158 . PROCEEDINGS OF THE 



11. — Remarks on the simpler Sjnrals in the Phyllofaxy of Vegetables. 



By Mr James Eamsay. 



This paj)er was illustrated by a highly ingenious though simple 

 model, constructed by Mr Eamsay, and showing the arrangement 

 of the spirals in a manner at once intelligible and interesting. 



SPECIAL MEETING. 

 NATURAL HISTORY CLASS ROOM, GLASGOW UNIVERSITY. 



May 15th, 1871. 



Professor John Young, M.D., F.G.S,, President, in the chair. 



Several recent additions to the Museum were placed in the room, 

 including a suite of North American shells, the gift of the 

 Natural History Society of Portland, U.S. 



SPECIMENS EXHIBITED. 



Mr David Robertson, F.G.S., shewed a large series of slides 

 containing Foraminifera and Ostracoda obtained from dredgings in 

 the Chinese Seas, presented by Mr Henry Dunbar. 



The Chairman exhibited a series of about fifty rock specimens 

 lately presented to the Museum by Mr James Thomson, F.G.S., 

 illustrating the composition of the conglomerate beds which he 

 had found in the schists of Islay. 



Dr Young also showed and commented on a suite of specimens 

 which had been kindly lent him for the occasion by Mr Thomas 

 Gray. The collection was intended to illustrate the parallel forms 

 which are found in genera of shells of various degrees of affinity, 

 and in particular the very close similarity of form presented by 

 pulmonate and branchiate families of Gasteropods. Thus among 

 the Snails, Trochus, Solarium, etc., are closely simulated ; and it 

 was farther noticed that this simulation was especially observed 

 in species inhabiting the Eastern Archipelago. The genus 

 Mela.nia was also shown to contain forms characteristic of seven 

 distinct genera, chiefly of marine Gasteropods, and this furnished 

 an analogous case to that of the Marsupials of Australia, which 

 embraced representatives in four of the great groups of Mammals 

 found in other parts of the world. 



