70 PKOCEEDTNOS OF THE 



December ISth, 1884. 



Sir John Ltjebock, Bart., President, in tlie Chair. 



The Minutes of the last Meeting were read and confirmed. 



Thomas Bates Blow, Esq., Henry George Greenish, Esq., 

 Alfred G. Howard, Esq., Lieut. -Col. William Eowe Lewis, Lionel 

 dc ISiceville, Esq., Charles Bagge Plowright, Esq., and Frederick 

 Shrivell, Esq., were elected Eellows. 



Mr. H. Ling Eoth sliowed some roots of the Sugar-Cane from 

 Queensland, preserved in spirit ; and stated that it appeared to 

 him that tlie plant possesses two sorts, viz. ordinary fibrous 

 roots, and others of a special kind, like taproots. 



Mr. Edward Alfred Heath exhibited a stuffed adult specimen 

 of a Wild Cat, which had been found dead in a trap (Nov. 

 1884) in Ben Armiu Deer Eorest, Sutherlandshire, in which dis- 

 trict they are still frequently met with. 



Mr. W. H. Beeby called attention to exaini)les of Bur-reeds 

 {Sjnirganirim), obtained by him at Albury ponds, near Guildford, 

 in Ort. 1883, and since then elsewliere in Surrey. The plant is 

 quite distinct from S. ramosum and S. simplex, and may be re- 

 garded as a new British species, for which he proposed the name 

 of S. neglect um. 



Mr. Thomas E. Gunn showed an interesting series in varied 

 plumage of the (hitherto rare in Britain) Blue-throated Warbler, 

 Euficilla sveeica, L. The exam2:)le3 in question were procured 

 by Mr. G E. Power, at Eley, on the Norfolk coast, in Sept. last. 

 Mr. Gunn also exhibited an immature female specimen of the 

 Little Bittern {Botaurus minntus), shot by Mr. E. N. Beuning- 

 field, at Broxbourne Bridge, Herts, on 15th Oct. Lastly, Mr. 

 Gunn exhibited a hybrid between a cock Goldfinch and a hen 

 Bullfinch, which possessed the marked characteristics of both 

 parents. 



There was exhibited, for Mr. E. Morton Middleton, examples 

 of varieties of Indian Corn {Zea Mays, L.) from the United 

 States, Natal, and the borders of the river Danube. These 

 markedly diftered from each other in size, colour, form, and orna- 

 mentation. 



Mr. W. T. Thiselton Dyer exhibited and made remarks on 

 life-size iihotographs of cones of two species of Encephalnrtus 

 from South Africa, viz. E. longifolius aud E. latifrons, neither 

 hitherto figured in European books. He also showed tubei's of 

 Ullueus ivberosiis from Venezuela, which, though esteemed as an 

 esculent in South America, has proved inedible when grown at 

 Kew. 



