linxea:^ society of londox. 15 



Mr. Robert MeGillivriiy, Mr. Cecil Victor Boley Marquaiul, 

 M.A. (Cantab.), Mr. Edward Arthur AN'ilson, Miss Ethel Katheriue 

 Pearce, F.E.S., and Mr. Frederick Albert Mitchell-Hedges, 

 F. E.G. S., were admitted Fellows; aud Mr. Charles Chubb, an 

 Associate. 



Certificates in favour of Eobert Barr, Henry Charles Abraham, 

 aud William Plane Pycraft as Fellows were read for the second 

 tiuie. 



The fir>;t communication appointed to be read was by Mr. 

 Edward Heeox- Allen, F.R.S., F.L.S., and Mr. Arthur Eak- 

 LAND, ]"\E.M.S., on '• The Furaniiuifera of Lord Howe Island, 

 South Pacific," but in the absence of botli authors reading w:is 

 postponed until June 21. 



Dr. Eendle, F.R.S., Sec.L.S., with the aid of a lantern-slide, 

 demonstrated the structure of the fruit of the Mare's-tail {Hippuris 

 vulgaris Linn.). The figures and description of the fruit of this 

 well-known British plant in the text-books and floras were unsatis- 

 factory, and overlooked points of detail in structure associated 

 with the germination of the seed. The fruit is a drupe, the upper 

 portion of which around the persistent base of the style, with the 

 seedcoat, is developed in the form of a stopper which is easily 

 withdrawn on soaking the ripe fruit. The emhryo ultimately fills 

 the seed, and has the large radicle and hypoeotyl so often found in 

 water-plants. The speaker h.ad been unable to get fruits of 

 herbarium specimens several years old to germinate, and suggested 

 that Fellows interested in British botany might look out for 

 seedlings during the next season. The radicle was placed directly 

 beneath the stopper which provided a place of exit on germination. 



Dr. Eekdle also showed a three-ilowered head of Dafi^odil, sent 

 by Mr. Ernest Dixon, of Putney. Mr. Dixon mentioned that he 

 was familiar with a double head but had never seen a triplet. 

 Dr. Eendle pointed out that it was an instance of fasciation ; 

 the scape showing the characteristic broadejied form. The three 

 flowers were of slightly different age, and perfect. 



Dr. B. Datdon Jacksox, Gen. Sec, stated that rather more 

 than three years ago he had given an account before the 

 Society of the Histoiy of Botanic Illustration during Four 

 Centuries, but in consequence of tfie difficulties of illustrating 

 coloured plates by lantern-slides he had expressly excluded that 

 section from his remarks. However, at the close of his lecture, 

 he had been requested by more than one of the audience, to 

 supplement his discourse by such account of colour api)lied to 

 botanic plates as could be done without lautern-slides, to which he 

 gladly assented, but until now he had been hirnlered from com- 

 plying with the request. 



