256 PROCEEDINGS OF THE 



SIESSIOTsT 1874-7 5. 



TWENTY-THIRD ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING, ANDERSON'S 

 UNIVERSITY BUILDINGS, SEPTEMBER 29th, 1874. 



Mr James Ramsay, Vice-President, in tlie chair. 



Reports were received from the Treasurer and Librarian ; the 

 statement of the former, audited by two members, shewing a 

 balance in favour of the Society of £85 5s. 9d. 



The Secretary read the Report of the Council on the business 

 of last session, which was considered satisfactory. 



The following gentlemen were declared office-bearers for the 

 session: — President, Professor John Young, M.D., F.G-.S.; Vice- 

 Presidents, Professor Alexander Dickson, M.D., James Stirton, 

 M.D., and James Ramsay; Secretary, Robert Mason; Treasurer, 

 Thomas S. Hutcheson; Librarian, Thomas Chapman; Members 

 of Council, Gavin Miller, Donald Dewar, M.D., James S. Dixon, 

 Archibald Gilchrist, James B. Murdoch, David C. Glen, C.E., 

 James Coutts, Hugh M'Bean, and John Kirsop. 



SPECIMENS EXHIBITED. 



Mr James Coutts exhibited a specimen of an exogenous shrub 

 of the genus Napoleona, order Belvisiaceae, a native of the west 

 coast of Africa, which had been forwarded by Mr George 

 Thomson, corresponding member. Mr Coutts gave a detailed 

 description of this curious genus of shrubs, with large oval leaves, 

 acuminate, entire, and coriaceous. The flowers are one to three 

 in the axils of the leaves, but in the specimen exhibited there 

 were the remains of several flowers in the axil of the portion 

 without leaves. The structure of the flower causes it to be in 

 appearance related to Passifloraceae, though Dr Lindley pointed 

 out its true relation to Myrtaceae and Rhizophoraceae. The 

 structure of the corolla is remarkable, being a triple concentric 

 row; the outer one is five lobed, consisting of stiff" ribs con- 

 nected by a membrane. The second row consists of an in- 



