Botanical Society of London. 155 



For the one, the Toxodon, connects the Rodentia with the Pachyder- 

 mata by manifest links, and with the Cetacea by more remote resem- 

 blances ; and thus contributes to the completion of the zoological scale 

 just in the parts where it is weakest and most imperfect : while the 

 other animal, the Macraiiclienia, the determination of which is con- 

 sidered by anatomists as an admirable example of the solution of such 

 a problem, appears to be exactly intermediate between the horse and 

 the camel. But this creature is also interesting in another way, since it 

 closely resembles, although on a gigantic scale, an animal still existing 

 in that country and peculiar to it, the Llama. Thus, in this as in some 

 other instances, the types of animal forms which distinguish a certain 

 region on the earth's surface are clearly reflected to our eyes as we 

 gaze into the past ages of the earth's history, while yet they are mag- 

 nified so as to assume what almost appear supernatural dimensions. 

 The Llama, the Capybara, and the Armadillo of South America are 

 seen in colossal forms in the Macrauchenia, the Toxodon, and the Me- 

 gatherium. I will not omit this occasion of stating that the profound 

 and enlarged speculations on the diffusion, preservation, and extinc- 

 tion of races of animals to which Mr. Darwin has been led by the re- 

 mains which lie has brought home, give great additional value to the 

 treasures which he has collected, and make it proper to offer our con- 

 gratulations to him, along with Mr. Owen, on the splendid results 

 to which his expedition has led and is likely to lead. Mr. Owen and 

 Mr. Darwin are engaged in the restoration of other animals from 

 the South American remains in their possession, and I am able to 

 announce that two or three other new genera have already been de- 

 tected." 



BOTANICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON. 



March 2. — John Reynolds, Esq., Treasurer, in the Chair. 



According to notice, the Curator, Mr. Daniel Cooper, commenced 

 a course of lectures on the practical part of Botany, at 7 p. m. (one 

 hour previous to the chair being taken,) to which the Members and 

 their friends (ladies and gentlemen) were invited. The lecture, 

 being the first of the course, was chiefly introductory. The chair 

 being taken at the usual time, the Society proceeded to ballot for 

 H. B. Fielding, Esq., of Stodday Lodge, near Lancaster, and who 

 was accordingly elected a Member and Local Secretary for the 

 district. Mr. White communicated a paper on a new species of 

 Epilobium, which led to some interesting remarks from the Mem- 

 bers*. Some beautiful specimens of Stipa pinnata were exhi- 



* We shall be able to insert this paper entire in our next Number. 



