litNNBAN SOCiETT OF LONDON. It 



The next step was taken when tlie 1582 endemic genera of 

 islands were divided among their respective islands, wlien it was 

 found that the sizes of the genera, for every island, varied from vmy 

 many monotypes, through a good many ditvpes, to a tail of a few 

 larger genera. On the larger islands, such as Maihigascar, this 

 phenomenon was even shown by the individual families. 



The general result seems to be to show that evolution and 

 geographical distribution have proceeded in a chiefly mechanical 

 way, the effects of the various " other " factors that intervene — 

 climatic, ecological, geological, etc. — being only to bring about 

 deviations this way and that from the dominant plan. Every 

 family and every genus, and in every country, behaves in the 

 same way. Strong evidence is thus given for De Vries's theory of 

 Mutation, and for Guppy's theory of Differentiation. 



Mrs. E. M. Reid then followed with her " Note on the Hollow 

 Curve as shown by Pliocene Floras." The material was that 

 published from Tegelen, Castle Eden, etc., the author concluding 

 that fossil floras take their appropriate place alongside living 

 floras, bringing direct evidence from the host to show the 

 universality of the law of Hollow Curve Distribution. 



A discussion on these two papers followed, in which the 

 President, Dr. D. IT. Scott, Dr. E. J. Salisbury, Prof. K. \i. 

 Gates, and Mr, A. J. Willmott took part, Dr. Willis replying. 



February 16th, 1922. 



Dr. A. Smith Woodward, E.E.S., President, 

 in the Chair. 



The Minutes of the General Meeting of the 2nd February, 

 1922, were read and confirmed. 



The report of the Donations received since the last Meeting 

 was laid before the Fellows, and the thanks of the Society to the 

 several Donors were ordered. 



Surendra Nath Bal, Ph.C, M.Sc. (Mich., U.S.A.), was proposed 

 as a Fellow. 



Certificates in favour of the following were read for the second 

 time: — Reginald Cory, Hugh Vandevaes Lely, B.Sc.(Ediu.), and 

 Prof. Surendra Chandra Banerji, M.A., B.Sc. (Calc). 



The President announced four vacancies in the list of Foreign 

 Members, occasioned by the deaths of Prof. Otto Biitschli, Prof. 

 Edmond Perrier, Prof. Georg Klebs, and Prof. Johann Wilhelm 

 Spengel. 



