12 PEOCEEDINGS OF THE 



The Eev. John Eobert Lewis Kingon, M.A., was admitted a 

 Fellow. 



Mr. Sidney Edwards Pougnet was proposed as a Fellow. 



The Treasurer showed two recently acquired volumes, pur- 

 chased for the Library from the income derived from the bequest 

 of the late Mr. Francis Tagart, and remarked upon the great 

 usefulness of the Fund thus set apart. 



The Botanical Secretary briefly epitomised a paper by Messrs. 

 J. A. Wheldon, F.L.S., and W. G. Travis, on "The Lichens of 

 South Lancashire." 



The President commented on the corresponding changes in 

 the insect fauna, due to the same causes as those affecting the 

 lichens. 



Mr. E. J. Bedfoed exhibited a series of exquisite drawings in 

 water-colour of 36 British Orchids, and lantern-slides and photo- 

 graphs of the same plants in their natural surroundings. 



A discussion followed, and Dr. A. B. Kendle, Dr. C. E. Moss, 

 Mr. F. N. "Williams, and Mr. E. A. Eolfe took part, the exhibitor 

 briefly replying. 



Dr. A. B, Eendle exhibited some specimens collected during 

 the recent visit of the British Association to Austraha. These 

 included : — (1) A specimen of the so-called " blackfellow's bread" 

 (Polyporus Mylittce), the sclerotium or resting condition of a fungus 

 which is found in some places in considerable quantity buried in 

 the soil. The fructification, which is very rare and was unknown 

 until 1892, shows it to be a Polyporus. "When fresh the sclerotium 

 is of a cheesy consistency and was used as food by the aborigines, 

 when dry it becomes vex-y hard and horny ; examination shows 

 that it can be of but little nutritive value as it consists mainly of 

 a fungus-cellulose. 



(2) A fine spike of Xantlwrrhoea quadrangidata from Mt. Lofty 

 near Adelaide, one of the "black-boys" or "grass-trees" which 

 are a characteristic feature of Australian vegetation. It was 

 pointed out that the inflorescence is a " compass-plant," as the 

 flowers open first on the noi*th side, that being the more exposed 

 to the sun at the antipodes. A photograph of another species, 

 X. Tateana, from Kangaroo Island, showed a specimen over 

 24 feet high without the spike, which as a rule is at least equal 

 in length to the stem. 



(3) A climbing species of Drosera (D. Planclionii) also from 

 Mt. Lofty, showing the method of growth from an underground 

 bulb, and the use of some of the leaf-tentacles as attaching organs 

 enabling the plant to climb. 



(4) A portion of a plant of Acrotricha fasciculiflora from the 



