LINNEAN SOCIETY OF LONDON. 47 



The Meeting having been declared special for the election of a 

 Councillor in the place of Dr. P. II. Carpenter, deceased, the 

 President announced that the Ballot would be taken to fill the 

 vacaucy thus caused, and would reuiaiu open till nine o'clock. 



The President exhibited a series of specimens of a South- 

 American Beetle, showing the extremes of variation of colour 

 observable within the limits of a single species. He further ex- 

 hibited a remarkable instance of protective mimicry in another 

 species of beetle. 



Mr. J. E. Harting exhibited a photograph of an abnorm:dly 

 situated nest of the Chimney Swallow {Hirundo rustica), which 

 had been built for the second time on a swinging hook in an 

 outhouse, and made some remarks on three recorded cases of 

 Swallows nesting in trees, a most unusual habit. 



The President announced the recent Bequest to the Society by 

 the late Sir George MacLeay, K.C.M.Gr., of a marble bust of his 

 father, the late Dr. William Sharp MacLeay, formerly a Fellow 

 and Vice-President of the Society. 



The following papers were then read : — 



1. " A Contribution to the Freshwater Algge of the "West of 

 Ireland." Bv W. West, F.L.S. 



2. " The Tick Pest in Jamaica." By Dr. W. H. W. Strachan. 

 (Communicated by W. F. Kirby, F.L.S.) 



The Ballot for a Member of the Council having been closed, 

 the President appointed Mr. Charles Jas. Breese, Mr. Thomas 

 Christy, and Mr. Arthur Bennett, Scrutineers, and the votes 

 having been counted and reported to the President, he declared 

 Mr. George Brook to be duly elected. 



December 17th, 1891. 



Prof. Charles Stewart, President, in the Chair. 



The Minutes of the last Meeting were read and confirmed. 



Mr. James Rodway was elected a Fellow. 



Mr. George Claridge Druce exhibited specimens of Sagina 

 intima (Don IMS.), var. alpina (Syme), gathered on steep rocky 

 places on the Cairngorm Mountains, and of lUecebrum verticil- 

 latum (Linn.), found near Wellington CoUege, Berks. 



Dr. E. C. A. Prior exhibited some fruits of the Baobab (Adan- 

 sonia) and an undetermined species of Palm which had been 

 sent trom Matabele-land as good to eat, under the misleading 

 names of "Cream of Tartar Fruit" and " AVild Orange." He 

 read an extract from Oates'a "Matabele-land," describing the 



