2 PEOCEBDINGS OF THE 



effect unless it passed through the stages indicated ; further, that 

 the Council had received certain suggestions which had been care- 

 fully considered but thought not essential to the proper working 

 oE the proposed Bye-Laws, even though some were verbal improve- 

 ments ; the Council had, in the new Bye-Laws, made as few changes 

 as possible, preserving the original text as far as practicable. He 

 took the feeling of the Meeting to be that the Bye-Laws should 

 be voted upon, as a whole, and on that basis the ballot would be 

 taken. The result was, in favour 72, against 4 ; whereupon the 

 President declared the new Bye-Laws to be confirmed by a large 

 majority. 



Mr. G. Clabidge Druce, F.L.S., showed specimens of a new- 

 British Grass, Koeleria valcsiaca, Gaud., which he had found in 

 the Herbarium of Dillenius at Oxford, and recently refound in 

 the original locality at Brean Down, Somersetshire, which was 

 originally given as "Brent" Down. Dr. Stapf and Mr. Henry 

 Groves contributed some remarks. 



The Eev. John Geeaed, S.J., F.L.S., brought specimens of a 

 proliferous Plantain (Plantago major) from the neighbourhood of 

 Clitheroe, Lancashire. He drew attention to the figures of the 

 plant in Lobel and Pena's 'Adversaria' and Dodoen's 'Pemptades,' 

 which latter block reappeared in Lobel's ' Observationes ' and 

 'Icones,' and Johnson's edition of Gerard's 'Herbal ' in 1633; the old 

 herbalists spoke of it as the " Besome plantain with spoky tufts." 

 He also drew attention to later figures, in Masters's ' Teratology ' 

 and the ' Gardeners' Chronicle,' ser. II. xih. (1880) p. 364, 

 figs. 65, 66. The point of interest seemed to be that this proli- 

 ferous tendency was transmitted by seed, for a seedling of the 

 original plant was also shown. A discussion followed in which 

 Mr. G. C. Druce, Mr. E. M. Holmes, Mr. J. Britten, and Prof. H. 

 Marshall Ward engaged, the last remarking that the })lant in 

 question offered specially good material for experiments as to 

 mutation. 



Mr. Prank Ceisp, Treas.L.S., brought for exhibition a flower of 

 JSchubertia graveolens, liudl., an Asclepiad, which, deprived of its 

 corolla and a portion of its calyx cut away, viewed from the side, 

 presented the genitalia in the shape of a skull. Prof. E. B. 

 Poulton briefly commented on this exhibition, as an illustration 

 of mimetic resemblance, paralleled by certain Lepidopterous 

 markings. 



The following papers were read : — 



1. " A Note on some Points in the Structure of the Gill of the 

 Ceylon Pearl-Oyster." By the President. 



