286 PROCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES. 



instances to the point at issue. He recognizes five degrees in the 

 effects of the reproductive force — (1) Entire abeyance when no 

 flowers are produced; (2) Flowers may be abundant, but pollen 

 remain a mass of tissue, as in Ilamuiculus Ficaria ; (3) Flowers 

 produced with good pollen but no seed set, as in Esclwltzia ; 

 (4j Fruit produced only at definite places, as extremity of raceme, 

 or at definite periods, as late in summer ; (5) Flowers and fruit 

 occur in abundance as in the "tree" Wistaria, or freely growing 

 branches of ivy. — A note was read by Dr. Maxwell Masters on the 

 occurrence of a Kestiaceous plant in Cochin China. This new 

 species, Leptocarpus disjnnctus (collected by M. Godefroy Leboeuf), 

 he technically describes, and notices that hitherto Uestiaceoi have 

 only been recorded from the Cape, Australia, Tasmania, New 

 Zealand, and a single species in Chili. The solitary L. Schidzii, 

 of North Australia, seems allied to that from Cochin China, 

 suggesting the possibility that further researches may bring to 

 light other Eestiaceous forms in the intermediate area between 

 the Asiatic and Australian localities. 



May ^.^t/i.— Anniversary Meeting. — Prof. Allman, F. E. S., 

 President, in the chair. The report on publications was read by 

 the Secretary. The Treasurer's statement of accounts for the past 

 year showed a balance of £220 8s. 9(1. on hand, being a slight 

 reduction as compared with that of the previous year, but readily 

 accounted for by the general depression of trade, which indirectly 

 had affected the whole of the Learned Societies. During the session 

 forty-one new Fellows had been elected, against which thirteen 

 had died and three withdrawn. Among the foreign members 

 three had died and one associate. The demise of such well-known 

 workers in Botany and Zoology as Prof. Grisebach of Gottingen, 

 W. C. Hewitson, G. Dawson Eowley, and the Marquis of Tweed- 

 dale, is a great'loss to science. The following gentlemen were 

 elected members of Council in lieu of five retiring by rotation, 

 viz., F. Crisp, Eev. J. M. Crombie, W. S. Dallas, A. Grote, and 

 E. McLachlan. The President and Officers were re-elected. After- 

 wards the President delivered his annual address, the subject being 

 *' Eecent Progress in our knowledge of the Polyzose." 



June 5. — Prof. Allman, F.E.S., President, in the chair. — Mr. 

 Carruthers, Mr. Ball, Mr. Grote, and Dr. Jeffreys were nominated 

 Vice-Presidents for the ensuing year.— Mr. A. D. Michael was 

 elected a Fellow of the Society, — Attention was called to an article 

 on Cinchona in India, by Mr. J. E. Howard; Calisaya Ledfjcriana 

 is shown to yield excellent results, as much as 10 per cent, of 

 quinine, and of excellent quality, being obtained. — A paper, by 

 Prof. T. Fries, of Upsala, on the Lichens collected during the 

 Enghsh Polar Expedition of 1875-76, was communicated by Sir 

 J. D. Hooker. Li Dr. Hayes's Arctic journey lichens probably 

 were not brought away from a more northerly position than 78° N. 

 lat., but Julius Payer, in the German Expedition, with certainty 

 obtained specimens at Cape Fligely, 82° 5' N. lat. With the 

 exception of these last, but three species of lichens hitherto have 

 been pubhched as found beyond 81° N. lat. Thus considerable 



