1853.] Linnean Society. 253 



A summary of these observations, however, could scarcely be made 

 intelligible without the accompanying sketches, which are more or 

 less imperfect ; and both appear to have been made rather as memo- 

 randa for the author than with any view to publication. 



November 1. 



Thomas Bell, Esq., President, in the Chair. 



Cuthbert Collingwood, Esq., M.A., was elected a Fellow. 



Mr. James Yates, F.L.S., oflfered some observations on the inflo- 

 rescence of Cycas revoluta and Macrozamia spiralis, illustrated by 

 specimens. 



Cycas revoluta. 



Prof. Miquel of Amsterdam, to whom we now look for the best 

 systematic arrangement and description of Cycads, remarks, that 

 male specimens are rarer in Europe than female. " Specimina culta," 

 says he, " omnia fere feminea. Masculinum in Horto Petropolitano 

 exstat, ubi bis floruit (Otto u. Dietr. Gartenz. vii. 1839, p. 24)." 

 See his ' Monographia Cycadearum,' 1842, folio, p. 24, and his 

 " Genera et Species Cycadearum viventium " in the ' Linnaea ' for 

 1843, p. 683. This observation is certainly true in regard to Great 

 Britain. Since the first example of the female at Farnham, described 

 by Sir J. E, Smith in the ' Linnean Transactions,' vol. vi., not less 

 than six other plants have borne fruit, and some of them two or 

 three times, viz. at Chatsworth, Ravensworth Castle, Laurel-Mount 

 and Knowsley near Liverpool, Kew.and Lauderdale House, Highgate. 

 The plant last alluded to (Mr. J. Yates's) flowered in 1845, and 

 subsequently produced four magnificent crowns of leaves, the finest 

 of them consisting of fifty-three leaves. In October 1852, the first 

 appearance of another cone was indicated by scales, covered with 

 their soft yellow tomentum ; but it remained long doubtful whether 

 this would turn out to be another crown of leaves, or a head of 

 fruit-bearing fronds. In April last the question was determined, as 

 the peculiar palmate fronds were clearly seen, and were closely 

 folded over one another, having the form of a somewhat flattened 



No. LIV. — Proceedings of the Linnean Society. 



