122 PEOCEEDTKQS OP THE 



Serifiera littoralis, var. onacropJiylla, received from Professor 

 Maxinu Cornu of the Jardiu dcs Plaiites, Paris. The adult leaves, 

 of very large size, are dark green above and silvery white beneath. 

 The glistening appearance is due to an investment of shining 

 peltate membranous scales ; and this peculiarity has given rise to 

 the name of " Looking-glass Tree." This Sterculaceous tree is a 

 native of the tropics of the Old World in the vicinity of coasts, 

 and occurs also in the inland hills of Eastern Bengal Kurz re- 

 garded H. littoralis and S. macropliylla as specifically distinct ; 

 but the points relied on, Dr. Masters says, are not constaiit or 

 trustworthy. 



Mr. Charles Stewart exhibited the stridulating-organs of a 

 Spiny Lobster {Talinurus). He showed, under the microscope, 

 the file-like bow and its two tubercles ; also by means of a softened 

 specimen of the carapace he produced the peculiar grating noise 

 which the animal makes during life. 



Mr. J. Gr. Baker exhibited, for Mr. G-eorge Nicholson, speci- 

 mens of Lycopodium complanatum collected by the Rev. A. 

 Lawson on the Somersetshire side of Exmoor, near Porlock, thus 

 corroborating those who hitherto have ascribed to it a British 

 habitat. 



A fine example of the common Pole-Cat (Mustela putoritis) 

 from near Caermarthen was shown for Mr. Edward A. Heath. 



Mr. Clement Eeid drew attiention to a series of fossil seeds and 

 plants from the Forest-bed of the Cromer district, Norfolk. 

 Among these were examples of Fiitus sylvestris, Abies excelsa, 

 and Trapa nutans from Muudesley ; Pinus Abies from Trim- 

 mingham ; Qiiercus Robtir from Happisburgh ; Osmuncla rer/alis 

 from Paston, near Barton ; and from various localities seeds of 

 Thalictrum, Sanunctilus aquatilis, N^ymjjliar lutea, Taxus bacca- 

 tus, mpptiris vulgaris, Potatnogeton heteropln/llus, P. erispus, 

 P. triclwicles, P. flabcllatus, Zannicliellia palustris^Pumex mari- 

 timus, and Ceratopliylhim demersum, all in a remarkably fine 

 condition of preservation. 



Mr. Thomas Christy exhibited a plant of Angrceciim sesquipedale 

 in flowei', and a plant of Catasetum purum showing flowers erect 

 and reversed on the same spike. In none of the flowers was the 

 ovary visibly twisted ; but in long-ovaried Orchids it is often 

 very difiicult to detect the twisting of the ovary by external 

 aspect. This specimen illustrated the fact that light, or the 

 absence of light, was not the cause of the alteration of position. 



The following specimens were exhibited for Mr. Edward M. 

 Holmes, viz. : — (1) The irmt oiJfzelia cuangensis from Limpopo, 

 Natal, sent to him as the pod of a Mahogany-tree. (2) The 

 fruit of Trichilia Dregei from the same district ; oil is obtained 



