14 PROCEEDINGS OF THE 



first place, they have three spurs, the additional pair heing 

 sepaline ; agreeing in this respect with the three-spurred Platan- 

 thera that 1 exhihited before the Linnean Society, Jan. 17, 1907, 

 and differing from the three - spurred Platanthera exhibited 

 March 19, 1908, in which the additional spurs were petaline; 

 these two conditions affording examples of false and true peloria 

 respectively. Both specimens of Platanthera contained fully 

 developed normal pollinia ; your plant, none. The structure of 

 the flowers of your plant is as follows: — Scape with one appressed 

 leaf. Flowers yellowish, crowded, not fully developed and only 

 about one-tliii'd of an inch long. Bracts longer than the ovary, 

 shorter than the flower. Flowers 3-spurred, the additional spurs* 

 produced by the two lateral sepals, and somewhat thicker than 

 the labelhnn spur. Spurs equal or unequal in length. Labellum 

 considerably larger than the sepals and petals, narrow in the 

 basal half and nearly orbicular in the distal half, entire or 

 irregularly 5-toothed. Sepals and petals otherwise similar. 

 Genitalia (juite rudimentary with no trace of pollinia. 



" The floral structure of this anomalous orchid, especially the 

 shape of the different organs, and its sterile nature, Mould lead one 

 to suppose it to be of hybrid origin. But its early appearance 

 and its small size make it diflicult to suggest a probable parentage. 

 The shape of the labellum points to Orchis and I suggest some 

 connection with 0. Morio ; yet the resemblances go no further. 

 I sent the drawings to my friend Dr. Focke, and he replied that 

 he could say very little about it but referred me to a Swiss record, 

 which he had not seen, of an anomalous 0. Morio, as a possible 

 clue." 



The suggestion of Dr. Focke (whose letter is upon the table) 

 is not very helpful, as the plant to which he refers proved to be 

 a 3-lipped and 3-spurred Orchis Morio. The plants associated 

 with this abnormal Orchis on the Reigate Downs include Orchis 

 masctda, 0. Morio (sparingly), 0. ustulata (sparingly), Aceras, and, 

 not far away, Habenaria hifolia ; but of all these, 0. mascula 

 Mould be the only species in flower on such an early date as 

 April 23rd. 



I may mention that Mr. Hemsley showed the drawing at a 

 meeting of the Scientific Committee of the Eoyal Horticultural 

 Society on Aug. 20, 1911, but no conclusion was arrived at. I 

 should be very glad to hear any suggestions as to the origin of 

 the plant. 



Mr. Hugh Findox showed a series of Glass-sponges from Japan. 

 He stated that these sponges had been lately given to him by a 

 gentlnman who received a number of them some years ago from a 

 naturalist in Japan. 



He stated that they were of two species, Hyalonema SiehoWii 

 and H. apertinn, and were dredged in ten to fifteen fathoms 

 of water off the East Coast of Japan. One specimen had been 

 cut in order to see the connection between the stalk, or " rope," 



