LINNEAN SOCIETY OF LONDON. 29 



The following papers were read : — 



1. " On the Connexion between Geotropism and Growth." By 

 Francis Darwin, F.L.S. 



2. " Note on Negative Heliotropism in Ftwiaria corymbosa, 

 Desf." By B. Daydou Jackson, Sec. L.S. 



3. "MoUusca of the 'Challenger' Expedition."— Part XIV. 

 By the Eev. E. Boog Watson, F.L.S. 



4. " Some Observations on the ' Breaking ' of the Shropshire 

 Meres." By W. Phillips, F.L.S. 



Six neighbouring meres in Shropshire, namely, Ellesmere mere, 

 Kettlemere, Newton mere, Whitemere, Colemere, and Blakemere, 

 whose collective area is about 311 acres, exhibit, with tlie excep- 

 tion of the last named, the phenomenon known locally as " break- 

 ing" in July and August. The water, ordinarily clear, becomes 

 turbid and greenish in tint, and a scum forms on the surface, col- 

 lecting in patches, sometimes smelling offensively. In Ellesmere 

 mere this appearance is due to an abundance oi Bivularia articu- 

 lata, Ach., a rare species. Kettlemere and Whitemere exhibited 

 a yellow scum, due to Anahaina circinalis, E.abh. Blakemere, 

 although closely adjacent to Kettlemere, and believed by the 

 country-people to be connected with it underground, has never 

 been known to "break." Colemere began to "break" last 

 autumn on October 15, and the opportunity to investigate it was 

 lost. Newton mere showed an alga, believed to be Cylindrosper- 

 tnum Salfsii, Kiitz., ranked by Tiabenhorst as a variety of Sphce- 

 rozyga Carmichaelii, Harv. This mere "broke" as early as 

 Feb. 23 this year, with two species, namely Anabaina circinalis 

 and Coelosperinwn Kutzingianum, Naeg., the latter in very small 

 proportion to the former. We have here, then, a double " break- 

 ing," in spring and autumn, caused by different algae. See also 

 ' G-revillea,' vol. ix. p. 4, and vol. x. p. 111. 



April 20th, 1882. 



Sir John Lubbock, Bart., F.E.S., President, in the Chair. 



The Minutes of the last Meeting were read and confirmed. 



The President, addressing the Meeting, said that all pre- 

 sent would no doubt liave heard the sad news of tlie irreparable 

 loss which science, the country, and the Linnean Society iiave 

 sustained in the death of Mr. Darwin. Only a month ago they 

 had the pleasure of hearing a paper of hi.s, unhappily his last, 

 Avhich showed no sign of any abatement of vigour. The present 

 was not the occasion to speak of the value of his scientific work, 

 but he might say that while the originality and profound cha- 

 racter of his researches had revolutionized natural history, he 

 had also added enormously to its interest, and given, if he might 

 say so, new life to biological science. Many of them, and no one 

 more than himself, had also to mourn one of the kindest and best 

 of friends. He begged to pro[)ose, as a small mark of respect to 



