Royal Institution. 71 



The following are the characters of the Natural Order, and of the 

 two Genera forming it. 



LlMNANTHE^. 



Flos completus, regularis. Calyx 3 — 5-partitus, aestivatione valvata, 

 persistens. Pelala 3—5, marcescentia. Stamina 6 — 10, inser- 

 tione ambigua (hypo-perigyna), marcescentia. Filamenta di- 

 stincta, 3 — 5-sepalis opposita basi extus glandula munita. Ovaria 

 2 — 5, sepalis opposita, cum stylo communi 2 — 5-fido mediante 

 gynobasi connexa, monosperma ; ovulo erecto, nucleo inverse 

 Achenia subcarnosa. Semen exalbuminosum. Embryo rectus ; 

 radicula infera. 



Herbae( Americae septentrionalis, paludosae) glaberrimce, alter nifo lice, 

 exstipulatae, Jbliis divisis, pedunculis uni/toris, ebracteatis, apice di- 

 latato basin turbinatam calycis simulante. 

 Limnanthes. 



Calyx 5-partitus. Petala 5, calyce longiora, aestivatione contorta. 

 Stamina 10. Ovaria 5. 



Herba (Limnanthes Douglassii, Americae occidentali-borealis)ybZws 

 bipinnatifidis, pinnis suboppositis segmentis alternis. 



Floerkea. Willd. 

 Calyx 3-partitus. Petala 3, calyce breviora. Stamina 6. Ovaria 



2 (raro 3). 

 Herba (Americae orientali-borealis) Jbliis pinnatifidis, segmentis in- 



divisis. 



Read also the conclusion of Mr. Valentine's paper on the deve- 

 lopment of the Theca, and on the Sexes of Mosses. 



FRIDAY-EVENING PROCEEDINGS AT THE ROYAL INSTITUTION 

 OF GREAT BRITAIN. 



March 29. — Mr. Faraday on Mr. Brunei's new mode of construct- 

 ing arches, either of brick or stone, without the use of centerings. 



April 19. — Marquis Spineto. Original recent investigations of 

 the origin of the worship of animals in Egypt, and elsewhere. 



April 26. — Dr. Ritchie on certain parts of electro-magnetism 

 and magneto-electricity, and on new electro-magnetic apparatus. 



May 3. — Mr. Faraday on the mutual relations of lime, carbonic 

 acid and water, and their connexion with geological phaenomena 

 and theories. 



May 10. — Mr. Wilkinson on ancient projectile weapons^ of war- 

 fare, and the progress of the application of fire and gunpowder. 



May 17. — Dr. Turner on the real equivalent numbers of chemi- 

 cally combining bodies. 



May 24?. — Mr. Faraday on a new law of electric conduction and 

 decomposition. 



May 31. — Dr. Grant — A comparison between the different con- 

 ditions of the circulating system in inferior animals with the stages 

 of the development of that system in man. 



