Geological Society. 2 1 1 



sated by a new and vigorous progeny, protruding, like little 

 buds, from the surface of the larger divisions. Like those of 

 the horse-chestnut, they terminated ultimately in a soft bibu- 

 lous and club-shaped appendage, or spongiole, furnished with 

 a central filament, that seemed to inclose others still smaller. 

 The external and pulpy coat of the spongiole was often found 

 to be in decay, while the inclosed and central filament was 

 still quite sound. 



From the above observations respecting roots, the two fol- 

 lowing inferences are obviously deducible. 



I. The root is never wholly denuded of its fibrils, or spon- 

 gioles, as the branches are denuded of their leaves. A partial 

 decay, with a partial renovation of these organs, seems to be 

 occurring at all seasons; but a total denudation of the root 

 occurs at no season. If, with Mr. Knight, we admit of a total 

 denudation of bulbous roots, I think it will not go beyond 

 such as are taken up out of the soil for the winter; for if the 

 bulb is allowed to remain in the earth, it is to be believed that 

 new fibrils will have begun to be protruded before the old 

 ones have finally decayed. 



II. Spongioles cannot be said to be very well described by 

 representing them as composed merely of a cellular tissue, 

 for surely the central filament is to be regarded as exhibiting 

 the rudiments of a vascular tissue also ; and if in some cases 

 it is so very fine and minute as to be scarcely perceptible, 

 still it is abundantly perceptible in the cases now specified. 

 I regret, however, that I have not had access to a copy of M. 

 De Candolle's Organographies for there, I doubt not, the 

 structure of spongioles is more minutely detailed, and in such 

 a way, perhaps, as might have precluded the necessity for any 

 particular remark. What I have said is founded on such re- 

 presentations of the structure of the spongiole as are to be 

 met with in his Physiologie Vegetate. 



Charing, Kent, Aug. 1st, 1834. P. Keith. 



XXXIII. Proceedings of Learned Societies. 



1834. A PAPER "On the Quantity of Solid Matter sus- 

 Feb. 26.—^- pended in the Water of the Rhine," by Leonard 

 Horner, Esq., F.G.S., F.R.S., was first read. 



The experiments referred to in this paper, were made by the 

 author at Bonn, in the months of August and November. The ap- 

 paratus which he used was a stone bottle capable of containing 

 about a gallon, and furnished with a cork covered with greased 



* Continued from p. 70. 

 2E2 



