particularize the splendid collection of insects and other zoological specimens presented a few years since by Mr. Hope, the collections of shells received from Lady Harvey and Sir Walter 1855.] Linnean Society. 391 Trevelyan, the extensive herbarium collected by Mr. Fielding, and made over to the University by his widow, the vast accumulation of geological specimens brought together by Dr. Buckland, and the minerals presented by Dr. Simmons : the care also bestow'ed upon the arrangement of the old Ashmolean Museum by Mr. Philip Duncan and his deceased brother is worthy of especial notice. Such collections as these demanded from the authorities the erection of a museum commensurate with their extent and value ; and it is most gratifying to be able to state that the University has determined to apply no less a sum than £30,000 to the erection of such a building, in which the greater part of these collections, together with appropriate lecture-rooms, may be brought into con- nection wdth each other. This design has lately been finally resolved upon, and it is intended to proceed at once with its accomplishment. Here then are means and appliances for the study of natural history in many of its branches, which, although not yet completed, may be looked upon as constituting a great and important step towards the speedy establishment of a most extensive and efficient school in those sciences. But this is not the only advance made by the University in this direction. It has also introduced certain changes into its system, intended to favour the study of these branches of knowledge. Formerly, as is well known, physical science, together with the branches of natural history dependent upon it, was Adrtually ignored ; for although lectures were delivered on these subjects, no student was obliged or even encouraged to attend them. Now, however, an attendance upon the lectures of the Professors, and a certain acquaintance with some branches of knowledge besides the classics, are required for a Degree. The new branches at present insisted upon must be two or more, either of them connected with Physics, or wdth History or Law, or with Mathematics. Thus, it will be observed, a knowledge of Physics stdl continues merely optional at Oxford ; but it is even now to a certain extent encouraged by the award of honorary distinctions to a proficiency in any of its branches, and the same boon extends also to Natural History. This, Gentlemen, may be accepted as an instalment, but only as such. In order to attach to these sciences that degree of attention at Oxford to which their importance unequivocally entitles them, some portion of the endowments which are at present devoted exclusively to the encou- ragement of the classics and mathematics, must be given to those who have attained a proficiency in the studies in question. One who is better acquainted with the statistics of that great and rich 392 Linnean Society. [May 24, University than I am, assures me that, after rewarding with Fellow- ship's all those persons who had distinguished themselves as scholars and mathematicians, and who are in circumstances to require any such assistance, there would remain ample means for the encourage- ment of all the other studies which the University by its recent regulations has acknowledged as important. This change (I quote from the same authority) it might be difficult in all cases for the Colleges themselves to effect without infringing upon their statutes ; but as a Commission is now sitting, composed of persons exempt from those oaths which shackle the existing members of the different Colleges, and constituted expressly for the purpose of bringing about those useful changes which the latter feel themselves prohibited from undertaking, it is earnestly to be hoped that the appropriation of a portion of the revenues of the Colleges for the more direct en- couragement of Physical Science and Natural History may be, as it assuredly ought to be, one of the first measures that will engage their attention. There is, I am confident, an increasing interest and desire in the minds of the educated portion of the community to cultivate an acquaintance with these branches of knowledge. It is for the authorities at Oxford and at every other great seat of learning to take care that this interest should not be discouraged, that this desire should not be repressed. The prospect is at present bright, — let us hope it will not again be clouded. I should be unjust were I not here to express my sincere appreciation of the continued and successful exertions of our esteemed Fellow, Dr. Daubeny, in promoting the changes to which I have alluded. Not only have those exertions been unremitting and judicious, but they have been followed up by a step which manifests the earnestness and single- ness of purpose by which he has been actuated, in resigning one of the professorships which he held, that of Chemistry, in order that he may devote his time and talents the more exclusively to the pro- motion of his own particular branch of natural science. That the interests of Natural History will as far as is possible be promoted by the Professors themselves at both the Universities, we may be well assured from the character of those who now hold the Chairs in connexion with these branches of science ; and whatever may be the eventual state of Cambridge as regards these objects, the well-known zeal, intelligence and attainments of the Professors are a sufficient guarantee that if there be a deficiency in the teaching, it will not be from any failure in the teachers. We have, however, the satisfaction of knowing that a movement has taken place there also. 1855.] Linnean Society. 393 which promises at some future, and I trust not very remote period, to effect a great and lasting improvement. On this subject I have again sought information from one who is most competent from his position to speak authoritatively, and I feel that I cannot do justice to his most interesting communication but by giving it to you in his own words : — " There has been a vast improvement effected, in abandoning the old garden of three acres, situate in a smoky locality, with old-fashioned plant-houses, for a scientifically- arranged new garden of twenty acres, half a mile from the town, with some portions of a projected range of handsome plant-houses completed and filled; the rest (more than two-thirds of the whole) to be erected whenever sufficient funds shall have been found for the purpose. I hear, on all sides, of the growing interest taken in this establishment, and of the willingness on the part of the majority of the Senate to appropriate as much from the scanty funds in the University chest, as our necessities may justify. A plan has lately been devised for building lecture- rooms and museums on the excellent site afforded by the old Botanic Garden. Here the Pro- fessor of Botany will enjoy the opportunity of displaying properly prepared specimens, as in the great national establishment at Kew. Here will be deposited the valuable herbarium bequeathed by the late Dr. Lemann, rendered doubly valuable from containing 30,000 species whose names will be authenticated by Mr. Bentham, from comparison with those in his own most extensive herbarium, so munificently presented by him to the nation, and recently removed to the Royal Gardens at Kew. A subscription has been commenced on the part of some of the Colleges for the purpose of defraying the expense of erecting those buildings ; and the Vice-Chancellor informs me that he has already heard of offers to the amount of £10,000, although a few Colleges decline rendering any assistance. So far then as these outward demonstrations may enable us to judge, these are doubtless symptoms of decided progress. But, I regret to add, the scheme devised four or five years ago, for slightly connect- ing the natural sciences with one portion of our University Curri- culum, has proved to be of little service as an educational measure. A few of our non-reading men have been induced to turn their atten- tion to some branch of natural history, who otherwise might not have thought of taking up any such pursuit. I believe some of these have become attached to natural science, and, having quitted the University, are likely, in due time, to take no inconspicuous rank among naturalists. I have just had the satisfaction of signing the recommendation of one for admission to the Linnean Society, and I 394 Linnean Society. [May 24, hope to see more exhibited in the same good cause. Those who go out in mathematical and classical honours are not compelled (like non-reading men, as all others are called) to attend Professorial lectures, and very few of them who remain after taking their B.A. degree, attempt to take honours in the Natural Sciences Tripos, Not without several meritorious exceptions, those who become Fellows or Tutors of Colleges pay very little or no attention to the natural sciences. Entirely ignorant of the position which these deservedly occupy in the estimation of all who have learnt to com- prehend their bearing upon the highest interests of mankind, they are too apt to think and speak contemptuously of them. They are no judges whatever how far they are calculated to discipline the mind, in common with the other instruments ordinarily employed in a just and liberal education. It would, perhaps, be out of place to enter into details, and revert to various causes which have operated in diminishing the hopes of those who have been desirous of seeing the Natural Sciences assume the position to which they would be found justly entitled as fruitful branches, when fairly engrafted upon a general scheme of sound University education ; but I will just allude to two obvious causes why the candidates for honours in the Natural Sciences Tripos have hitherto been so few, scarcely amounting to half a dozen annually. First, the examination is not conducted on the plan so worthily adopted in regard to those who compete for honours in Mathematics and Classics. If a board of examiners or advisers ap