206 PllOCEEDlNGS OF SOCIETIES. 



indifference), Grimmia anodon and G. pruinosa will naturally fall into it ; but 

 if ScMstidium be set aside, which perhaps would be of advantage in the section 

 with capsules sessile-peristonie, perfect in order would come Grimmia maritima, 

 G. apocarpa, and G. pruinosa, as well as G. conferta, which seems to have a 

 less perfectly developed peristome than any of the preceding. In the group 

 with the peristome entirely wanting would come G. anodon, which, with sessile 

 capsules, has yet more characteristics in common with Grimmia proper than 

 any of the othei'S. III. " Remarks on Bohmeria nivea." By Mr. Sadler. 

 Mr. Sadler exhibited raw and prepared fibre of Bohmeria, as well as manufac- 

 tured articles of dress from it, and drawings and dried specimens of the plant. 

 It was attracting attention, because the Grovernment had offered £5000 for the 

 invention of a machine capable of separating the fibre from the bark and stem 

 in an inexpensive manner ; the working expenses of the prepared fibre not to 

 exceed £15 per ton, and to be of such a quality as to realize not less than £50 

 per ton in the English market. This offer was made in February last, and one 

 year given to competitors. It was stated in all the newspapers about three 

 weeks ago that such a machine had been invented in Bombay. The Govern- 

 ment ought to contradict this, as it had stopped intending competitors. Mr. 

 Sadler described Bolimeria nivea, and referred to the other fibre-yielding plants 

 belonging to the same Order. He exhibited a scarf manufactured from the 

 fibre of the common Nettle (Urtica dioica), which yielded a fine and soft but 

 not a lasting fibre. The Bohmeria is known as " Rheoa," "Ramie," "Ma" 

 or " Chu-ma," " Chinese Grass," and "Chinese Nettle. . IV. "Memorandum 

 on Ipecacuanha." By Clements R. Markham, Esq. Communicated by Dr. 

 Cleghorn. V. "Report on the Open Air Vegetation in the Royal Botanic 

 Garden." ByMr. M'Nab. VI. " Demonstration on the Embryos of iVj/mj;A«a 

 alba and Phoenix dactylifera." By Professor Dickson. Dr. Dickson had no- 

 thing new to bring forward on the embi'yo of Nymphcea, and would merely 

 exhibit preparations showing the different parts of the seed, viz. : integuments ; 

 perisperm ; endosperm (vitellus) ; and dicotyledonous embryo, with rudimen- 

 tary radicle and well- developed plumule exhibiting two leaves, an older and a 

 younger one. Regarding the embryo of the Date, Dr. Dickson remarked that, 

 so far as he had seen, the representations of it in the bookg were very errone- 

 ous ; the slit of the cotyledon being indicated in one representation by a trans- 

 verse cleft or fissure near its upper part ; in another by a tongitudinal slit near 

 its upper part. Dr. Dickson found that tlie slit of the cotyledon is longitudinal, 

 and is always situated near its base. In shape the embryo is pretty definite, 

 and may be described generally as conical. The cone, however, is compressed 

 laterally, and is somewhat curved towards its apex ; in fact, resembling a short 

 somewhat flattened horn. The position of this conical body is definite as re- 

 gards the mesial plane of the seed ; its long axis being nearly horizontal ; the 

 compression lateral ; and the curvature such that the concavity is towards the 

 apex, the convexity towards the base of the seed. The position of the slit, 

 however, is very variable, though always longitudinal and situated near the 

 base of the cotyledon ; it may be either on the concave, on the convex, or on 

 one of the lateral aspects. In fact, the slit may occur on any portion of tlie 

 circumference near the base. This variability is noteworthy, since it would 



