LIXNEAX SOCIETi' OF LO'DOX. 9 



The following papers were read and discussed : — 



W. BoTTi>'G Hemsley, F.R.S., F.L.S. — '■'■ PJatantliera chlorantJia, 



Custor, \a.r. tricakarata." 

 The late Mr. C. B. Clarke, F.R.S., F.L.S.—" Acanthaceae of 



insular Malava." (Communicated by Dr. Otto Staff, 



F.L.S.) 

 Eev. T. E. E. Stebbixg, F.E.S,, Sec.L.S.— " A Freshwater 



Isopod from Calcutta." 

 ]\Ir. Alexander Patiexce. — " On a new British Terrestrial 



Isopod." (Communicated by the Zoological Secretary.) 



February 7th, 1907. 



Lieut .-Col. Praix, CLE., F.E.S. , Vice-President, in the Chair. 



The Minutes of the General Meeting of the 17th January, 

 1907, were read and confirmed. 



Mr. Frederick "William Cousens and Mr. Gregory Macalister 

 Mathews were proposed as Fellows. 



Mr. Arthur William G arrard Bagshawe and Mr. Charles Arnold 

 Xewman were elected Fellows. 



The Eev. Johx Gerard. S..T., F.L.S., brought forward " Some 

 Observations on Climbing Plants," illustrating his remarks by 

 lantern- slides from his own photographs from living plants and 

 herbarium material. He began by pointing out the two opposing 

 methods of describing spiral growth or torsion as viewed from the 

 exterior or from the interior of the spiral, the result being that 

 the " dextrorse " of the first is the " sinistrorse " of the second 

 method. With or against the sun, ^yhich applies to the northern 

 hemisphere, is reversed in the southern hemisphere, and for these 

 reasons he preferred to use the terms " clockwise '' and " counter- 

 clocku ise '' (shortened to " counterwise ") : the Honeysuckle 

 (Lonkera Peridymenum) and the Hop {Hiunulus Lupulus) turning 

 clockwise, and the Convolvulus {Convolvulus arvcnsis) and the 

 Scarlet Eimner Bean (PJiaseolus vulgaris) twining counterwise. 

 He showed the result of some experiments he had made b}' growing 

 beans ( Vicia Faha) in opaque cylinders, to discover if possible 

 whether the deviation of the twist were innate, or from the direc- 

 tion of the light, the conclusion being drawn that the plant 

 possessed an inclination resembling the instinct of animals, of 

 proceeding in a given direction, and resented any attempt to force 

 it otherwise. The Author concluded with some observations on 

 the behaviour of tendrils, as those of Bn/onia dloica, displaying 

 one specimen which had vax'ied the torsion four times, and showed 

 ten turns in one direction against seventeen in the contrary. 



