PROCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES. Z?f 



Joseph D. Hooker, C.B., presented to the Society, in the name of 

 a Committee of gentlemen, a large oil painting of the Eev. M. A. 

 Berkeley, painted by Mr. Peel. The gift of the portrait was subject 

 to only one condition, viz., the Society's permitting free access of 

 anyone desirous of inspecting it, during reasonable hours. — Dr. 

 Thomas Boycott exhibited and made some remarks upon a great 

 matted sheet of Xitella transJucens, which had been got from a 

 dried-np pond in St. Leonard's Forest, Sussex, June 1877. — 

 Mr. Thomas Christy called attention to two living examples of 

 West African India-rubber trees, Urosti(/ma Yogelii and another 

 still undetermined Ficus only recently arrived ; and to large fruits, 

 flowers and leaves of LandoljMa florida. — Dr. E. C. A. Prior 

 exhibited a specimen of Colletia cruciata in blossom, grown out of 

 doors at Langford-Budville, Wellington, Somerset, by the Eev. W. 

 Sotheby. — Dr. Maxwell Masters read an extract from a letter of 

 Dr. Beccari, describing a gigantic Aroid, found by him in Sumatra, 

 side by side with the Babesia Arnoldi. The species — which is 

 called by Beccari Conophallus / Titanum — is like Amorphophalbis 

 and has a large tuber five feet round, from which is pushed 

 up a single leaf with a long stout petiole, the divided blade 

 covering an area of forty-five feet or fifteen metres. Seedlings 

 have been raised from this plant in the garden of the Marquis 

 Corsi-Salviato, at Florence.* — The following papers were read :-— 

 "Notes on Euj)horbiace8e," by George Bentham, F.E.S. This 

 paper treats of the history, nomenclature, systematic arrangement, 

 and the origin and geographical distribution of the order. Among 

 Dicotjdedons, EupliorhiacecB stands fourth in point of numbers, 

 having above 3000 species in 200 genera. On investigatmg the 

 origin of the order, the geological record unfortunately is of no 

 assistance. Their evident generally tropical nature is a strik- 

 ing feature, and judging from various data it is conjectured that 

 their most ancient home was in the Old World. Their af&nities 

 have repeatedly been discussed by botanists, but though there are 

 individual genera which may exhibit some one character supposed 

 to be allied to other Orders, yet no real connection has hitherto 

 been pointed out. Their isolation is produced not so much by any 

 one special character as by a special combination of several. As 

 to position in the linear series, unless the order be broken up 

 it must practically remain among the Monochlamydew in spite 

 of the occasional presence of a corolla in some forms. — " On the 

 existence of Carpesium cernuum, Willd., in Queensland." The author 

 suggests its being indigenous to Australia. — "Notes on Cleisto- 

 gamic Flowers ; chiefly of Viola, Oxalis and Impatiens,'" by Alfred 

 W. Bennett. Glancing at investigations abeady made in this 

 field, the author proceeds to detail his own observations on 

 F. cucullata, V. sylvatica, V. fiorihunda, Y. sagittata, V. elatior, 



0. Acetosella, I. Xoli-me-tanf/ere and I. parvifiora ; he states that 



1. glandulifera does not bear Cleistogamic flowers. In his concludmg 

 remarks, he says, Cleistogamic flowers are of two kinds : first, 



* For further particulars see ' Gardeners' Chronicle,' December 21st, p. 788 

 and fig. 127. 



