216 Linruean Society. 



biacetB and Antidesmece is rendered more obvious by the addition to 

 the latter of Bennettia ; but the structure of ovarium and the mono- 

 spermous drupaceous pericarpium readily distinguish them. lodes 

 and Sarcostigma also agree with Bemiettia in several important 

 points, particularly in their unisexual minute flowers, ovarium with 

 two pendulous ovula, monospermous drupa, and in most respects in 

 the structure of seed ; they differ in habit, being twining or scandent 

 shrubs without stipules, in their monopetalous persistent inner peri- 

 anthium or corolla, in aestivation and reduced number of stamina, in 

 structure of antherse, and in the embryo being inverted, not trans- 

 verse." The number of species of Bennettia described is seven, 

 "chiefly distinguishable by minute, but,*' as Mr. Brown believes, 

 " constant differences in their male flowers and in the form of their 

 fruits." With the exception of the Javanese species, they are all 

 from Tavoy, Singapore, and Pulo-Penang, where the genus was first 

 discovered by Jack, who referred it, with doubt however, to Limonia. 

 In treating of this genus Mr. Brown incidentally refers to the prin- 

 ciple which he laid down in 1810, when proposing and characterizing 

 the family of Comhretacece^ which he placed among Polypetalae 

 " non solum propter petalorum in pluribus existentiam, sed quia vera 

 natura partium affinitatesque ordinum, ex contemplatione generum 

 in quibus structura magis evoluta, quam ex iis in quibus aliqua pars 

 suppressa, tutius erui queant ;*' a principle in conformity with which 

 he in 1814 also "placed among Polypetalse EuphorbiacecBy 2i family 

 to which the same reasoning is still more strikingly applicable." 



Preparing for Publication. 



An Elementary Introduction to the Study of Palaeontology ; with 

 numerous Figures Illustrative of Structural Details. By F. M*Coy, 

 Professor of Geology and Mineralogy, Queen's College, Belfast. 



: ' Also, by the same Author, 



A Manual of the Genera of British Fossils ; comprising Systematic 

 Descriptions of all the Classes, Orders, Families, and Genera of Fossil 

 Animals, found in the Strata of the British Isles ; to be completed in 

 four or five Parts, forming one volume, 8vo, of about 500 pages, with 

 nearly 1000 Wood Engravings. 



J .^, PROCEEDINGS OF LEARNED SOCIETIES. 



LINN^AN SOCIETY. - -J/'x bl!;. 



Feb. 18th, 1851.— W. Yarrell, Esq., Vice-President, in thelShair! 

 Read "A Catalogue of Recent Land and Freshwater Mollusca 

 found in the neighbourhood of Nottingham." By Edward Joseph 

 Lowe, Esq., F.R.A.S. &c. 



Water Shells {Univalves). 



Neritina jluviatilis . Abundant in the river Trent near Beeston and 

 near Nottingham, and in the river Soar near Thrumpton. 



