LI>"NEAIf SOCIETY OE LO^'DO]!^". II 



Dr. Anxie Pouteb, F.L.S., find Dr. H. B. FANTnAM, M.A., 

 P.Z.S., exhibited microscopic preparations of Spirocha3tes and 

 of Blastociistis found in the stools of soldiers suffering from 

 dysentery. 



The Spirochaetes Avere small sinuous organisms, showing a 

 diffuse nucleus of chromatin granules. Their ends Avere pointed. 

 Some were broader tl)an others and they measured up to 15 /^ in 

 length, the variation being due to growth and division. The 

 exact relation of these Spirochsetes to dyseuteiy is still under 

 investigation, but spirochsetal dysentery has been recorded by 

 earlier workers. 



Some stages of the development of Blastoci/stis hominis also 

 Avere shown. These parasites are spherical and possess cytoplasm 

 with one or more nuclei usually at the periphery. The organisms 

 are probably non-pathogenic. Tiiey may present a superficial 

 resemblance to cysts of dysenteric Amoeba3, and were once 

 thought to be cysts of Trichomonas. Blastocijstis is probably 

 more nearly i-elated to the Ascomycetes. 



A paper entitled " A description of five neAV Species of 

 Edwardsia, Quatr,, from New Guinea, with an account of the 

 order of succession of the micromesenteries and tentacles in 

 the Edvviirdsida?," by Prof. Gilbert C. Bourne, M.A., D.Sc, 

 1\R.S., P.L.S., in the absence of the author on service, Avas read 

 in title. 



Prof. W. J. Dakin, D.Sc, P.L.S., submitted his paper, 

 " A new species of Enteropueusta, from the Abrolhos Islands," 

 Avliich also Avas read in title. 



Dr. O. Stapf, P.E.S., Sec.L.S., showed a series of maps and 

 lantern-slides explaining the presence of the southern elements 

 of the British flora. He referred to H. C. Watson's terms 

 " British, English, Atlantic, Germanic," etc., proposed in 1835, 

 and employed in' his 'Cybele' in 18-17 ; the term "Atlantic," 

 defined by him "as having reference only to distribution within 

 Britain," was unfortunate as confining the conception to the 

 British flora as a detached item from the Continental flora. The 

 year before the first volume of Watson's 'Cybele' ap|)eared, 

 Edward Eorbes issued his remarkable address on types of dis- 

 tribution, undoubtedly inspired by Watson's preliminary essa}^ 

 but he had a wider grasp of the subject, and basing his remarks 

 upon geological causes, divided the native plants into five groups. 

 The group least represented occurs in the mountains of the west 

 and south-west of Ireland, allied to species found in the north of 

 Spain ; he specified twelve, but reduced to the modern concept 

 of species, they are the following nine : — Saxifraga Geum, S. um- 

 brosa, S. hjjpvoides. Erica Maclcaiana, E. mediterranea, Dahoecia 

 jyolifolia, Arbutus Unedo, Piiu/uicida r/7-andiJfora, and Arabis 

 ciliata. He further referred to others found in the Channel 



