56 PEOCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES. 



^tocccbing^ of ^ocietic^. 



Beitish Association pok the Advancement of Science, Belfast, 

 1874. — Section D. Biology. 



Aug. 20. Department of Zoology and Botamj, J. D, Hooker, 

 M.D., C.B., P.R.S., in the Chair. — '* On the cause of the potato 

 disease and the means of its prevention." By J. Torbitt. The 

 disease was attributed to the gradual natural decay of particular 

 varieties "which possess only a limited period of life in a healthy state, 

 — Mr. Carruthers combated this view, which he said had long since 

 been exploded. Having briefly adverted to the known facts respecting 

 the Peroiiospora infestans, he mentioned that recent communications 

 from Prof. De Bary seemed to point to the conclusion that the fungus 

 possessed an ** alternation of generations," one of which probably 

 affected some entirely different plant. 



Aug. 21. Deimrtment of Zoology and Botany, — Address of the Pre- 

 sident, Dr. Hooker, ''The carnivorous habits of plants." [This is 

 printed w extenso in "Nature," September 3, 1874, pp. 366—372. 

 It, however, contains some misprints, and is without the author's final 

 corrections and the full bibliography. A French translation appeared 

 in the ''Revue Scientifique," November 21, 1874, pp, 481—489.] 

 The address was illustrated by an admirable and extensive 

 series of specimens from the Botanic Gardens at Glasnevin. 

 — Report of the Committee on the Influence of Forests on 

 Rainfall. The operations of the Committee during the past year had 

 been limited to the meteorological observations at Carnwath, Lanark- 

 shire. In the discussion, in which Mr. G. J. Symons and others took 

 part, a strong opinion was expressed that the observations made by 

 the Committee were too restricted to lead to any conclusive result. — 

 Department of Anatomy and Physiology. Prof. Redfern, M.D., in the 

 chair. " On the influence of Food, and the methods of supplying it 

 to Plants and Animals." By the President. [Reported in the "British 

 Medical Journal," August 29, 1874.] 



Evening Lecture. — Prof. Tyndall, President, in the chair. " Com- 

 mon wild flowers considered in relation to Insects." By Sir John 

 Lubbock, Bart. This was a very charming but necessarily wholly 

 popular account of the adaptation of flowers to wind and insect ferti- 

 lisation. One point was well illustrated by the copious series of dia- 

 grams (ingeniously illuminated by the beam of au electric lamp, 

 which served as a pointer). Taking the species of a given genus, the 

 extent to which insect fertilisation comes into play is roughly propor- 

 tioned to the dimensions of the corolla. [The whole lecture is re- 

 ported in "Nature," September, 17, 1874, pp. 402—406 and 422— 

 426.] 



Aug. 22. Department of Zoology andBotany. — " On a monstrous 

 state of Megacarpcba.''' By Dr. Moore, Director of the Botanic Gardens, 

 Glasnevin. The specimens showed a multiplication of the carpels. — " On 

 a monstrous flower of ISarracenia.'" By the same. This exhibited a kind 



