20 PROCEEDINGS OF THE 



an observation which bears an interesting relation to de Saussure's 

 previous researches (1804) on the respiration of the Cactus and of 

 the leaves of other succulent plants. There is also a note by 

 Macbride, which is one of the first records of the fly-catching pro- 

 clivities of Harracenia. 



Anatomy is poorly represented by Patrick Keith's papers ' On the 

 Formation of the Vegetable Epidermis ' (vol. xii.), and ' On the 

 Origin of Buds * (vol, xvi.), which call for no further comment ; 

 but this is to a great extent compensated for by Bowman's valuable 

 paper ' On the Parasitical Connection of Latliraia Squamaria, and 

 the peculiar structure of its Subterranean Leaves " (vol, xvi.), in 

 which the general morphology of the plant is elucidated, the sub- 

 terranean scales being recognized as really leaves : attention is 

 directed to the chambers Avhich they enclose, as also to the glandular 

 papillse so abundant on their walls. It is suggested, not felicitously, 

 that the papillae replace stomata in acting as absorbents of air. 

 This volume contains also a short but important note by Salisbury 

 on Lycojpodium denticidatum., probably the plant which we know as 

 Selaginella Kraussiana, accompanied by figures of what he termed 

 the ' seeds ' and their germination. 



Whilst the main features of the Botany of this period are its 

 more pronounced scientific character, and the definite application of 

 the microscope to the investigation of its problems, in the Zoology 

 we note a closer adherence to the original idea of tbe Society in a 

 continuation of observations in pure Natural History, with a re- 

 markable development in the direction of taxonomy. Montagu 

 concludes his descriptions on new or rare animals from the south 

 coast of Devonshire, which laid the foundation of British marine 

 zoology, and there are a number of interesting descriptive papers 

 by Guilding. Couch has an important memoir on the Fishes of 

 Cornwall (vol. xiv,). The study of geographical distribution is 

 well represented by Sir Stamford Raffles's ' Descriptive Catalogue 

 of a Zoological Collection made, on account of the Hon. East 

 India Company, in the Island of Sumatra and its Vicinity,' com- 

 l)rising Mammals and Birds. As regards taxonomy, there are 

 Kirby's last papers, including that on the Strepsiptera (vol. xi.), 

 which established his reputation as a systematic entomologist. 

 But still more striking is Leach's ' Tabular View of the External 

 Characters of Four Classes of Animals which Linne arranged 

 under Insecta," in which essay the Myriapoda are for the first time 

 recognized as a distinct group. In the later volumes of this period 

 (xv., xvi.) appear the first papers of Yarrell, of Thomas Bell, and 

 of Westwood. 



The third period is a long one, extending from 1833 to 1875 ; 

 that is, roughly speaking, from the institution of the Zoological 

 Society to the publication of the " Transactions " in separate botanical 

 and zoological volumes, and including the successive inauguration 

 of the " Proceedings " and the " Journal.'' 



From the exclusively botanical point of view this period may be 



