4 PEOCEEDINGS OF THE 



Unforkmately there is no record of the peculiarities of habitat 

 of the diiferent forms iu their native home. The scaudent type, 

 with its complete reduction of leaf-surface, is obviously adapted 

 for growth under much drier conditions than the leafy one. In 

 the xerophyte the assimilating function is shared to a great extent 

 by the well-developed green cortex of the elongated stem, which 

 in the second vear becomes separated by the formation of a deep- 

 seated cork layer, as was pointed out some years ago by Prof. F. 

 W. Oliver. 



As M'ith our own Ruhi, there is in the case of Ruhus nustralis 

 also some diffei'ence of opinion as to the limitation of species. 

 In his ' New Zealand Flora ' Sir J. Hooker suggests three varieties, 

 to one of which (cissoides) all the three specimens now iu question 

 belong. Allan Cunningham, however, raised the varieties to 

 specific rauk, and Thomas Kirk, in . his recent ' Floi'a of New 

 Zealand,' takes a similar view. It is interesting to note, hov\'ever» 

 that in the original specimen, now in the British Museum, which 

 Forster collected aucl on which he founded his species in 1786, 

 two at least of these presumed species are represented, and the 

 same remark applies to a specimen collected by Banks and Solander 

 at Totaranui in 1791, and also preserved in the National 

 herbarium. 



Eemarks were made by Messrs. C. B. Clarke, W. Carruthers, 

 and 0. Stapf. 



The President gave an account of his iu^estigation of the 

 proteolytic enzyme of Nepenthes (see p. 45). 



A discussion followed, in which Prof. Percy Grroom, Prof. Howes, 

 Mr. H. N. Ridley, and Rev. T. R. R. Stebb'ing took part. 



The following paper was read : — 



" On the Flora of Rarotouga." By T. F. Cheeseman, F.L.S. 



December 5th, 1901. 



Dr. D. H. Scott, F.R.S., Vice-President, in the Chair. 



The Minutes of the last Meeting were read and confirmed. 



The following were elected Fellows of the Society : — Lieut.- 

 Col. Arthur Arnold Barrett, Mr. Graham Ewart Bott, the Rev. 

 "William Burgess, Capt. Charles Donovan, Capt. Andrew^ Thomas 

 Grage, Mr. Ernest John Lewis, Mr. Charles Smith Nicholson, 

 Mr. Henry William Potts, and Mr. John Frederick Waby. 



Dr. W. RiDEWooD, F.L.S. , exhibited nine specimens of abnormal 

 sacra in the Edible Frog (Bana esculenta) and one iu the Common 

 Frog {Rana temporaria\ (see p. 46). Some additional remarks, 

 were made by Prof. Gr. B, Howes. 



